Is Bread Totally Off Limits on the Keto Diet? This Dietitian and Keto Expert Explains

The keto diet is the high-fat, moderate-protein, super low-carb craze you've probably read about online or heard your coworker rave about. And while it has helped countless people lose weight, the rules of what you can and can't eat are pretty restrictive.

In general, you should aim to eat fewer than 50 carbs a day to keep your body in the fat-burning state of ketosis. The general macro breakdown is: 70 to 80 percent fat, 15 to 20 percent protein, and five to 10 percent carbs. Since carbs are present in many healthy, keto-friendly foods such as leafy, nonstarchy vegetables and low-sugar fruit, it's generally recommended to stay away from other grains and carb-heavy starches. Yes, this includes bread and all the beloved bread products. Luckily, there's a caveat.

"While traditional bread — yes, even whole wheat and whole grain — is too high in carbohydrates to include on a ketogenic diet, there are several great low-carb bread recipes and products that can be included if you miss the occasional sandwich or roll with your meal," registered dietitian Sarah Koenck, member of the clinical team at Virta Health, told POPSUGAR.

She noted that while the average slice of bread has typically about 10 to 20 grams of carbs, you can make bread with other low-carb ingredients such as almond flour, coconut flour, psyllium husk, cream cheese, and eggs. Try this Keto Bread recipe from Life Made Sweeter. It's supereasy and takes only 90 seconds in the microwave.

So can you nosh on store-bought bread and expect to stay in ketosis? Probably not. If you're clamoring for a piece of store-bought bread, stick to Sola bread (nine grams of carbs per serving) and make sure it fits within your daily macro or carb allotment. But if you're willing to get creative in the kitchen, you can enjoy low-carb toast and sandwich bread and still stay on track.