Many people follow the keto diet and if you know anything about it, you know that lots of carbs are a no no.
I’ve thrown many crawfish boils through out the season and I’ve been asked many times if crawfish is keto, so I’ve finally decided to research the question and I’m going too share the answer with you here.
Yes, crawfish are keto. Crawfish are low in fat and carbohydrates and high in protein. High protein foods keep you fuller longer so you won’t be snacking as much, which will help you lose the weight. The great news is crawfish can work in your keto diet!
The following article will give you an overview of the keto diet, and an in-depth look at what makes crawfish keto-friendly and its health benefits.
Overview of The Keto Diet
There are several versions of the keto diet. In this article, I will be talking about the standard ketogenic diet (SKD). Although the ratio of fat, protein, and carbohydrate is different for different types of ketogenic diets, all of them follow almost the same principles.
This diet drastically reduces carbohydrate intake and replaces it with fat. As a result, the body enters into a metabolic state which is known as ketosis.
In traditional high-carb diets, our body uses glucose as energy. And glucose is mostly sourced from the carbohydrate-rich foods that we eat.
After we eat carbohydrates, it is turned into glucose by the liver in our body. And from there, this glucose is used to fuel different metabolic processes. The excess amount that remains unused is stored in our body in the form of fat.
As soon as the body runs out of glucose, it sends signals to the brain asking for more.
If you have ever eaten high-carb meals, you might’ve noticed that shortly after eating you feel a burst of energy in your body. But after some time, maybe an hour or two, this energy spike drops sharply.
That’s because glucose burns through our bodies very quickly. Once the body runs out of energy, it sends a signal to our brain that makes us hungry.
As mentioned before, the excess amount of glucose in our body is stored as fats for later use. But hunger is something that nobody can ignore.
So, before the fat in our body can be burnt to provide energy, we eat more. As a result, fat keeps building up in the body no matter how hard we work out.
The keto diet switches to ketones as the primary source of energy in your body instead of glucose. There are several benefits to this.
The first one is that they are created in the liver using the stored fat in your body. As a result, ketones are always available when the body needs them.
Secondly, it takes longer to burn ketones as opposed to glucose. So, they act as a steady source of energy for the body. But in order to make this switch, you have to convince your body that carbohydrates aren’t going to be available anymore.
By doing so, your body will switch to the backup source of energy that is stored in your body.
There are lots of benefits of this diet. It helps you to lose stubborn belly fat, and in turn your weight. In addition to this, it also helps in stabilizing the sugar level of the body, reducing brain fog, and improving body energy levels.
Is Crawfish Keto Friendly?
Yes, crawfish is 100% keto-friendly. In fact, it can be enjoyed as many times as you like when you are on a keto diet.
Here are some of the reasons that make it easy to incorporate crawfish into your keto meal plan:
Crab-Free
Crawfish are totally carb-free. When you are on a keto diet, it is essential for you to restrict your carbohydrate intake to a certain level.
As crawfish don’t contain any carbs, you don’t have to worry about consuming your net carbohydrate allowance for any given day.
High Protein
The aim of keto diet is to reduce carbohydrate intake and replace it with fats. Now, crawfish might not be a fatty shellfish but it is rich in protein. And many people fail to realize that protein is as important to keto dieting as fats.
Sure, the fats in your food will replace your need for carbs and help you lose weight but protein helps your muscles grow and allow you to get your desired body shape.
On top of that, protein doesn’t digest as easily as carbohydrates which is a good thing for losing weight.
This long digestion period means you can stay fuller longer without the need for taking another meal or snacking. So, you eventually lose more weight.
Crawfish and other sorts of crustaceans are packed with protein. So, they work as an excellent addition to your keto menu.
Whole Food
Crawfish are whole foods. Whole foods are those that you can recognize as something that exists in nature. This type of food is minimally processed or not processed at all. As a result, their nutrient values remain intact.
Dietitians advise eating whole foods because of their many health benefits. Eating such foods can lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, and type two diabetes.
In addition, you can lose weight and improve your overall health condition by eating crawfish. All these make it 100% keto-friendly.
Minimally Processed
As mentioned before, whole foods like crawfish are minimally processed, which means that they are free of harmful ingredients like food additives, non-keto sweeteners, and highly refined oil.
In addition to that, it will retain all its nutrient values when it reaches your dining table.
if you are looking for the healthiest option, always go for wild crawfish. Farm raised ones tend to have higher levels of contamination. So spending some extra buck for wild crawfish is worth it.
Note: One thing to keep in mind, although the crawfish itself are keto-friendly, the methods you use to cook it may or may not make it suitable for a keto diet.
If you want something simple, you can eat boiled crawfish all day long. It is perfectly keto-friendly and is a delicacy among us southerners.
To learn all about boiling crawfish, check out our complete guide on how to boil crawfish.
One great thing about crawfish is that it is a versatile ingredient for cooking. You can make dishes from etouffee to salad. So, if you want to add some variety to your keto meals, try out different healthy crawfish recipes.
Fat is extremely important while on ketosis. That’s because during this time, your body uses fat as energy. So, no matter what type of keto diet you are following, it is very important to include healthy fat sources into your meals.
Crawfish are a source of healthy fat. But the amount is very low (0.95 grams in every 100 grams serving). So, to compensate for it, make sure to supplement it with foods that are high in healthy fats like MCT oil, virgin olive oil, avocado, etc.
Health Benefits of Crawfish
As mentioned before, crawfish are a high protein, low-fat, white meat seafood. In 100 grams of serving, you will get 15.97 grams of protein, being complete in all essential amino acids.
On top of that, it is low-calorie seafood, with only 77 calories per 100 grams serving, and contains a lower amount of total fat.
Crawfish is also a minor source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (PUFA) and vitamin-A which are essential for healthy skin and mucosa.
It also contains vitamins and nutrients like vitamin-B6, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, etc. which are essential to keep our body healthy.
On top of that, crawfish are rich in minerals like iron, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, and magnesium. All of this leads to some important health benefits for the human body.
See the table below for an in-depth analysis of nutrients in a crawfish:
|
Nutrients |
Nutrient Value |
% of RDA |
|
Calorie |
77 cal |
4% |
|
Protein |
15.97 g |
28.5% |
|
Carbohydrates |
0 g |
0% |
|
Total Fat |
0.95 g |
5% |
|
Dietary Fiber |
0 g |
0% |
|
Cholesterol |
0 mg |
0% |
|
Minerals |
||
|
Phosphorus |
256 mg |
36.5% |
|
Zinc |
1.30 mg |
12% |
|
Iron |
0.84 mg |
10.5% |
|
Magnesium |
27 mg |
7% |
|
Calcium |
27 mg |
2.7% |
|
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (PUFA) |
||
|
DHA (22:6 n-3) |
0.038 g |
— |
|
DPA (22:5 n-3) |
0.010 g |
— |
|
EPA (20:5 n-3) |
0.104 g |
— |
|
Vitamins |
||
|
Vitamin-E |
2.85 mg |
19% |
|
Niacin |
2.208 mg |
14% |
|
Folates |
37 μg |
9% |
|
Pyridoxine |
0.108 mg |
8% |
|
Thiamin |
0.070 mg |
6% |
|
Riboflavin |
0.032 mg |
2.5% |
|
Vitamin-C |
1.2 mg |
2% |
|
Vitamin-A |
53 IU |
2% |
|
Vitamin-D |
0 IU |
0% |
|
Electrolytes |
||
|
Potassium |
302 mg |
6.4% |
|
Sodium |
58 mg |
4% |
Table [2]: Nutritive value of wild, raw, mixed species crayfish (Per 100 grams)
Conclusion
Crawfish are highly rich in nutrients. They contain zero carbohydrates and a very low amount of fat. On top of that, they are a great source of minerals, vitamins, and Omega-3.
All of this makes it one of the best foods that you can eat even if you are on the keto diet.
While buying crawfish, always go for the wild ones whenever possible to minimize the possibility of contamination.