So… you ditched the carbs, started making zoodles in place of noodles, and slather everything in butter and bacon grease.
What next?
To round off your keto or Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle, it's important to have an array of different low-carb (THM:S or THM:FP) drinks available to you. Especially during the summer months when you're craving something cold and refreshing!
Most people find that once they get used to eating a low-carb diet for some time, their cravings for sugar and sweets decrease or disappear completely. A good thing, because if your target is weight loss, sweeteners may halt your progress, and even low-carb sweeteners can still cause cravings.
That said, you may find it difficult to give up your sweet drinks, especially in the beginning. Furthermore, it's perfectly acceptable to enjoy a refreshing, sweet treat every now and then, provided that you stay within your daily net carb allowance.
Remember, water — with a net carb count of 0 — will always be the clear winner when it comes to quenching your thirst, so enjoy these drinks as an occasional treat.
Best Sweeteners For Low-Carb/Keto/THM Drinks
What are the best sweeteners for low-carb drinks?
#1 — Stevia
This sweet-tasting herb with zero calories and no carbs comes in liquid and powder form. With a few exceptions, stevia works best in most iced drinks. That's because it's either easily dissolved or already liquid.
One thing to remember about stevia: a little goes a long way. It's highly concentrated!
If using the extract, start with a few drops and work your way up until you reach your desired sweetness. Likewise with the powder — start with 1/32 teaspoon and increase gradually until you reach your desired sweetness.
Ninety-nine percent of the time, you can successfully sweeten a keto drink with stevia. It's convenient, low-carb, and does the job. Learn more about stevia — Which Stevia Is Best — Brand? Liquid v. Powder?
Yet some people don't appreciate the bitter aftertaste of most stevia products (Sweet Leaf is Wardee's preferred brand because it has no aftertaste). Others don't tolerate stevia well, especially those who have an allergy to the ragweed family.
Thankfully, there are other clean, low-carb sweeteners on the market to satisfy everyone's needs, such as…
#2 — Monk Fruit And/Or Erythritol
Monk fruit is a fruit native to China and northern Thailand whose extract is nearly 300 times sweeter than sugar. Although pure monk fruit has no calories and no carbs, most products contain other sweeteners such as inulin to balance sweetness and consistency.
So, if you choose to use monk fruit, read labels to make sure all the ingredients are truly low-carb/keto/THM.
Monk fruit can typically be used in recipes 1:1 like sugar, making it a favorite among low-carb foodies.
Like stevia, monk fruit has a low glycemic index and doesn't raise blood sugar levels.
The most important thing to remember with monk fruit is to avoid anything containing dextrose and maltodextrin or other artificial ingredients. A good product should contain 2 ingredients: monkfruit and non-GMO erythritol. My favorite is Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener.
If you're looking for a pure monk fruit product, Julian’s Bakery Pure Monkfruit Extract does not have the erythritol and should work well in cool drinks.
You can also use a mixture of erythritol (which is about 70% as sweet as sugar) and stevia. Trim Healthy Mama has one called Super Sweet that is already mixed up for us.
If you prefer to make your own blend, our content director Lindsey has a DIY Sugar Alternative Blend, which is also erythritol and stevia!
For more information about stevia and sugar alcohols…
- Which Stevia Is Best — Brand? Liquid v. Powder?
- DIY Whole-Herb Stevia Extract (+4 tips for using it!)
- Are Xylitol & Erythritol Healthy?
Sweeteners To Avoid
Avoid sugar alcohols that are harder to dissolve and digest, such as xylitol. If xylitol is your only option for a low-carb sweetener, grind some first in the coffee grinder then add it to your drink. This breakdown should help the sugar crystals dissolve better.
Best Fruits For Low-Carb Drinks
Typically, fruits are high in carbs but you can enjoy some in moderation on a low-carb diet. The fruits most conducive to keep you in ketosis (or Trim Healthy Mama S or FP mode) are berries. Avoid tropical fruits as they are usually highest in sugar.
The berries with least amount of carbs are…
- raspberries
- blackberries
- strawberries
Blueberries, though permissible on a low-carb and keto diet, actually contain nearly 9 grams of net carbs in 1/2 cup so use those delicious berries sparingly.
Lemons and limes are both great options to include in low-carb drinks.
Lastly, watermelon is also a wonderful fruit to include in your low-carb drinks. I would venture to say that watermelon has the most perfect composition to make a lovely, refreshing summer drink. Watermelon is largely water and is perfectly sweet — no additional sweeteners are needed!
Now For The Drinks!
I've divided these low-carb/ keto/THM drinks into several categories based on the sweetener used. If you're like me, you'd rather use a sweetener that you already have on hand. 🙂
I personally do my best to avoid using sweeteners regularly, even low-carb ones, and save them for occasional treats. Whenever you can, use the sweetness of berries and watermelon to create naturally sweet drinks without additional sweeteners.
Keto/Low-Carb Summer Drinks Sweetened With Only Stevia
Image courtesy of Recipes to Nourish.
- Stevia-Sweetened Lavender Lemonade
- Keto Watermelon-Mint Cooler {THM, too!}
- Hibiscus Lemonade Slushie
- Sugar-Free Lemonade
- Sparkling Raspberry Limeade Mocktail
- Arnold Palmer Drink
- Strawberry Limeade
- Chocolate Chai Kefir
- Mint Lemonade
- Ultraviolet Lemonade
- Iced Vanilla Chai Tea
- Coconut Chai Spritzer
Keto/Low-Carb Summer Drinks Sweetened With An Erythritol Blend
Image courtesy of All the Nourishing Things.
- Real Food Cranberry Lemon Spritzer
- Strawberry Italian Soda
- Hibiscus Punch
- Keto Vietnamese Iced Coffee — this one calls for keto condensed milk made with erythritol
- Berry Chia Seed Fresca
Unsweetened Keto/Low-Carb Summer Drinks
Image courtesy of Recipes to Nourish.
- Keto Electrolyte Drink
- Basil Lemonade
- Cucumber Mint Infused Water
- Strawberry Cucumber Lemon Water
- Lemon Thyme Infused Iced Tea
- Flavored Water Ideas
Keto/Low-Carb Shakes & Smoothies
Image courtesy of Sugar-Free Mom.
- Old-Fashioned Keto Root Beer Float
- High Protein Raw Egg Blueberry Shake — this one does not call for any sweeteners!
- Strawberry Avocado Smoothie
- Watermelon Lime Slushie
- Raspberry & Vanilla Smoothie Recipe — calls for erythritol
- Low Carb Strawberry Cheesecake Shake
With this collection of low-carb, keto-, and THM-friendly drinks, your summer menu is complete. Which one will you try first?
Main images courtesy of KetoDiet, All the Nourishing Things, Paleo Flourish, and Traditional Cooking School.
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I have been hearing a lot of positive feedback on the sweetener ‘Swerve’. Have you heard of it or tried it? I noticed that you do not mention it.
Wardee, you need to let those who live in warmer regions know how easy Stevia is to grow organically as a deciduous (winter bare) perennial in zone 8/9 and above (protect from hard frosts) and very container friendly, so also perennial with management in colder winter regions. It is very hard to grow from seed, though cuttings work well and early pinching/harvesting helps it grow more sweet branches. It is simple enough to harvest (before flowering, which can make it bitter,) air drying, and powdering in a coffee grinder for your very own, organic, home-grown sweetener!
It works quite as well and is about as sweet as the white processed, but not highly purified powders and is sold ‘bulk’ near where I live at health food markets. Whole ground (or fresh-try it wrapped with a mint leaf!) Stevia includes all the plant’s healthy green solar-panel-chlorophylls and fibers too. It works just as wonderfully in general baking and sweetening my coffee, tea and drinks and can be used at any stage to sweeten ferments, kombucha or kefirs also, since neither bacteria, nor animals (humans!) can digest this particular sugar.