You may have heard that the ketogenic diet restricts what you can eat to 20-30 grams of carbs per day, but this doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy snacks like popcorn, oatmeal, and yogurt in moderation. But how low can you go with these carb counts? And are there any other considerations? Let’s take a look at these three snacks and find out whether they can make their way into your keto diet!

Should you eat popcorn, oatmeal, or yogurt on keto?

One of the biggest questions people have when they're starting a ketogenic diet is whether they can eat snacks that are generally off-limits. Things like popcorn or oatmeal are often low in net carbs--and if you're eating a lot of them, you may find yourself going over your 20 to 25 grams per day limit for those foods—but what about yogurt? Is it okay to add that to your keto meal plan as well? The short answer is yes.

What is a carb limit when eating keto snacks like popcorn, oatmeal, and yogurt?

Good question! When you’re eating keto snacks like popcorn, oatmeal, and yogurt they are technically carbs because they come from plants. However, these plant-based carbs don’t affect your blood sugar nearly as much as other types of carbohydrates—like processed grains or even starchy vegetables. So when thinking about what kind of snacks to eat on a ketogenic diet it’s important to think about: macros not micros.

How can you make keto snacks like popcorn better for your diet plan?

I love popcorn. It’s cheap, it comes in lots of flavors, and it’s quick to make. Because it’s low in fat (and usually high in fiber), it also feels like a healthier snack than other things that can be around 100 calories for a small bag. My wife is doing keto with me right now so she won’t eat my popcorn but for her normal diet plan, she loves popcorn too! So do you have to ditch popcorn if you are on keto? Or can you just improve your normal method of eating it? Let's look at all of your options...

How to lose weight on the keto diet while eating foods like popcorn

The key to losing weight with popcorn and other low-carb snacks is making sure you track your calories. Since most foods labeled as low carb or Keto friendly will typically have a large number of net carbs per serving, it's important to pay attention to how many calories you're eating each day. The amount of carbohydrates you consume directly affects your blood sugar levels which in turn impact how much weight you'll lose while following a keto diet. For example, if one serving of Jiffy Cornbread has 35g of total carbs – which equates to about 20-25g net carbs – and only 4g protein then that means each serving contains about 17g net carbs.

Do you need to cut out all sugar from your keto diet plan if you want to lose weight fast?

The ketogenic diet (also known as keto) is a low-carbohydrate plan that causes weight loss. The goal of a keto diet is to maintain or increase your body's level of ketones in your blood. A ketone is an organic compound made from extra fat stored in your body when there is not enough glucose for energy. How does it work?: When you eat food, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose molecules that our bodies use for energy. On a standard carb-heavy diet, most people get most of their calories from carbs — about 55% to 60% — with 15% to 20% coming from protein and around 10% or less from fat.

Need help sticking with your new healthy diet plan like the keto diet that includes meals like popcorn?

Sticking with a healthy diet plan can be difficult for some people, especially when first starting. Many people get tired of what they are eating or just find it too expensive to buy special keto meals. With that in mind, try these 3 tips to eat healthy like a keto diet while saving money: Make your snacks instead of buying pre-packaged foods -- whether you prefer smoothies or oatmeal with yogurt and fruit, these all taste great when made fresh. You'll also save money by avoiding convenience store or coffee shop runs. Try freezing vegetables -- broccoli cuts well in advance (and lasts several months) so it's an easy item to toss into dishes when cooking at home.