Since childhood, I have loved eating sausages for breakfast, lunch, and even dinner. I particularly remember the taste of smoked sausage my mom used to make at barbeque parties at home.
However, as I am grown up and became conscious about my health, I could not eat sausage every day. So I found Braunschweiger which is a healthy alternative to sausage. But is it good for weight loss? Is braunschweiger keto friendly?
In this article, I will dive deep into the world of Braunschweiger. So you will know every single detail about this delicious sausage before adding it to your keto diet.
Table of Contents
What Is Braunschweiger?
Braunschweiger is smoked sausage. It is typically made out of pork liver. It is first originated in Germany and named after a town called Braunschweig.
Depending on a different culture, this smoked sausage has many recipes. In Germany, it is mettwurst made with only pork, whereas in Austria, Braunschweiger is made with pork and beef. On the other hand, it is known as smoked spreadable liver sausage in the United States.
You can eat Braunschweiger with salads, sandwiches, and even barbeque. Make some delicious sandwiches with Braunschweiger, mayo, ketchup, and bread, and your lunch is ready.
How Is Braunschweiger Made?
Braunschweiger is made of raw pork or beef liver. First, the meat is minced either by hand or in a mincer machine. Then salt, garlic, and pepper are mixed with the meat as spices.
Other seasonings like coriander, mustard seed, thyme, white pepper, and nutmeg are added to the mixture. Then the meat is stuffed into a natural sausage casing. This casing is made with the membranes of cows or pigs.
Then, the sausage is first boiled and then burned in the smoker. Braunschweiger gets this smoky effect that differentiates this sausage from others in the smoker.
You can find different brands of Braunschweiger in the market. Choose wisely by reading all the descriptions about ingredients and carb count.
Is Braunschweiger Similar To Liverwurst?
Many people think that Braunschweiger and liverwurst are both identical. They’re pretty similar to each other because both are processed from pork liver.
However, there is a difference. Liverwurst is thoroughly boiled sausage, whereas Braunschweiger is mainly smoked. So they are not the same food.
Besides, the taste of liverwurst is more like cream of mushroom soup or buttery meat flavor. On the other hand, Braunschweiger has a spicy and peppery liver-based taste.
Moreover, liverwurst is more of a generic term for any liver sausage. So people usually use both liverwurst and Braunschweiger interchangeably.
Is Braunschweiger Good For Health?
Braunschweiger is full of nutrition that is good for your health. This protein-filled sausage gives several health benefits with low carb and high vitamins.
One serving (28.5 grams) of Braunschweiger contains 92.5 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 4 grams of proteins. It has only 0.6 grams of carbs; instead, it is filled with 157% of vitamin A in daily value.
Besides that, it is an excellent source of pantothenic acid, niacin, riboflavin, and selenium. Moreover, this sausage is also high in cholesterol and sodium, which can be harmful to some people.
Positive Effects Of Braunschweiger
Here, I have categorized the health benefits of Braunschweiger with its harmful effects.
Rich In Protein
As Braunschweiger comes from animal meat, it is a complete source of protein. Most animal protein is built with nine amino acids.
It prepares muscles and makes hormones and enzymes. These amino acids help build energy for the natural growth of your body.
Good Source For Vitamins
Braunschweiger has a high content of vitamin A. It is an antioxidant that builds good eyesight and a healthy immune system. It also has a reformed dorm of vitamin A called retinol that exfoliates and stimulates skin collagen to make you fresh and youthful.
Moreover, it is filled with vitamin B12. It breaks down the animal fats to energy in your body. Also, it helps in red blood cells and DNA formation, which is essential to maintaining a healthy nervous system.
High In Iron Content
Braunschweiger has high iron content that helps produce blood cells like hemoglobin and myoglobin. These blood cells transport oxygen throughout the body.
Moreover, it contains minerals like selenium that not only improve the immune system but also helps in the general growth and development of your body.
Negative Effects Of Braunschweiger
Although consuming Braunschweiger has several health benefits, it also has some adverse effects on your body. Due to its high fat, you cannot call Braunschweiger a healthy heart food.
Like most sausages, Braunschweiger is also called processed food. These processed foods usually have a high amount of additives like sugar and sodium. These additives are harmful to your body. They can cause diabetes and heart diseases.
Moreover, many Braunschweiger brands do not follow the traditional recipe. Instead, they add cheap fillers like wheat and vegetable oil. So there is a difference in the quality of this sausage.
Therefore, before buying any new brand of Braunschweiger, You need to make sure; there are not any cheap ingredients added to the product. Besides that, you can also buy those brands with a keto-friendly or low-carb logo.
What Is The Keto Diet?
The Keto diet is a low-carb and high-fat diet that burns your body fat instead of carbs to gain energy for your everyday life. It takes your body to a ketosis state.
You need to consume 20g to 50g of carbs per day in this diet. Also, these carbs should include 70% fats and 20-25% protein.
Due to the strict number system, you need to avoid several foods for this diet. First, sugar or artificial sweetener should be avoided in this diet. You also need to prevent grain-like foods from keeping your sugar and insulin levels on the high radar.
Processed foods such as bacon and sausages should be limited to the keto diet. It will be considered contaminated keto food because they are ultra-processed with added sugar and starch.
To maintain a clean keto diet, you must avoid these processed meals altogether. Moreover, you need to eat all-natural food to get a good result on your keto journey.
Can You Eat Braunschweiger For The Keto Diet?
Now you might have a question, is braunschweiger keto friendly?
The answer would be yes. Braunschweiger is 100% keto friendly. It has almost zero net carbs and is high in fat that matches the requirement of the keto diet. The net carb count can differ in Braunschweiger brands, so you should always check before buying.
Moreover, it is packed with several micronutrients like vitamin A, vitamin B, and iron. These nutrients are essential for your body in the keto diet.
However, you should always eat minimally processed foods in the keto diet. But, Braunschweiger is highly processed food with unhealthy ingredients. That is why many keto lovers and experts labeled Braunschweiger as dirty keto.
Although it is low carb, Braunschweiger contains sugar and sodium nitrite. These ingredients are unhealthy for your body. Sugar can raise your blood sugar level and cause diabetes due to its high-glycemic sweetener.
Moreover, sodium nitrite is one of the food additives that should be avoided in the keto diet. It would be best if you did not take sodium nitrite more than 3.7 milligrams per kilo of your body weight. Otherwise, you can suffer from several heart diseases.
Therefore, you can add Braunschweiger in moderate portions in your keto diet. So it would help if you did not go overboard with its consumption. Always make sure not to have this sausage every day; otherwise, it can lead you to have health problems.
Braunschweiger Recipes For The Keto Diet
To enjoy these sausages in the keto diet, I have found some recipes that you can make with your keto-friendly Braunschweiger quickly.
Braunschweiger Spread
Braunschweiger spread is perfect for eating with buns or slices of bread. You will need Braunschweiger, cream cheese, mayonnaise, onion powder or paste, garlic powder, and fresh parsley.
Mix all the ingredients with a hand mixer until it is smooth. Then refrigerate it for an hour. It will give the spread a firmer texture.
Now you can eat this Braunschweiger spread with keto bread or crackers. You can even add this spread to other recipes for making meatballs or patty.
Keto Bacon Braunschweiger And Pistachio Truffles
This appetizer is a savory bomb that you can eat anywhere anytime in your diet. You will need cream cheese, bacon, pistachio, mustard, and our very own Braunschweiger for this recipe.
First, cook bacon till it is crispy and chop it finely to cover the truffle. Then roll the Braunschweiger spread into balls. Mix mustard with cream cheese and spread it around the Braunschweiger like frosting. Then let them chill for around 13 minutes.
After chilling, cover the balls with bacon by pressing, and there you have it. A savory appetizer to enjoy during movie nights.
Keto Chaffle Benedict
This benedict recipe will kick start your morning with a healthy and yummy breakfast or brunch. You will need mozzarella shredded cheese, eggs, salted butter, and sliced Braunschweiger.
First, combine 2 eggs and cheese in a blender for the batter to make a chaffle. Then pour the batter into the preheated waffle maker. Then poach some eggs with salted butter. You can either seer-fry the sliced Braunschweiger or eat it cold.
After chaffles are ready, assemble everything by putting poached egg and sliced Braunschweiger on the waffle. You can also add some parsley if you want. Your healthy keto breakfast benedict is ready to eat.
All these recipes can be an excellent way to add Braunschweiger to your diet. Now you cannot question is braunschweiger keto friendly? with all these delicious recipes on your hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Braunschweiger high in carbs?
No. Braunschweiger is low in carbs but high in protein. It is almost carb-free. One serving of Braunschweiger contains 0.6 grams of carbs which can be considered zero carbs. So it is an excellent alternative to sausage in the diet.
2. Do you need to cook Braunschweiger?
Braunschweiger is already cooked before packaging. So it can be eaten both cold and hot. Many people prefer to eat them uncooked and cold. You can boil these sausages or pan-sear them and eat them between bread as a sandwich.
3. Is Braunschweiger considered a pate?
Braunschweiger is not considered pate, but the taste and texture are similar to pate. Both pate and Braunschweiger are made of pork or beef liver. But pate is more of a paste of meat with seasoning. Like pate, you can serve Braunschweiger on bread or crackers.
4. How long does Braunschweiger last in the refrigerator?
Braunschweiger can last in the refrigerator for two to three weeks in the open. But if you store it properly with zipper bags or plastic containers, it can last up to 2 months.
5. Is Braunschweiger suitable for dogs?
Yes. Braunschweiger is a high-value treat for dogs if you give them in moderate portions. It can harm dogs if given in large amounts. It would be best always to be careful about feeding too much Braunschweiger to your dog.
6. Does Braunschweiger have gluten?
Braunschweiger is gluten-free. So people with celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or skin disorders can include this sausage in their diet.
7. What goes well with Braunschweiger?
Mayonnaise, butter, and ketchup go well with Braunschweiger. You can make a sandwich with them. Other than that, Swiss cheese can be a great match with this sausage.
8. Can cats eat Braunschweiger?
A small amount of Braunschweiger is safe for cats. It has great nutrients like vitamin A and protein that are good for any animal.
Final Thoughts
Finally, Braunschweiger has its benefits and adverse effects like other processed meat products. So is braunschweiger keto friendly? Yes, but it is up to you to decide if you find it necessary to add to your keto diet.
The keto journey is all about having minimal carbs with essential nutrients that will keep you going the whole day. So it would be best if you were careful about what you are consuming throughout the day.
If Braunschweiger gives you the satisfaction of eating sausage in the diet in moderate portions, then eat it without any worry. Therefore, I hope this article helped you find the right foods for your successful keto journey.
