A healthy diet leads to a healthy life. But there are many times when I cannot eat sweet food because of the sugar in them. In those times, I switch to healthy and nutritious fruits that work best in maintaining a keto diet. Passion fruit is my go-to fruit which I have in my diet. Let’s find out why?
Like the name, passion fruit seems to be appealing to eat. We as human beings are so sensitive about words, aren’t we? Passion fruit does not only have an attractive name but good sides as well. On that note, you might ask, is passion fruit keto friendly?
Yes, it is. Even though it has carbs in it, the other benefits of this fruit will make up for that. Overall, you will not be an outcast in your life if you intake a minimal amount or follow some keto-friendly meals.
Table of Contents
What Is A Keto Diet?
A low-carb diet is known as “ketogenic.” It is essential to increase calorie consumption from protein and fats in a ketogenic diet while reducing carbs. Sugar, soda, pastries, and white bread are the carbs you cut back on the most from your meal.
A ketogenic diet is a way if you want to lose weight in a short time. You will be surprised to know that it helps in treating epilepsy as well. People with heart and brain disorders and even acne also benefit from it.
Benefits Of Passion Fruit With Consistency To Keto
Is passion fruit keto friendly or not has a lot of debates. However, here are some health benefits of passion fruit that you want to consider having in your diet.
Filled With Nutrients
Passion fruit is a healthy fruit with a good amount of nutrients. It has a lot of vitamin A, which is good for your skin, eyesight, and immune system. It also contains vitamin C, an antioxidant with many advantages, including aiding digestion, immunity-boosting, and heart function.
It also has a lot of B vitamins and zinc, which are suitable for your skin and hair. It strengthens bones and promotes healthy red blood cell formation and flow since it is high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron.
In a single passion fruit, you may find:
- Calories: 17
- Dietary Fiber: 1.9 grams
- Vitamin A: 12 mcg, 1% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Vitamin C: 5 mg, 6% of the DV
- Potassium: 63 mg, 1% of the DV
- Calcium: 2.2 mg, 0% of the DV
- Iron: 0.4 mg, 2% of the DV
Plenty Of Antioxidants
This delicious fruit has a variety of antioxidants, including flavonoids, carotenoids, triterpenoids, and polyphenols. These substances effectively remove pollutants from the body. Moreover, plant-based beta carotene-rich diets reduce the risk of prostate, colon, stomach, and breast disease.
Polyphenols are plant elements with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. As a result, they may lower your risk of chronic inflammation and illnesses such as heart disease. In passion fruit seeds, Piceatannol may increase insulin sensitivity in overweight men, thereby reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Noticeable Dietary Fiber
Fiber is an essential part of everyone’s diet. It prevents constipation and bowel issues by regulating the digestive system and keeping the body healthy.
Fiber can also help in lowering cholesterol and improving heart health. Soluble fiber will help you avoid blood sugar rises by slowing down the digestion of your diet. But it is unlikely that people do not pay enough attention to their fiber intake.
Despite being a small fruit, passion fruit is rich in dietary fiber. One hundred grams of passion fruits are filled with 10 grams of soluble fiber. So, there is no way we cannot include passion fruit in the diet.
Lower Glycemic Index Value
The glycemic index (GI) of passion fruit is only 30. Its sugar is absorbed gradually into the blood circulation. As a result, people with diabetes will be able to enjoy this fruit because it will not increase sugar and keep a balance between insulin levels. It also reduces sweet cravings to a great extent.
Enhance Immune System
Because plant sources of iron are more difficult for the body to absorb, those who consume such diets, such as vegetarians, might face difficulty in balancing iron levels.
Fortunately, vitamin C dramatically enhances iron solubility. Passion fruit is high in vitamin C, an antioxidant that saves our body from radical harm. Passion fruit worth one cup contains about 21% and 48% of the daily required iron consumption and vitamin C, which may improve the body’s ability to fight infections.
Since diet restricts many foods from our chart, it becomes a challenge to boost the immune system as per the body’s needs. So, passion fruit becomes a savior in the diet to balance the odds.
Controls Blood Pressure
Blood pressure puts severe pressure on the arteries, which might result in strokes and heart attacks.
Having passion fruit in a keto plan helps maintain blood pressure which is a big concern for middle-aged people. It contains alkaloids that help keep blood pressure checked while still acting as a sedative and antispasmodic.
The fruit relaxes blood arteries and enhances blood flow due to its high potassium and low salt content. Compared to 66 mg sodium, one cup of passion fruit contains 821 mg potassium.
Allergic Reactions To Passion Fruit
Usually, passion fruit does not react or make allergic reactions but be cautious of including it in your keto chart if you are sensitive to latex and pollen. If one has never had passion fruit before and has sensitivities, they should get an allergy test before trying it.
Moreover, hives, throat congestion, drowsiness, fainting, or anaphylaxis in serious conditions are all possible adverse reactions. If you feel you have a fruit allergy, consult an allergist or immunologist (a doctor who specializes in treating allergies and other immune problems) for a thorough examination.
Unbalanced Carbs And Fats For Keto
Even though the above discussion favors taking passion fruit in a healthy diet, it contrasts with the most important elements with an unbalanced proportion. However, every product inevitably has some drawbacks along with many advantages.
One of the downsides of passion fruit is that it has high carbs in it. In a 100-gram serving of passion fruit, there are 23 grams of carbs. Anything that has carbs is considered a killer for losing weight with keto.
In addition, the same serving size provides 10 grams fiber and 11 grams sugar which makes a net carb content of 2 grams. Passion fruit works excellent in keto when mixed with other low carbs variables or eating minimal portions.
The fat content of passion fruit is minimal. Even a one-cup serving has less than 2 grams of total fat. The ideal nutrient intake for keto is fat 20%, protein 20%-25%, and carbs 5%-10%. This implies that most of your meals should be heavy in fat and low in carbs.
However, the ratio is easy to balance if you intake just the appropriate amount.
Preparing Passion Fruit
Look for a passion fruit that feels heavy, purple, or yellow. The skin can be smooth or wrinkled. Remember, the riper the fruit is, the more wrinkled the skin is.
Moreover, look for discoloration, bruising, or green areas and avoid those because green passion fruit isn’t ready to eat. To remove any pesticide residue or bacteria, carefully wash passion fruit.
The best way to have passion fruit is raw. At first, you need to cut a passion fruit in half and with a spoon, take out the pulp and seeds. Next, press the seeds into a strainer and strain the juice to have a healthy passion fruit juice.
Being big and comparatively soft seeds of passion fruit, preparing passion fruit becomes easier. By pressing the seeds through a cloth or a strainer, the liquid is transformed into syrup. Passion fruit can also be used in salads with fruits and vegetables, dairy meals, and wheat platters.
You can use passion fruit in many ways. Such as:
- Blending it with other fruit juices like orange or pineapple
- Mix with milk and make a smoothie
- Adding the juice to yogurt with other fruits
- Boiling it into syrup can also be used in sauces or desserts
- Producing jelly or jam
- Making a soft drink
But not every way is acceptable if you plan for a keto diet. You do not have to worry because here are some tips and a meal recipe that you can follow to have the best result.
Tips For Having Passion Fruit In Keto
- After a high-fat, protein-rich lunch or dinner, single ripe passion fruit can help maintain energy levels while also providing carbs to help manage insulin and blood sugar levels.
- A healthy choice for satisfying a mid-day need or a late-night snack is to eat sliced fresh passion fruit seasoned with a pinch of chili powder.
- Instead of oil-infused food and sugar-coated sweets, preparing juices, iced teas, mocktails, cocktails, cheesecakes, and other desserts using the passionate passion fruit performs a delightful treat.
Recommended Passion Fruit Keto Recipes
You would be happy to know that you can make different meals using passion fruit. Here are some of the passion fruit keto recipes by experts specially made for losing weight.
1. Best keto passion fruit mousse (soo yummy!) by BochaSweet
2. Easy passion fruit salad dressing recipe (with less oil) by Tetei cooks
3. How to make passion juice by FabHealthyLifestyle
Get a suitable recipe for your taste and enjoy your keto meal!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is passion fruit good for weight loss?
Yes. Fiber is rich in passion fruits. This high-fiber meal keeps you satisfied for a long time after eating it, reducing the cravings for food later.
2. Can I have passion fruit in the keto diet?
Passion fruit is a high-antioxidant and high-vitamin staple. It contains fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, iron, and potassium. Passion fruits’ net carbs are 2.3 grams for a serving size of 1 fruit without refusing to make them suitable for a ketogenic diet.
3. Does passion fruit have any benefits?
Passion fruit is high in nutrients and has several health advantages. Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are all found in this fruit.
4. Does passion fruit taste good in a diet meal?
Yes. Passion fruit, with its strong flavor, may be particularly useful on a keto diet since it can bring a lot of flavor to drinks and plain yogurts while having minimal carbs.
5. Is there any side effect of passion fruit?
Unfortunately, yes. But not typical for everyone. Since it has latex and pollen, it might be allergenic for people with sensitivity to these elements.
6. Does passion fruit kick you out of ketosis?
No. The overall carb content of passion fruit is considerable. It is incredibly low in net carbs so that a minimal quantity won’t kick you out of ketosis.
7. How much passion fruit should I eat in 24 hours?
It is recommended to intake 33.6 grams of passion fruit in a day for men around 19–30 and 28 grams for women of the same age.
8. Does passion fruit help in sleep?
It includes sedative medicinal alkaloids and phytonutrients. Because the alkaloids in passion fruit reduce sleeplessness, restlessness, and anxiety, it is suggested for insomniacs consume it regularly.
Final Thoughts
After giving a thorough insight into the passion fruit, is passion fruit keto friendly, this question becomes invalid. Following the advantages of passion fruit, it is needless to say that you can benefit from it in your keto diet. Remember, your health will only react in the best way if you treat it accordingly.
Furthermore, you should not compromise the usefulness of passion fruit just because it provides a little more carbs than usual. A superfood that contains a lot of essentials while boosting immunity and heart health is worth listing in a keto diet. If you get confused with the recipes, just follow my recommendation and choose the one best for you.
