Is Alfredo Sauce Keto?

New to the Keto diet and wondering whether you can still consume Alfredo sauce? Or is this Italian smooth and rich sauce going to firmly knock you out of ketosis? Here is what you’re going to want to know.

So, is Alfredo sauce keto? Almost all brands and recipes of Alfredo sauce are keto; this sauce is based on keto-friendly staples such as heavy cream and parmesan cheese. It boasts high saturated fat, a decent amount of protein, and most importantly, low carbohydrates per serving.

In many ways, Alfredo sauce ticks all the boxes.

It’s a great source of saturated fat, something that is encouraged on this diet in high amounts.

Let us now take a closer look at why this sauce is an excellent choice, some specific brands to consider, and how you can make your own Alfredo, should you want to optimize the macronutrient profile further.

Can You Have Alfredo Sauce On Keto?

You can have Alfredo sauce on keto, so long as you seek out keto-friendly options (or make it from scratch), incorporate it into a keto-friendly pasta dish/recipe and consume an appropriate serving size.

Now, of course, the key when consuming Alfredo is all about keeping the carbohydrates down.

In fact, according to the keto diet guidelines, you have around 20-50 net grams of carbohydrate over the course of each day to play with.

And that’s important to know.

Because while it is low carbohydrate, Alfredo sauce is not entirely carbohydrate free.

For instance, if we take a look at Bertolli Alfredo sauce, a popular brand you can pick up readily at Walmart, you can see it has 2 grams of carbohydrate, per serving (61g).

Now consider the standard jar is 425 grams.

So that’s 425g/61 (jar/serving) = 7 servings per jar.

2 grams of carbohydrate x 7 servings = 14 grams of carbohydrate per jar.

Can you see where it starts to get problematic?

Especially when some brands have 3-4 grams of carbohydrate per serving, or 21-28 grams of carbohydrate, per jar.

Now, chances are you are not going to be eating an entire jar.

But we all know how easy it is to overserve sauce.

And we all know how easy it is to start racking up the carbohydrates on keto.

So all in all, you need to be mindful of serving sizes.

You need to ensure you are consuming an appropriate serving size, and it goes without saying you need to be serving it over keto-friendly pasta.

That way you can remain in ketosis, get a healthy serving of dietary fat, and enjoy this sauce without any risks.

But, what store-bought brands are best in particular? Let’s find out!

Is Store-Bought Alfredo Sauce Keto-friendly?

Most brands of store-bought Alfredo sauce are keto-friendly, with some being better options than others.

That being said, this sauce is predominantly made of cream, butter, cheese (including parmesan), egg yolks; all high fat and commonly consumed keto staples.

Nevertheless, it is essential to check all product packaging before purchasing or consuming, as not all brands follow the same recipe.

And as such, how much Alfredo sauce you can safely consume may differ from brand to brand.

At the same time, some brands have designed their sauces to meet other nutritional needs too.

For instance, Raos homemade Alfredo sauce (a popular best-selling brand on Amazon), includes the following ingredients:

Light Cream (Cream, Milk), Water, Butter, Parmesan and Romano Cheese (Pasteurized Part-Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Enzyme Modified Egg Yolks, Parmesan Cheese (Pasteurized Milk, Salt, Rennet), Sea Salt, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Modified Cornstarch, Disodium Phosphate, Xanthan Gum.

Great and keto-friendly, but perhaps not ideal for those with lactose intolerance as it is not dairy-free.

As such, the Primal Kitchen brand of Alfredo sauce, also available on Amazon, has designed a recipe that is both keto-friendly and entirely dairy-free:

Water, Cashew Butter, Avocado Oil, Organic Tapioca Starch, Sea Salt, Roasted Garlic, Onion Powder, Black Pepper, Lemon Juice Concentrate*, Citric Acid, Nutritional Yeast

So what store-bought option you decide to buy is going to come down to your preferences and own individual needs.

Just be careful as not all Alfredo sauces are as ideal.

Take the Great Value brand, from Walmart for instance.

It has 4 grams of carbohydrate per serving (60g) and a more unfavorable ingredient list with vegetable oils:

Water, Cream, Modified Cornstarch, Sunflower Oil, Parmesan Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Dairy Product Solids, Modified Egg Yolk (Egg Yolks, Salt, Phospholipase), Salt, Contains 0.5% or less of the following: Romano Cheese (Milk, Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Natural Flavors, Roasted Garlic Powder, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Xanthan Gum, Blue Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes, Calcium Chloride), Spices, Lactic Acid, Onion Powder

So do check the ingredient list first.

How To Make Keto-Friendly Alfredo Sauce

Finally

Alfredo sauce is by and large, keto-friendly.

That being said, there are certainly better brands, and recipes, of this sauce to buy, follow or consume.

And either way, you still need to be mindful of serving sizes.

While it is generally low in carbohydrates, they can soon add up on the keto diet and before you know it, you are out of ketosis.

Related Questions

Wondering what other sauces you can have while on keto? Check out my following guides to find out!