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I’ve been eating a keto diet for over a decade, and coaching others in starting and upgrading their ketogenic diet for nearly as long. Sources of good keto fat are always a question that comes up, and one of the less common fats is ghee and if ghee is keto-approved. I did all the research about ghee, and summarized it below.
So, is ghee a keto-friendly fat? Ghee, or clarified butter, is a great, healthy fat source and it is allowed on Keto. As a matter of fact, I’d even enourage you to add ghee to your keto diet.
What is Ghee?
Ghee is a type of clarified butter that originated in India. Clarifying the butter involves heating the butter, evaporating some or all of the moisture off and removing the milk solids. This results in ghee butter, which has a higher smoke point and a longer shelf life than regular butter.
Why Should You Use Ghee on a Ketogenic Diet?
I love using ghee as a regular part of my Keto lifestyle. Since the milk solids and moisture have been removed, ghee is less perishable than regular butter. It can even be kept at room temperature! This makes it super convenient, as it remains soft and spreadable.
Our family goes through a jar of ghee pretty quickly, so I never refrigerate mine. If it takes you more than 3-4 weeks to get through a jar, you might want to consider refrigerating to maintain freshness.
Ghee is one of the easiest ways to incorporate fat into your Keto meals. Scoop a spoonful (or two!) onto steamed vegetables, add a little salt, and you have a perfect, simple side dish. Ghee is one of my go-to fats when using my Basic Ketogenic Meal Template to create meals.
Cooking with ghee is great because of the higher smoke point. That means that you can heat it to higher temperatures safely and without burning, so it is a good fat to use for sauteing and searing.
Another benefit of ghee is for people with mild dairy intolerance. For people with lactose sensitivity, ghee can often be tolerated better than regular butter, since the milk solids have been removed. (If you have a serious dairy allergy, ghee is not appropriate because it is still a dairy product.)
Ghee Nutrition
The nutrients in ghee depend on the quality of the milk that it is made from, and as with all dairy, you’ll get more nutrition when the cows are grass-fed. Healthier cows equals healthier food! Ghee from grass-fed cows will have higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Grass-fed dairy also contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid that may reduce cancer, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
According to the USDA, all ghee contains the following per 100 grams:
| Fat | 100 grams |
| Carbs | 0 grams |
| Protein | 0 grams |
| Sugar | 0 grams |
| Vitamine A | 4000 IU |
Here is the Ghee Nutrition Label for the Garlic Flavored Version:
As you can see, ghee is pure fat without any carbs. That’s pretty great for Keto!
Now, 100 grams is not a serving. A tablespoon of ghee is about 13 grams, so a tablespoon or two with your meal will supply a nice amount of fat for your Keto diet.
Ghee butter also contains fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A, D, E and K. You also get some choline and trace amounts of other vitamins and minerals.
Butyrate (a short chain fatty acid) is a great benefit of incorporating ghee in your diet. Butyrate is a fuel source for your colon cells, and it can help improve the health of your gut lining. Ghee even has higher amounts of butyrate than butter, so eating ghee is good for your digestion and overall health!
Where to Buy Ghee
You can make ghee at home, or there are a number of high quality options you can buy. I love the brand 4th & Heart Grass-fed Ghee { See on Amazon >> }, which you can even get in different varieties. I buy the Himalayan Pink Sea Salt { See on Amazon >> } version for all purpose use, and I also love the Garlic Ghee { See on Amazon >> } for savory dishes.
I get my ghee in my monthly Thrive Market Autoship. I know that I’m getting two jars a month shipped straight to my door and I never have to think about it!
If you want to read more about Thrive Market, here is an article where I dug into my receipts to find out if Thrive was really selling to me at wholesale prices.
~Angela
