In researching how many carbs are in coconut water, I used two approaches.
First, I went to the USDA FoodData Central database to verify what I was findings from the grocery store about how keto-friendly coconut water is.
Second, I went to my local grocery store and took a look at the nutritional label on a variety of brands of coconut water.
Now let’s look at the data I gathered about the nutrition of coconut water and how it fits into a ketogenic diet.
Nutritional Data Of Coconut Water
The table below is from the USDA FoodData Central Database and presents the nutritional data for eight fluid ounces of plain coconut water.
| Nutrient | Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 142.5 | g |
| Energy | 43.2 | kcal |
| Protein | 0.528 | g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 0 | g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 10.16 | g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 0 | g |
| Sugars, total including NLEA | 9.44 | g |
| Calcium, Ca | 16.8 | mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.072 | mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 14.4 | mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 12 | mg |
| Potassium, K | 49.5 | mg |
| Sodium, Na | 62.4 | mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.048 | mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.016 | mg |
| Selenium, Se | 0 | µg |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 23.76 | mg |
| Thiamin | 0.072 | mg |
As you can see, the USDA’s nutritional data for coconut water shows us that it is relatively high in carbs and contains zero carbs.
This suggest that it’s not good for a keto diet, but before we decide let’s look at some real-world examples of specific brands of coconut water.
Carbs In Various Brands Of Coconut Water
I looked at the nutrition label of three different brands of coconut water, and I’ve included pictures of each for you to examine.
The first, picture is of VitaCoco Coconut Water which seemed to be the most popular brand on the shelves.
As you can see, this coconut water’s nutritional label shows a nutritional profile similar to that found in the UDA database.
Let’s look the next brand
Next, I looked at C2O Coconut Water with Pulp, hoping that the pulp would add some fiber to make this more keto diet friendly.
The pulp didn’t help at all. It was still relatively high in fiber and still had zero carbs.
The last brand or variety I looked at was the one that I the highest hopes for; C2O Coconut Water 100% Pure.
“100% Pure” sure seemed promising and the market information in the second picture gave me even more hope.
Sadly, when I looked at the nutritional label on this brand of coconut water, I found the same basic nutritional profile.
So How Many Carbs Are In Coconut Water?
Averaging together all of the nutritional data I collected tells us that an eight fluid ounce serving of Coconut Water has 12 grams total carbs and 0 grams of fiber. This means that coconut water has 12 grams net carbs per 8 oz serving.
Is Coconut Water Keto Friendly?
A small eight fluid ounce serving of coconut water has 12 grams net carbs. If your daily allowance of carbs is 25 grams net carbs, one serving would account for half of your daily carb limit. Coconut water is not keto friendly.
~Angela
