The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that over time induces your body to burn fat rather than carbohydrates. This process is called ketosis, which is metabolically more efficient for weight loss and can lead to an incredible amount of health benefits.
If you’re like me, it’s hard to imagine giving up carbs. The idea of conforming to the keto diet guidelines can be daunting, but you don’t have to give up as much as you think.
Can I Have Sour Cream on a Keto Diet?
The short answer is yes! Sour cream is indeed keto diet-friendly. The longer answer, however, is that there are certain ingredients in sour cream that are detrimental to the keto diet’s goals if it is over incorporated into your diet. However, if you consume sour cream in careful moderation, there is no reason why it can’t be part of your regular keto diet plan.
8 Factors to Consider When Buying Sour Cream for a Keto Diet
You should consider all of the following factors when deciding which sour cream brand to purchase.
1. No Added Sugar
This is a key component of any product you consume while on the keto diet. This means you aren’t eating any extra carbs to stall the progress or results from your dietary goals.
2. Net Carb Content
Net carbs should ideally be less than a gram per serving because again, the entire point of the keto diet is to significantly lower carbohydrate intake. The sour cream you purchase should not interfere with your keto diet by adding unnecessary carbs.
3. Gluten-Free
Gluten-free sour cream is also incredibly beneficial if you’re following a ketogenic diet. The keto diet is naturally low in gluten content, but if you’re on a keto diet because of gluten sensitivities then its important to pick a product that abides by your requirements.
4. Non-GMO
Non-GMO sour cream products are just generally better for your long-term health. There have been many health and environmental risks associated with GMO products. If these risks are concerning to you, be sure to consider non-GMO sour cream products to incorporate into your diet.
5. No Preservatives
Ideally, the sour cream that you buy should not contain artificial chemicals or ingredients that help it maintain shelf life for a longer time. Artificial preservatives have been linked to health issues later in life, so it’s a good idea to avoid these.
6. High in Fat, but not in Trans Fat
Trans fats should be avoided because they tend to cause several negative health effects.
7. Grade A Milk
If the sour cream label contains “Grade A milk”, it simply means that the milk content in your product has been produced in standard sanitary conditions and is fit for consumption.
8. Price
Price is a very important factor when considering which sour cream brand to purchase. You don’t want your diet to break the bank. It’s important to choose food products with prices that your budget can sustain.
The Best Sour Cream Brand For Keto
#1 Daisy Sour Cream
Daisy Sour Cream is the best-selling sour cream on Amazon. It is a great choice for those who want to enjoy sour cream on the keto diet. All of the following are reasons we highly recommend this sour cream brand for you:
- 1g net carb per serving
- 1g sugar per serving
- Grade A milk content
- Gluten-free
- Preservative-free
- No added hormones
- Non-GMO
There are very few cons to choosing Daisy Sour Cream for your dietary needs. Even if Amazon Fresh is not available where you live, you are sure to find Daisy Sour Cream at your local grocery store.
As far as pros, including the great aspects previously listed, Daisy Sour Cream is affordable, has a light option for even better health benefits, and boasts tons of fantastic reviews on Amazon.
Other Brands Worth Considering
#2 Organic Valley Sour Cream
Organic Valley Sour Cream is also highly rated. It offers a lot of benefits similar to what Daisy Sour Cream has to offer, including:
- 2g net carbs per serving
- 1g sugar per serving
- Gluten-free
- Non-GMO
- Organic
- No preservatives
- No added hormones
However, there are a few more cons to Organic Valley. With this brand, the carb content per serving is 2g, which is 1g higher than Daisy Sour Cream.
Also, Organic Valley is nine cents more expensive per ounce. While Organic Valley has a lot of great, keto-friendly aspects, the extra carb content and the more expensive price tag is something for you to consider.
#3 Horizon Organic Sour Cream
Horizon Organic Sour Cream offers quite a few keto-friendly benefits, including:
- 2g net carbs per serving
- 1g sugar per serving
- Grade A milk content
- Gluten-free
- Non-GMO
- Organic
In contrast to the pros of this brand, there are also some cons. Horizon Organic Sour Cream has a higher carb content per serving. This is not good for your keto diet’s lower-carb restrictions.
Horizon Organic Sour Cream is also more expensive than Daisy Sour Cream by eight cents per ounce. Horizon Organic also has lower quality flavor and texture when compared to other, more highly-rated brands.
#4 Green Valley Creamery Lactose-Free Sour Cream
Green Valley’s Sour Cream has quite a few pros if you’re both lactose intolerant and looking for a keto-friendly brand. Here are some of Green Valley’s noteworthy qualities:
- 1g net carb per serving
- 1g sugar per serving
- Gluten-free
- Non-GMO
- Organic
- Lactose-Free
However, there are a few cons to the Green Valley sour cream brand as well. It is a whopping twenty cents more expensive per ounce than Daisy Sour Cream.
Also, there are reviews complaining about this brand’s quality of taste. Although, if you are lactose intolerant and actively trying to maintain your keto diet goals, this may be a great option for you.
#5 Kalona Super Natural Organic Sour Cream
Kalona Super Natural Organic Sour Cream offers a great amount of value to keto shoppers as well. Here are a few of the pros of buying from this brand:
- 2g net carbs per serving
- 1g sugar per serving
- Grade A milk content
- Gluten-free
- Non-GMO
- Organic
On the other hand, there are 2g of carbs per serving, which is higher than other brands. Also, the Kalona brand of sour cream is not currently available from Amazon. It may be a difficult brand to find in your local grocery store. You can reap the same benefits from more attainable sour cream brands.
#6 365 Everyday Value Organic Sour Cream
365 Everyday Value Organic Sour Cream is yet another fantastic keto-friendly option for you to consider. All of the following are factors to weigh when considering incorporating this brand into your diet:
- 2g net carbs per serving
- 1g sugar per serving
- Gluten-free
- Non-GMO
- Organic
Also, this is the cheapest brand we recommend at sixteen cents per ounce. That is one cent cheaper than Daisy Sour Cream. It is easily attainable from Amazon.
Additionally, there are multiple reviews that rave about this brand’s quality flavor. While this brand is a great option for your keto diet, keep in mind that the carb content per serving is 2g. This is a little higher than some other quality brands.
Sour Cream FAQs
Typically, this varies from brand to brand. It can depend on the quality of the ingredients within your product, whether preservatives were used, and a multitude of other factors. The USDA’s standard answer is that sour cream is good about three weeks after the best by date if it has been stored properly in the refrigerator.
This depends on what you plan on using it for. If you plan to use your sour cream on a baked potato or as a dip, then freezing it is not a good option. This is because frozen sour cream takes on a consistency similar to cottage cheese, which may not be ideal for dipping purposes. However, if you are using your sour cream for baking or a similar cooking purpose, freezing sour cream is a fine way to store it.
Sour cream absolutely has carbs. There are very few foods that do not have carbs. The amount of carbs per serving in sour cream varies from brand to brand. If you are concerned about keeping carbs very low in your diet, be sure to research and choose a sour cream brand that has a lower carb amount per serving.
Usually sour cream does have lactose. However, if you have lactose sensitivities or are lactose intolerant, there are specific brands of sour cream that can cater to your needs. Be sure to choose a sour cream brand that suits your lactose-free requirements.
Some brands of sour cream do have gluten. On the other hand, there are brands of sour cream that are completely gluten-free. If you have gluten sensitivities, be sure to research different sour cream brands and find what is out there for you.
This depends on what aspect of yogurt you are looking to replace. Flavor-wise, sour cream and yogurt are very different. As far as maintaining your dairy intake, sour cream can be a suitable replacement for yogurt.
Yes, sour cream can be a suitable and healthier substitute for heavy cream. Typically, you will have to mix sour cream with other ingredients to get a similar heavy cream effect in your recipes. Sour cream can be a much more keto-friendly ingredient over heavy cream.
