Now, you are probably thinking, “What sweeteners can I have?” We have become so addicted to sweets that many of us feel we can’t live without something sweet in our mouths every second of every day. Trust me….been there. I would like to tell you to avoid sweets all together. But, I know you all would want to punch me for speaking such nonsense. I went a couple of months in the beginning of my keto journey and ate nothing sweet. It is possible. You will not die. I felt it helped me get over my carb addiction and get used to eating real food. But now, I do confess, I start most days with a small packet of Sweet Leaf stevia in my coffee. I also have keto treats every now and then. However, I do try to limit sweeteners in general. I think everyone should. Also, if you are on keto specifically for weight loss and become stalled, I hate to tell you, but you may need to cut back on the sweeteners and keto treats. Everyone is different and some may be able to tolerate sweeteners more than others. Sweeteners can also make you crave sugar and carbs more. Sometimes cold turkey is best. It really depends on your personality. Some people need a little bit of sweetness to make this lifestyle sustainable. Some people become triggered and sugar substitutes lead to falling off the wagon and consuming more actual sugar. The only sweeteners I am going to recommend you purchase or use on keto are Stevia, Erythritol, or Monk Fruit. All three are natural and derived from plants. Stevia is the safest and best option in my opinion. You will find many different artificial and natural sweetener names in “sugar-free” products. I made a list of of some you may see. They are not all created equal. If they are not the three I listed above, I do not recommend you consume them unless it is on very rare occasions. Sucralose (Splenda) for example is basically just chlorinated sugar. Consuming too much can also kill your gut bacteria. Aspartame and Saccharin are offenders of this as well and can also possibly worsen insulin resistance. And as I mentioned, erythritol in moderation is fine. But be careful with this one too. If you eat a large amount, it can cause bloating and digestive issues (ie diarrhea). However, erythritol is a lesser offender compared to other sugar alcohols (such as Maltitol and Sorbitol). Glycerol is also fine to consume but it is not one I have commonly found in products. For stevia, I recommend Sweet Leaf brand packets because they do not contain dextrose or maltodextrin. Many companies add dextrose or maltodextrin to their sweeteners because it is cheaper and makes the product sweeter. It completely defeats the purpose of a sugar substitute and it infuriates me when I see it. Sweet Leaf contains only inulin and stevia. Inulin is a prebiotic fiber that is beneficial to gut bacteria. Sweet Leaf also makes some great liquid stevia versions. Some people recommend xylitol, but I cannot say I have ever purchased or made food with xylitol. I do consume it in the form of sugar free gum, which I think is fine on occasion. 

You also may have heard that you can subtract sugar alcohols from your net carbs as they do not affect blood sugar levels. While this is mostly true, I will recommend you do this only if the sugar alcohol in the ingredients is erythritol. Other sugar alcohols can still spike blood sugar/insulin.

Here is the list of sugar substitutes. I marked the ones that are okay to consume on keto (in my opinion) with an asterick*.