Pay Close Attention To Labels For Truly Keto-Friendly Pork Rinds. Here's Why

If you follow the keto diet, you likely have a go-to list of low-carb, keto-friendly snacks you can enjoy throughout the day to keep hunger at bay. For many people who enjoy a keto lifestyle, pork rinds are high on the list of easy, on-the-go options (pro tip: the simple gas station snack can also be used to elevate your fried chicken game). There's one thing you need to watch out for when it comes to pork rinds, however, if you're following a keto diet: flavorings.

While pork rinds can be perfectly satisfying plain, there are quite a few flavored versions that provide a little something extra, which can be tempting when you want to bring variety to your keto diet plan. While some of these options are totally fine for those on the keto diet, others contain sugar and can throw you out of ketosis. Some particularly delicious pork rinds, such as barbecue-flavored versions, list sugar fairly high on the ingredients list, which can be frustrating when you're working hard to keep your daily sugar intake to zero grams (as recommended for those following a keto diet).

While a gram of sugar alone isn't likely to throw you out of ketosis, it can certainly be the tipping point if you've consumed carbs from other sources that day. Thankfully, there are plenty of delicious pork rind varieties (including the sea salt flavor from Rib Rack, the pork rind brand that was hands-down best in our taste test) that have absolutely no sugar (or other ingredients concerning for keto dieters) in the ingredients list.

When you follow a ketogenic diet, you're working to keep your body in ketosis, where you utilize stored fat for fuel. To enter the metabolic state of ketosis, you need to keep carbohydrate intake super-low (we're talking 50 grams or fewer of carbohydrates per day). When your body enters ketosis, your body fat is broken down into ketones, which your body uses for energy instead of the glucose it typically uses (glucose comes from carbs).

As we mentioned, a gram or two of hidden carbs from sugar isn't likely to ruin your state of ketosis, but it could be the straw that breaks the camel's back if you're already close to your limit for the day. While some forms of sugar are fairly obvious when you're reading an ingredient label (corn syrup, caramel, and cane juice), others are tougher to decipher, but just as dangerous (dextrose, maltodextrin, and disaccharides).

It's important to keep these tips in mind when you're making at-home keto snacks as well, such as crunchy keto-friendly cottage cheese chips. Carefully read the ingredients list of seasonings from your pantry (especially seasoning blends) as some may contain sneaky sugars. If pork rinds are a go-to snack in your keto diet, by all means, enjoy them. Just read the label carefully so you aren't throwing your hard work to the wind.