Is Lentil Soup Keto?

The Ingredient Breakdown

To understand why this soup fails the keto test, we need to look at the primary ingredients. The main culprit is, unsurprisingly, the organic lentils. Lentils are legumes, and while they are a great source of plant-based protein and fiber, they are also packed with starch. This starch breaks down into glucose in the body, spiking insulin levels and kicking you out of ketosis.

Another red flag in this recipe is the organic cane sugar. Many commercial soups use a small amount of sugar to balance the acidity of the organic tomato paste. On a strict keto diet, even a few grams of added sugar are unnecessary and detrimental to your progress. Additionally, the organic cornstarch acts as a thickener. Cornstarch is pure starch, essentially pure carbohydrates, adding to the overall net carb count without providing satiety or nutritional value.

Nutritional Value

From a general nutritional standpoint, this Lentil Soup is quite healthy. It provides fiber, vitamins from the organic spinach and organic celery, and minerals. However, for a keto dieter, the 'macros' are the only metric that matters. A standard serving of lentil soup typically contains between 25 to 35 grams of net carbohydrates. Since the standard keto diet limits total carbs to roughly 20-50 grams per day, consuming a bowl of this soup would utilize your entire daily allowance immediately. It also lacks the high fat content required to fuel the body on keto, as it relies on organic soybean oil for fat, which is minimal.