Is Simply Cranberry Juice Cocktail Cranberry Keto?

The Ingredient Breakdown

As a food scientist, I always look at the ingredient list before the marketing claims. Simply Cranberry Juice Cocktail keeps its ingredient list short, but that doesn't mean it is low-carb. The formula consists of pure filtered water, cranberry juice, cane sugar, and natural flavors.

The primary issue for the keto diet is the cane sugar. Ketosis requires keeping net carbohydrates extremely low—usually under 20 to 30 grams per day. Manufacturers add sugar to cranberry products because pure cranberry juice is incredibly tart and astringent; without the sugar, the flavor profile is too sour for the average palate. Unfortunately, this added sugar is exactly what the keto diet aims to eliminate.

The natural flavors are generally considered safe and are not a carbohydrate source, but they are proprietary blends that add no nutritional value. The cranberry juice itself contains natural fruit sugars (fructose), which contribute to the total carb count. Therefore, even without the added cane sugar, pure fruit juice is often restricted on keto, making this cocktail a double-whammy of carbohydrates.

Nutritional Value

Looking at the nutritional profile, a standard serving of Simply Cranberry Juice Cocktail contains approximately 29 grams of total carbohydrates per 8-ounce glass. Because this is a liquid, your body absorbs these sugars almost instantly, causing a rapid spike in blood glucose and insulin levels.

For context, a strict keto diet limits you to roughly 20 grams of net carbs for the entire day. Drinking just one glass of this juice would consume over 140% of your daily allowance, making it mathematically impossible to stay in ketosis if you eat any other food that day. While the drink is fat-free, the keto diet relies on high fat intake, and this product offers no fat to help meet those macro goals. It also provides a modest amount of Vitamin C, but the high sugar content outweighs this benefit significantly.