Last Updated on March 27, 2022 by Latrice
Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about the keto diet including what keto drinks besides water exist to quench my thirst. I’ve also come up with drink blends and mixes that help boost health, wellness, and weight loss.
Not all keto-friendly drinks are good for weight loss, health and wellness. They might be able to hold you over, but can be counterproductive, trigger cravings, and increase appetite.
The best way to approach your keto drink journey is by reading labels, being truly aware of what you’re drinking, and telling yourself the truth if a keto drink turns out to be too good to be truly good for your health.
What can I drink on a keto diet besides water?
Plenty. You can technically drink diet sodas, have alcoholic keto-friendly cocktails, protein shakes, and meal replacement shakes. My mom drinks Slim Fast keto shakes when she’s in the mood for something sweet and shake-like. So we keto folks got plenty of choices.
But the question to ask yourself is if these drinks are really good for YOUR health and wellness goals. Some people include all these keto drinks and aren’t aware of the slower weight loss, increased appetite and increased cravings. They drink diet soda not knowing diet soda has adverse health effects including diabetes and metabolic syndrome. (1)
Fortunately, there are several other healthy keto options that don’t have these effects and aren’t going to be counterproductive to our weight loss goals.
On to the beverages.
1. Herbal, non-caffeinated teas
A good herbal tea can be so soothing in the evenings and contains no caffeine so it can be enjoyed all day long. I like drinking herbal teas that support healthy skin and women’s health and include cinnamon, vanilla, ginger or dried fruit. Some herbal teas do have carbs, but it’s such a small amount there’s no need to trip over it.
When I have the taste for a bit more fat, I blend in a tablespoon of Kerry’s Gold Butter or heavy whipping cream with an herbal tea that has cinnamon or vanilla in it. It’s satisfying.
2. Caffeinated teas
I drink black and green tea when I’m taking it easy on coffee. Caffeinated tea also helps with appetite control. And if I need more fat, I blend in butter or heavy whipping cream.
3. Mushroom coffee
I first heard about mushroom coffee and its health benefits while listening to Shawn Stevenson’s podcast, The Model Health Show. He discusses consuming mushrooms and lions mane on a few podcasts, below is one I found pretty eye-opening. Here is the mushroom coffee I have on my wish list. I’m interested in the superhuman focus and improved memory claims being made by reviewers.
4. Sparkling water
I LOVE sparkling water. Since I don’t do artificial sweeteners regularly, unsweetened flavored sparkling water is how I get my soda fix without drinking diet sodas that have artificial sweeteners. And as someone that’s genetically predisposed to dementia, I’ve decided to avoid aspartame which has been found to contribute to dementia. (2)
On top of being super refreshing, sparkling water also helps aid digestion on those days I’ve had more fat than my little tummy can handle at that moment.
5. Black coffee
Black coffee is my favorite relatively healthy appetite suppressant. I say “relatively healthy” because coffee does have its drawbacks when you drink too much. It can mess with your sleep if you drink too much and too late in the day. Coffee beans can contain toxins from pesticides. There are also some carbs and calories, but not enough to toss you out of fasting, so I’ve heard.
Here is a great video on coffee that’s quick and informative:
6. Black coffee and butter
Black coffee blended with salted butter is a delicious way to get more fat or dirty fast your way through a fasting window. I blend my black coffee hot with salted Kerry’s Gold butter and add a few drops of liquid stevia if I’ve got cravings for something sweet. This helps keep me on track.
7. Black coffee and MCT oil
A good option if you’re avoiding dairy. This MCT oil creamer on my wishlist to give a try next. I always hear good things about emulsified MCTs so we’ll see. Currently, I use this MCT oil when I’m feeling extra healthy. It doesn’t add any extra flavor, but does still have the benefits.
8. Keto-friendly collagen or protein powder blended with butter in herbal tea, caffeinated tea, or black coffee
I’ve found this blend to be a great way to take my collagen, add more protein to my day if needed, get more fat, and take care of my sweet tooth. In the evenings, blending collagen powder with butter in herbal tea helps me get to sleep. It’s like having warm milk. So soothing.
I’m currently loving this peanut butter flavored collagen powder. The package says it can be blended in hot or cold beverages, but it does best in hot beverages. Fyi.
9. Bone broth and hot water
Healthy, satiating, and has all types of health benefits. A great source of collagen.
10. Snake Juice
This stuff helps you get through extended fasts like nobody’s business. The recipe was first shared by Cole Robinson as part of his intense fasting protocol. Water-only fasts can be brutal. A fast with this snake juice mix is much easier to get through. I’ve tried it. I like it.
Now Cole has his snake juice recipe in these convenient packets. Mix them with water if you’re doing extended fasts. I’ve tried drinking it during a 23 hour fast to prevent cramps and gave myself an unintended salt-water flush. You’ve been warned.
11. Lemon + Apple Cider Vinegar + Water
I drink this first thing in the morning to help with digestion, regulating blood sugar, burning belly fat, and keeping my appetite in check. It’s a refreshing drink to have in the morning that does a lot of cool things. (2)
Here’s what I usually put in my daily drink:
- 1 to 1 ½ cup of water with ice
- Fresh juice of ½ lemon – I personally believe raw lemon juice is better than pasteurized lemon juice
- 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
- A sprinkle of cayenne pepper
Related: A whole book of all kinds of keto drinks
Adding plenty of healthy, productive options to your keto diet beverage list helps you stay on track, achieve your weight loss goals quicker, beat cravings, regulate your appetite, and boost your wellness.
There are 125 recipes in this book. One-hundred. And. Twenty-five. That’s a lot of options. And you can read the book for free with Kindle Unlimited.
There’s plenty to drink on keto besides water, but is it healthy?
There are drinks typically listed as keto-friendly that I did not list here including diet sodas, keto meal replacement shakes, nut milks, and infused fruit water. While these drinks are technically keto-friendly, I’ve found issues that made them better to be avoided for the most part.
Diet sodas trigger hunger and cravings. Keto meal replacement shakes can increase appetite. Nut milks can have lots of carbs and unhealthy additives. And infused fruit water can still include sugars and carbs that trigger cravings.
Here is a list of 33 other foods I’ve stopped eating to lose weight with keto.
There are also keto-friendly alcoholic drinks listed out there as keto-friendly, but I’ve found them to trigger unhealthy food choices in myself.
The best method on this journey is to try things out and see what works best for you. These are the keto-friendly drinks I’ve come to find the most beneficial on my keto, health, wellness, and weight loss journey.
On keto, you’ve got all types of keto drinks besides water to give a go.
What are your thoughts? Any go-to keto drinks you’ve come to love that work best for you?
