There are many different ways of eating gravy, and there are several varieties of gravy. Gravy can be eaten with vegetables, meat, salad, and much more. In this article, we all see whether keto gravy exists or not.
We will also discuss the different components of gravy, Keto-friendly gravy recipes, and Keto substitutes of gravy.
Does Keto Gravy Exist?
Is gravy allowed when you are on ketosis? Well, that depends; a gravy made at home is usually high in carbs.
The main ingredients of homemade gravy are white wine, white flour, and potatoes. The net carbs of homemade gravy exceed 7.6 grams even before the addition of potatoes.
Gravies that are commercially available have an even higher content of carbs in them.
The question is, why are there carbs in gravy? It is because of the different types of ingredients used in making gravies.
Typically, Three Main Ingredients Are Found In Almost All Gravies:
- Starch
- Fat
- Liquid Stock
American Thanksgiving Turkey Gravy Contains The Following Ingredients:
- Flour
- Fatty Turkey Drippings
- Turkey Stock
So now you have a pretty good idea that the typical gravy cannot be part of the Keto diet. So what are your options? Well, there are Keto-friendly varieties of gravy. All you need to do is to change a few ingredients.
With the help of cream cheese, vegetable gum, unflavored gelatin powder, and egg yolks, you can make a Ketogenic variety of gravy.
Keto Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- Two tsp. fat
- Two cups of stock
- 3.8 tsp. Xanthan Gum (vegetable gum)
Instructions
First, you will need to heat the stock and fat at 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure you do not overfill the pot. Next, pour the stock into a blender and make sure there is a headspace of three inches.
Make sure you blend the stock for thirty seconds after adding the vegetable gum. Once the blending is done, you will see that your gravy has a thick texture and is ready to serve.
Nutrition Facts For Keto Gravy
Per ½ cup serving, prepared with turkey fat and chicken broth (commercial variety)
- Fat: 6.4 grams
- Carbohydrates: 0.4 grams
- Net Carbohydrates: 0.4 grams
- Protein: 1.6 grams
- Total Calories: 65.9 grams
Brown Keto Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- Two tbsp. Ghee
- Two cups Beef Stock
- ¼ tsp. Onion powder
- ½ tsp. Garlic powder
- One tsp. Xanthan Gum
- Pepper and salt to taste
Instructions
Add ghee, beef stock, garlic, and onion powder in a saucepan and place it over the heat. Bring the mixture to simmer, add the Xanthan gum and mix well. Continue simmering until the gravy has a brown-colored appearance.
Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. The entire cooking process should not be longer than five minutes.
What To Serve It With?
- Pour it over cauliflower mash or turkey
- You can also add the gravy to Whole30 cauliflower mash
- Eat the gravy along with Herb butter turkey
Notes
You can also use vegetable or chicken broth instead of beef stock. There are substitutes for the Xanthan gum as well, as you can also use arrowroot or tapioca.
Make sure to add the leftover gravy to an airtight container, place it in the refrigerator. The gravy should last in the fridge for a week.
Carbohydrates: One gram
Fiber: Zero grams
Protein: Two grams
Calories: 46
Cholesterol: Ten grams
Fat: Four grams
Beef Keto Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ tsp. Xanthan Gum
- Two Cups of Beef Stock
- ¼ cup of Butter
- ½ cup of Heavy cream
- Add salt to taste
Instructions
Add the heavy cream, beef stock, and butter to the saucepan and place it over the heat. Let the mixture simmer, add the Xanthan gum, and mix it well.
Continue to simmer the gravy; once it has a medium brown color, add salt. You can serve the gravy immediately
Nutrition
- Calcium: 32 Milligrams
- Vitamin A: 792IU
- Cholesterol: 71 milligrams
- Iron: One milligram
- Sugar: One gram
- Fiber: One gram
- Saturated Fat: Fourteen grams
- Fat: 23 grams
- Protein: Three grams
- Carbs: Two grams
Beef Keto Gravy Substitutes
Cream Cheese
To make a richer gravy, you can add cream cheese, which is low in carbohydrates. All you need to do is heat the cream cheese and mix it with the fat. However, if the gravy gets thick, add some cream or water to thin it out. You can also add pepper, salt, and other types of seasonings.
Au Jus
Au Jus is a type of gravy that contains all the natural flavors of the meat. Follow these steps to make the Au Jus gravy:
- First, remove the meat from the saucepan, put it in a bowl, strain the juice and skim the fat off the beef.
- Put the saucepan back on the heat, and add a few tbsps of the juice in the gravy
- Continue to add the juices to the pan until it dissolves slowly
- Cook the gravy until the sauce reaches the desired saltiness level
- For a gravy with a strong flavor, continue cooking it, but taste it every once in a while
- If the saltiness in the sauce increases, add a few tbsps. Of stock to the gravy
Gelatin Powder
For a flavorless and natural gravy add-in, try gelatin powder and add it in the gravy to thicken it. Follow these instructions:
- Pour a cup of water into a bowl, and add 3 tbsp. Of gelatin
- Whisk the mixture well and set it aside (for three to five minutes)
- Melt ½ cup of butter in a pan, add the water and gelatin mixture, along with two cups of chicken broth
- Let the mixture boil, then heat it and let it simmer
- Remove the keto gravy from the heat and let it cool down
Signs That Your Body Is On Ketosis
Below we have listed down some signs and symptoms that will help you determine whether you are on ketosis or not:
A Rise In Ketones
Having a high level of ketones in the blood is a sign that your body has entered the process of ketosis.
Doctors may also take breath and urine samples to test the ketone level in the blood. However, these tests are slightly less reliable than blood tests.
Loss In Weight
Some experts have suggested that the low-carb diet is more effective in cutting body weight.
They believe that low-carb diets are better than low-fat diets when it comes to cutting excess weight. So, when people are in the ketosis stage, they will lose weight in the long term.
A meta-analysis that was conducted in 2013 examined the findings of numerous controlled trials.
The analysis concluded that the keto diet would help people lose more weight than low-fat diets in the long term.
However, if you are experiencing weight loss just a few days into ketosis, that is probably because of a lack of water. True weight loss through ketosis takes weeks to occur.
Thirstiness
The process of ketosis may cause some people to be thirstier than usual. This happens due to water loss that occurs in the body during ketosis.
However, dehydration in the body can also occur due to a rise in the level of ketones.
Thirstiness can cause a few complications, and many studies point towards dehydration being a major side effect of ketosis. Sometimes dehydration can also increase the risk of kidney stones in your body.
The solution for thirstiness and dehydration is simple, drink as much water as possible. If the dehydration and other symptoms get too serious, visit a doctor.
Spasms And Muscular Cramps
An imbalance in electrolytes and dehydration can lead to spasms and muscle cramps.
Electrolytes carry electrical signals between the cells of the body. An imbalance in the electrolytes can disrupt the transfer of signals and lead to spasms and muscle ailments.
People that are on ketosis need to ensure that they are consuming plenty of electrolytes. Some sources of electrolytes are:
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Calcium
Keto gravy: People can get their intake of electrolytes from eating a balanced diet. However, if the symptoms continue, consult a doctor, who may recommend changes in the diet and supplements.
Headaches
Headaches are a common side effect of ketosis. Headaches usually occur because there is a lack of the following in your body during ketosis:
- Carbs
- Sugar
However, an imbalance in dehydration and electrolytes can, in some cases, cause headaches as well. Interestingly, recent studies point towards the Ketogenic diet as a cure for cluster headaches and migraines.
A study in 2017 concluded that the Keto diet is a treatment for chronic and episodic migraines. The study went even further, stating that the Keto diet can also treat headaches that are resistant to drugs.
However, more research needs to take place before the Ketogenic diet can be declared a cure for migraines and headaches.
Conclusion
This article aimed to discuss different aspects of Keto gravy and if such a thing even exists. While gravy in its purest form is too carb-rich to be included in the Keto diet, there are Keto-friendly versions of gravy as well.
We have discussed recipes of three keto gravies and have also provided information about their nutrition. We ended the article by discussing signs that your body has entered the stage of ketosis.
