Matcha powder has become an increasingly popular health food and beverage ingredient in recent years. As the ketogenic (keto) diet has also risen in popularity, many people wonder: is matcha powder keto-friendly?
The short answer is yes, matcha powder can be included as part of a keto diet. Matcha is a green tea powder made from the entire leaf of the Camellia sinensis plant and contains minimal carbohydrates, making it generally suitable for keto diets.
Matcha Nutrition & Carbs for Keto Diet
When evaluating if a food is suitable for the high-fat, low-carb keto diet, examining its macronutrient ratios - fats, carbs, and protein - is key.
The keto diet typically recommends limiting net carb intake to only 20-50 grams per day in order to achieve and maintain ketosis, where the body switches over to burning fat and ketones for fuel. Most nuts, fruits, grains, alcohol and sugars are too high in carbs to fit this limit.
So how does matcha powder stack up?
The table below shows the nutrition facts for a typical serving of matcha powder - 1 gram providing approximately 1 cup of prepared matcha tea:
| Nutrient | 1 Gram Matcha Powder |
|---|---|
| Calories | 3 |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Carbs | 0 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
With zero net carbohydrates and zero sugar, a serving of matcha powder clearly keeps well within keto carb limits. Even drinking several cups per day would represent only a very minor carbohydrate intake.
However, on its own, matcha is also extremely low in fat and protein. To better balance it out with the high fat aspect of keto dieting, many people make keto-friendly matcha lattes using nut milks, butter, MCT or coconut oil, heavy cream, or other high-fat dairy. We'll cover some recipe ideas later on.
So purely looking at its macros, yes matcha powder is suitable for keto dieting. Just be sure to consume it together with other fatty whole foods.
Grades of Matcha Quality
While the underlying nutritional value of a cup of matcha is quite consistent across producers, matcha powders can vary enormously in factors like:
- Color and texture
- Taste
- Purity
- Caffeine and nutrient levels
These difference come from factors like the quality of the tea plants, when leaves are picked, and production processes. Lower quality matcha is often bitter, gritty in texture, dull brownish in color, and grown with more pesticides.
The two main grades of matcha powder are:
- Ceremonial grade - The highest quality used in Japanese tea ceremonies. Vibrant green, smooth texture, delicate taste.
- Culinary grade - Made from older leaves, stems, veins. Intended for cooking/baking or mixing into smoothies and lattes. Duller green, rougher texture, more bitter taste.
Ceremonial grade is recommended if you will mainly be drinking matcha on its own with water, as is traditional. But culinary grade can work well for cooking or mixing into recipes that already have strong flavors.
Either grade can fit into a keto diet, but tasting better and providing more nutrients, antioxidants, amino acids and delicate flavor makes ceremonial grade the better option if your budget allows for it.
Within ceremonial grades, you’ll also see options labeled organic, shaded longer, 1st harvest, single origin, sustainably grown, etc. These can indicate higher quality harvests and growing practices.
Tips for Picking Quality Matcha for Keto
As with any supplement product trend, the rise in popularity of matcha powder has led some producers to cut corners and compromise on quality.
Here are some tips for selecting a high quality matcha powder suitable for keto diets:
- Origin - Japan is recognized for growing and producing the world’s best quality matcha using traditional techniques perfected over centuries. Other countries can produce decent matcha too, but Japanese is still the gold standard.
- Organic & sustainability labels - These help ensure minimal chemical contamination and environmentally responsible farming.
- Ceremonial grade - As covered earlier, this top grade offers better flavor, color, and nutrition than culinary grades using older leaves.
- Vibrant green color - Greener shade indicates newer growth leaves packed with chlorophyll and nutrients vs dull brownish hue of old leaves.
- Lab testing - Reputable brands will provide recent lab test results showing purity and levels of lead, pesticides, etc.
- Flavor reviews - Research blogs and videos tasting and rating matcha brands based on flavor, creaminess, aroma, etc. to gauge quality.
Using these selection criteria helps avoid low quality matcha powder that may be unpleasant tasting or contain higher levels of contaminants.
Key Takeaway: Opt for brightly-colored, ceremonial grade, organic matcha powder from Japan for the best experience. Check lab testing and flavor reviews too.
Making Keto Matcha Lattes & Recipes
To turn your matcha powder into an energizing keto-friendly matcha latte:
- Brew 1/2 - 1 teaspoon ceremonial grade matcha powder with 2 oz hot (not boiling) water
- Add a dash of vanilla, cinnamon or ginger
- Fill the remainder of your cup with warmed nut milk like almond or coconut milk
- Stir vigorously with a bamboo whisk or small milk frother until creamy on top
Then to "keto-fy" your latte, you can:
- Use full-fat canned coconut milk
- Mix in 1 tsp grass-fed butter or MCT oil
- Top with heavy whipping cream
The healthy fats transform an already keto-friendly matcha drink into a filling, high-energy keto matcha latte.
Some other ways to use matcha powder in keto recipes include:
- Smoothies - Blend with coconut milk, avocado, keto protein powder
- Baked goods - Add to keto mug cakes, cookies, bars, etc for color and nutrients
- Fat bombs - Mix into combinations of coconut oil, cocoa powder, nuts
- Pestos and dressings - Bright green color and flavor for keto pesto sauces
- Fats/oils - Infuse grass-fed butter or MCT oil to make keto matcha fats
- Desserts - Garnish keto mousses, ice cream, chia puddings
So while matcha on its own fits into the keto diet macros, adding healthy fats makes it more balanced and ketogenic. Infusing its signature flavor and antioxidants into keto treats also makes sticking to the diet more enjoyable!
Matcha Powder Benefits for Keto
Aside from adding delicious flavor, texture, and color to keto foods and drinks, matcha powder enhances the diet’s benefits in a few key ways:
1. Better workouts - The caffeine and L-Theanine in matcha powder have been shown to significantly enhance exercise endurance, performance, and recovery. So going keto along with matcha makes it easier to stick with the exercise often accompanying keto weight loss efforts.
2. Fat burning - Studies show the beneficial plant nutrient EGCG found abundantly in matcha can increase your body’s rate of fat oxidation or fat burning through energy expenditure by up to 33%! So pairing matcha intake with the sustained fat metabolism of keto can ramp up existing weight loss.
3. Detox support - As a potent source of chlorophyll and antioxidants, matcha assists the body’s detoxification systems - which keto dieting already emphasizes through the burning and release of stored toxins like pesticides and heavy metals.
So while the metabolic state of ketosis itself turbocharges health improvements for those adopting a keto lifestyle, regularly drinking matcha or adding it to your favorite keto foods magnifies these incentives.
FAQs
Is all matcha powder OK for keto diets?
Yes, all grades of matcha powder contain minimal net carbs so they fit within keto diet macros. However, ceremonial grade matcha offers better taste, color and nutrition than culinary grades.
Should you add butter or MCT oil to matcha on keto?
Adding healthy fats like butter, MCT oil or coconut milk better balances matcha's macronutrient profile to be more ketogenic. Fats also induce a feeling of fullness and sustained energy release.
Can matcha kick you out of ketosis?
On its own, no. With zero net carbs, matcha will not disrupt ketosis or glucose control. Even several cups per day would amount to very few carbs compared to the 20-50 gram daily limits. However, some matcha ingredients like milk, sugar or matcha desserts could affect ketosis.
Is matcha good for weight loss on keto?
Yes! In addition to caffeine for a metabolism boost, matcha contains EGCG shown to increase fat oxidation rate and thermogenesis. So it directly supports accelerating existing keto weight loss results. The energy boost also makes it easier to maintain the exercise often paired with keto.
Does matcha have anti-keto effects?
No. With green tea catechins, amino acids, antioxidants, and caffeine, matcha powder provides several benefits that actually enhance the goals of keto around sustained fat burning, reduced inflammation, blood sugar stability, detoxification support and more.
Conclusion
As a zero net carb beverage powder, matcha green tea is perfectly suitable to integrate as part of a well-formulated keto diet.
Prioritizing high-grade, green ceremonial matcha from Japan optimizes flavor and nutrition. Many keto dieters also craft tasty high-fat matcha latte drinks to better meet the macronutrient ratios of the diet.