Is Pepper Jack Cheese Keto?

Is Pepper Jack Cheese Keto? You will be pleased to know that pepper jack cheese is a great option for someone eating a keto diet. It has half a net carb per slice (on average) so you are not going to break the carb bank with it. Why not check out some of the other keto friendly cheeses we have lined up for you? 

What is pepper jack cheese?

Pepper jack cheese is a semi-soft, spicy, moist cheese. Pepper jack is a variation of Monterey Jack, with added notes of peppers, rosemary, and garlic. It is delicious and versatile, but let’s dive into whether pepper jack cheese is keto.

A Keto-Cap (aka A Keto Recap!)

If you’re new to keto and want a bit more information, check out our keto beginners guide.

As a quick summary, if you need it, the keto (also known as the ketogenic diet) is a low-carb, high-fat diet.

The whole concept of the keto diet is that your body transitions from burning glucose, in simple terms, sugars or carbohydrates, to burning fat as its primary fuel source.

For a keto diet, people will restrict their macros to eating;

• 70% of their calories from fat
• 25% from protein
• 5% from carbohydrates

Sticking to these macros for a period of time will put your body into a state of ketosis. Ketosis is when your body has transitioned from burning carbohydrates as its primary fuel source to burning fat for fuel. It is at this point that you will start to see and feel the benefits of the keto diet.

There are a lot of new terms and abbreviations that you may come across, sometimes it can feel like a new language that you need to learn. In order to help you out and keep you on the right track, we have created a keto terms and keto abbreviations guide, bookmark these to make your keto journey easier.

Some people can be put off the keto diet because of the side effects, however, these are only short-lived and the health benefits of keto far outweigh the side effects.

One of the main benefits which attract people to the keto diet is that it can cause significant reductions in insulin levels (by up to 75%) and blood sugar levels, which can be attractive to those that struggle with diabetes, amongst other health complaints.

What is the nutritional value of pepper jack cheese?

Generally speaking, if cheese is full fat (not skim or low fat), it will have lower carbs. Pepper Jack, on average, has the following nutritional values per one ounce:

• Carbs: 0.5 g
• Protein: 6.5 g
• Fat: 9 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Sugar: 0.2 g
• Calories: 100

How Many Net Carbs are there in pepper jack cheese?

Calculating net carbs is simple and calculating your net carbs is going to be an essential skill on the keto diet. The formula for calculating net carbs is as follows:

• x = y – z where x represents the net carbs (what you’re trying to calculate), y represents the carbs per serving, and z represents the fiber content per serving.
• y (carbs) – z (fiber) = x (net carbs)
• 0.5 – 0 = 0.5 g
• Pepper jack cheese contains roughly 0.5 net carbs per serving.

Is pepper jack cheese Keto Friendly?

Pepper jack has less than 1 net carb per serving, so, yes, it is keto-friendly. Meaning that you can enjoy this with your keto salads, burgers, or as a keto snack.

What are the best keto alternatives to pepper jack cheese?

Goat cheese, or chevre, is a great keto-friendly option. It is a zero-carb cheese, as well as halloumi.

Some low net carb cheeses you could try in your keto diet include but are not limited to the following:

• Muenster
• Brie
• Colby Jack
• Camembert
• Edam
• Swiss
• Gouda
• Cheddar
• Mozzarella
• Blue
• Parmesan

What cheeses aren’t keto-friendly?

Some cheeses in this list have significantly less net carbs than others. This list is for cheeses that contain 1 or more net carbs per serving. Higher carb cheeses are not limited to the following:

• Manchego
• Mascarpone
• American
• Feta
• Laughing Cow
• Cream
• Cottage
• Ricotta

What are the health benefits of pepper jack cheese?

Pepper jack cheese and almost any kind of cheese boasts a good serving of calcium. It’s also high in protein. It provides some of your daily potassium as well.

What cheeses are not keto-friendly?

Cheese that is over-processed to the point that it’s no longer just cheese is arguably not keto-friendly. One example of this is the canned cheese spray.

Other soft cheeses (think ricotta, cottage, and some spreadable cheeses) aren’t keto-friendly. A fourth of a cup of ricotta cheese has up to 4.5 net carbs!

Staying hydrated on the keto diet is really important, for more on how much water you should be drinking, check out our guide to staying hydrated on the keto diet.

If you’re planning on dehydrating yourself(!) and drinking alcohol on the keto diet, check out our ultimate guide to drinking alcohol on a keto diet. Also, you may be interested in, how to recover from a cheat day.

Summary: Is Pepper Jack Cheese Keto?

With only 0.5 grams of net carbs per slice, pepper jack cheese can definitely be enjoyed on a keto diet, whether you want it sliced into a salad or on your burger. Don’t stop at pepper jack cheese through, there are loads of amazing cheeses which can be enjoyed on a keto diet.