How many carbs in 1 medium apple

If you’re trying to stay in ketosis on your low-carb diet, an apple may have too many carbs for you. But compared to other carb-containing foods, apples do not have lots of carbs. And when part of a well-rounded diet, the carbs in an apple make a healthy addition.

Apple Nutrition

The sweet, crunchy apple is low in calories and a good source of fiber and vitamin C. One medium apple has 95 calories, 25 grams of carbs including 4 grams of fiber, and it's essentially fat free. It also meets more than 10 percent of the daily value for vitamin C. While an apple isn't a significant source of any other vitamin or mineral, it can you get you closer to meeting your daily B vitamin and potassium needs.

About Those Carbs

If you’re counting carbs, 25 grams may sound like a lot. But a medium apple only meets 8 percent of the daily value for carbs. And while an apple might fall on the higher end for carbs compared to other fruits -- such as sliced strawberries, which has 13 grams of carbs in a cup -- it’s still a low-glycemic fruit. That means those carbs only cause a slight increase in blood sugar. By comparison, white rice, which has 22 grams of carbs per 1/2 cup, is high-glycemic food and causes a drastic spike in blood sugar. Eating more low-glycemic foods like apples gives you better hunger control, and may reduce your risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.

Fiber

Some of the carbs in your apple come from fiber, which is a type of carbohydrate your body can’t digest. That also means it doesn’t supply any calories. Most of the fiber in apples is in the form of insoluble fiber. This type of fiber doesn't dissolve in water and adds bulk to stool to help improve bowel movements. In addition to aiding in bowel function, the insoluble fiber in apples may also play a role in reducing your risk of diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity.

The Truth About Sugar in Apples

If you’re looking at a nutrition label on a bag of apples, you might decide to put it back after reading its sugar content. One medium apple has 19 grams of sugar, which means three-quarters of the carbs in an apple comes from sugar. While most health care professionals recommend reducing sugar in your diet, they usually mean "added" sugar, which is the corn syrup, processed table sugar and other sweeteners added to foods such as applesauce, cakes, ketchup and soda. Apples are a source of natural sugar surrounded by other health-promoting nutrients, so there’s no need to give them up due to the sugar content.

An apple a day might keep the doctor away, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to keep you in ketosis. So what’s the deal, can you eat an apple on a low carb diet? Or will the carbs in apple cause you to run to the doctor wondering what the heck is going on?

In a perfect world, all apples would be created equal. Because this is unfortunately NOT a perfect world, the carbs in apple will vary.  The size of the apple will affect it’s carb count, as well as the variety of apple.

Per the USDA database, these are the total carbs for various sizes of raw apples with the skin on:

• A large apple (3 ¼” diameter) has 30.8g of total carbs, 5.4g of fiber, and 23.17g of sugar.
• A medium apple (3” diameter) has 25.13g of total carbs, 4.4g of fiber, and 18.91g of sugar.
• A small apple (2 ¾” diameter) has 20.58g of total carbs, 3.6g of fiber, and 15.48g of sugar.
• An extra small apple (2 ½” diameter) has 13.95g of total carbs, 2.4g of fiber, and 10.49g of sugar.
• Per 100 grams, apples have 13.81g of total carbs, 2.4g of fiber, and 10.39g of sugar.

As I said, the VARIETY of apple also plays a part in the carbs in apple. Per the USDA database, these are the total carbs in apples of various types (per 100g, with skin):

• Fuji: 15.22g of total carbs (USDA)
• Gala: 13.68g of total carbs (USDA)
• Golden Delicious: 13.60g of total carbs (USDA)
• Granny Smith: 13.61g of total carbs (USDA)
• Red Delicious: 14.06g of total carbs (USDA)

While most apple varieties share similar amounts of total carbs, Fuji and Red Delicious apples have a higher amount of total carbs than expected! Sure, these apples taste sweeter, but they’re also more likely to affect your diet if you’re not careful!

Net Carbs in Apple

To calculate the net carbs in apple, we subtract the total dietary fiber from the total carbs. Pretty simple, huh?

The net carbs in apple are calculated based on the values from the USDA database. Your daily net carbs will likely fall between 20 and 50 grams, so these values are important!

• A large apple has 25.4g of net carbs.
• A medium apple has 20.73g of net carbs.
• A small apple has 16.98g of net carbs.
• An extra small apple has 11.55g of net carbs.
• Per 100 grams, appleshave 11.41g of net carbs.

Remember those outliers, Fuji and Red Delicious? Red Delicious apples have 11.76g of net carbs per 100 grams, and Fuji apples have 13.12g of net carbs per 100 grams! 

Are apples good carbs or bad carbs?

There’s a reason apples are likened to good health; they are a great food for a huge number of people! In a regular diet, apples have definitely marked their spot as a fruit that is both delicious AND nutritious. 

Raw apples are just that: raw. They are a whole food that do not contain refined carbohydrates. Their sugars are natural (not added), and they contain dietary fibers. 

However, in terms of the keto diet, there aren’t good carbs and bad carbs. A carb is a carb is a carb. Even the carbohydrates in whole, plant-based foods can affect nutritional ketosis.

Are apples OK on keto?

We’ve figured out what an apple will run you carb-wise, so now it’s time for the million dollar question: can you eat apples on keto? 

Given that the average limit is 20 grams of net carbs per day for ketosis to work it’s magic, and a medium size apple is 20.73 grams of net carbs, things don’t look very promising. Again, this is NOT because apples are a bad carb. Eating an apple will provide your body with sugar to burn instead of allowing it to target fat. 

If you desperately want an apple and nothing will satisfy that need, break out your kitchen scale! Measuring out the exact amount you are consuming will ensure that you are staying within your limit. You might only be able to eat a couple slices in order to maintain ketosis, so it is important to know the exact amount you consume.

Calories in Apple

Repeat after me: calories do matter! Limiting carbohydrate intake is necessary for achieving and maintaining nutritional ketosis. Understanding calorie intake is equally necessary for gaining and losing weight! Therefore, it is important that you are aware of the carbs in apple AND the calories in apple as well.

There are 52 calories in 100 grams of raw apple.

The range of calories is 53 calories for an extra small apple to 116 calories for a large apple. While the largest fruit is more than double the smallest, these numbers are still quite low!

Apple Nutrition

Now that we know the carbs in apple are high and the calories in apple are low, let’s check out how the nutrients rank.

Apples are high in dietary fiber, with one medium apple providing 4.4 grams. Apples also provide a good source of Vitamin C, Potassium, and antioxidants. While apples do include other vitamins and minerals, (Vitamins A, E, and K, Calcium, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, and Phosphorus to name a few), they are in smaller amounts.

Keto Apple Substitutes

Instead of risking everything on a tiny apple, here are some keto-friendly apple substitutes!

Nutrition: There are plenty of low-carb choices that provide similar (or better) nutrition than apples. Almonds, pecans, dried mushrooms, dried seaweed, grape leaves, and avocados are all high in both fiber and Potassium. Lemon peel, kumquats, raspberries, and blackberries are all high in Vitamin C.

Texture: Chayote squash is the number one low carb apple replacement! In fact, I have a recipe for keto apple pie filling that uses chayote and believe me, it’s spot on! Jicama and zucchini are also great texture substitutes.

Flavor: Again, chayote and jicama take the cake. While you might not be inclined to bite into these substitutes raw, they create an incredible flavor substitute in apple-based dishes.

NutrientUnitper 100 g1 cup, quartered or chopped = 125.0g1 cup slices = 109.0g1 large (3-¼" dia) = 223.0g1 medium (3" dia) = 182.0g1 small (2-¾" dia) = 149.0g1 extra small (2-½" dia) = 101.0g1 NLEA serving = 242.0g

Water	g	85.56	106.95	93.26	190.8	155.72	127.48	86.42	207.06
Energy	kcal	52	65	57	116	95	77	53	126
Protein	g	0.26	0.33	0.28	0.58	0.47	0.39	0.26	0.63
Total lipid (fat)	g	0.17	0.21	0.19	0.38	0.31	0.25	0.17	0.41
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	13.81	17.26	15.05	30.8	25.13	20.58	13.95	33.42
Fiber, total dietary	g	2.4	3	2.6	5.4	4.4	3.6	2.4	5.8
Sugars, total	g	10.39	12.99	11.33	23.17	18.91	15.48	10.49	25.14
Calcium, Ca	mg	6	8	7	13	11	9	6	15
Iron, Fe	mg	0.12	0.15	0.13	0.27	0.22	0.18	0.12	0.29
Magnesium, Mg	mg	5	6	5	11	9	7	5	12
Phosphorus, P	mg	11	14	12	25	20	16	11	27
Potassium, K	mg	107	134	117	239	195	159	108	259
Sodium, Na	mg	1	1	1	2	2	1	1	2
Zinc, Zn	mg	0.04	0.05	0.04	0.09	0.07	0.06	0.04	0.1
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	4.6	5.8	5	10.3	8.4	6.9	4.6	11.1
Thiamin	mg	0.017	0.021	0.019	0.038	0.031	0.025	0.017	0.041
Riboflavin	mg	0.026	0.033	0.028	0.058	0.047	0.039	0.026	0.063
Niacin	mg	0.091	0.114	0.099	0.203	0.166	0.136	0.092	0.22
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.041	0.051	0.045	0.091	0.075	0.061	0.041	0.099
Folate, DFE	µg	3	4	3	7	5	4	3	7
Vitamin B-12	µg	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Vitamin A, RAE	µg	3	4	3	7	5	4	3	7
Vitamin A, IU	IU	54	68	59	120	98	80	55	131
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	mg	0.18	0.23	0.2	0.4	0.33	0.27	0.18	0.44
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	µg	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Vitamin D	IU	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	µg	2.2	2.8	2.4	4.9	4	3.3	2.2	5.3
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	0.028	0.035	0.031	0.062	0.051	0.042	0.028	0.068
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	0.007	0.009	0.008	0.016	0.013	0.01	0.007	0.017
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	0.051	0.064	0.056	0.114	0.093	0.076	0.052	0.123
Fatty acids, total trans	g	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Cholesterol	mg	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Caffeine	mg	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0