Is Bologna Keto-Friendly? (We Have the Answer!)


Is Bologna Keto-Friendly

When you are on the ketogenic diet, there are many restrictions you must adhere to. Eating too many carbohydrates or protein can take your body out of a state of ketosis. This means that healthy fats are your best friend, and you must read every nutrition label before consuming them! There are many sources of meat and fish that are high in healthy fats and standard on the keto diet. Is bologna among those meats?

Bologna is considered keto-friendly if you are following “dirty keto”. However, if you are following a clean keto diet, bologna is not considered keto-friendly. While its carbohydrate content is fairly low, Bologna contains processed proteins and artificial ingredients. The best healthier keto alternatives include Applegate Organic Oven Roasted Chicken Breast and 365 by Whole Foods Smoked Turkey Breast.

Let’s take a look at how healthy bologna is, what the common brands are and their nutrients, and what alternatives you have that fall within the clean keto restrictions!

Is Bologna Healthy?

Even though bologna is convenient for when you need to prepare a quick meal for yourself, it is not a healthy option. Each serving is high in fat and sodium, leading to health issues such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. In addition, weight gain becomes harder to prevent when you regularly consume high amounts of unhealthy fat, such as what exists in many bolognas. 

“Mechanically separated” meat is always the first ingredient in bologna, whether it be chicken, turkey, beef, or pork. You may find that phrasing a bit unsettling, and it means that batter-like meat is made by a device forcefully separating the bones from edible pieces of meat. These types of meat are either combined or kept separate. 

Something else to be concerned about is the added nitrates. The purpose of nitrates is to stop food from spoiling, but this additional ingredient places processed meats in a category with alcohol and cigarettes. What do these three things have in common? They could potentially give you cancer. It is safer to avoid bologna altogether and go with an alternative.

Bologna Nutrition Facts

These Bologna Can Be Only Eaten On The Dirty Keto Diet.

Hebrew National Beef Bologna

Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):

  • Calories: 170
  • Total fat: 15g
  • Total carbohydrate: 1g
  • Total sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 6g

These are the ingredients in the Hebrew National Beef Bologna:

  • Beef
  • Water
  • Contains 2% or less of: spice, salt, sodium lactate, hydrolyzed soy protein, paprika, sodium diacetate, natural flavorings, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite

Meal Mart Beef Bologna

Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):

  • Calories: 160
  • Total fat: 14g
  • Total carbohydrate: 0g
  • Total sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 8g

These are the ingredients in the Meal Mart Beef Bologna:

  • Beef
  • Water
  • Spices and flavorings
  • Salt
  • Paprika
  • Sodium phosphate
  • Corn syrup solids
  • Sodium erythorbate
  • Sodium nitrite

Oscar Mayer Bologna

Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):

  • Calories: 80
  • Total fat: 7g
  • Total carbohydrate: 1g
  • Total sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 3g

These are the ingredients in the Oscar Mayer Bologna:

  • Mechanically separated chicken
  • Pork
  • Corn syrup
  • Water
  • Contains less than 2% of: salt, ground mustard seed, sodium phosphates, potassium chloride, sodium propionate, sodium diacetate, sodium benzoate, flavor, sodium ascorbate, sodium nitrite, hydrolyzed beef stock, potassium lactate, sodium lactate, autolyzed yeast extract, dextrose, oleoresin paprika, celery seed extract

Oscar Mayer Thick Cut Bologna

Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):

  • Calories: 120
  • Total fat: 11g
  • Total carbohydrate: 2g
  • Total sugars: 1g
  • Protein: 4g

These are the ingredients in the Oscar Mayer Thick Cut Bologna:

  • Mechanically separated chicken
  • Pork
  • Water
  • Corn syrup
  • Contains less than 2% of: salt, ground mustard seed, sodium phosphates, potassium chloride, sodium propionate, sodium diacetate, beef, sodium benzoate, flavor, sodium ascorbate, sodium nitrite, hydrolyzed beef stock, autolyzed yeast, dextrose, extractives of paprika, sodium lactate, potassium lactate, celery seed extract

Eckrich Sliced Bologna

Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):

  • Calories: 80
  • Total fat: 7g
  • Total carbohydrate: 2g
  • Total sugars: 1g
  • Protein: 3g

These are the ingredients in the Eckrich Sliced Bologna:

  • Mechanically separated chicken
  • Pork
  • Water
  • Corn syrup
  • Modified food starch
  • Dextrose
  • Salt
  • Contains 2% or less of: beef, extract of paprika, flavorings, potassium lactate, sodium diacetate, sodium lactate, sodium nitrite, sodium phosphate, vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Oscar Mayer Turkey Bologna

Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):

  • Calories: 50
  • Total fat: 4g
  • Total carbohydrate: 1g
  • Total sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 3g

These are the ingredients in the Oscar Mayer Turkey Bologna:

  • Mechanically separated turkey
  • Water
  • Modified food starch
  • Contains less than 2% of: corn syrup, salt, ground mustard seed, dextrose, sodium phosphates, potassium chloride, sodium propionate, sodium diacetate, sodium benzoate, sodium ascorbate, flavor, sugar, sodium nitrite, extractives of paprika, celery seed extract

Bar S Thick Bologna

Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):

  • Calories: 150
  • Total fat: 13g
  • Total carbohydrate: 2g
  • Total sugars: 1g
  • Protein: 5g

These are the ingredients in the Bar S Thick Bologna:

  • Mechanically separated chicken
  • Water
  • Pork
  • Corn syrup
  • Modified corn starch
  • Salt
  • Contains 2% or less of: beef, potassium lactate, potassium acetate, sodium diacetate, flavorings, sodium phosphates, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, dextrose, oleoresin of paprika

Bar S Classic Bologna

Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):

  • Calories: 90
  • Total fat: 7g
  • Total carbohydrate: 2g 
  • Total sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 4g

These are the ingredients in the Bar S Classic Bologna:

  • Mechanically separated chicken
  • Pork
  • Water
  • Corn syrup
  • Salt
  • Contains 2% or less of: beef, modified corn starch, potassium lactate, potassium acetate, sodium diacetate, flavorings, sodium phosphate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, dextrose, oleoresin of paprika

Bar S Turkey Bologna

Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):

  • Calories: 70
  • Total fat: 5g
  • Total carbohydrate: 3g
  • Total sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 4g

These are the ingredients in the Bar S Turkey Bologna:

  • Mechanically separated turkey
  • Water
  • Corn syrup
  • Salt
  • Modified corn starch
  • Contains 2% or less of: potassium lactate, potassium acetate, sodium diacetate, flavorings, sodium phosphates, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, dextrose, oleoresin of paprika

Kahn’s Deluxe Club Bologna

Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):

  • Calories: 90
  • Total fat: 8g
  • Total carbohydrate: 1g
  • Total sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 3g

These are the ingredients in the Kahn’s Deluxe Club Bologna:

  • Mechanically separated chicken
  • Pork
  • Water
  • Corn syrup
  • Beef
  • Salt
  • Contains 2% or less of: potassium lactate, dextrose, flavorings, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, citric acid, sodium nitrite, extractive of paprika

Field Cracker Bologna

Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):

  • Calories: 180
  • Total fat: 16g
  • Total carbohydrate: 2g
  • Total sugars: 2g
  • Protein: 7g

These are the ingredients in the Field Cracker Bologna:

  • Mechanically separated turkey
  • Mechanically separated chicken
  • Pork
  • Water
  • Corn syrup
  • Salt
  • Contains 2% or less of: flavorings, modified food starch, dextrose, sodium lactate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, extract of paprika

Oscar Mayer Jalapeno Bologna

Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):

  • Calories: 80
  • Total fat: 7g
  • Total carbohydrate: 0g
  • Total sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 3g

These are the ingredients in the Oscar Mayer Jalapeno Bologna:

  • Mechanically separated chicken
  • Pork
  • Corn syrup
  • Water
  • Contains 2% or less of: salt, ground mustard seed, jalapeno peppers, sodium phosphates, potassium chloride, sodium propionate, sodium diacetate, beef, sodium benzoate, flavor, sodium ascorbate, sodium nitrite, hydrolyzed beef stock, autolyzed yeast, dextrose, extractives of paprika, sodium lactate, potassium lactate, celery seed extract

Healthy Keto-Friendly Alternatives to Bologna

Applegate Organic Oven Roasted Chicken Breast

This sliced chicken breast is also gluten-free and whole30 approved!

Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):

  • Calories: 50
  • Total fat: 1.5g
  • Total carbohydrate: 0g
  • Total sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 10g

These are the ingredients in the Applegate Organic Oven Roasted Chicken Breast: 

  • Organic chicken breast
  • Organic chicken broth
  • Contains 2% or less of: sea salt, organic potato starch, rosemary extract

365 By Whole Foods Smoked Turkey Breast

If you need a clean source of protein, this lunch meat is perfect!

Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):

  • Calories: 60
  • Total fat: 1g
  • Total carbohydrate: 1g
  • Total sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 12g

These are the ingredients in the 365 By Whole Foods Smoked Turkey Breast: 

  • Turkey breast
  • Water
  • Potato starch
  • Sea salt
  • Vinegar powder
  • Cultured celery powder
  • Natural flavors

Final Thoughts

While bologna is allowed on the dirty keto diet, it should be generally avoided due to how unhealthy it is. Each serving contains large amounts of sodium, unhealthy fats, and additives that can lead to serious health issues. Choosing brands such as Applegate and 365 By Whole Foods allows you to still have a delicious lunch meat packed with nutrients that will benefit you instead of harming you!

Related Questions

Is Bologna Gluten-Free?

Bologna is gluten-free because it does not contain any ingredients such as wheat or barley.

Is Bologna Good For Weight Loss?

Bologna is not suitable for weight loss because it is high in calories and fat.

Is Bologna High In Cholesterol?

The average slice of bologna contains 17 mg of cholesterol. The daily recommended amount for someone at risk for heart disease is 200 mg or less, and it is 300 mg or less for someone not at risk.

Is Bologna High In Protein?

The amount of protein in a serving of bologna varies by brand, but a few have as much as seven to nine grams of protein per serving, making them the optimal choice.

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Christine VanDoren

Christine is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist with an undergraduate degree from Missouri State University. Her passion is helping others learn how strong and healthy they can become by transforming their daily habits. Christine spends most of her time in the gym, hiking, painting, and learning how she can influence others through positivity!

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