When you are on the ketogenic diet, there are a few restrictions you need to adhere to. Your daily meals should be high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carb. If you consume too many grams of carbohydrates or protein, you are at risk for breaking your body out of a state of ketosis, and it will no longer produce ketones. While cheese is one of the foods you can have a fair amount of on the diet, is paneer included?
Paneer cheese is keto-friendly because it has very few grams of carbohydrates per serving and does not contain any overly artificial ingredients. However, many Indian dishes containing paneer as the main ingredient are not keto-friendly. Always verify all ingredients in a product or dish. Other keto cheese alternatives include Sargento Sliced Swiss Cheese and Kroger Monterey Jack Cheese.
Let’s dive into whether paneer is good for you, what a few keto-friendly products are, and a few paneer alternatives!
Contents
- Is Paneer Healthy?
- Paneer Nutrition Facts
- Sach Foods Original Organic Paneer
- Sach Foods Organic Spicy Habanero Paneer
- Sach Foods Organic Turmeric Twist Paneer
- Gopi Paneer
- Jyoti Saag Paneer
- Kitchens of India Mutter Paneer
- MTR Shahi Paneer
- MTR Paneer Makhani
- Kitchen of India Palak Paneer
- Amy’s Indian Mattar Paneer
- Amy’s Indian Palak Paneer
- Saffron Road Palak Paneer
- Healthy Keto Alternatives to Paneer
- Related Questions
Is Paneer Healthy?
While paneer refers to the cheese itself, it is a popular addition to many Indian dishes that are collectively called paneer despite there being many ingredients. While these dishes are not keto-friendly, they are generally nutritious and an excellent choice for a meal! The simplest form of paneer cheese is made from milk, vinegar, and sea salt, but every brand adds its own twist to it. This soft cheese can be eaten as a snack or even for breakfast, too.
If you are on a weight loss journey, paneer may not be the best option for you due to its generally high calorie and fat content. However, if you are on a mission to build muscle, it can be helpful. When you are building muscle, you want to be in a caloric surplus most of the time. Paneer can help you do just that, and it is also a great source of protein!
A serving of paneer is high in calcium and vitamin D, which can help keep cancers such as breast cancer at bay and keep your teeth and bones strong. Also, the phosphorus and magnesium contents promote a healthy digestive system. Other cheeses may tend to have more nutrients than paneer, but it is still a yummy option!
Paneer Nutrition Facts
Please note that paneer is referred to as “cottage cheese” in many Indian products.
Paneer Products That Are Keto-Friendly:
Sach Foods Original Organic Paneer
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 80
- Total fat: 6g
- Total carbohydrate: 1g
- Total sugars: 1g
- Protein: 7g
These are the ingredients in the Sach Foods Original Organic Paneer:
- Organic pasteurized grade A milk
- Organic vinegar
- Sea salt
Sach Foods Organic Spicy Habanero Paneer
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 80
- Total fat: 6g
- Total carbohydrate: 1g
- Total sugars: 1g
- Protein: 7g
These are the ingredients in the Sach Foods Organic Spicy Habanero Paneer:
- Organic pasteurized grade A milk
- Organic vinegar
- Organic habanero
- Organic chili pepper
- Sea salt
Sach Foods Organic Turmeric Twist Paneer
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 80
- Total fat: 6g
- Total carbohydrate: 1g
- Total sugars: 1g
- Protein: 7g
These are the ingredients in the Sach Foods Organic Turmeric Twist Paneer:
- Organic milk
- Organic vinegar
- Organic turmeric powder
- Organic black pepper
- Sea salt
Gopi Paneer
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 90
- Total fat:7g
- Total carbohydrate: <1g
- Total sugars: 1g
- Protein: 7g
These are the ingredients in the Gopi Paneer:
- Pasteurized grade A milk
- Vinegar
Paneer Products That Aren’t Keto-Friendly:
Jyoti Saag Paneer
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 120
- Total fat: 9g
- Total carbohydrate: 7g
- Total sugars: 1g
- Protein: 5g
These are the ingredients in the Jyoti Saag Paneer:
- Spinach
- Filtered water
- Paneer cheese (milk)
- Onion
- Cream
- Butter
- Ginger
- Corn meal
- Garlic
- Almond oil (nuts)
- Spices
- Sea salt
Kitchens of India Mutter Paneer
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 130
- Total fat: 8g
- Total carbohydrate: 10g
- Total sugars: 4g
- Protein: 6g
These are the ingredients in the Kitchens of India Mutter Paneer:
- Tomatoes
- Water
- Onions
- Green peas
- Cottage cheese
- Sunflower oil
- Garlic
- Salt
- Coriander leaves
- Ginger
- Spices
- Green chiles
MTR Shahi Paneer
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 160
- Total fat: 12g
- Total carbohydrate: 8g
- Total sugars: 6g
- Protein: 6g
These are the ingredients in the MTR Shahi Paneer:
- Water
- Cottage cheese
- Onion
- Toned milk
- Tomato paste
- Cashew nuts
- Sunflower oil
- Salt
- Ginger
- Sugar
- Spices
- Red chili
- Garlic
- Turmeric
- Natural color
MTR Paneer Makhani
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 196
- Total fat: 16g
- Total carbohydrate: 8g
- Total sugars: 1g
- Protein: 5g
These are the ingredients in the MTR Paneer Makhani:
- Tomato
- Water
- Cottage cheese
- Onion
- Refined sunflower oil
- Cashewnut
- Ginger
- Butter
- Salt
- Coriander
- Sugar
- Cumin
- Turmeric
- Red chili
- Garlic paste
- Green chili
- Dry coconut
- Spices
Kitchen of India Palak Paneer
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 170
- Total fat: 13g
- Total carbohydrate: 8g
- Total sugars: 3g
- Protein: 5g
These are the ingredients in the Kitchen of India Palak Paneer:
- Spinach paste
- Cottage cheese
- Yogurt (milk, cultures)
- Onions
- Sunflower oil
- Garlic
- Water
- Butter
- Tomato paste
- Ginger
- Gram flour
- Milk
- Salt
- Spices
- Green chillies
- Cashews
- Lemon juice
- Coriander leaves
Amy’s Indian Mattar Paneer
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 370
- Total fat: 11g
- Total carbohydrate: 54g
- Total sugars: 8g
- Protein: 13g
These are the ingredients in Amy’s Indian Mattar Paneer:
- Organic basmati rice
- Organic onions
- Organic peas
- Organic garbanzo beans
- Filtered water
- Paneer cheese (pasteurized milk, distilled vinegar, and/or lactic acid)
- Organic diced tomatoes
- Expeller pressed high oleic safflower and/or sunflower oil
- Organic tomato puree
- Organic carrots
- Organic garlic
- Organic ginger puree (organic ginger, filtered water)
- Sea salt
- Spices
- Organic cornstarch
- Turmeric
- Paprika
Amy’s Indian Palak Paneer
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 340
- Total fat: 12g
- Total carbohydrate: 45g
- Total sugars: 5g
- Protein: 14g
These are the ingredients in Amy’s Indian Palak Paneer:
- Organic basmati rice
- Organic spinach
- Organic onions
- Filtered water
- Organic kidney beans
- Paneer cheese (pasteurized milk, distilled vinegar, and/or lactic acid)
- Expeller pressed high oleic safflower and/or sunflower oil
- Organic tomato puree
- Organic garlic
- Organic ginger puree (filtered water, organic ginger)
- Sea salt
- Spices
- Turmeric
- Organic jalapeno peppers
- Organic cornstarch
- Organic black pepper
Saffron Road Palak Paneer
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 400
- Total fat: 21g
- Total carbohydrate: 39g
- Total sugars: 3g
- Protein: 17g
These are the ingredients in the Saffron Road Palak Paneer:
- Sauce (spinach, onions, tomatoes, cream; contains 2% or less of: expeller-pressed sunflower oil, unsalted butter, spices, sea salt, ginger, garlic, water, green chili, turmeric, fenugreek leaves)
- Cumin basmati rice (basmati rice, water, cumin seeds, expeller pressed sunflower oil, ginger, garlic)
- Paneer (whole milk, citric acid, acetic acid)
Healthy Keto Alternatives to Paneer
Great Value Deli Style Sliced Swiss Cheese
This cheese contains zero carbohydrates and is an excellent addition to sandwiches!
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 70
- Total fat: 6g
- Total carbohydrate: 0g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: 5g
These are the ingredients in the Great Value Deli Style Sliced Swiss Cheese:
- Part-skim milk
- Cheese culture
- Salt
- Enzymes
Sargento Sliced Swiss Natural Cheese
This delicious cheese has no added hormones or artificial flavors!
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 70
- Total fat: 5g
- Total carbohydrate: 1g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: 5g
These are the ingredients in the Sargento Sliced Swiss Natural Cheese:
- Pasteurized milk
- Cheese culture
- Salt
- Enzymes
Great Value Gluten-Free Whole Monterey Jack Cheese
Try this option if you need something with zero grams of carbohydrates or sugar!
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 100
- Total fat: 8g
- Total carbohydrate: 0g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: 7g
These are the ingredients in the Great Value Gluten-Free Whole Monterey Jack Cheese:
- Pasteurized milk
- Cheese culture
- Salt
- Enzymes
Kroger Finely Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Sprinkle this cheese on top of an omelet, pizza, and more to keep your meal keto-friendly!
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 110
- Total fat: 8g
- Total carbohydrate: 1g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: 6g
These are the ingredients in the Kroger Finely Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese:
- Pasteurized milk
- Cheese culture
- Salt
- Enzymes
- Potato starch
- Corn starch
- Dextrose
- Calcium sulfate (to prevent caking)
- Natamycin (a natural mold inhibitor)
Final Thoughts
When you are consuming paneer on its own as a cheese, it is keto-friendly! One serving has zero to one grams of carbohydrates and no artificial ingredients. While paneer isn’t the most nutritious food, it still has many benefits that can make it worth adding to your weekly grocery haul. If you want to replace it with something else, swiss and monterey cheese are also keto-friendly!
Related Questions
Is Paneer Vegetarian?
Paneer can be eaten on a vegetarian diet because it does not contain any meat or seafood.
Is Paneer Lactose-Free?
No, paneer contains lactose.
Is Paneer Gluten-Free?
Yes, paneer does not contain any gluten ingredients!
Is Paneer A Good Source Of Protein?
Paneer is a great source of protein because it contains seven grams per serving.