Are Quest Cookies Keto?
Whether you need a quick pick-me-up on the go or are craving a substitute for a sugar-heavy dessert, you’re looking for a sweet snack that won’t kick you out of ketosis. You could make your own fat bombs, many of which have appealing flavors to curb your sweet tooth. However, many people prefer something that only requires you to open a box–and that comes prepackaged so you can stick it in your purse or backpack. Quest Nutrition makes a popular brand of packaged protein cookies that bill themselves as very low carb. Are Quest cookies keto, though?
The good news is that Quest cookies are indeed considered keto-friendly. Each serving has about five grams of net carbs and less than one gram of sugar. Plus, they are high in protein and fat, making them a relatively filling snack that easily fits into keto macros.
Are Quest Cookies Keto?
Many people are drawn to the Quest cookies because they come in all of the traditional flavors you might be missing while sticking to a keto lifestyle (and you don’t have to do any baking). According to the Quest website, Quest protein cookies come in chocolate chip, double chocolate chip, peanut butter, peanut butter chocolate chip, and snickerdoodle flavors.
To find out if a food is keto-friendly, it is most important to look at the carb content. Many people following a keto diet try to stick to 20 grams of carbs or fewer per day, though some people may have an upper limit of 50 grams. [1] With about four to five grams of carbs per serving (depending on the flavor), Quest has designed their cookies to fit nicely into your diet.[2]
However, especially if your carb limit is 20 grams of carbs, you should make sure your meals are planned out before indulging, since one serving could mean that you are eating about 20 percent of your total carb intake for the day in one snack.
If you have room in your macros to account for a Quest cookie, these treats are a good way to stop your stomach rumbling when you’re on the go, without pushing you out of ketosis. As a bonus, Quest cookies have relatively high fat (13 to 17 grams) and quite high protein as well (15 to 16 grams).
Research Behind Ketosis with Quest Cookies
Some packaged foods claim to be keto and even have a low carb count, but may still affect ketosis. If you are concerned about how Quest cookies will impact your ability to remain in ketosis, rest assured that this has already been tested. Ketogenic Certified has put all flavors and varieties of these pre-made cookies (along with some of their other goodies) under the microscope to make sure they are truly keto-friendly.
Using real participants who are committed to the keto lifestyle, they monitor blood sugar and ketone levels after consumption to determine whether foods that claim to be keto-friendly will hinder ketosis. The good news is that Quest cookies have undergone this rigorous testing and all flavors passed with flying colors.
As a result, you can rest assured that this snack choice will not interfere with your diet or lifestyle.
Homemade Quest Cookie Alternatives
Despite the fact that keto does a good job of curbing cravings for carbs, the truth is that many people still find that their sweet tooth flares up from time to time. While Quest cookies can fit into your macros if you plan ahead, you might not like the price tag (or, depending on your preferences, how they taste). Like many keto-friendly snacks, they can be expensive if you are eating them daily. If you’re interested in having keto-friendly cookies on hand for snacking, you may want to consider making your own batch ahead of time.
The keto peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips found in our recipe library rival those made by Quest and they turn out perfectly crunchy each and every time. It takes just ten minutes to whip up a batch, which is less time than it would take to run to the store for a box of Quest cookies. The only thing that you might need to special order are the keto chocolate chips (which are perfectly optional).
If you have a little more time on your hands and love to bake, these simple peanut butter cookies take on a new dimension of flavor using all keto-friendly ingredients with only 0.5 grams of net carbs per cookie. Everyone will likely have room in their diet for one of these indulgences.
A spin on the traditional snickerdoodle offered by Quest, our cardamom keto snickerdoodles with maple bourbon caramel are a great option. You get ten cookies out of every batch, with each one clocking in at just 1.1 grams of net carbs. They offer a refreshing twist on the classic that will leave foodies with their mouths watering.
Last but not least, we have a double chocolate chip cookie for the chocolate lovers out there. Each one has less than one gram of net carbs–and you won’t even miss the original version! They even have extra protein to keep you fuller longer thanks to the chocolate protein powder that flavors this batch of rich cookies.
The lesson here is that no matter what your favorite Quest cookies are, there is likely a keto version you can make at home for less money–and it might even taste better!
Stay in Ketosis with Quest Cookies
Whether you want the convenience of a prepackaged snack or just want to give in to the cravings of your sweet tooth, Quest cookies are worth a try. As long as you don’t overindulge, they are a great way to enjoy a keto-friendly sweet snack from time to time.
References
Diet Review: Ketogenic Diet for weight loss. The Nutrition Source. (2019, May 22). Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/ketogenic-diet/
Keto Snacks. Quest Nutrition. (n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://www.questnutrition.com/pages/keto-snacks
