Keto Supplements: What People on Low Carb Actually Use

TL;DR: Keto supplements work best as small add-ins to a real food diet, not a replacement for it. Most people on low carb keep it simple: a stevia sweetener with no erythritol, a fibre powder, and a liquid trace mineral.

You have cleared the bread out of the pantry and stocked up on eggs and avocado. Then you walk past a shelf of keto products and wonder: do I actually need any of this?

Short answer: food comes first. A handful of practical low carb supplements can make the day easier, and that is the role they play.

What is the best supplement for keto?

The best starting point is not a supplement at all. It is a plate built on meat, fish, eggs, full-fat dairy, nuts, seeds and plenty of low carb vegetables.

Once that is in place, people tend to add things that fill a practical gap. A sugar-free sweetener for coffee and baking. A fibre powder, because grains, legumes and most fruit drop off the menu. A liquid trace mineral to round out daily intake.

Action: write down your usual meals for three days before you buy anything, then fill the obvious gaps.

What does a typical low carb day of eating look like?

Most low carb days follow a simple pattern. Breakfast might be eggs with spinach, mushrooms and a little cheese. Lunch is often a big salad with chicken, tuna or leftover roast, dressed with olive oil.

Dinner is usually a serve of meat or fish with two or three non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower or green beans.

Snacks tend to be nuts, cheese, olives or a boiled egg. Drinks are water, black coffee, tea, or coffee sweetened with stevia.

Action: pick five low carb vegetables you genuinely enjoy and keep them in the fridge every week.

Is it okay to eat 10 eggs a day on a keto diet?

Eggs are one of the most popular low carb foods. They are quick, filling and close to carb free.

The question is less about the egg and more about variety. If ten eggs a day crowds out fish, meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, your diet becomes narrow, and a narrow diet is harder to keep balanced over months.

Your own situation matters, so a GP or dietitian is the right person to ask about your numbers.

Action: aim for at least three different protein sources across each week.

What are the best keto tablets available in Australia?

Search "keto tablets" and you will find plenty of bold promises. Our advice is to ignore the front of the pack and turn it over.

Read the ingredient list. Check the serve size and whether it carries added sugar or fillers you would rather avoid.

Also ask whether a tablet is the right format at all. Many of the add-ins low carb eaters use, such as sweeteners, fibre and trace minerals, come as powders or liquids that mix straight into water, coffee or a smoothie.

Action: if a product promises a result rather than listing what is in it, leave it on the shelf.

What supplements do people take on keto?

Three come up again and again.

Fibre. Cutting grains, legumes and most fruit removes some of the biggest fibre sources in a typical diet. The NHMRC sets an Adequate Intake for adults of 25 g of dietary fibre a day for women and 30 g for men. Low carb eaters often add psyllium husk or another fibre powder to water or yoghurt to help get there.

Liquid trace minerals. Our daily bio-minerals is a concentrated liquid trace mineral complex derived from plant-based sources, in a 500 ml bottle. The ingredients are purified water, organic colloidal trace minerals (with fulvic and humic acids) and volcanic cinders. It is vegan, a product of the USA and packed in Australia. The label reads: "Supports daily mineral intake & cellular nutrition" and "With fulvic-rich plant compounds". People add it to a glass of water or a drink bottle.

Curious about the fulvic side of it? Our specialist guide to choosing a fulvic acid supplement explains what fulvic acid is and where it comes from.

Sweeteners. More on those below.

Action: add one thing at a time, so you know what you are using and why.

Which sweeteners suit low carb eating?

Stevia is the most common choice. It comes from the leaf of the stevia plant, contains no sugar and is very sweet, so a small amount goes a long way in coffee, tea, yoghurt or baking.

Many sweetener blends sold for low carb eating mix stevia with erythritol, a sugar alcohol used to add bulk. Plenty of people prefer a stevia sweetener with no erythritol, so the ingredient list stays short and simple.

Taste is personal. Stevia can have a slight aftertaste at first, so start with a small amount.

Action: check the ingredient list on your sweetener and see whether erythritol is in it.

What to do next

Start with real food and give it a couple of weeks. Then look at the three gaps most low carb eaters fill: sweetener, fibre and trace minerals. And if you have a health condition or take medication, talk to your GP or a dietitian before you change how you eat.