Are Gyros Keto Friendly?
Gyros are simply delicious and make up for a good afternoon snack. They are packed with all sorts of textures, from the grilled meat to the mouth-watering tzatziki sauce.
But should you be having gyros while on a keto diet? In this article, you will learn more about gyros and if you should include them in your keto diet.
What Are Gyros Made From?
A gyro is a simple Greek-style sandwich filled with grilled meat and with tzatziki sauce.
Gyros are mostly made using lamb meat, which is considered to be rich in protein yet low in calories. Lamb is packed with vitamins and minerals but is quite concentrated with fat.
The good thing is that gyros meat does not have carbs.
Can you have Gyros while on Keto?
A best gyro Astoria sandwich may have about 100 grams of lamb meat. These can amount to 271 calories or about 26 grams of protein per gyro.
Additionally, it has minerals and vitamins, hence a wholesome meal. Still, a gyro does not have any notable carbs; therefore considered safe while on a low-carb diet.
But this is just for the gyro meat. What about combining all the components in a gyro sandwich?
Adding the pita bread, sauce, and other toppings, the calories quickly scale up, rendering the gyro high in carbs.
On this note, your favorite gyro with the bread and sauce can be an occasional treat.
If you had this regularly, it would affect your keto diet due to the number of carbs in the sauce and bread.
But, you can still enjoy gyro meat without the bread and extras unless you are on a mixed diet.
If you do want to add the sauce for some additional flavor, Hungry Squirrel recommends looking for a keto-friendly dressing so you can stick to your keto diet.
How to Add Gyro Meat to a Keto Diet
The keto diet is typically high in fat, adequate-protein, and low in carbs.
With this diet, you can eat meats high in protein and fats such as lamb, pork, chicken, beef, etc. Therefore, you can enjoy gyro meat as you would chicken and other types of meat.
But, as mentioned, gyro meat in a sandwich could quickly add up your calorie intake and ultimately affect your progress.
With the benefits of lamb meat and its suitability in the keto diet, you can enjoy gyros. You can add a salad on the side to enjoy the heart.
As long as you eat the right portion of meat, it would help you not have to worry about staying off-limits with your diet.
If you are looking for ways to enjoy gyros with all the other components, then you can make keto-friendly recipes for those.
You can use coconut flour for the bread part and make a tortilla.
You use natural yogurt, cucumber, and your favorite fresh herbs for the sauce. One that goes well with the sauce is dill, owing to its strong aroma and rich taste.
You can toss it in the oven to bake for the meat instead of using a rotisserie. You can then shred the meat and enjoy your gyro guilt-free.
