Can I Eat Canned Soup on Keto? The Definitive Guide

November 8, 2025 •

4 min read

According to nutrition experts, many standard canned soups contain 15-30g of carbs per serving, making them unsuitable for the ketogenic diet. This means careful label reading is essential when asking, "Can I eat canned soup on keto?" to avoid sneaky high-carb fillers that can derail ketosis.

Quick Summary

This guide explains how to identify keto-friendly canned soups by checking nutrition labels for high-carb ingredients and identifying suitable varieties. It also covers what to avoid and offers alternative strategies for consuming low-carb soups.

Key Points

Choose carefully: Most traditional canned soups are not keto-friendly due to high-carb ingredients like starches, sugars, and thickeners.
Read the label diligently: Check the nutrition facts for net carbs and the ingredients list for hidden sugars and fillers to make an informed choice.
Opt for specific brands: Look for specialty keto-friendly canned or boxed soups designed with low carbs and no added sugars.
Look for cream or broth-based soups: These varieties, like creamy cauliflower or bone broth, are generally safer bets than noodle or starchy vegetable soups.
Consider homemade: For ultimate control and superior nutrition, making your own keto soup at home is the best and safest option.
Avoid high-carb culprits: Stay away from soups containing pasta, rice, potatoes, beans, and certain root vegetables.
Enhance low-carb bases: Boost the fat and protein of a suitable canned soup by adding butter, heavy cream, or cooked meat.
Add nutrient-dense veggies: Stir in leafy greens, mushrooms, or other keto-approved vegetables to increase the fiber and nutritional value.

For anyone on the ketogenic diet, the convenience of canned soup can be tempting, but it's often a high-risk gamble. The short answer to "Can I eat canned soup on keto?" is that while some options exist, most traditional varieties are not keto-compliant due to high-carb fillers. Making informed choices requires understanding which ingredients to avoid, how to read labels effectively, and knowing your best brand options. This article will help you navigate the grocery store aisles to find soups that won't kick you out of ketosis.

Why Most Canned Soups Are Not Keto-Friendly

Most mainstream canned soups are packed with hidden carbohydrates. These often come from starchy vegetables and thickening agents used to improve texture and shelf life. Common offenders include:

Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, corn, and root vegetables can significantly increase the carb count.
Added sugars: Many soups contain added sugars, syrups, and maltodextrin to enhance flavor, which can cause blood sugar spikes.
Thickeners: Ingredients like cornstarch, wheat flour, and modified food starch are frequently used to thicken the broth, but they are high in carbs.
Grains and legumes: Pastas, rice, lentils, and beans are definite no-go items on a strict keto diet.

How to Find a Keto-Friendly Canned Soup

Finding a suitable canned soup requires a methodical approach to label reading. Here's a checklist to follow:

Scrutinize the Nutrition Label: Focus on the "Total Carbohydrate" and "Dietary Fiber" sections. Net carbs (Total Carbs - Dietary Fiber) should be your priority. Aim for options with fewer than 15 grams of net carbs per serving to be safe, though some diets target even lower.
Check the Ingredients List: Read the ingredients from top to bottom. If you see high-carb ingredients like sugar, maltodextrin, cornstarch, or wheat flour listed near the beginning, put the can back. Look for keto-friendly ingredients such as bone broth, heavy cream, healthy fats, and compliant vegetables.
Choose Cream-Based and Broth-Based Soups: These are often lower in carbs than starchy, vegetable-heavy soups. Look for varieties like creamy cauliflower, broccoli cheese, or simple bone broth. Always double-check for thickening agents and added sugar, though.
Seek Out Specialty Keto Brands: As the keto diet has grown in popularity, some brands have developed dedicated keto lines. These are typically the safest pre-made options as they are specifically formulated to be low-carb.

Comparison Table: Keto vs. Non-Keto Canned Soups


Feature	Typical Non-Keto Canned Soup	Keto-Friendly Canned Soup
Key Ingredients	Potatoes, corn, noodles, rice, beans, flour, sugar.	Bone broth, heavy cream, leafy greens, compliant vegetables like cauliflower, meat.
Carb Count	Often high, 15-30+ grams net carbs per serving.	Typically low, often under 15 grams net carbs per can.
Thickeners	Cornstarch, modified food starch, wheat flour.	No thickeners, or keto-friendly thickeners like xanthan gum.
Added Sugars	Common, used to enhance flavor and texture.	Rarely or never included; specifically avoided.
Primary Goal	General convenience and low cost; not focused on carb restriction.	Specifically formulated for ketogenic diet compliance.

Keto-Friendly Alternatives and Enhancements

If you find yourself with a can of a suitable low-carb base, you can always enhance it to be more satisfying and keto-compliant.

Fortify with Fats: Add a dollop of butter, heavy cream, or coconut milk to increase the fat content and make the soup more satiating.
Add More Protein: Shredded cooked chicken, ground beef, or crumbled bacon can be stirred in to boost protein and make it a more complete meal.
Add Compliant Veggies: Sauté spinach, kale, or mushrooms and add them to your soup to increase fiber and nutrients without adding many carbs.
Make Your Own: For ultimate control, making your own soup from scratch is the best option. A simple bone broth base with meat and low-carb vegetables can be prepared in minutes or made in a large batch and frozen.

Is Homemade Soup the Best Option?

For most keto dieters, homemade soup is the superior choice. You have complete control over every ingredient, guaranteeing no hidden sugars, starches, or thickeners. While it requires more effort than simply opening a can, the ability to pack your soup with healthy fats and proteins is unmatched. Consider making a large batch of a classic like Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup or Keto Cheeseburger Soup and freezing it in individual portions for quick, grab-and-go meals.

Conclusion

So, can I eat canned soup on keto? The answer is yes, but only with caution and diligent label-reading. The vast majority of standard canned soups are filled with starchy, high-carb ingredients that will quickly exceed your daily carb limit and disrupt ketosis. Focus on specialty keto-friendly brands or broth-based options, and always verify the ingredients and net carb count. For the safest and most satisfying result, the best practice remains preparing your own keto soup from scratch, allowing for full control and customization.

Authoritative Outbound Link

For a variety of homemade keto-friendly soup recipes to try, a great resource is the collection of low-carb soup recipes available on the website Taste of Home.(https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/keto-soup-recipes/)

Frequently Asked Questions

Net carbs are calculated by subtracting the grams of dietary fiber and sugar alcohols (if any) from the total carbohydrates. This number represents the carbohydrates that impact your blood sugar and should be counted on a keto diet.

You should avoid soups containing high-carb ingredients like noodles (Chicken Noodle), rice (Chicken & Wild Rice), potatoes (Cream of Potato), barley (Vegetable & Barley), and most beans (Lentil Soup).

No. Many soups marketed as healthy can still contain high-carb ingredients. For example, some vegetable soups are loaded with starchy vegetables like potatoes and carrots, and some condensed cream soups use wheat flour as a thickener.

Traditional canned cream of mushroom soup is not keto-friendly because it typically contains modified food starch and wheat flour as thickeners. However, some keto-specific brands offer low-carb alternatives, or you can make a keto version from scratch.

Yes, plain bone broth is generally very low in carbs and is an excellent option for the keto diet. It's important to check the label for any added sugars or high-carb seasonings in flavored varieties.

You can try to dilute a high-carb soup with more broth or heavy cream to reduce the per-serving carb count. You can also add extra keto-friendly ingredients like cooked meat, leafy greens, or healthy fats to make it more filling.

While keto-labeled products are generally safer, it's crucial to always read the label. Some keto-marketed soups may still be higher in carbs than others, and personal carb tolerances vary.