Carbs in Cheesecake – The Good, Bad, and Healthier Options

Healthful Vitality | 12/01/2022 | Carbs in Cheesecake – The Good, Bad, and Healthier Options

One of the important ways to stay healthy, and prevent obesity and diabetes, is to start calculating total carbs intake.

Carbs are quite good for health. However, they are readily available energy sources, and most people consume excessive amounts of carbs. This causes obesity, and excessive carbs are converted to fat and stored in the body.

Additionally, consuming high amounts of carbs causes insulin resistance, which ultimately leads to diabetes.

Carbs in cheesecake: Cheesecake components are high in fat

Cheesecake is made using cream cheese, sour cream, small amounts of starch or flour, and eggs. All these components are high in fat but have only moderate amounts of carbs. However, apart from these ingredients, it also contains much sugar, which adds to its carb content.

Here it is vital to understand that the total carb content of cheesecake would mainly depend on how much sugar has been added. As per various findings, it appears that 100g of cheesecake may contain 20 to 30g of carbs. Generally, one serving is close to 180-200g, and thus a piece of cheesecake would have 40-60g carbs.

Since most of these carbs come from sugar, thus these are fast-absorbing carbs. Hence, cheesecake would have a moderately high glycemic index of about 60-65. However, thanks to its high content of fats, sugars are not absorbed as fast from it. Therefore, it means that though it has quite a high sugar content, those living with mild diabetes may consume it now and then.

However, it is worth understanding that it still has lots of carbs, sugar, and quite a high glycemic index. Additionally, it has a moderately high glycemic load. Therefore, it is not a perfect dessert for those living with diabetes or insulin resistance. Though, one may consume it infrequently.

But that is not all; generally, cheesecake made at home is a healthier option, as one can use less sugar. In some cases, one may even use other natural sweeteners.

Enjoying cheesecake for those living with severe diabetes

For those living with severe diabetes, there are other ways of enjoying cheesecake. For example, one can prepare keto cheesecake which is high in fats but low in carbs. Such a cheesecake would have a low glycemic index and load.

One can substitute starch or all-purpose flour when preparing keto cheese with almond flour. However, more importantly, one can use sugar substitutes like stevia, monk fruit, or even xylitol. This would help minimize its carb content, and the final product will be almost carb free. Such a cheesecake will have a very low glycemic index and load and will be completely safe for those with diabetes or obesity.

Final Thoughts about Carbs in Cheesecake

To sum up, traditional cheesecake is quite high in carbs or sugars, and thus obese people or those living with diabetes must eat it sparingly. However, this does not mean that one cannot enjoy cheesecake at all, as many other variants of this dessert are low in carbs. One can either buy or readily prepare keto cheesecake at home, which is much healthier and fit for regular consumption. In short, living with diabetes or obesity does not mean giving up your favorite dessert. All it means is learning new ways to prepare traditional foods.

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