Is Split Pea Soup Keto Friendly? (No This is Why)
If you’re new to a keto diet you may be asking your self, “Is split pea soup keto friendly?” Unfortunately the short and the long of it is no. Split pea soup is not keto friendly because split peas are naturally high in carbohydrates.
1 Cup of split pea soup has 27 grams of carbohydrates in it. That’s half of the daily recommended intake for carbohydrates on a low-carb or ketogenic diet. So no, while spit pea soup has many health benefits including (anti-inflammatory, anticancer and helps lower cholesterol) it is not keto friendly.

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Table of Contents
- Are Split Peas High In Carbs?
- Split Pea Nutrition Facts
- Is Split Pea Soup Keto?
- Is Split Pea Soup Healthy?
- How Many Carbs Are In a Bowl of Split Pea Soup?
- Canned Split Pea Soup Nutrition Information
- Keto Friendly Alternatives to Split Pea Soup
- Homemade Split Pea Soup Recipe (Vegan and Gluten Free)
- Is Homemade Split Pea Soup Healthy?
- Can You Use Yellow Split Peas instead of Regular Split Peas in Split Pea Soup?
- Can You Loose Weight Eating Split Pea Soup?
- Is Split Pea Soup Vegan?
- Is Split Pea Soup Gluten Free?
- Is Split Pea Soup Vegetarian?
Table of Contents
- Are Split Peas High In Carbs?
- Split Pea Nutrition Facts
- Is Split Pea Soup Keto?
- Is Split Pea Soup Healthy?
- How Many Carbs Are In a Bowl of Split Pea Soup?
- Canned Split Pea Soup Nutrition Information
- Keto Friendly Alternatives to Split Pea Soup
- Homemade Split Pea Soup Recipe (Vegan and Gluten Free)
- Is Homemade Split Pea Soup Healthy?
- Can You Use Yellow Split Peas instead of Regular Split Peas in Split Pea Soup?
- Can You Loose Weight Eating Split Pea Soup?
- Is Split Pea Soup Vegan?
- Is Split Pea Soup Gluten Free?
- Is Split Pea Soup Vegetarian?
Are Split Peas High In Carbs?
Yes split peas are high in carbs. They’re a great vegan source of carbohydrates and protein and yet they are low in fat.
1 cup of split peas have 119 grams of carbohydrates. That’s more than two days worth of carbohydrates if you are on a low-carb or ketogenic diet.
Split Pea Nutrition Facts
Amount Per 100 grams 1 cup (197 g)1 lb (453.6 g)1 cup (197 g) |
Calories 671 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 2.3 g | 3% |
Saturated fat 0.3 g | 1% |
Cholesterol 0 mg | 0% |
Sodium 30 mg | 1% |
Potassium 1,933 mg | 55% |
Total Carbohydrate 119 g | 39% |
Dietary fiber 50 g | 200% |
Sugar 16 g | |
Protein 48 g | 96% |
Vitamin C | 5% | Calcium | 10% |
Iron | 48% | Vitamin D | 0% |
Vitamin B6 | 15% | Cobalamin | 0% |
Magnesium | 56% |
Is Split Pea Soup Keto?
No! Split pea soup is not keto friendly at all. One cup of split peas has 119 grams of carbohydrates in it. On a keto diet you need to eat less then 50 grams of carbs per day to maintain ketosis. One bowl of split pea soup will put you well over your daily recommended intake of carbohydrates for more than two days.
Is Split Pea Soup Healthy?
Even though split pea soup is not low-carb or keto friendly that doesn’t mean that it isn’t healthy. Of course it depends on the recipe. But most split pea soup recipes are healthy. Traditional split pea soup uses ham bone in it but there are lots of vegetarian and vegan friendly split pea soup recipes out there. You can buy both traditional and vegan split pea soup from the supermarket.
Split pea soup has tons of health benefits.
- Split pea soup is anti-inflammatory
- High in protein
- Low in fat
- High in soluble fiber which can help naturally lower cholesterol
- High isoflavones which can help lower the risk of attracting certain types of cancer
- Good for heart health
- Great for high blood pressure
How Many Carbs Are In a Bowl of Split Pea Soup?
Of course it depends on the recipe but generally speaking one bowl of split pea soup has 35 grams of carbohydrates in it!
Canned Split Pea Soup Nutrition Information
Amy’s Split Pea Soup
Amy’s split pea soup is a great choice for vegans on a whole food plant based diet. There are no preservatives or chemicals in Amy’s split pea soup. Which I find surprising and impressive.
2 Servings Per Container
Serving Size 1 Cup (243g)
- 1g fat
- 20g carbs 16g net carbs
- 7g protein
- 0g cholesterol
- 720g sodium
Ingredients: filtered water, organic green split peas, organic onions, organic celery, organic carrots, sea salt, organic basil, organic garlic, bay leaves, organic black pepper.
Pacific Foods Organic Split Pea Soup
Pacific Foods Organic Split Pea Soup is my favorite canned split pea soup because it’s vegan and organic.
2 Servings Per Container
Serving Size 1 Cup (243g)
- 160 calories
- 590mg sodium
- 27g carbs
- 8g protein
- 2g fat
Progresso Traditional Split Pea Soup
Progresso traditional split pea soup is a popular canned split pea soup that can be found in any grocery store where canned split pea soup is sold. Progresso’s split pea soup contains ham so it is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians.
It is gluten free so if you have celiac disease or are on a gluten free diet you can enjoy a can of progresso’s split pea soup. Keep in mind that progresso’s split pea soup does contain soy. If you are sensitive to soy you should not eat progresso split pea soup.
2 servings per container
Serving Size 1 cup (243g)
- 120 calories
- 1g fat
- 670g sodium
- 24g carbs
- 10g protein
Keto Friendly Alternatives to Split Pea Soup
If you’re craving the earthy lentil taste of split pea soup don’t worry. There are plenty of other earthy tasting soups that you can enjoy while still on a ketogenic diet. Here are a few keto friendly alternatives to split pea soup.
- Keto Miso Soup
- Tomato Soup
Homemade Split Pea Soup Recipe (Vegan and Gluten Free)
Click the button below to get my healthy vegan split pea soup recipe!
Is Homemade Split Pea Soup Healthy?
Of course, it depends what you put in your homemade split pea soup. Homemade split pea soup is almost always healthier than store bought split pea soup even with or without ham!
When you make homemade split pea soup you can control the amount of sodium that goes into it. Processed soups always have more salt than homemade soups. It’s important to limit salt intake if you have heart disease, high blood pressure or kidney disease.
Another reason homemade split pea soup is healthy is because it won’t have chemicals or preservatives in it like processed split pea soup. Canned split pea soup will always have preservatives in it to keep bacteria from growing and spoiling the soup.
Can You Use Yellow Split Peas instead of Regular Split Peas in Split Pea Soup?
Yes you can use yellow split peas in split pea soup instead of regular split peas. The nutritional information and cooking time in yellow split peas is not much different from regular split peas. In fact, here is a great split pea soup recipe my friend made with yellow split peas.
Both types of split peas are:
- Anti-inflammatory
- Vegan Source of Protein
- High in Carbohydrates
- Easy to Cook
- Cook At The Same Rate
Do Yellow Split Peas Taste Different From Green Split Peas?
It’s almost impossible for most people to tell the the difference between yellow and green split peas by taste alone. The color is what gives the difference away. Regular split peas have a slightly sweeter taste than yellow split peas but the difference is negligible.
Can You Loose Weight Eating Split Pea Soup?
If you eat a whole food plant based split pea soup like Amy’s Split Pea Soup or my homemade healthy vegan split pea soup recipe you could loose weight. Of course it also depends on what else you are eating along with split pea soup.
Consuming quarts of split pea soup and tons of ice cream won’t lead to weight loss. But a bowl of split pea soup before lunch and dinner will help you loose weight by helping you get the nutrition and satisfaction you need from this low calorie soup option.
Is Split Pea Soup Vegan?
Traditional split pea soup recipes use ham so they are not vegan. However there are some store bought vegan split pea soup options you can buy including Amy’s Split Pea Soup and Pacific Foods Split Pea Soup. You can also make your own vegan split pea soup at home with this easy recipe!
Is Split Pea Soup Gluten Free?
Most split pea soup is naturally gluten free. If you are allergic to gluten make sure to check the label. If you see wheat on any of the labels do not consume the soup.
Is Split Pea Soup Vegetarian?
Most traditional split pea soup is not vegetarian because it is cooked with ham or ham hock. However there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan friendly split pea soup recipe options out there. If you want a store bought vegetarian split pea soup you can buy Pacific Food’s Split Pea Soup or Amy’s Split Pea Soup.
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