On keto, hidden carbs are everywhere — maltodextrin in 'sugar-free' snacks, starches in sauces, and sneaky sugars under a dozen names.
PickEat reads the label and flags high-carb and sugar ingredients so you can keep your macros on track.
A 'sugar-free' snack can be built on maltodextrin — a starch with a higher glycaemic index than table sugar — quietly adding the carbs you're trying to avoid.
Net carbs are what keep you in ketosis
A ketogenic diet works by keeping carbohydrates low enough that your body switches to burning fat for fuel. In practice that means watching net carbs — total carbohydrate minus fibre — and staying under a tight daily limit. A single careless product can quietly use up most of your day's allowance.
The challenge is that carbs aren't only 'sugar' and 'bread'. They're added to processed foods as starches, fillers and sweeteners in forms that don't look like carbs at all, which is why a quick glance at the front of a pack tells you almost nothing about whether it's keto-friendly.
Where hidden carbs lurk
Maltodextrin is the classic offender — a starch with a very high glycaemic index used in 'sugar-free' and savoury products alike. Wheat, rice and potato starches thicken sauces, dressings and ready meals. Sugar appears under dozens of names, and concentrated fruit juices and honey sneak into 'natural' products.
Even savoury items aren't safe: processed meats, sausages and breaded foods often contain starchy fillers and sugars. PickEat reads the full list and flags these high-carb additions, so you can keep your macros honest without decoding every ingredient yourself.
The 'keto' label trap
Keto's popularity has created a whole category of products branded 'keto' or 'low-carb' — and the labels don't always hold up. Some lean on sugar alcohols and fibres to make the net-carb figure look tiny, and individual tolerance to those sweeteners varies.
The honest move is to look past the branding at the actual ingredients and the real carbohydrate content. PickEat does that reading for you, so a product earns its 'keto' status on what's inside rather than what's on the front.
Keeping keto simple at the shop
Staying in ketosis is far easier when you can instantly see which products fit, instead of reverse-engineering net carbs from a nutrition panel in the aisle. That mental math is what makes keto feel like hard work.
Scan as you go and let PickEat flag the hidden sugars and starches; learn which brands genuinely fit your macros, and the weekly shop stops being a maths exercise.
Carbs PickEat flags
- ✕Maltodextrin, dextrose and glucose syrup
- ✕Wheat, rice and potato starch
- ✕Added sugars under all their aliases
- ✕Fruit juice concentrates and honey
- ✕High-carb thickeners and fillers
Keto-friendly
- ✓High-fat, low-carb whole foods
- ✓Products with a low net-carb count
- ✓Unsweetened nut and seed products
How PickEat helps on keto
- 1Set your profile to keto when you set up the app.
- 2Scan the barcode or photograph the ingredient list.
- 3PickEat flags hidden sugars and starches — maltodextrin, glucose syrup, fillers — that push up net carbs.
- 4Compare two products instantly and choose the one that actually fits your macros.
Frequently asked questions
Can PickEat help me find keto foods?+
PickEat scans a product's ingredients and nutrition data to flag hidden sugars and starches — like maltodextrin and glucose syrup — so you can keep net carbs low and stay in ketosis.
Does it catch hidden carbs in 'sugar-free' snacks?+
Yes — it flags maltodextrin and starch-based fillers that quietly add carbs.
Can I trust products labelled 'keto'?+
Not always. Some 'keto' products rely on sugar alcohols and fibres to make net carbs look low. PickEat looks at the actual ingredients so the label has to earn it.
Does it catch starchy fillers in savoury foods?+
Yes — processed meats, sausages and breaded foods often contain starchy fillers and sugars, which PickEat flags.
Is it free?+
Yes, scanning is free on iOS and Android.
Sources & further reading
We check our content against guidance from recognised health and nutrition organisations.