If you’re on a keto diet, you might be wondering how to get enough delicious, nutritious vegetables without steaming past your carb limit. You may ask, "won’t those carbs kick me out of ketosis"?
The truth is, it depends on the vegetable. But most vegetables, you’ll be happy to know, are easy to fit into a keto lifestyle.
For our purposes here, the best vegetables for keto are vegetables that are low in net carbs. (Net carbs are the only carbs you count on keto.) And not only are these low-carb vegetables allowed on keto, they’re super important for living your healthiest life!
Keep reading to learn the benefits of low-carb vegetables, veggie carb counting, the top keto vegetables, and fun ways to veg-ify your keto diet. Let’s do it.
Why You Need Vegetables on Keto
Vegetables are among the healthiest foods on the planet. Sorry carnivores, but a large body of evidence suggests that the more vegetables you eat, the lower your risk for chronic disease.
Beyond general health, here’s why you should strive to fill your keto plate with low-carb vegetables:
#1: Gut health
Can you get enough fiber on keto? Many folks worry you can’t.
Grains are out. Potatoes are out. Carrots are (mostly) out. All these foods are rich in fiber.
Consuming dietary fiber is linked to a number of health benefits, including:
- Bowel regularity
- Bone health
- Heart health
- Blood sugar stability
Gut bacteria are partly responsible--thanks gut bugs!. When you feed your gut bacteria enough fiber, they reward you by producing anti-inflammatory, mood-lifting, immune-boosting chemicals.
Fortunately, there’s another great source of fiber on keto: keto vegetables!
We’re talking about spinach, kale, asparagus, broccoli and a host of others. A cup of cooked asparagus, for instance, has 2 grams of gut-healthy fiber in every 6 spears.
#2: Micronutrients
Another big worry on keto? That eliminating fruits and grains (aka, carbs) from your diet, means you won’t get enough vitamins and minerals.
But here’s the thing. When it comes to nutrient density, vegetables are king (or queen). Fruits and grains don’t even stack up.
Take magnesium, a mineral that keeps your heart pumping, your muscles contracting, and your energy stores full. According to one estimate, about 30% of Americans are sub-clinically deficient in this crucial nutrient.
The best dietary source of magnesium isn’t fruits or grains. In fact, grains contain a compound (phytic acid) that inhibits magnesium absorption.
Nope, the best source is green leafy vegetables. Just 1 cup of spinach contains 157 mg magnesium, or 37% of your daily needs!
And magnesium is just the beginning. Low-carb vegetables are also rich in potassium, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and a host of other nutrients that keep your body humming along like the beautiful machine it is.
Vegetables and Net Carbs On Keto
To enter fat-burning mode on the keto diet, you must limit net carbs to under 10% of your daily calories. Usually, this works out to about 20 grams of net carbs per day.
Net carbs are total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols. Since fiber and sugar alcohols have a minimal blood sugar impact, they don’t affect your ketogenic, fat-burning state. That’s why we subtract them out.
On the surface, some vegetables seem to have too many carbs to be keto-friendly. Cooked broccoli, for example, has 9.7 grams total carbs per cup.
But 7 of these grams are fiber, so you only need to count 2.7g net carbs towards your keto total. Double the broccoli. We like that.
A similar pattern holds for many vegetables. Let’s look at a few of the top keto veggies.
Best Keto Vegetables
To stay keto, look for vegetables with less than 5 grams net carbs per serving. Here’s a partial list, along with net carbs for each:
|
Keto Vegetable |
Serving size (cooked) |
Net carbs |
|
Kale |
½ cup |
2.5 grams |
|
Spinach |
½ cup |
1.1 gram |
|
Asparagus |
6 spears |
1.7 grams |
|
Broccoli |
½ cup |
1.3 grams |
|
Cauliflower |
½ cup |
2.3 grams |
|
Artichoke |
½ artichoke |
2.5 grams |
|
Romaine lettuce |
1 cup (raw) |
2.1 grams |
|
Green bell peppers |
½ cup |
2.2 gram |
|
Celery |
½ cup |
.8 grams |
|
Green cabbage |
1 cup |
2.5 grams |
|
Zucchini |
½ cup |
1.5 grams |
|
Pumpkin |
1/2 cup |
3.5 grams |
How To Eat More Keto Vegetables
Want to step up your veggie game on keto? Here are some creative ways to do that:
- Go salad crazy. With lots of low-carb lettuce, zucchini, and whatever else you toss in—salads are the perfect vehicle for any keto meal. Just add fat and protein.
- Low-carb veggie sandwiches. Who said sandwiches can’t be keto?
- Make juices or smoothies. Start the morning right with a nutrient dense veggie smoothie or juice. (Try this peanut butter keto smoothie).
- 2 vegetables, not 1. Break with convention and have 2 (or 3) different veggies with dinner. Two heads of broccoli and cauliflower are better than one.
- Make kale chips. Feel good about crunching away during your favorite Netflix programming.
- Veg-ify your pizza. This low-carb harvest pizza will have your family begging for seconds.
- Use a greens powder. You can’t always eat 4-5 servings of fresh vegetables per day. Use a well-formulated greens powder as “veggie insurance”.
- Rice your cruciferous vegetables. Riced broccoli and riced cauliflower taste and feel much like real rice—without the carbs, of course.
Combine three or four of these tips and you’ll be a keto vegetable pro. Which one are you going to try first?
Author: Brian Stanton
Bio: Brian Stanton is the author of Keto Intermittent Fasting, a certified health coach, and a writer who specializes in the keto diet, fasting, and weight loss. Follow Brian’s work by visiting his website at www.primalsapien.com.
