When it comes to following the keto diet, many people go wrong when it comes to choosing keto friendly vegetables. As you may already know, the keto diet focuses on eating a very small amount of carbohydrates. So when people think of vegetables, they often think of starchy ones such as potatoes and sweet potatoes (I mean, how could you not think of chips or mashed potatoes?!). While both vegetables are delicious, eating too many can defeat the purpose of following a keto diet and undermine your low carb efforts. So what vegetables CAN you have on a keto diet? 

One of the best pieces of advice we’ve heard from the keto community is that when shopping or planning your meals, the best keto friendly vegetables tend to grow above-ground. Vegetables that grow under the ground typically known as ‘root veggies’ are highest in starch. They range from 6 to 19 grams of net carbs per 100 grams. 

Above-ground vegetables are generally lower in carbs and are the best keto friendly vegetable option. Above-ground vegetables are all under 5 grams of net carbs per 100 gram serving. If you’re trying to consume fewer than 20 grams of carbs per day, choosing between an above-ground vegetable and root-vegetable may be worth thinking about!  

We’ve put together the ultimate keto friendly vegetable list and what veggies to steer clear of when following a keto friendly diet. 

*P.S. We’d like to preface that we don’t believe there should be any foods you “avoid”. This article is simply shedding light on what keto friendly vegetables are more worthwhile to consume to reach your keto diet goals. We love all vegetables equally! 

Our Top Favourite Keto Friendly Vegetables 

- Spinach (2g) - Use spinach in your next keto friendly spinach dip for a serious flavourful popeye punch! 

- Zucchini (3g) - You aren’t living until you’ve tasted keto friendly zucchini chips, zucchini fritters, zucchini bread, seriously put zucchini in anything and everything. 

- Lettuce (2g) - Perfect for salads or even use it as a wrap for keto friendly tacos or keto friendly burgers. 

- Cucumbers (3g) - Pair your cucumbers with a delicious keto friendly dip like cream cheese, or sour cream! 

- Cabbage (3g) - Make the perfect keto friendly stir fry with cabbage. 

- Asparagus ( 1g) - You can steam it, bake it, grill it! Asparagus is highly nutritious and very low carb. 

- Cauliflower (3g) - Cauliflower makes for the perfect base! It’s the perfect dupe for rice and mashed potatoes! 

- Broccoli (4g) - Broccoli is definitely underrated and doesn’t get enough credit for its versatility. It can be used as pasta, rice, or potato. Steam it, fry it, roast it, you name it!  

 

Vegetables To Limit When Following a Keto Lifestyle (Based on their net carbs per 100 gram serving size)

- Cassava (36g of carbs)

- Sweet Potato (17g of carbs)

- Corn (16g of carbs)

- Parsnip (13g of carbs)

- Butternut Squash (10g of carbs)

- Peas  (9g of carbs)

- Beetroot (7g of carbs)

If you loved these keto friendly vegetable ideas and are looking for meals to serve them with, we’ve got you covered! We are happy to share that we offer a large range of premade keto meals that can be delivered fresh to your door. Our keto and low carb meals are also 100% preservative free + 100% gluten free and 100% delicious! Try them out today! Available at nourishd.com.au/menu?dietary[0]=keto-friendly