Living a healthy keto lifestyle means going beyond the rich tasting, high fat options like bacon and cheese to include plenty of low calorie, nutrient dense foods, like veggies! But considering carbohydrates come from basically all plant foods, finding the right low carb vegetables to fit your keto macros can feel a bit challenging at times. To help you keep your carb counts low and nutrition intake high, here’s your complete list of keto friendly veggies to add to your weekly meals. 

Why You Should Eat More Vegetables

No matter which way you spin it, studies continue to imply that vegetables are some of the healthiest foods on earth. And adding plenty of vegetables to your keto meals can support good health and fitness goals. 

Diets high in veggies are linked to an almost endless list of health benefits including weight loss, improved mood, increased energy, heart health and reduced risk of multiple types of chronic disease like type 2 diabetes and cancer (1,2,3,4). 

One study even suggests that eating more vegetables can give your skin a healthy glow and make you appear more attractive (5). Honestly, what’s not to love!? 

What Vegetables Can You Eat on Keto and Which Should You Avoid?

Keto is a low carb diet built around the practice of cutting sugar intake to less than 5% of your daily calories (which is less than 50 grams of carbs per day for most people) and increasing fat intake in the hopes of reaching ketosis - a metabolic state that allows you to burn fat more efficiently. 

Carbs come from plants, meaning all vegetables contain some amount of carbohydrate - with some containing much more than others. The trick is learning the difference between starchy and non-starchy vegetables and which veggies fit your diet and lifestyle best.

Use this simple calculator to learn how many grams of net carbs you should be eating every day!

 

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Keto Vegetables to Avoid

Because a keto diet is solely based around macro control, no food is entirely off limits - it just depends on your portion size and overall intake. That being said, eating high carb foods can make sticking to your nutrition goals pretty difficult.

The top foods to forego or cut back on while following keto include starchy vegetables like:

• Peas
• Corn
• Potatoes
• Winter squash

Even though many of these plants contain beneficial nutrients and dietary fiber, their higher carb content makes it easier to go over your daily limit for ketosis when you eat larger quantities.

You should also pay attention to concentrated forms of vegetables in things like pressed juice and packaged foods - especially when other carbohydrate containing ingredients are used. 

When you remove the fiber content or concentrate the portion of any food, it can often cause the calories and macros to become concentrated as well. For example, a large carrot has only 5 grams of net carbs, but carrot juice (which requires multiple servings of carrot) can rack up a carb count as high as 22 grams per cup. 

Always double check nutrition facts labels or use a trusted nutrition tracking app to log your intake as accurately as possible. 

Best Keto Vegetables

The top veggies for your ketogenic diet are the non-starchy ones - containing high amounts of water, fiber, and essential nutrition, and very little sugar. Low sugar vegetables also tend to be low in calories, making them incredibly nutrient dense and a perfect choice for anyone looking to lose weight. 

The most notable of these options include leafy greens - which can pack roughly 100% of your daily value for vitamin A and vitamin C in a single serving for less than 50 calories! 

But you don’t have to live off salads to get your fill of benefits from this important food group. Pick and choose your favorite low carb vegetables from the list below to build a nutritious keto meal plan that works for you. Try them roasted with olive oil, tossed in a simple stir fry or soup, top off your keto pizza, or add them to any keto recipe you’d like. They’ll help keep you feeling satisfied and keep your nutrition on point. 

Here’s 35 keto vegetables to add to your next grocery haul - each with less than 5 grams of net carbohydrates per serving. 

More Keto Approved Foods

Build your ultimate keto menu and make cutting carbs feel like a breeze with this free comprehensive keto shopping list. Complete with hundreds of low carb food options and net carb counts for each. 

Download your list or print it to plan your weekly menu and organize your grocery run.