When the keto diet first skyrocketed in popularity in the late 2010s, it quickly gained a reputation as the \u201cbacon and butter\u201d diet. Vegetables might appear on one\u2019s plate as a small side of spinach or, more likely, cauliflower masquerading as everything from rice to pizza crust to wings. By and large, the focus was on\u00a0limiting<\/em> consumption to \u201cketo vegetables\u201d while focusing mainly on increasing fat intake. (I\u2019m talking mainstream keto, mind you, not the Primal Keto Reset approach.)<\/span><\/p>\n This, as you\u2019d expect, led to no end of pearl-clutching from mainstream medical professionals and the popular media, who quickly branded keto as a dangerous fad diet, a heart attack in the making.\u00a0<\/span>It was true that many early adopters of keto went hard on butter, cream, cheese, bacon, and other high-fat foods, probably as an understandable backlash against the low-fat diet dogma that dominated the previous four decades. Some people still do, I\u2019m sure. <\/span><\/p>\n However, I think most keto folks now understand that they cannot (or should not, anyway) live on <\/span>butter<\/span> alone. At least in more forward-thinking health circles, contemporary keto looks less bacon-and-butter and more like a lower-carb version of the Primal Blueprint way of eating, complete with bountiful salads and <\/strong><\/span>larger servings of protein.<\/strong><\/p>\n Personally, I\u2019m all for keto eaters embracing a wide array of produce (keto-carnivore diets notwithstanding). At some point, though, the carb question comes into play. By definition, keto requires you to limit your carbohydrate intake to keep glucose and insulin low enough to facilitate ketogenesis. All vegetables contain carbohydrates, some more than others. You can\u2019t eat unlimited amounts of vegetables, especially the higher-carb ones, if you want to <\/span>stay in ketosis<\/span> all the time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So how do you decide which ones are best?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In order to achieve ketosis, most people need to limit carbohydrate intake to a maximum of 30 to 50 grams per day. Hence, the best vegetables to include on a keto diet are the ones that deliver the most nutrients with the fewest carbs.<\/strong> That sounds straightforward, but in practice, it can be hard to know where to draw the line.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The internet is rife with lists that sort foods into discrete \u201callowed on keto\u201d and \u201cnot allowed on keto\u201d categories. They mean well\u2014and they do help simplify the often confusing transition from SAD eating to keto\u2014but <\/span>they lack nuance<\/span>. No food will knock you out of ketosis in a single bite. There are no \u201cbad\u201d vegetables. There are only serving sizes and carbohydrate content and fiber.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Why does fiber matter? Because fiber is not absorbed into the bloodstream and converted into glucose. It\u2019s counted as a carbohydrate, but it does not contribute to the glucose-induced insulin spike you want to minimize on keto. Fiber, especially the soluble type, is mostly just food for your gut microbes. From a ketosis perspective, fiber is neutral.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And in vegetables, especially the leafy and above-ground non-starchy varieties, much of their carb content is actually fiber, meaning<\/strong>\u00a0their glucose\/insulin impact is minimal.<\/strong> So much so that I don\u2019t even count these varieties against the <\/span>50 grams of (total) carbohydrates<\/span> I recommend as the limit in the Keto Reset. They\u2019re not the only vegetables allowed<\/em> on keto, just the easiest to enjoy in abundance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Without further ado, these are my top vegetables to enjoy on keto. If your favorite doesn\u2019t appear here, never fear. You can still include it, I\u2019m sure. This list is half based on personal preference, half on carbohydrate and nutrient content.<\/strong> Many vegetables that don\u2019t appear on this list would still be considered \u201cketo-friendly\u201d even by the strict keto police<\/span>; they\u2019re simply not ones I gravitate towards first.<\/span><\/p>\n Kale, arugula, mustard greens, endive, dandelion greens, turnip greens, collard greens, broccoli rabe, watercress. Increasingly, science is finding that <\/span>bitter foods<\/span> have unique metabolic and gut health benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n Spinach, lettuce (all types), for my <\/span>Big-Ass Salads<\/span><\/p>\n So versatile it has become a joke in the low-carb world, b<\/span>ut that\u2019s just because it\u2019s great in so many dishes. Who am I to argue?<\/span><\/p>\n Is there anything better than <\/span>crispy roasted broccoli<\/span> next to a big, juicy steak? And the sprouts contain <\/span>sulforaphane<\/span>, a compound with impressive features that might make broccoli sprouts the next big superfood.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One of the <\/span>sulfur-rich vegetables<\/span> that may help the body buffer oxidative stress. And it\u2019s delicious sauteed or added to stir-fries.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A classic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Besides their pleasing textures and umami flavors, mushrooms pack <\/span>prebiotics<\/span> to nourish your gut bugs.<\/span><\/p>\n High in vitamin K, excellent grilled, roasted, or air-fried, and you can <\/span>wrap it in bacon<\/span>. (Hey, I didn\u2019t say you shouldn\u2019t<\/em> eat bacon on keto.)<\/span><\/p>\n Especially when fermented into sauerkraut or kimchi. Everyone should eat fermented vegetables.<\/p>\n My dark-horse pick. I just think they deserve more publicity.<\/span><\/p>\n Obviously, avocados get a big yes from me, but they\u2019re also a fruit. I\u2019m not putting them on my list of favorite keto vegetables, lest the entire internet come for my head.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You don\u2019t HAVE to. But as I\u2019ve said about the <\/span>carnivore diet<\/span> before, I think most people probably do better in the long run eating at least some<\/em> vegetables. Rather than completely excluding plant foods, I\u2019d recommend something like \u201c<\/span>carniflex<\/span>,\u201d a meat-centric diet with strategic plant additions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Regardless, most Primal folks are omnivores, so they want and need strategies for incorporating vegetables into their keto macros. In that case, here\u2019s what you should keep in mind:<\/span><\/p>\n Ok, those are my top 10. What would you have included?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\nWhat Vegetables Are Best for Keto?<\/h2>\n
My Favorite Vegetables for Keto<\/h2>\n
1. Bitter greens<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Other leafy greens<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Cauliflower<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Broccoli and broccolini<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. Bok choy<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. Green beans<\/strong><\/h3>\n
7. Mushrooms (all varieties)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
8. Asparagus<\/strong><\/h3>\n
9. Cabbage<\/strong><\/h3>\n
10. Fiddlehead ferns<\/strong><\/h3>\n
What about avocados?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Why Eat ANY Vegetables on Keto?<\/h2>\n
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