22 Best Keto Vegetables… And 7 High-Carb Veggies to Ditch!

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Check out the best keto vegetables!

platter of fresh keto vegetables

Wait, not all veggies are keto-approved?

When it comes to a low-carb diet, not all veggies are created equal. We separated the best and worst vegetables to eat on the keto diet in this handy keto vegetable printable to show high vs. low-carb vegetables. Now you can quickly find the winners (and losers) that work best based on your needs.


The Best Keto Vegetables:

platter of fresh keto vegetables

Artichokes

Serving: 1 Artichoke | 47 Calories | 0g Fat | 11g Total Carbs | 5g Fiber | 1g Sugar | 3g Protein | 6g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Enjoy this delectable veggie with some Kerrygold butter after steaming or mixed into a keto-friendly spinach artichoke dip.

Recipes to try: Spinach Artichoke Dip, Perfectly Cooked Artichokes (SavoryTooth.com)


air fryer asparagus

Asparagus

Serving: 1 Cup (raw) | 27 Calories | 0g Fat | 5g Total Carbs | 3g Fiber | 0g Sugar | 3g Protein | 2g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Asparagus can either be munched raw, steamed, roasted, or grilled. It tends to be on the bitter side, so you’ll want to spruce it up with salt, pepper, or your other favorite seasonings.

Recipes to try: Steak and Veggies Sheet Pan Bake, Parmesan Asparagus Fries


bok choy

Bok Choy

Serving: 3/4 Cup (raw) | 22 Calories | 1g Fat | 2g Total Carbs | 1g Fiber | 1g Sugar | 1g Protein | 1g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Bok Choy only has 1 net carb! Add this to your favorite Asian keto dishes or simply roast it for an easy dinner side.

Recipe to try: Roasted Bok Choy (WholesomeYum.com)


adding broccoli to slow cooker

Broccoli

Serving: 1 Cup (chopped, raw) | 31 Calories | 0g Fat | 6g Total Carbs | 2g Fiber | 2g Sugar | 3g Protein | 4g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Broccoli is so versatile! Eat it raw (and dunk it in this yummy ranch dip), steamed, sautéed, roasted, or mixed into a velvety cheddar soup.

Recipes to try: Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Chicken Pesto Broccoli Casserole, Crock-Pot Beef & Broccoli, Broccoli Bacon Salad, Chicken & Broccoli Casserole, Hamburger Broccoli Casserole, Broccoli Pizza Crust


putting salt on brussels sprouts

Brussels Sprouts

Serving: 4 oz. | 48 Calories | 0g Fat | 9g Total Carbs | 5g Fiber | 2g Sugar | 4g Protein | 4g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Eat Brussels sprouts steamed or roasted, and be sure to season them up with your favorite spices while adding in extra fat as well.

Recipes to try: Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Brussels Sprouts in Alfredo Sauce


butter lettuce wraps

Butter Lettuce

Serving: 1 Cup | 7 Calories | 0g Fat | 1g Total Carbs | 1g Fiber | 1g Sugar | 1g Protein | 0g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Butter lettuce can obviously be used at the base of a salad, but its leaves are hearty enough to be used as wraps for meats and cheeses.

Recipes to try: Slow Cooker Carnitas Lettuce Wraps, P.F. Chang’s Copycat Lettuce Wraps


cabbage casserole

Cabbage

Serving: 1 Cup (chopped, raw) | 22 Calories | 0g Fat | 5g Total Carbs | 2g Fiber | 3g Sugar | 1g Protein | 3g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Consume cabbage as a cold, creamy, and crunchy slaw, or use the leaves to keep yummy enchilada fillings intact.

Recipes to try: Creamy Coleslaw, Green Chile Cabbage Enchiladas, Bacon-Wrapped Cabbage Wedges, Cabbage Wrapped Burgers, Chinese Pork Egg Roll Soup


cauliflower heads on cutting board

Cauliflower

Serving: 1 Cup (raw) | 25 Calories | 0g Fat | 5g Total Carbs | 3g Fiber | 2g Sugar | 2g Protein | 2g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: By far the most common keto vegetable! Roast or steam florets, use riced cauliflower in place of rice, or mash boiled cauliflower up for faux potatoes. The possibilities are endless!

Recipes to try: Loaded Cauliflower Casserole, Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”, Cauliflower Pizza Crust, Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat Soup, Dill Pickle Cauliflower Salad, Cauliflower Mac & Cheese, Cauliflower Rice


keep vegetables fresh — bunch of celery

Celery

Serving: 1 Cup (chopped, raw) | 16 Calories | 0g Fat | 3g Total Carbs | 2g Fiber | 1g Sugar | 1g Protein | 1g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Typically eaten raw, celery adds that much-desired crunch to the keto diet. It even lends traditional Buffalo flavors to our chicken soup.

Recipes to try: Buffalo Chicken Soup, Wendy’s Copycat Chili


Chard

chard greens

Serving: 1 Cup | 8 Calories | 0g Fat | 1g Total Carbs | 1g Fiber | 0g Sugar | 1g Protein | 0g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Though it looks like lettuce, you probably won’t want to chomp on chard in your salad given its raw bitterness. Instead, wilt it into soups, or whip up an easy side by sautéing chard leaves and stems with butter, garlic, and bacon.

Recipes to try: Zuppa Toscana Soup, Pan Fried Swiss Chard (AllRecipes.com)


keto tips for success — pre prepped chopped cucumbers in tupperware

Cucumber

Serving: 1/2 Cup | 8 Calories | 0g Fat | 2g Total Carbs | 0g Fiber | 1g Sugar | 0g Protein | 2g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Best when cold, crunchy, and ready for snacking. It can even be sliced or spiralized to be the base of a refreshing summer salad.

Recipe to try: Make-Ahead Keto Snack Boxes


eggplant

Eggplant

Serving: 1 Cup (cubed, raw) | 21 Calories | 0g Fat | 5g Total Carbs | 2g Fiber | 3g Sugar | 1g Protein | 3g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Eggplant is a hearty vegetable that can replace noodles in lasagna or be used as the crust for your favorite pizza fixings. You can even keep it simple by cubing and sautéing with some extra virgin olive oil and seasoning.

Recipes to try: Eggplant Pizzas (WholesomeYum.com), Eggplant Lasagna (EasyLowCarb.com)


Low Carb Green Bean Bacon Bundles on a plate

Green beans

Serving: 1/2 Cup | 20 Calories | 0g Fat | 4g Total Carbs | 2g Fiber | 2g Sugar | 1g Protein | 2g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Raw, steamed, roasted, blanched, or sautéed are easy ways to cook up this multi-use vegetable. We prefer it surrounded by bacon, though.

Recipes to try: Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles, Keto Green Bean Casserole, 4-Ingredient Keto Bacon Green Beans 


plate of chile lime jicama

Jicama

Serving: 3.5 oz. | 38 Calories | 0g Fat | 9g Total Carbs | 5g Fiber | 2g Sugar | 1g Protein | 4g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Jicama is one of our low-carb favorites. It can be cut up into sticks for dipping or chopped to provide an added crunch to our yummy pico recipe. You can even use it as an apple substitute!

Recipes to try: Jicama Pico de Gallo, Jicama Fries, Chile Lime Jicama Sticks, “Apple” Handheld Keto Pie, Keto “Apple” Crisp


washing kale

Kale

Serving: 1 Cup | 11 Calories | 1g Fat | 6g Total Carbs | 3g Fiber | 0g Sugar | 3g Protein | 3g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Kale can be used for its nutritional power in salads or air fried for a crunchy treat!

Recipes to try: Air Fryer Kale Chips, Kale Superfood Salad


adding mushrooms to butter in cast iron pan

Mushrooms

Serving: 3 oz. | 20 Calories | 0g Fat | 2g Total Carbs | 1g Fiber | 1g Sugar | 2g Protein | 1g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Add an earthy flavor to dishes by incorporating roasted or sautéed mushrooms. If you prefer them raw, they make a great addition to veggie and cheese boards. But our favorite method? As a pizza crust.

Recipes to try: Portabello Mushroom Pizzas, Keto Chicken Marsala


chopped bell peppers

Peppers

Serving: 1 Cup (chopped, raw, green) | 30 Calories | 0g Fat | 7g Total Carbs | 3g Fiber | 4g Sugar | 1g Protein | 4g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: You can do just about anything with peppers—eat them raw, stir fry, grill them on shish-kababs, or even use them to hold your favorite meat and cheese fillings!

Recipes to try: Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers, Carnitas Nachos, Italian Stuffed Peppers


Chopped Iceburg lettuce on a cutting board with knife

Lettuce

Serving: 1 Cup (chopped) | 8 Calories | 0g Fat | 2g Total Carbs | 1g Fiber | 1g Sugar | 1g Protein | 1g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: A crisp, crunchy salad is a natural go-to, but consider using the leaves to make your own DIY Unwich, just like the ones they make at Jimmy Johns!

Recipes to try: DIY Unwich Wrap, Shrimp & Avocado Salad, P.F. Chang’s Copycat Lettuce Wraps, Keto Big Mac Salad, Wedge Salad, Pizza Salad, Columbia 1905 Salad


using a fork to remove spaghetti squash

Spaghetti Squash

Serving: 1 Cup (cubed) | 31 Calories | 1g Fat | 7g Total Carbs | 2g Fiber | 3g Sugar | 1g Protein | 5g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Spaghetti squash is mainly eaten after the squash halves are cooked and the flesh inside is scraped (resembling spaghetti). How you top it is up to you.

Recipes to try: Spaghetti Squash, Sausage and Spaghetti Squash Casserole, Cheesy Keto Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash


packs of organic spinach

Spinach

Serving: 1 Cup | 7 Calories | 0g Fat | 1g Total Carbs | 1g Fiber | 0g Sugar | 1g Protein | 0g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Spinach can be wilted and stirred into soups as a great source of Vitamin A. There’s always the option to keep it raw for salads as well.

Recipes to try: Chicken & Spinach Pizza, Spinach Dip, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Chicken Alfredo Casserole


a plate with freshly made Caprese salad best worst vegetables keto diet

Tomatoes

Serving: 1 Medium Beef Tomato | 25 Calories | 0g Fat | 5g Total Carbs | 1g Fiber | 3g Sugar | 1g Protein | 4g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Tomatoes can be chopped (or left whole if they’re small cherry or grape tomatoes) to provide a fresh flavor to salads. On the opposite end of the spectrum, they can be used as a hearty base for soups and chilis.

Recipes to try: Tuna Ceviche, Cabbage Roll Soup, Caprese Salad


making zucchini noodles best worst vegetables keto diet

Zucchini

Serving: 1 Squash, cooked | 29 Calories | 0g Fat | 6g Total Carbs | 2g Fiber | 4g Sugar | 1g Protein | 4g Net Carbs

Tips for eating: Another keto staple vegetable! While cutting into spears for dipping or slicing for roasted or grilling are common ways to gobble this veggie up, many people spiralize it into “zoodles” to replace pasta. This is truly one of the best vegetables to eat on the keto diet!

Recipes to try: Hasselback Pizza Zucchini, Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats, Chicken Pesto Zucchini Noodles, Baked Feta Zoodles, Zucchini Summer Salad, Zucchini Chips, Cheesy Zucchini Bites, Lemon Zucchini Bread

Want more keto-approved goodness? Check out these healthy keto foods.


The Worst Keto Vegetables:

best worst vegetables keto diet

Acorn squash

Serving: 1 Cup (cubed, raw) | 56 Calories | 0g Fat | 15g Total Carbs | 2g Fiber | 0g Sugar | 1g Protein | 13g Net Carbs


Butternut squash

Serving: 1 Cup (cubed, raw) | 63 Calories | 0g Fat | 16g Total Carbs | 3g Fiber | 3g Sugar | 1g Protein | 13g Net Carbs


Corn

Serving: 2/3 Cup | 100 Calories | 1g Fat | 21g Total Carbs | 1g Fiber | 5g Sugar | 3g Protein | 20g Net Carbs


Parsnips

Serving: 1 Cup | 75 Calories | 0g Fat | 18g Total Carbs | 5g Fiber | 5g Sugar | 1g Protein | 13g Net Carbs


Peas

Serving: 1/4 Cup | 70 Calories | 1g Fat | 12g Total Carbs | 3g Fiber | 6g Sugar | 4g Protein | 9g Net Carbs


Potatoes

Serving: 1 Medium Potato | 110 Calories | 0g Fat | 26g Total Carbs | 2g Fiber | 1g Sugar | 3g Protein | 24g Net Carbs


Yams

Serving: 1 Medium Yam | 158 Calories | 0g Fat | 37g Total Carbs | 5g Fiber | 1g Sugar | 2g Protein | 32g Net Carbs


the best and worst vegetables for keto diet


Here are some more foods to avoid on keto.


About the writer:

Angela graduated with a Bachelor's Degree and has 25+ years of experience as a writer and photographer with her work being featured in US Weekly Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, People Magazine, and more.


Join The Discussion

Comments 33

  1. Rach

    I would love to see a video or post on why you like Keto and what health benefits you have seen. Also what supplements you take. I am in week 2 and have been getting leg cramps. Thank you.

    • Jen

      Hi Rach: The only way I was able to get the leg cramps to go away was to drink PowerAde Zero. Electrolytes are a huge issue in the beginning. They do go away, I promise. I’m 10 months into this WOE and haven’t had them for 9 months.

      • kHeart

        wow 10 months way to GO!! how much weight loss? impressive!!

    • Jay

      Try a Magnesium Supplement to reduce the cramping.

      • Ethel

        And drink more water

    • Debra

      i have been on keto about 6 weeks give or take ..went through keto flu for about 2 weeks..ugh..the last 28 days i lost 18.4 lbs..the weeks b4 that were good too. my total for the 6 weeks is about 32 lbs..for leg cramps take potassium supplements ..

      • Marietta

        Holy crap!!! This is what I needed to hear to get back to keto. I don’t know how much weight I gained back, but 32 lbs would be fantastic!

    • Dena Kalb

      It might help you to take Magnesium for the leg cramps.

    • DeAnna Carter

      I am doing keto also and started reading and found out leg cramps can be caused by vitamin deficiencies. The one that helped mine is taking magnesium. It worked quickly also

    • christinelee

      Dioralyte is good for cramps, as it rehydrates the body. It’s not just for bouts of diarrhoea. It can be used if you’ve got flu or after exercise.

    • D

      I see so many videos on YouTube that say lack of sodium can cause your symptoms. I also drink lemon water and this helps with the flu like symptoms. I take a magnesium supplement if the foods I eat are not high enough. My doc does a blood test to check what my levels are and my main one is vitamin D being low. That will also cause the cramps and flu like symptoms. If you can, have your doc check to see what your levels are.

    • M.Duenas

      I know this sounds gross but take a teaspoon of yellow mustard and your leg cramps will go away.

    • Art

      Leg cramps are due, most of the time, to being deficient in magnesium…..so add soaked chia seeds to your meals or magnesium supplements.

    • Stacy

      I used to not only get super bad leg cramps but my hair was falling out really bad. Now I have fixed both with 2 thing for hair loss I tried using orgain collagen powder and it has 0 carbs it is cheaper than most brands on Amazon and it has stopped any hair from falling out it has also helped me with staying away from keto flu. The next thing I use is perfect keto electrolytes on Amazon it was only fifteen dollars and it’s a 4 month supply. Let me tell u no cramps for months now and I used to get lots of them. I hope this helped God bless everyone and good luck 👍🙏.

    • Jaime

      I’ve been keto for 7 years. Lost 200 lbs without any effort or mental fortitude. Diabetes has been gone for years. All medications gone except my thyroid med.

  2. RACHEL

    Thank you 😀

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      You’re so welcome!

  3. Janet

    What about carrots?

    • Cassandra (Hip Sidekick)

      Great question, Janet! Veggies that grow below ground are usually higher-starch, higher-carb produce items. A medium-sized carrot contains 6-7 grams of carbs so while it’s probably best to limit them, if you just have to have those carrots, consider adding lots of leafy greens to the rest of the days’ meals to help keep your carb count low. Hope that helps!

  4. Randy Harmelink

    Love the printable, but it’s missing two of my favorites — radishes and sugar snap peas. Onions would have been nice to have a mention, since they are used so commonly, but middle-of-the-road. Maybe carrots as well. Also, the peas are really in the wrong position, since they are the lowest net carbs of the “worst” veggies listed. But, otherwise, a more concise visual graphic then I’ve seen elsewhere. Well done!

    One note on tomatoes — because they contain so much water, they do well on a weight comparison. But not so well on a volume comparison. When comparing 1-cup servings, they become a middle-of-the-road low carb veggie.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Hi Randy! Thanks for taking a moment to share your thoughts with us! We appreciate your suggestions and just want to clarify our list doesn’t expand all vegetables, rather common ones we find ourselves using and really trying to highlight the lowest carb values and the highest. Next time we update this post, we’ll definitely keep your suggestions in mind.

  5. Misfire

    How about turnips. Where do the land???

    • Jennifer (Hip Sidekick)

      Turnips are right between spaghetti squash and artichokes. A medium turnip has 8 grams of carbs and 2.2 grams of fiber, make the whole turnip just 5.8 net carbs.

      • Misfire

        Thank you”””’

  6. Misfire

    By the way, love your site!

    • Jennifer (Hip Sidekick)

      Thank you, Misfire!

  7. Maria

    I assume these are values per 100 g (judging from spaghetti squash which is 5.4 g net carbs/100 g). If so, these are incorrect: sugar snap peas – as pictured (5 g net carbs/100g), acorn squash (8.5 g net carbs/100g) and butternut squash (10.1 g net carbs/100g) are incorrect, possibly other vegetables too but these are the first ones I noticed. No reason to avoid them completely. This only scares people off for no reason so you may want to correct that. You should be using the USDA database.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Hi there! The nutritional values are from My Fitness Pal, the database we use for all of our nutritional calculations. The data is also based off of the suggested serving size for each vegetable, so it is not the assumed 100g. Of course, anyone is welcome to eat the vegetables of their choice while following keto, though we’ve highlighted some as “best” and “worst” based on the carb amount in each as a guideline, not a hard and fast rule. We hope this outline will help people know how they can fit some of their favorite vegetables into their daily macros, especially when following keto or a low carb diet.

  8. Brenda

    Can you have vinegars or salad dressing

  9. Naina

    Its been two weeks im on keto and lost only 2 kgs. I really want to know what I am doing wrong

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