Quick Answers
You can eat unlimited low-carb vegetables on a keto diet. Non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, and cauliflower are very low in net carbs, so you can eat large portions without kicking yourself out of ketosis. However, you may need to limit portions of higher-carb vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, and onions. Track your vegetable carb counts and test your ketone levels to find your personal carb limit on keto. Some people can tolerate more carbs from vegetables than others.
What Are The Best Low-Carb Vegetables For Keto?
Here are some of the best low-carb vegetables for a ketogenic diet:
- Leafy Greens – spinach, kale, lettuce, chard
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Asparagus
- Cucumbers
- Celery
- Onions
- Peppers
- Green Beans
- Cabbage
- Brussels Sprouts
- Artichokes
- Eggplant
- Zucchini
- Radishes
These low-carb vegetables contain around 3-6 grams of net carbs per cooked cup. You can eat very large portions of these veggies and stay within the 50 grams of total carbs per day limit on keto.
Leafy greens are the lowest carb with only around 1-2 net carbs per cooked cup. Load up on spinach, kale, lettuce, and chard on a keto diet.
Why Are Non-Starchy Veggies Recommended On Keto?
Non-starchy vegetables are recommended on a keto diet because they provide important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber with a very low amount of net digestible carbs.
Most of the carbs in non-starchy veggies come from fiber, which is indigestible to humans. We subtract fiber grams from total carbs to calculate “net” carbs that actually impact ketosis.
Non-starchy veggies make up the foundation of a well-formulated ketogenic diet. You can eat nutrient-dense vegetables in large portions to feel satiated while staying under your daily carb limit for ketosis.
Avoid starchy vegetables on keto, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, parsnips, winter squash. They contain much more net carbs – around 15-30 grams per serving.
Do All Non-Starchy Vegetables Have The Same Carb Count?
While most non-starchy vegetables are considered “keto-friendly,” some have slightly higher carb counts than others per serving.
For example, here are the net carbs in 1 cup cooked:
- Broccoli – 5 grams net carbs
- Cauliflower – 5 grams net carbs
- Brussels Sprouts – 6 grams net carbs
- Asparagus – 4 grams net carbs
- Green Beans – 8 grams net carbs
- Carrots – 6 grams net carbs
As you can see, some non-starchy veggies like green beans and carrots provide almost double the amount of net carbs as options like asparagus and cauliflower per cup.
While a variance of 3-5g of net carbs may not seem like a major difference, it can quickly add up if you eat large portions of the higher-carb vegetables.
Should You Limit Higher-Carb Veggies Like Carrots and Onions on Keto?
Most keto experts recommend limiting portions of higher-carb vegetables including carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, salad onions, and green beans.
Though these veggies are still considered “low carb” compared to foods like bread, pasta, and fruit, overdoing it on their carb counts can prevent you from maintaining ketosis given the overall 50g net carb limit on keto.
Some people can eat larger portions of these veggies and stay in ketosis, while others may need to strictly limit them to small sides 1-2 times per week in order to keep their net carbs low enough.
The best approach is to test your personal carb tolerance. Track your vegetable portions along with net carbs and test ketones to find the optimal amount of higher-carb veggies you can eat while staying in ketosis given your metabolism and activity level.
Tips For Fitting More Veggies Into Keto Meals
Here are some tips for getting more low-carb vegetables into your daily keto meal plan:
- Make a veggie platter with celery sticks, cucumber slices, radish slices, broccoli florets and cauliflower florets for easy snacking.
- Add extra veggies like mushrooms, onions, peppers, spinach to your egg scrambles and omelets.
- Make “zoodles” from zucchini instead of pasta with your favorite low carb pasta sauce.
- Add riced cauliflower or chopped veggies like broccoli and cabbage to bulk up casseroles, soups and stews.
- Sautee veggies like Brussels sprouts, asparagus and green beans in olive oil or coconut oil to pair with proteins.
- Make lettuce wrap sandwiches and salad bowls instead of sandwich bread.
- Portion your carbs – start meals with a big low carb salad or veggie side dish before eating higher carb foods.
With a little creativity, you can pack tons of extra nutrition from low carb vegetables into your daily keto plan.
Should You Eat More Fat If You’re Eating Lots Of Veggies?
It’s a good idea to balance high-fiber vegetables with adequate fat when following a keto diet.
Since fiber-rich veggies are very low in calories and fat compared to other keto staples like oils, cheese, avocados and nuts, you may need to increase your fat intake to feel satisfied, stay in ketosis, and meet your daily calorie needs.
Some tips for upping fat intake on days you eat larger amounts of low carb vegetables include:
- Cook veggies in olive oil, butter or coconut oil.
- Add a creamy, fatty sauce like Alfredo, hollandaise or cheese sauce.
- Pair veggies with fatty proteins like salmon, steak or chicken thighs.
- Add avocados, olives, nuts or seeds to salads and veggie sides.
- Snack on keto fat bombs between meals.
Consuming more healthy fats will help regulate hunger, energy and ketones when filling up on low-calorie, high-fiber vegetables.
Sample Keto Meal Plan With Unlimited Veggies
Here is a sample one day keto meal plan incorporating unlimited non-starchy vegetables:
Breakfast:
- 3 Eggs scrambled with 1 cup spinach, 1/4 onion, 1/4 bell pepper
- 1 cup riced cauliflower
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 oz cheddar cheese
- 1/4 avocado
Lunch:
- Tuna salad made with 2 cups mixed greens, 1 can tuna, 2 Tbsp mayo, 1 celery stalk, 1/4 onion, 1/4 bell pepper
- 10 black olives
- 1 oz pecans
Dinner:
- 6 oz salmon
- 1.5 cups broccoli florets roasted with 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Side salad with 2 cups spinach, 1/4 cucumber, 1/4 bell pepper, 1 Tbsp ranch dressing
Snacks:
- 1/4 cup hummus with 1 cup celery sticks and 1 cup cucumber slices
- 2 Tbsp natural peanut butter with 1 oz cheddar cheese
This meal plan provides about 2050 calories and under 50g net carbs while incorporating 10 or more servings of nutritious veggies. Adjust portions or add higher fat foods like oils, nuts and avocados if more calories are needed.
How To Tell If Too Many Veggies Are Kicking You Out of Ketosis
Here are some signs that overly large portions of veggies may be interfering with ketosis for you:
- Increased appetite and cravings, especially for carbs
- Fatigue, low energy and brain fog
- Weight loss stalls
- GI issues like bloating and gas
- Higher blood sugar and lower ketones on testing
Try reducing your total portions of vegetables, particularly higher carb ones, if you are experiencing these symptoms. Focus on getting most of your carbs from the lowest carb veggies like leafy greens, zucchini, cauliflower, asparagus and broccoli.
You can also try a brief fat fast consuming 70-80% of calories from fat. This can help restore ketone levels after overdoing carbs.
Some people feel best following a targeted ketogenic diet approach, eating 20-30g net carbs just from veggies alongside high fat meals to allow for higher veggie intake.
Conclusion
In general, most people can eat very large portions of non-starchy vegetables and stay in ketosis. Focus on options with only 3-6g net carbs per cooked cup like leafy greens, cauliflower, broccoli and asparagus. Be mindful of going overboard on higher carb veggies like carrots, tomatoes and onions by tracking net carbs. Balance high-fiber veggies with adequate fat intake. Watch for signs of carb intolerance like cravings and GI issues. With the right vegetable choices and proper portion sizes, you can enjoy unlimited veggies on a keto diet!
