Can You Do Keto Without Veggies?

As you begin meal planning and prepping for your ketogenic diet, it is important that you 
consider what veggies to add. You want to stay away from the high-carb, starchy 
vegetables, but there are still plenty of others to choose from. Vegetables are important 
for maintaining well-balanced meals, getting enough nutrients, and added benefits like 
extra fiber. Here are some excellent low-carb veggie options to add to your meals.

Avocados

While avocados are actually a fruit, they are often in the vegetable category. They also 
happen to be one of the best types of produce you can have while on a keto diet. 
Avocados are an excellent source of potassium and fiber, two things that tend to be a 
little harder to get when you switch to the LCHF diet of keto. Avocados also provide 
those healthy fats you need for heart health, to burn fat, and to fuel your body. A 
medium avocado usually has about 100 grams, which is approximately 13 total carbs. 
However, this avocado also has about 10 grams of fiber, so only 3 net carbs. 

Dark, Leafy Greens

While most types of lettuce and greens are allowed on the ketogenic diet, you should try 
to eat the darker, leafy greens as much as you can. These tend to be more nutrient-
dense and contain more fiber, which as you know, you need to try to get more of without 
having grains and oats. Some good dark, leafy greens include kale, spinach, romaine, 
and collard greens. These are all very low in carbs, especially when you remove the 
fiber. For example, a serving of 100 grams of spinach is less than 4 carbs, with 2 grams 
of fiber, so it is less than 2 net carbs for a big plate of spinach. 

Broccoli and Cauliflower

Both of these veggies should be at the top of your list of vegetables to eat on a low-carb 
diet. Cauliflower is great because it contains important nutrition, is very low in carbs per 
serving, and can replace a lot of the things you miss. For example, you can turn 
cauliflower into rice, mashed potatoes, even hash brown patties. For a serving of 
cauliflower, it is only about 4 grams of carbs. Broccoli is also 4 grams of carbs, providing 
a lot of vitamins and minerals, and a filling vegetable for you to enjoy.

Other Veggies

While you want to avoid the starchy vegetables like potatoes, and the veggies with a 
high sugar content, like corn and carrots, there are plenty of other options. Good options 
include zucchini and spaghetti squash, cabbage, asparagus, celery, cucumbers, bell 
peppers, and green beans. Just watch your portion sizes and always track the carbs.

