As you embark on the weight-loss journey by opting for the ketogenic diet, you undoubtedly have to avoid processed food products. In the ketogenic diet, carbs are the major culprit because fat and protein are the real heroes. However, you should also know about the vegetables to avoid on a keto diet.
You might be shocked why veggies should be avoided, but yes, some veggies aren’t recommended during the ketogenic diet. Many of these vegetables are loaded with fibers and other essential nutrients, but they aren’t suitable for low-carb diet plans.
If you research the ketogenic diet on the internet, the carbs consumption should be around 10 to 30 grams per day. This thing switches your body to the ketosis state, where the excess fat starts burning to generate energy because no carbohydrates are available. As a result, many common vegetables, fruits, and grains would be limited to the ketogenic diet.
As a result, everyone cannot follow the ketogenic diet. There are many different vegetables to avoid on a keto diet, and it’s not easy for everyone. This diet becomes more challenging for people suffering from Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, if someone is suffering from chronic health disorders, it’s better to consult with the doctor before following the ketogenic diet.
So coming back to the point, now you got clarity on the ketogenic diet. As the requirements of the carbohydrates are super low, it becomes confusing for the people with vegetables to avoid on a keto diet. So without further ado, let’s find out the vegetables you’ve to skip on the keto diet.
Vegetables to Avoid on a Keto Diet
Croutons
Croutons are one of the common veggies people use while making salads. Undoubtedly, croutons have a high nutritional value, but you need to avoid them while following the keto diet. For instance, around two medium tablespoons of croutons comprises 5 grams of carbs, allowing you to add other carbohydrates to your daily diet.
The best alternative to the croutons is the hemp heart, they are more nutritious, and the carb content is less. If you take around 3 medium tablespoons of hemp hearts, the carb content is approximately 2 grams. Believe it or not, hemp hearts are also one of the best sources of unsaturated fats that will also help you in the weight-loss journey.
So, croutons are one of the vegetables to avoid on a keto diet, too sad for salad lovers.
Starchy Peas
Peas come under the list of high starchy vegetables, which directly have high carbohydrates content. Peas have a good amount of carbohydrates; thus, the best alternatives are zucchini and broccoli. See, hear the peas are not the culprit; it’s just you need to avoid them. Sadly peas also come under the category of vegetables to avoid on a keto diet.
You’ll see peas are present in the street food, homemade dishes, and even salads, but keto people have to avoid this vegetable. One normal bowl of green peas comprises around 15-20 grams which become harmful when your body is present in the ketosis state.
As peas are starchy, you need to avoid similar starchy veggies.
One bowl of broccoli has around 3 grams of carbs. Next, one bowl of zucchini will also give you 3 grams of carbs. And the perfect alternative of all the veggies to avoid on a keto diet is raw spinach. Surprisingly, one medium bowl of spinach has around 0.5 grams of carbohydrates. Above all, we also don’t have to explain the nutritional benefits of zucchini, broccoli, and raw spinach.
When following the ketogenic diet, ensure you’re loading your meals with foods packed with fiber to avoid the common constipation problem. Constipation is one of the common side effects of the ketogenic diet. Thus, people already having constipation problems should stay away from this diet.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes also coming in the list of veggies to avoid on a keto diet would be a heartbreak for many people. Unfortunately, you need to completely ban sweet potatoes when you’re following the keto diet. If you want to enjoy loads of sweet potatoes, you should try the paleo diet.
Like green peas, sweet potatoes are also starchy, and you can’t add them to your keto meals. In our opinion, one cup serving of sweet potatoes has 20 grams of carbs. As a result, you can’t think of adding sweet potatoes to your keto meals.
Here, the best alternative to sweet potatoes is cauliflower. You probably don’t know that cauliflower is often used to replace veggies to avoid a keto diet. As per the calculation, one cup of cauliflower has around 4 grams of carbs.
Carrots
Yes, you also need to avoid carrots if you’re following the keto diet. Undoubtedly, carrots are a good source of Vitamin A and other essential nutrients, but you need to skip this vegetable. If you calculate, one medium carrot comprises 5 grams of carbs. Carrots are eaten like a snack, with no limitations, nothing! So when you crave carbs in the ketogenic diet, carrots are the best thing you’ll find in your refrigerator. Consider, even if you consume two medium carrots, you have already given 10-15 grams of carbs to your body. So, sadly, carrots also come under the list of veggies to avoid on a keto diet.
If you want the same nutritional benefits as the carrots, you can try the bell peppers, especially the red ones. They are sweeter like carrots, but the carbohydrates content is very low. One small bell pepper has around 2 to 3 grams of carbohydrates. In simpler words, the bell pepper becomes the ideal alternative to carrots.
Final Thoughts
When you’re following the ketogenic diet or similar low-carb diets, you need to find out the nutritious foods which are low in carbs. You can add some foods to keto meals, but some need to be banned entirely. However, adding and eliminating the foods from your daily meals also depends on your needs.
So do you know other veggies to avoid on a keto diet? Please share them with us through the comment section.
