Keto Fruits And Vegetables That Are Okay To Eat And What To Avoid

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We’re going to be honest here — we don’t like diets of any kind. We prefer to follow the 80/20 rule: Eat a clean, balanced diet 80 percent of the time and give yourself room to indulge with the remaining 20 percent. That said, we do admit that when it’s done right, the ketogenic diet can offer some clear health benefits.

Strict ketogenic diets dictate that less than 5 percent of a person’s daily caloric intake come from carbohydrates. It’s not uncommon for people who adhere to a strict keto plan to aim to consume fewer than 20 grams of carbs per day. Others who follow a looser version of the diet may consume between 25 and 50 grams of net carbs daily. As you probably already know, all foods are made up of a combination of carbohydrates, fat and protein. Meat, fish, poultry and most dairy products are primarily made up of protein and fat, whereas fruits and vegetables mainly comprised of carbs.

All fruits and veggies are super healthy and nutritious, but if you’re following a strict keto diet, eating too many high-carb produce picks could make exceed your recommended daily carb allotment. So if you really want to follow your keto plan to a T, you need to know which pieces of produce are higher in carbs so you can avoid them and stick to lower-carb options instead (and still nourish your body in the process). That’s why we made a guide to keto-friendly fruits and vegetables below, as well as lists of higher-carb produce that you should probably avoid while going keto.

Vegetables

When it comes to eating vegetables on the ketogenic diet, stick to non-starchy veggies and avoid or limit your intake of the starchy ones. If you find it difficult to distinguish between the two groups, just remember that any vegetable that grows above the ground (like kale, spinach, cauliflower, etc.) is non-starchy, whereas veggies that are grown below the ground (a.k.a. root vegetables like potatoes and carrots) are considered starchy.

Starchy vegetables generally contain higher amounts of carbs per serving compared to non-starchy ones, so limit your intake of these types of veggies. Below you’ll find a list of vegetables that are keto-friendly, ones that you can get away with eating occasionally and ones that you should probably avoid completely while going keto. They’re ranked based on how many net carbs they contain per 100-gram serving. A 100-gram serving is 3.5 ounces, which is approximately the weight of an average tomato. Keep in mind that you want to mainly eat veggies with fewer than 5 net carbs when following a strict keto diet.

Keto-Approved Veggies

Celery (1 net carb per 100 grams)
Spinach (1 net carb per 100 grams)
Lettuce (2 net carbs per 100 grams)
Asparagus (2 net carbs per 100 grams)
Avocado (2 net carbs per 100 grams)
Cucumber (3 net carbs per 100 grams)
Olives (3 net carbs per 100 grams)
Eggplant (3 net carbs per 100 grams)
Tomato (3 net carbs per 100 grams)
Zucchini (3 net carbs per 100 grams)
Cabbage (3 net carbs per 100 grams)
Cauliflower (3 net carbs per 100 grams)
Kale (3 net carbs per 100 grams)
Green Bell Peppers (3 net carbs per 100 grams)
Broccoli (4 net carbs per 100 grams)
Green Beans (4 net carbs per 100 grams)
Red Bell Peppers (4 net carbs per 100 grams)

Keto-Tolerated Veggies

Yellow Bell Peppers (5 net carbs per 100 grams)
Brussels Sprouts (5 net carbs per 100 grams)
Pumpkin (6.5 net carbs per 100 grams)
Carrots (7 net carbs per 100 grams)
Beets (7 net carbs per 100 grams)
Onions (8 net carbs per 100 grams) *Onions have a slightly higher carb content than other vegetables, but people generally eat less of them. So if you’re just using this veggie to season other foods, you can consume it in moderation while following a keto diet.

Veggies That Should Be Avoided On A strict Keto Diet

Butternut Squash (8.3 net carbs per 100 grams)
Green Peas (9 net carbs per 100 grams)
Acorn Squash (10 net carbs per 100 grams)
Corn (10.4 net carbs per 100 grams)
Parsnips (13 net carbs per 100 grams)
White Potatoes (15 net carbs per 100 grams)
Sweet Potatoes (17 net carbs per 100 grams)

Fruits

Fruits generally contain higher amounts of carbs per serving compared to vegetables, so eat smaller portions of them when following a strict ketogenic diet. However, you can still eat some fruit in moderation if you choose fruits with a lower carb content. Below is a list of fruits that are keto-tolerated and others that should be avoided completely when going keto.

Keto-tolerated Fruits

Raspberries (5 net carbs per 100 grams)
Blackberries (5 net carbs per 100 grams)
Strawberries (6 net carbs per 100 grams)
Lemon (6 net carbs per 100 grams)
Coconut Meat (6 net carbs per 100 grams) *Shredded coconut is a great choice for the keto diet because it’s high in healthy fats. Just 100 grams of coconut contains 33 grams of total fat.
Blueberries (12 net carbs per 100 grams) *We’re including blueberries on this list because, unlike other higher-carb fruits, they’re generally eaten in smaller portions.

Fruits That Should Be Avoided On A Strict Keto Diet

Peaches (8 net carbs per 100 grams)
Oranges (9 net carbs per 100 grams)
Clementines (10 net carbs per 100 grams)
Cherries (10 net per 100 grams)
Plums (10 net carbs per 100 grams)
Kiwi (12 net carbs per 100 grams)
Apples (12 net carbs per 100 grams)
Pears (12 net carbs per 100 grams)
Pineapple (12 net carbs per 100 grams)
Mango (13 net carbs per 100 grams)
Grapes (16 net carbs per 100 grams)
Banana (20 net carbs per 100 grams)
All dried fruits and fruit juices

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