Vegetables to Avoid on Keto: Top 5 Highest Carb Veggies
Vegetables are a very important part of a ketogenic diet. Veggies that do great on a keto diet include tomatoes, celery, mushrooms, and spinach. A keto dieter may want to avoid starchy veggies, like potatoes, sweetcorn, and beets.
A typical keto diet limits your carb intake. So, instead of taking in more carbs, a keto dieter eats more fats alongside a moderate amount of protein.
A keto diet aims to put your body into a state of ketosis. This happens when your body burns fat for fuel (energy) instead of carbs. Ketosis also causes weight loss.
A 2018 review suggests that keto dieter should limit their daily carb intake to at most 50 grams.
As such, not every food should be on your keto diet, vegetables included.
In this article, we will look at some vegetables to avoid on a ketogenic diet.
1. Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are nearly everyone’s favorite. And they’re compatible with a range of meals.
A medium, baked sweet potato without the skin intact has over 23.61g of carbs which is a bit on the high side, and so should be avoided on a keto diet.
However, sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins A and C, and potassium.
2. Beets
Beets are also known as beetroots. They are sweet roots with a purple color that can be eaten either cooked or raw. A cup of raw beets has over 13g of carbs, which is on the high side for a keto diet.
3. Corn
Corn is a well-known vegetable that can be enjoyed all year round. It is mainly eaten as a side dish, either in a salad or on the cob itself.
A 100g measure of corn contains no less than 25g of carbs, and about 3.36g of protein. It most certainly should be avoided on a keto diet. However, corn is also rich in vitamin C. It also improves high blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Here’s a summary of the vegetables that you should avoid on a ketogenic diet:
Vegetable Amount of carbs/100g
Potatoes 20.45
Yams 27.4
Sweet potatoes 16.82
Sweet corn 5.31
Parsnips 16.47
Beets 9.56
Peas 14.45
Keto dieters usually limit their daily carb intake to 50g. But then, to boost your chances of staying in ketosis, you should limit your daily carb intake to 30g daily.
Protein intake for women should be limited to 40 – 50g per day, while protein intake for males should be limited to 50 – 60g per day.
There is generally no need to reduce the amount of fat you consume on a keto diet.
Takeaway
Ketogenic diets are high fat, low carb diets that causes the body to switch to fats as its energy source, rather than carbs. This implies that people following the ketogenic diet must reduce their daily carb intake to put their bodies into ketosis.
Vegetables are important components of a healthy diet, no doubt. However, it is important to note that some veggies may contain a high amount of carbs thus making them unsuitable for a keto diet.
So, if you are following the ketogenic diet, you should check whether the veggies you’re including in your meal will exceed your daily carb limit and prevent your body from going into ketosis.