Low-carb vegetables – the best and the worst

  1. Above ground
  2. Below ground
  3. Top 10
  4. Sticks and dips
  5. Peas & beans
  6. Recipes
  7. Similar guides

What vegetables are low carb?1 There's a very simple rule:

  • Vegetables growing above ground are usually low carb and can be eaten freely.
  • Vegetables growing below ground contain more carbs, so you'll have to be more careful with them (especially potatoes).

Like any rule it is not perfect, so have a look below.

Above ground

All numbers are net carbs per 100 grams (3½ ounces).2 Low-carb vegetables growing above ground

Keto vegetables above

Carbs list

Below ground

Keto vegetables below ground

vegetables_below_ground_mobile

All numbers represent percent of net carbohydrates.3 This means that a hundred grams (3½ ounces) – the weight of an average tomato – of any vegetable will contain this number of grams of carbs.

E.g. an average tomato has about 3 grams of carbs. A large cauliflower head weighs a lot more though, potentially ten times more, and may thus contain about ten times 3 grams, i.e. 30 grams of carbs.

Carbs list

Please note the difference between above-ground and below-ground vegetables.

Vegetables with less than 5 grams of carbs may be eaten relatively freely.4 If you're on a not-too-strict low-carb diet (more than 20 grams per day), you can probably eat all you want of all these low-carb vegetables.

If you're on a keto low-carb diet (below 20 grams a day), you may need to be a bit careful with some of the vegetables. You should probably be especially careful with bell peppers or tomatoes – these carbs quickly add up towards the 20 grams-a-day limit. Just one medium-sized bell pepper may contain 4-7 grams of digestible carbs.

Medication with warfarin and vegetable intake: Warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) is a medication that is sometimes used to treat or prevent blood clots, and it can be affected by changes in your vegetable intake.

Top 10 low-carb vegetables

Low-carb veggies top 10

Here are ten great low-carb vegetables, tasty and rich in nutrients but with very few carbs.5 We've attempted to sort them by how popular and useful they are in low-carb cooking.6

All numbers are net carbs per 100 grams (3½ ounces).7

  1. Cauliflower – 3 g. Perhaps the most classic and iconic of all low-carb vegetables. The base of cauliflower rice and cauliflower mash. Check out our top cauliflower recipes
  2. Cabbage – 3 g. Another great low-carb vegetable. Who doesn't love butter-fried green cabbage or the simply amazing Asian cabbage stir-fry?8 For more, here are our top cabbage recipes
  3. Avocado – 2 g. Not just low carb, but also full of nutritious fat.9 Technically a fruit, but most people likely think of it as a vegetable. Avocado can be eaten in all kinds of ways, including on its own, in salads, or it can be used to make guacamole. But that's just the start, here are other awesome avocado recipes
  4. Broccoli – 4 g. Another great option that can replace pasta, rice or potatoes. Just fry it in butter or add some cheese for great-tasting side dishes. More recipes
  5. Zucchini – 3 g. Try our zucchini fries or zucchini chips. Zucchini can also be used to make low-carb pasta, like in this low-carbonara. More recipes
  6. Spinach – 1 g. An extremely low-carb vegetable, spinach is full of vitamins and minerals and can be used many ways.10 It pairs beautifully with eggs, such as in our popular frittata.11 Check out that spinach recipe, and and many more
  7. Asparagus – 2 g. Revered as both a food and medicine – and aphrodisiac – by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans up to medieval times, asparagus is one of the world's oldest cultivated vegetables.12 Nutritious and delicious!13 Try it wrapped with prosciutto and grilled, or in other tasty recipes
  8. Kale – 3 g. Hardier than spinach, less watery, but just as nutrient-rich, kale can stand up to mincing, sautéing, baking, and much more.14 Cut into ribbons, it makes a great noodle substitute for zesty sauces. Recipes
  9. Green beans – 4 g. Frenched, diced and tossed in a salad, fricasseed and more, green beans taste great especially with added fats like butter, an olive-oil vinaigrette, or bacon.15 Recipes
  10. Brussels sprouts – 5 g. Nutty, filling and nutritious, they are especially good roasted with olive oil and garlic, or with bacon.16 Or steam and serve with a cheese cream sauce. Recipes

Vegetable sticks and dip

Low-carb vegetable sticks and dip

Keto Veggies and dip

Numbers are digestible carbs per 100 grams (3½ ounces).

Vegetable sticks are relatively low carb, except for carrots that have slightly more carbs.

Dip: Add cream cheese or any really low-carb and high-fat dip sauce. Here are our top recipes:

Peas, corn, beans, etc.

Peas, beans, corn, lentils, quinoa keto visual guide peas and beans

Peas, corn, beans, lentils and quinoa are relatively high in carbs, and so are not good options on a keto low-carb diet. On a more moderate or liberal low-carb diet, you may be able to include some peas and lentils.

On a side note, grains like corn and quinoa are usually not considered vegetables.17

Refined grains and sugar

Foods made of grains and sugar

Wheat is not a vegetable – it is a grain.18 And anything made with wheat flour contains lots of rapidly digested carbs.19 Avoid this when on a low-carb diet. When it comes to their effect on blood sugar, whole-grain products have a slightly slower impact than refined grains, but the difference is surprisingly small.20

Bread, pasta, rice, cookies etc. are not vegetables, and they are full of carbohydrates.

High-fructose corn syrup – the sweet ingredient in many sodas – comes from plants (corn), but it is not a vegetable and it is certainly not low carb.

Low-carb vegetable recipes

Top cauliflower recipes

Cauliflower may be the most popular low-carb vegetable of all. Here are our top cauliflower recipes:

Top cabbage recipes

Cabbage is another very versatile low-carb vegetable. Here are our top cabbage recipes:

Food for thought

A ketogenic diet and fewer vegetables

Q&A

Here are a few common questions about low-carb vegetables. For all kinds of questions, have a look at our full low-carb FAQ.

Can you eat tomatoes on a low-carb diet?

Yes. Tomatoes contain about 3 grams of net carbs per 100 grams (about 5 grams per cup). But if you're eating a strict keto low-carb diet (below 20 grams per day) it's worth keeping in mind that the carbs do add up, and you can only eat a moderate amount of tomatoes to stay under that limit.21

Are cucumbers low in carbs?

Cucumbers have about 3 grams of net carbs per 100 grams, so they are fairly low carb – as you can see in the visual guide above. You can absolutely eat cucumber on a low-carb diet.

Are carrots OK on low carb?

Carrots contain about 7 grams of net carbs per 100 grams. On a keto low-carb diet (below 20 grams per day) you may want to avoid carrots completely. But they can be OK on a moderate or liberal low-carb diet (if you're aiming to stay below 50 or 100 grams of carbs per day).

Full low-carb diet FAQ

Visual low-carb guides

More

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A low-carb diet for beginners

Low-carb foods

Low-carb foods

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14-day low-carb diet meal plan