Easy Keto Broccoli Salad Recipe | Low Carb Recipes by That's Low Carb?! (2024)

FAQs

How many carbs are in a broccoli salad? ›

Yes, broccoli is keto-friendly! It is low in carbohydrates and high in fiber, making it an excellent choice for those following a ketogenic lifestyle. One cup of cooked broccoli contains only 3 grams of net carbs, which is well within the daily limit for those on a keto diet.

With just 2 grams of net carbs per ½ cup, broccoli is a major superfood that should be a staple on the keto diet, says Suzanne Dixon, R.D. It's high in fiber and protein to keep you full and you can use it in just about anything—stews, soups, and keto makeovers of your favorite foods like casserole.

You can eat a variety of salads on keto, as long as they contain healthy fats and proteins and are low in carbs. Egg salad, grilled chicken salad, shrimp salad, cauliflower salad, arugula salad, cucumber salad, antipasto salad, Greek salad, Caprese salad, and spinach salad are just a few keto-friendly salads to enjoy.

Plenty of low-carb vegetable options include arugula, asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes. Those vegetables provide other benefits like reducing the risk of certain chronic diseases, containing antioxidants, and providing filling fiber.

Chipotle Keto Salad Bowl (1 serving) contains 17g total carbs, 7g net carbs, 36g fat, 30g protein, and 535 calories.

Nutritional differences

In terms of basic macronutrients for cauliflower, the difference with broccoli is negligible when you compare it through the USDA. One cup of chopped raw cauliflower contains a slightly lower amount of carbohydrates, 5.32 grams, a trace amount of fatty acids, and 2.05 grams of protein.

Foods you can eat on the keto diet include fish and seafood, meat and poultry, non-starchy vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, and zucchini, avocados, berries, nuts and seeds, eggs, high-fat dairy products, olive oil and other oils, and high-cocoa chocolate.

Cucumber is another popular salad vegetable. It contains many essential nutrients, including vitamin K. Cucumber is also suitable for the keto diet, as its carb content is just 3.63 g per 100 g. To make the carb content lower, a person can peel the cucumber before eating it.

Some of the best meats for keto include beef, pork, chicken, salmon, and bison. Still, all plain, unprocessed meats are keto-friendly and low in carbs — so there are plenty of options to choose from. However, you may want to choose your meats based on other factors in addition to carb count.

Can I eat as much salad as I want on keto? ›

Vegetables have carbohydrates. And that means that you have to watch how much of them you eat — even lettuce. If you're not careful or are eating them as a free-for-all, you could overconsume carbs and kick yourself out of ketosis.

Keto fruits by definition are low in carbohydrates. You still need to exercise portion control with most keto-friendly fruits to be within the limits of a keto diet. Keto-friendly fruits include avocados, watermelon, strawberries, lemons, tomatoes, raspberries, peaches, cantaloupe, star fruit, and blackberries.

Keto Net Carb Diet. On the ketogenic diet, the "net carb" is the amount of carbs in a food minus the fiber and sugar alcohol. Fiber and sugar alcohol are subtracted because the body does not fully absorb them. The keto net carb diet limits daily carbohydrate consumption to 20-50 grams to induce ketosis.

- Starchy Vegetables: Potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, yams, corn, cassava, artichoke, etc. - Refined Carbs: Bread, pasta, pastries, tortilla, sandwich, etc. Due to the high-carb content of these food items, they are not keto-friendly.

Carbs. Broccoli's carbs mainly consist of fiber and sugars. The sugars are fructose, glucose, and sucrose, with small amounts of lactose and maltose ( 4 ). However, the total carb content is very low, with only 3.4 grams of digestible carbs — or total carbs minus fiber — per cup (90 g) ( 4 ).

Try to stick to nonstarchy veggies. According to the USDA, broccoli contains 3.7 g of net carbs, zucchini has 2.6 g of net carbs, and raw spinach has 0.4 g of net carbs per cup.

Broccoli Slaw (1 tbsp) contains 1g total carbs, 0.9g net carbs, 0.2g fat, 0.1g protein, and 6 calories.

Mixed vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots (0.5 cup) contains 2.4g total carbs, 0.9g net carbs, 0.1g fat, 1.1g protein, and 12 calories.