| Food | Net Carbs / 100g | Keto Score |
|---|---|---|
| ginger | 0.0g | ✅ Keto |
| turnips | 1.0g | ✅ Keto |
| Asparagus | 1.1g | ✅ Keto |
| spinach | 1.1g | ✅ Keto |
| romaine lettuce | 1.2g | ✅ Keto |
Vegetables are the foundation of a keto and low-carb diet — but not all vegetables are created equal when it comes to carbohydrates. Non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, and zucchini contain just 2–6g net carbs per 100g, making them essentially free foods on keto. Starchy vegetables are a different story entirely.
Potatoes contain around 17g net carbs per 100g cooked, and corn on the cob delivers 16–19g per ear. Sweet potatoes range from 17–20g net carbs per 100g. These starchy options can exceed an entire day's carb allowance in a single serving, which is why most keto plans exclude them entirely.
The safest vegetables for carb tracking are above-ground leafy varieties: spinach (1.4g/100g), kale (5.2g/100g), lettuce (1.4g/100g), and cucumbers (2.2g/100g). Cruciferous vegetables — broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts — are also low enough to eat freely. The rule of thumb: if it grows above ground, it's probably keto-friendly.
The lowest-carb vegetables include spinach (1.4g/100g), lettuce (1.4g/100g), cucumber (2.2g/100g), celery (1.4g/100g), and zucchini (2.1g/100g). Leafy greens are essentially carb-free in normal serving sizes.
Potatoes are not keto-friendly. A 100g serving of cooked potato contains about 17g net carbs — a significant portion of a day's carb budget on strict keto (20–50g). Cauliflower is a popular low-carb substitute for mashed or roasted potato.
Carrots are borderline for strict keto. They contain about 8g net carbs per 100g. A small carrot (60g) has around 5g net carbs. In small amounts they may fit a moderate low-carb diet, but those on strict keto (under 20g/day) often limit or avoid them.
You can eat generous amounts of leafy greens (spinach, kale, lettuce, arugula), cucumbers, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, asparagus, green beans, and cabbage. These typically have under 5g net carbs per 100g.
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