When you switch to a keto diet, one of the things you might be confused about is whether or not you can eat your vegetables. One thing to remember is that the ketogenic diet is not the same as the Atkins diet. You are not trying to eat a diet of primarily meat and cheese. However, in some cases, if you don’t actually like veggies that much, you might prefer to minimize them. Here are some things to know about doing Keto with limited vegetables.
Keep in Mind, Veggies Help Increase Your Fiber
Before looking at some ways to do the ketogenic diet without veggies, let’s first look at why you should try to add veggies to your diet. Aside from just the fact that vegetables are good for you and contain a lot of important nutrients you might not be able to get elsewhere, they also contain a good amount of fiber. When you are on an extremely low-carb diet, your fiber is already reduced by not having grains, oats, and other fiber-rich foods. You need fiber to help with constipation, which sometimes occurs on this diet. Therefore, if you can handle veggies in even small amounts, it will be very helpful.
Be Careful of Your Protein Content
The next reason veggies are good is because they help to fill you up and keep you full, without adding to your protein content. Keto is not like a regular low-carb diet where you can eat unlimited amounts of meat and cheese. In fact, this is not a high-protein diet at all. It is a high fat, low carb, and moderate protein diet. You are going to have a good amount of protein, but if you don’t have veggies to add to your meals, you are eating more animal protein that is going to increase your protein dramatically. You will need to be extra careful to look at your protein levels and keep them low if you intend to do keto without a lot of vegetables.
How to do Keto Without Veggies
If you are still adamant about doing the keto diet without veggies, first watch your fiber and protein content. At the very least, try to add an avocado every day, since it brings in more healthy fats while also providing about 10 grams of fiber. This makes one avocado about 3-4 net carbs, depending on how much you eat.
You should also try to add more nuts and seeds to your diet. These will add in more fiber and other nutrients you are missing out on by not eating a lot of vegetables.
There are so many great nut and seed Keto Snacks. Here are Some of My Fav’s and Recommendations for you:
I always make sure I have a good supply of keto friendly snacks on hand. They are great when you are running out the door for an appointment or travel … always be prepared with a keto snack on hand in your purse, or backpack. They are great for nighttime snacking when you sit down to watch TV too. (when everyone else wants ice cream or unhealthy snacks).
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