The ketogenic diet, or keto for short, has gained popularity as a method for weight loss and managing certain health conditions. Initially developed as a treatment for epilepsy, people soon discovered other benefits of this diet. The keto diet involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake to shift the body's primary fuel source from glucose to fat. This metabolic state, called ketosis, is achieved by limiting daily carb intake to 20-50 grams. But while you can include beets in a regular diet, what about keto?
Understanding the Keto Diet
The body typically relies on glucose as an energy source, which is obtained from carbohydrates. By restricting carbs, the keto diet forces the body to burn fat for fuel, leading to weight loss and other potential health benefits. Some benefits of following a keto diet include weight loss, improved bloodwork, and increased energy levels. However, there are also potential drawbacks. In the early stages, some individuals may experience the "keto flu," a collection of symptoms like fatigue, headache, and nausea as the body adapts to using fat for fuel.
Keto-Friendly Foods
To successfully follow a keto diet, it's essential to choose foods that are low in carbohydrates. Vegetables form a large part of a ketogenic diet. Keto-friendly vegetables are often non-starchy, such as spinach, zucchini, and cauliflower. Some excellent choices include:
- Leafy Greens: Spinach, kale, and collard greens provide essential nutrients like vitamin K, magnesium, and iron.
- Cruciferous Vegetables: Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower are high in vitamins K and C, as well as folate, and help reduce inflammation.
- Other Low-Carb Vegetables: Asparagus, celery, tomatoes, lettuce, mushrooms, cucumber, zucchini, bell peppers, white mushrooms, arugula, green beans, romaine, radishes, Swiss chard, eggplant, red cabbage and Brussels sprouts are all great options.
Conversely, starchy vegetables like corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, peas, and carrots are generally avoided on a keto diet due to their higher carbohydrate content.
Beets: A Nutritional Powerhouse
Beets, also known as beetroots, are root vegetables prized for their earthy sweetness, vibrant color, and impressive nutritional profile. They are an excellent source of fiber, folate (vitamin B9), vitamin C, iron, manganese, and potassium. Thanks to their high nitrate content, beets are also great for heart health and sports performance by improving blood flow, reducing fatigue, and boosting endurance.
Read also: Low-Carb Roasted Beets Recipe
Are Beets Keto-Friendly?
The short answer is kind of. Beets aren’t the most keto-friendly vegetable out there due to their carb content. At first glance, 9.1 grams of net carbs per cup might feel high for a keto diet, especially if you're limiting yourself to 20-30 grams per day. Beets are starchy vegetables, meaning they contain more carbs than leafy greens but less than grains or fruit.
How to Enjoy Beets on Keto
While beets are relatively high in carbs compared to other keto-friendly vegetables, they don't have to be completely off-limits. If you are craving beets and want them to be part of your diet, remember to take your entire day's worth of carbohydrates into consideration. Here's how to incorporate beets into your keto diet:
- Portion Control: The number of beets you can safely eat on keto depends on your daily carb allowance. I recommend having no more than ½ a cup of beets per day.
- Preparation Matters: Raw beets, or beets served cooked by roasting or boiling, have the lowest carb count. Roasting, boiling, or steaming are all great. Avoid sugary glazes or high-carb recipes that can quickly increase your total carbs. One-half cup of cooked beets has about 45 calories and 8 net carbs.
- Timing: Some keto enthusiasts use a targeted approach, consuming slightly more carbs before a workout to boost performance.
- Consider Beet Alternatives: If you’re looking for a low-carb vegetable that tastes like beets, consider using radishes. It’s super easy to pickle.
Beet Products and Keto
- Pickled Beets: Avoid having pickled beets to prevent adding too many carbs to your keto diet.
- Beet Juice: Drinking even a small amount of beet juice will knock you out of ketosis. An eight-ounce serving of beet juice has 70 calories and 17 net carbs. Instead, drink radish juice. It tastes like beet juice, and only contains two grams of net carbs.
- Beetroot Powder: If you are looking for the health benefits of beets using beetroot powder is an option. However, it is not a low-carb option. One scoop of beetroot powder has about 4 carbohydrates.
Health Benefits of Beets on Keto
Even in small amounts, beets pack a powerful punch when it comes to health benefits.
- Nitrates: Beets are known for their high nitrate content, which improves blood flow, reduces fatigue, and boosts endurance.
- Fiber: It contains a lot of fiber that acts as a buffer to the carb content. Beets help keep your gut moving.
- Betalains and Nitrates: Thanks to betalains and nitrates, beets may help reduce inflammation in the gut, kidneys, and bloodstream, lowering the risk of heart disease.
- Choline: Beets are also high in choline and other nutrients that break down fat in your liver.
Low-Carb Beet Recipe Ideas
Want to get creative with beets while sticking to your keto plan?
- Beet Greens: Beet greens might not taste nice when you eat it raw, so consider chopping it finely and adding ground beef and leafy greens. You can also add beet greens to your favorite keto recipes.
- Radish Juice: Radish juice is also the perfect drink if you’re suffering from blocked sinuses.
- Low-Carb Cream of Celery Soup: Low-Carb Cream of Celery Soup is fresh and fragrant, including celery, onion, and garlic.
General Keto Diet Guidelines
- Limit Carbs: Generally, a person following a keto diet should aim to limit their carb intake to no more than 50 grams (g) each day. However, to maximize the chance of staying in ketosis, a person can limit their carb intake to 20 g per day.
- Don't Limit Fats: A person generally does not need to limit the amount of fat they consume while following a keto diet.
- Include a Variety of Foods: To prevent nutrient deficiency, include as many different foods as possible to get different nutrients.
Considerations and Precautions
- Consult a Professional: Always check with your doctor or a registered dietitian before embarking on a restrictive diet such as keto.
- Not for Everyone: In addition, the keto diet generally isn’t recommended for people with kidney or liver problems, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, or gout; anyone whose gallbladder has been removed; or individuals with a family history of cancer.
- Potential Side Effects: Because so many vegetables are high in carbs, people on keto tend to take in less fiber than usual, which can exacerbate common keto-related side effects, such as constipation. Eating a variety of low-carb vegetables can help ensure that you meet your fiber goals.
- Sustainability: “I would use caution if trying to use the keto diet as a sustainable approach,” says Kaufman.
Read also: The Mike Beets Story
Read also: Low-Carb Pickled Beets