Eggplant Nutrition Facts Revealed: Discover If Eggplant Is Truly Keto-Friendly!

When following the ketogenic diet, knowing which foods fit into your low-carb lifestyle can sometimes be tricky. Many people wonder, "Is eggplant keto?" The answer is yes! Eggplant is a versatile and nutritious vegetable that can be a great addition to your keto meal plan.

What is the Keto Diet?

The ketogenic diet (keto) involves drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake to shift your body into a state of ketosis. In ketosis, your body switches from using carbs to using fat as its primary fuel source. To reach ketosis, you generally need to limit your daily carb intake to 20 to 50 grams (g) per day. This low-carb allotment can make getting enough vegetables in your diet tricky, as some vegetables boast a high carb count. However, not all vegetables are high in carbs; many are keto-friendly and packed with important nutrients, providing the vitamins and minerals your body needs to thrive without knocking you out of ketosis.

Eggplant: A Keto-Friendly Vegetable

Eggplant, like most non-starchy vegetables, is quite low in calories and carbohydrates, making it suitable for a keto diet. A typical serving of eggplant, about 1 cup or 82 grams, contains roughly 2 grams of net carbohydrates.

Nutritional Information for Eggplant

Here's a breakdown of the nutritional content of eggplant:

Fiber: Eggplant is a good source of dietary fiber, providing digestive benefits. A single one-cup serving (about 99g) of raw eggplant contains approximately 2.5g of fiber.
Antioxidants: Eggplants are rich in phytonutrients called anthocyanins, potent antioxidants that give the eggplant its deep purple color and help your body combat oxidative stress. Studies have shown that eggplant fruit protects against DNA damage, potentially preventing diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Heart Health: The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in eggplant may contribute to heart health, potentially reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Potassium: Eggplant is a fair source of potassium. A one-cup serving of cooked, cubed eggplant contains approximately 122 milligrams of potassium.
Iron: Eggplant contains some iron, though not a significant amount. One cup of cooked eggplant contains around 0.4 milligrams of iron.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown per cup:

Calories: Low in calories
Total Carbs: 4.4 g
Net Carbs: 2.5 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 0.7 g
Fat: Minimal

Macro and Micronutrients in Eggplant

Eggplant is incredibly nutrient-dense, providing a wealth of essential vitamins and minerals. For 100g of raw eggplant, there are just 3g net carbs. For the same amount of cooked eggplant, this rises to 6.5g net carbs. Macros for raw eggplant are even more preferable for a keto diet due to lower total carbs and higher fiber content.

How to Incorporate Eggplant into Your Keto Diet

Eggplant is a versatile vegetable that can be used in various dinner recipes, snacks, and appetizers. When cooking with eggplant, it's best to leave the skin on to retain those crucial phytonutrients.

Keto-Friendly Eggplant Recipes

Eggplant Chips: These crispy roasted eggplant chips are simple to prepare and make an excellent snack or appetizer.
Keto Eggplant Parmesan: Skip the breadcrumbs and gluten by using almond flour or parmesan cheese for breading.
Creamy Chicken and Eggplant Casserole: A flavorful and easy option for dinners and potlucks.
Eggplant Lasagna: Replace lasagna noodles with eggplant slices to increase the nutritional value and cut carbs.
Roasted Eggplant with Ricotta and Herbs: A simple yet delicious way to enjoy eggplant with a drizzle of olive oil, ricotta cheese, and your favorite herbs.
Eggplant Bruschetta: Use eggplant slices instead of bread to serve your favorite Italian appetizer.
Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Dip: A rich and creamy dip that's low-carb, paleo, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
Baba Ganoush: A Lebanese dish made with roasted eggplant, tahini, garlic, and olive oil, perfect with veggies or grilled chicken.
Lamb Stew with Eggplant Puree: Serve lamb stew over eggplant puree for an extra hit of creamy goodness.
Greek Eggplant Salad (Metitzanosalata): A classic Greek dish with eggplant, garlic, onion, olive oil, and herbs.
Eggplant "Mozzarella Sticks": A low-carb twist on mozzarella sticks, combining the flavors of eggplant parm.
Cranberry Eggplant Bread Pudding: Uses eggplant instead of traditional bread for a low-carb alternative.
Eggplant Rounds with Tomato and Mozzarella: Simply layer eggplant rounds with sliced tomato and mozzarella cheese.
Crispy Fried Eggplant with Parmesan and Marinara Sauce: Each serving of 2-3 pieces contains 270 calories, with a macronutrient breakdown of 16% carbs, 63% fat, and 21% protein.

Recipe example: Crispy Fried Eggplant with Parmesan and Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, unpeeled (approx 1-1/4 lb) or 548g
Basil Spices, dried 1 tsp, ground or 1g
Salt Table ½ tbsp or 9g
Pepper Spices, black ¼ tsp or 0.5g
Eggs Large - Meijer 2 egg or 114g
Pork rinds
Parmesan cheese
Sugar-free low-carb marinara sauce (Rao)
Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Slice the eggplant into 10-12 rounds, sprinkle them with salt, and put in a colander to drain for 15 minutes. Dry completely on paper towels.
Crack the eggs in a shallow bowl large enough to hold an eggplant round and scramble with a fork.
Mix the pork rinds, parmesan cheese, and seasoning together in another shallow bowl.
Pick up a round with a fork and flip it back and forth in the egg until completely covered.
Pick up with a fork and let the egg run off. Place into the crumb mixture and cover the top with crumbs. Press the crumbs onto the top. Then, flip the round over with the fork and do this again.
Lift the eggplant round out and shake off the excess crumbs. Lay on a sheet pan. Repeat the process on all of the rounds.
Heat an iron skillet or a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Alternately, you can use a big pancake skillet and fit all on the skillet at once. When hot, add the oil (you will need much less oil in a non-stick skillet). When the oil is hot, add 3-4 round to the pan and let cook for 3 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel to drain then to a cooling rack. As you go, you may need to add a little more oil to the skillet or adjust the heat down just a bit. The eggplant will be brown and very crispy.
Brush the eggplant with olive oil and put the slices on a baking sheet. Then bake them in a 400 degree oven instead of a skillet for about 10 min. on each side until tender and crisp.
Spoon a little sugar-free low-carb marinara sauce (Rao) over the baked slices of eggplant, sprinkled 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese over the top and popped it back in the oven until the cheese melted (about 5 minutes).

Other Keto-Friendly Vegetables

Besides eggplant, many other vegetables can be included in a keto diet:

Zucchini: Low in carbs and versatile.
Cauliflower: Low in carbs and high in vitamins and phytochemicals; riced cauliflower makes a great low-carb replacement for traditional rice.
Spinach: Very low in carbs and easy to incorporate into meals.
Bell Peppers: Red, orange, and yellow bell peppers are great for adding vitamins and satisfying a desire for crunch.
Asparagus: Delicious grilled and served with meat, poultry, or fish.
Broccoli: Provides a significant amount of your daily vitamin C goal.
White Mushrooms: Incredibly low in carbs.
Celery: A must-have low-carb option that will add crunch and flavor to any dish.
Arugula: A peppery salad green that won’t push you over your daily carb allotment.
Kale: Extremely low in carbs and contains a host of other important nutrients.
Cucumbers: 95 percent water, making them a super-hydrating snack.
Green Beans: A tasty, nutritious side for a variety of dishes.
Romaine: The foundation of Caesar salad and can replace tortillas in wraps.
Radishes: A great way to add a burst of flavor without adding too many carbohydrates.
Swiss Chard: Packed with calcium and low in carbs.
Cabbage: An excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K.
Brussels Sprouts: Fiber-rich and versatile.

Vegetables to Limit on Keto

While many vegetables are nutrient-dense and fit perfectly into a low-carb lifestyle, some contain higher amounts of carbohydrates that can hinder ketosis. These choices are eaten sparingly or not at all by most keto dieters:

Corn
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Parsnips
Peas
Beets
Carrots

Important Considerations for a Keto Diet

Consult a Professional: Always check with your doctor or a registered dietitian before embarking on a restrictive diet such as keto.
Fiber Intake: 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: Be cautious about using the keto diet as a sustainable approach.
Underlying Conditions: 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.
Food Quality: Food quality is just as important as the amount of carbohydrates in your diet.Read labels carefully to spot hidden sugars and high-carb ingredients in packaged foods.

Eggplant and Specific Dietary Concerns

FODMAP: Eggplant is considered low FODMAP. According to Monash University, a serving size of 1 cup or about 75 grams of eggplant is low in FODMAPs and should be safe for most individuals with IBS or other digestive disorders to consume.
Oxalates: Eggplant is high in oxalates. One half-cup of eggplant could contain approximately 6.4 milligrams of oxalates. A low-oxalate diet typically limits daily oxalate intake to less than 50 milligrams.
Purines: Eggplant is not high in purines, containing about 21 mg of purines per 100 grams, which is considered low.
Histamine: Eggplant is not high in histamine. While they contain some histamine, the amount is generally low.
Phosphorus: Eggplant is not high in phosphorus. A one-cup serving of cooked eggplant provides about 15 mg of phosphorus.
Sodium: Eggplant is not high in sodium. A one-cup serving of raw eggplant only contains around 2 mg of sodium.
Sugar: Eggplant is not high in sugar. One cup of raw eggplant contains about 2.4 grams of sugar, which is relatively low.
Uric Acid: Eggplants do not contain uric acid themselves.
Cholesterol: Eggplants do not contain any cholesterol.
Protein: Eggplants are not considered a high protein source. The same one-cup serving size contains just about 1 gram of protein.

Additional Benefits and Considerations

Fertility: Including eggplant in your diet can potentially aid in fertility due to its high content of antioxidants.
Vitamin K: In terms of nutritional value, eggplant is not particularly high in Vitamin K.
Paleo-Friendly: Eggplant is considered paleo-friendly.
Testosterone: There is no scientific evidence to suggest that eggplant directly contributes to an increase in testosterone levels.
Vegan and Vegetarian: Eggplants are vegan and vegetarian.
Gluten-Free: Eggplant in its raw form is gluten-free.

KetoDiet App

The KetoDiet app helps you reduce your carb intake by adopting a whole-foods approach to nutrition. Learn how to keep your blood sugar levels stable and manage your appetite all while enjoying high-quality food sources.

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Read also: Healthy Chicken and Eggplant

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