Low-Carb Vegetables – Visual Guide to the Best and Worst — Diet Doctor (2024)

Which vegetables are low carb? There’s a very simple rule:

• Vegetables growing above ground are usually low carb and can be eaten freely.
• Vegetables growing below ground contain more carbs, so you’ll have to be more careful with them (especially potatoes).

Like any rule, it is not perfect, so have a look below.

All numbers represent grams of net carbohydrates per 100 grams (3½ ounces) of the vegetable.²

Please note the differences between above-ground and below-ground vegetables.

Vegetables with less than 5 grams of net carbs may be eaten relatively freely. If you’re on a moderatelow-carb diet (20-50 grams of net carbs per day), you can probably eat all you want of all these low-carb vegetables.

If you’re on a keto low-carb diet (below 20 grams a day), you may need to be careful with some of the vegetables. You should probably be especially careful with bell peppers or tomatoes – these carbs can quickly exhaust the 20 grams per day limit. One medium-sized bell pepper may contain 4-7 grams of digestible carbs.

Top 10 low-carb vegetables

Here are ten great low-carb vegetables that are also tasty and rich in nutrients. We’ve attempted to sort them by how popular and useful they are in low-carb cooking.

All numbers are net carbs per 100 grams (3½ ounces).³

1. Cauliflower – 3 g. Perhaps the most classic and iconic of all low-carb vegetables. The base of cauliflower rice and cauliflower mash. Check out our top cauliflower recipes
2. Cabbage – 3 g. Another great low-carb vegetable. Who doesn’t love butter-fried green cabbage or the simply amazing Asian cabbage stir-fry? For more, here are our top cabbage recipes
3. Avocado – 2 g. Not just low carb, but also full of nutritious fat.⁴ Technically a fruit, but most people likely think of it as a vegetable. Avocado can be eaten in all kinds of ways, including on its own, in salads, or it can be used to make guacamole. But that’s just the start, here are other awesome avocado recipes
4. Broccoli – 4 g. Another great option that can replace pasta, rice or potatoes. Just fry it in butter or add some cheese for great-tasting side dishes. More recipes
5. Zucchini – 3 g. Try our zucchini fries or zucchini chips. Zucchini can also be used to make low-carb pasta, like in this low-carbonara. More recipes
6. Spinach – 1 g. An extremely low-carb vegetable, spinach is full of vitamins and minerals and can be used many ways.⁵ It pairs beautifully with eggs, such as in our popular frittata. Check out that spinach recipe, and and many more
7. Asparagus – 2 g. Revered as both a food and medicine – and aphrodisiac – by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans up to medieval times, asparagus is one of the world’s oldest cultivated vegetables.⁶ Nutritious and delicious!⁷ Try it wrapped with prosciutto and grilled, or in other tasty recipes
8. Kale – 3 g. Hardier than spinach, less watery, but just as nutrient-rich, kale can stand up to mincing, sautéing, baking, and much more.⁸ Cut into ribbons, it makes a great noodle substitute for zesty sauces. Recipes
9. Green beans – 4 g. Frenched, diced and tossed in a salad, fricasseed and more, green beans taste great especially with added fats like butter, an olive-oil vinaigrette, or bacon. Recipes
10. Brussels sprouts – 5 g. Nutty, filling and nutritious, they are especially good roasted with olive oil and garlic, or with bacon.⁹ Or steam and serve with a cheese cream sauce. Recipes

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