Low carbohydrate and keto lifestyles are popular — and for good reason. While carbs can be part of a healthy diet, limiting them can be a smart choice for certain people and focusing on quality carbs is a smart move for everyone.
Limiting carbohydrates, especially those coming from foods with empty calories like white, refined grains and sugar-sweetened beverages, can make significant improvements to your health.
Moderate and lower carbohydrate lifestyles have been shown to help with chronic conditions related to blood sugar management, helping to prevent and manage type 2 diabetes. The dietary pattern has also been shown to aid in cancer prevention. Low-carb diets may even help to increase metabolism and assist with weight loss and maintenance.
Following the keto diet, or a lower-carb diet, also encourages people to eat more vegetables. Few foods provide more bang for your nutritional buck than vegetables. Veggies not only provide vitamins and minerals, but can replace the fiber from foods that tend to be limited in a low-carb or keto diet such as whole grains, beans and legumes.
Here are 16 low-carb, keto-friendly vegetables to try. (Note: The total carbs for a serving of each vegetable is the net carbs, which is total carbs minus fiber).
Fennel (3.65 carbs per cup)
While you may have fennel seeds in your spice rack, fewer people utilize the fennel bulb in everyday recipes. Fennel can be used in fresh or raw recipes as a sweet addition to salads, soups and sauces. Add it to your grocery list — especially if you are a post-menopausal woman, since adding fennel to your meals and snacks may benefit menopausal symptoms. A 2017 randomized controlled trial found fennel consumption to have significant reductions in hot flashes, vaginal dryness, anxiety and sleeplessness. An increase in belly fat is often typical in post-menopausal women and a low-carb diet may help in the reduction of belly fat as well.
Eggplant (2.36 carbs per cup)
Read the full article here
