On the subject of vegetables on a ketogenic diet, there are clearly several schools. Some will say “ vegetables are at will, they are still vegetables”. And then there are those from the school “ as long as you don’t exceed your carbohydrates, you eat the vegetables you want ”.
And then there is me, who would like to explain to you why in fact, the choice is a bit more complex than that!
So, don’t expect me to make an exhaustive list of all the vegetables with a yes / no opposite! And as I have not listed everything, if you still have questions, do not hesitate to ask them in the comments.
THE CARBOHYDRATE LEVEL SELECTION
When we start on a ketogenic diet, we tell ourselves that we can eat all vegetables because vegetables are healthy, and also, we have learned that they contain few carbohydrates.
They are indeed low in carbohydrates, but sometimes, and especially in the adaptation phase, it is still TOO MUCH for the metabolism to go into ketosis.
THE “CLASSIC” SELECTION
If you want to stay below 20g of carbohydrates per day (something I STRONGLY recommend), then certain vegetables will be too high in carbohydrates. With these vegetables, you will quickly have exceeded your amount of carbohydrates per meal — even per day! That is why it is wiser to avoid them.
- squash (butternut, Pattison, spaghetti, pumpkin, etc.)
- beet
- the carrot
- parsnip
- Jerusalem artichoke
- potatoes and sweet potato (which are not btw vegetables)
I would add because I am often asked the question, that corn is NOT a vegetable! It is still a cereal, even if it is sometimes found in the vegetable section in supermarkets.
For some metabolisms having trouble adapting, it is sometimes necessary to stay below 15g of carbohydrates per day. On this point, unfortunately, we are not all equal! In this case, also consider temporarily ruling out:
- the leek
- red and yellow pepper
- onion
- shallot (or by managing the quantity well)
When you have any doubts about the carbohydrate rate of a vegetable, or the rate indicated by your app seems a little doubtful, I invite you to consult the CIQUAL TABLE of foods, which is updated each year. This remains the most reliable source.
By following these few restrictions, you should naturally go below 20g of carbohydrate per day, and therefore, succeed in lowering your blood sugar levels to go into ketosis.
SPECIAL CASES
However, it often happens that, when doing their blood sugar tests, some people find that their blood sugar remains high. It can be in the morning on an empty stomach. It can also be after meals… or both! If this is your case, reconsider the question taking into account the particular cases:
THE ADAPTATION PHASE
The adaptation phase can in some cases be difficult. For some people, blood sugar struggles to drop, ketonemia must have struggled to stabilize in the right range. The energy is not there, or other signs are telling you that your metabolism is “resisting”.
In these cases, I advise you to fall back on the families of vegetables which are at the same time:
- lowest in carbohydrates
- best tolerated by our metabolism & intestines
Obviously, this list must be modulated from one person to another. But as a general rule, it is prudent to stick to the following vegetables:
- the leaves: salad, lamb’s lettuce, young shoots, spinach, cardoon, chard, etc.
- crucifers: cauliflower, broccoli, green cabbage, red cabbage, Chinese cabbage, Romanesco, kale, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, etc.
- less radish: pink, red, black, white, blue (if there are blue radish, I saw !!)
- others: artichoke, asparagus, green beans
INTESTINAL POROSITY
First of all, you must already know whether or not you have intestinal porosity. If you want to be sure, I suggest you take this quick test which allows you to get the first idea.
In the context of intestinal porosity, it is important to avoid all substances that attack the intestinal mucosa and generate holes there. Among these substances, we find casein (which you know well by now), phytic acid (same thing), but also lectins which are, among others, in certain vegetables.
Among the vegetables rich in lectins (and therefore to be avoided in case of intestinal porosity), we find :
- Solanaceae: eggplant, tomato, pepper, pepper, potato
- cucurbits: squash, zucchini, cucumber, pickle, chayote
NB: if in addition to intestinal porosity, you also think you have dysbiosis, such as candidiasis, also avoid:
- mushrooms (also, some are surprisingly rich in carbohydrates, such as shitake for example)
- fermented vegetables: sauerkraut, the mixture of fermented vegetables, kimchi, etc.
THYROID DISORDERS
For people with thyroid dysfunction, the subject is difficult because several things should be avoided:
- foods rich in lectins (see above)
- but also crucifers!
For a person suffering from thyroid, it is therefore complicated, and sometimes off-putting to choose vegetables, because the choice quickly becomes limited.
If you have thyroid concerns, I advise you :
1) to do a VERY strict adaptation phase, staying at 200g of MG added per day until your blood levels stabilize
2) to consume organ meats regularly and in particular from the liver
3) why not, to help you with ancestral products supplements: using, in this order: Adrenals (adrenals) then Thyroid (thyroid)
HISTAMINE INTOLERANCE
For histamine intolerance, the choice of food, and here vegetables, will be quite variable from one person to another. Apart from some vegetables, which are known to usually trigger histamine reactions (such as spinach, avocado, or vegetables high in oxalate), everyone’s food sensitivities are different. I, therefore, advise you:
- to rotate (change vegetables at least every 3–4 days). don’t forget that any vegetable or meat, consumed too recurrently, repetitively, can generate a histamine reaction!
- avoid fermented vegetables
- to test the foods you suspect using your meter! (I explain how to proceed in detail). If the test is positive, temporarily eliminate these foods, or eat them only infrequently.
- if you really have very strong histamine intolerance, consider a period of keto-carnivore for a few weeks, the time to bring down the mast cells.
- you can help yourself with the Thymus product from Ancestral Supplement.
CONCLUSION
You can still use the carbohydrate counting technique. Namely, when we only talk about ketosis, we can just monitor the level of carbohydrates, the amount consumed, and we get by.
But when we talk about ADAPTATION, and what we want is to improve our adaptation, have a more efficient metabolism, solve our health problems, repair our intentions, etc., we have to look a little more in detail.
As always, a portion of food eaten on an ad hoc basis will never create irreparable damage! It is even likely to stimulate certain functions by the law of hormesis. But unsuitable vegetables, eaten regularly or even in large quantities, can in some cases interfere with your goals …
