You must eat very low-carb to stay in the Keto Zone. And since the bulk of the diet is low carb vegetables and healthy fats, the types of veggies you eat matter.

Below are the absolute best keto vegetables to choose daily on a ketogenic diet, plus how to eat them.

Low Carb Keto Vegetables to Eat Daily

Although there are exceptions, a handy rule of thumb for most vegetables is:

• Keto Veggies grown above ground = low carb (like leafy greens)
• Keto Veggies grown underground = starchy and higher carb (like potatoes)

Here are the best low carb vegetables for keto with their net carbs per serving:

• Green olives: 10 small = 0.1g net carbs
• Spinach: 1 cup = 0.4g net carbs
• Romaine lettuce: 1 cup = 0.5g net carbs
• Butterhead lettuce: 1 cup shredded = 0.6g net carbs
• Kalamata olives: 5 olives = 1g net carbs
• Black olives: 10 small = 1.1g net carbs
• Iceberg lettuce: 1 cup shredded = 1.4g net carbs
• Cucumber: ½ cup slices = 1.6g net carbs
• Avocado: 1 full = 3.7g net carbs
• Eggplant: 1 cup cubed = 1.9g net carbs
• Asparagus: 6 spears = 2g net carbs
• Green beans: ½ cup = 2g net carbs
• Radishes: 1 cup slices = 2g net carbs
• Zucchini: 1 cup chopped = 2.8g net carbs
• Cauliflower: 1 cup = 2.8g net carbs
• Green cabbage: 1 cup chopped = 3g net carbs
• Broccoli: 1 cup chopped = 3.6g net carbs
• Brussels sprouts: 1 cup = 4.6g net carbs
• Red cabbage: 1 cup chopped = 4.7g net carbs
• Green bell pepper: 1 medium = 4.7g net carbs
• Kale: 1 cup chopped = 5.4g net carbs
• Red bell pepper: 1 medium = 6g net carbs

* Net carbs calculated from FatSecret.com.

Even though they’re technically fruits, tomatoes are also considered a good low carb vegetable. One medium tomato contains about 3.3g net carbs.

Remember that to stay in the Keto Zone, carbs should be kept at 20 grams or less per day. Most of those should come from vegetables combined with lots of healthy fats and moderate amounts of protein. Choosing the lowest carb veggies often will keep you within the carb limit.

Best Ways to Eat Your Low Carb Vegetables

Besides the carb amounts, how you prepare your low carb vegetables matters too. Here are the best ways to eat them:

• To maintain the most nutrients, eat your vegetables raw, lightly steamed, or blanched (plunged into boiling water for a minute or two before being removed quickly).
• If you want to cook them more, bake at 325-350F in the oven. This will still maintain much of the nutrients.
• Although slow cooking at lower temperatures is best, you can also saute vegetables. Just be sure to cook them in fats or oils with higher smoke points like coconut oil, grass-fed ghee, lard, or tallow. (See this Healthiest Oils guide for more on cooking with oils.)

low net carb vegetables- No matter how you prepare them, always eat your low carb vegetables with plenty of healthy fats, including avocado or avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, or low-carb nuts and seeds.

What If You Don’t Like Keto Vegetables?

If you’re not used to eating vegetables, especially the low carb ones, give it time. Find a tasty fat-based keto sauce or dressing to cover them in until you get used to them—which you will!

You can also supplement with Dr. Colbert’s Green Supremefood—which has all the nutrients you’d get from vegetables—especially on days you eat less of them. Just remember: there’s no substitute for real vegetables! Eat them as often as you can!

The post The Absolute Best Low Carb Keto Vegetables to Stay Healthy appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

Here’s a breakdown of what to eat on vegan keto.

Vegan Keto Fats

Eat an abundance of healthy plant-based fats! Those include:

• Coconut meat and coconut oil
• Avocado and avocado oil
• Olives and olive oil
• Low-carb nuts and seeds (see list below)
• Palm oil
• MCT oil or MCT oil powder

Vegan Keto Proteins

Many vegan “mock meats” and other packaged foods are full of carbs, so it’s best to stick with whole food proteins as much as possible. Here are the best:

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are good sources of protein and fat, making them a good option for vegan keto.

Choose low-carb nuts like:

• Pecans
• Brazil nuts
• Macadamia nuts
• Walnuts

And seeds like:

• Chia seeds
• Flax seeds (make sure they’re ground)
• Hemp seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds

Edamame

Also known as soybeans, edamame are the base of tofu and tempeh. You can eat them roasted, dry roasted, and in salads or other keto dishes.

A ½ cup of edamame contains about 4g fat, 8.5g protein, and 3.5g net carbs.

Tempeh

Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans, making it a gut- and digestion-friendly food. The fermented soybeans are binded together into a block shape.

One serving of plain tempeh has about 4.5g fat, 15 grams of protein, and 3g net carbs.

Make sure the tempeh:

• Contains no added flavors, seasoning, or grains that increase the carbs
• Is non-GMO and organic, as GMO soy foods may cause hormone dysregulation and inflammation

Tofu

Like tempeh, tofu is made from soybeans. The beans are made into milk that is then coagulated and pressed into a meaty block.

Use soft tofu for blending in sauces, dressings, smoothies, or desserts and medium, firm, or extra firm for stir frying, frying, grilling, or baking.

Tofu is not as fiber-rich as tempeh, but it’s lower in carbs. A 3.5-ounce serving has about 4g fat, 8g protein, and 1g net carbs.

Always prioritize non-GMO and organic tofu.

Vegan Protein Powders

A low-carb plant-based protein powder helps you meet protein needs on a vegan ketogenic diet.

Protein Supremefood is an organic based, non-GMO, clean brown rice- and pea-based protein powder with just 2g net carbs plus added turmeric and ginger. Try it here!

Add protein powders to smoothies, desserts, or mix with water or a low-carb plant-based milks.

Vegetarian Keto Proteins

If you’re a vegetarian who still eats eggs and dairy, your other protein options include:

• Eggs
• Dairy like ghee, unsweetened yogurts, butter, heavy cream, or raw goat’s milk (opt for grass-fed pasture-raised organic dairy)

Vegan Keto Dairy and Egg Alternatives

For egg substitutes in keto baking recipes, use (per egg):

• One tablespoon ground chia seeds or flax seeds whisked with three tablespoons filtered water
• Two tablespoons water mixed with one tablespoon oil and two teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ cup pureed soft tofu
• Egg replacers from Bob’s Red Mill (1g net carbs), Orgran (2g net carbs), or Ener-G (4g net carbs)

For scrambled “eggs” or “omelets,” use the Vegan Egg (0g net carbs).

For dairy substitutes, use:

• Coconut milk or cream, cashew milk, or almond milk (with little or no preservatives and no sugars)
• Vegan butters with healthy oils like Ellyndale Organics, Nutiva, or Miyoko’s
• Cashew cheese or low-carb vegan cheeses made with healthy oils
• Coconut or cashew yogurt (unsweetened)

Vegan Keto Carbs: Tons of Low-Carb Veggies

To stay in the KetoZone (carbs at 20 grams per day or lower), most of your carbs should come from low-carb vegetables, including:

• Leafy greens: spinach, lettuce, and kale
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Artichokes
• Bell peppers
• Broccoli and cauliflower
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Celery
• Cucumbers
• Garlic and onions
• Zucchini

While eating a vegan ketogenic diet takes extra work initially, it’s completely possible! Overall, eat tons of plant-based fats, get enough protein, and focus on low-carb keto vegetables.

The post Vegan Keto: How to Eat a Ketogenic Diet Without Animal Products appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

Once you know the basics of how ketones and ketosis work, what to eat, and what to avoid on keto, you also need to understanding the best supplements to take when starting the keto diet. Here they are, in order of importance, as recommended by Dr. Colbert.

1. MCT Powder for Quick, Fat Burning Energy

MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides, a type of fat that—unlike other fatty acids—your body can metabolize right now [1]. That means your body can more quickly convert the fat into ketones to be used as energy (instead of being stored as fat!).

In other words, with MCTs you stay in fat-burning mode longer and they’re a perfect complement to a ketogenic diet.

As supplements, MCTs come from palm oil or coconut oil and are available as MCT powder or oil. Be careful about what’s added—look for all-natural flavors and only natural, sugar-free sweeteners so carbs are kept very low.

2. Digestive Enzymes for a Happier Stomach

A ketogenic diet like the Keto Zone™ program is very high in good, fat-burning fats and rich in vegetables and proteins. While these are great for health, your body might need a little help adjusting to the changes.

Help out your digestive system by supplementing with a digestive enzyme. It’ll help your body break down the fats and vegetables better so you can receive their nutrients without uncomfortable symptoms like gas, bloating, or indigestion.

But don’t reach for just any standard digestive enzyme! The type matters.

Here’s what to look for:

Fat Digestion Enzyme: Lipase

This is the best digestive enzyme to take on the keto diet.

When you eat common healthy keto fats like extra virgin olive oil, avocados, and keto nuts and seeds, your pancreas naturally releases lipase. But here’s the problem: your body probably won’t make enough lipase to handle keto-level fats.

So, look for a high-lipase digestive enzyme supplement to provide exactly what you need to break down these foods.

Vegetable Digestion Enzymes

A healthy keto diet like the Keto Zone™ is not only high in fats but also rich in vegetables—more than the average American eats, that’s for sure.

To account for the high veggie intake, Dr. Colbert also advises supplementing with enzymes that target cellulose, a tough-to-digest substance in most keto vegetables.

Those enzymes are cellulase and hemicellulose.

For best results on keto, seek a digestive enzyme containing at least these three enzymes.

3. Collagen Protein for Joint and Tissue Support

After MCT powder and digestion enzymes, collagen protein is highly recommended on a ketogenic diet.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body and is popular as a supplements for many reasons. It contains vital amino acids for optimal health.

There are different supplemental forms of collagen protein: type I, type II, and type III.

Supplementing with all three collagen types can support healthy hair, skin, nails, connective tissue, and gut health, but type II collagen is uniquely used for medicinal purposes, joint mobility, and flexibility too.

Collagen supplements are typically made from either beef collagen or chicken collagen, which is mostly type II collagen. Hydrolyzed chicken collagen is most recommended for those on the Keto Zone™ program.

4. Exogenous Ketones for Energy and Entering Ketosis Quickly

Entering ketosis means your body has made the switch from burning carbs and sugar for fuel to burning fat. This is what we also called the “Keto Zone,” and it’s the sweet spot when you’re burning fat, gaining energy, and improving your health and mental clarity.

Exogenous ketones help you with two main things:

• Entering ketosis quickly, whether you’re just starting the keto diet or getting back into it after a period of eating higher carb.
• Boosting energy levels once you’re already in ketosis and your body is thriving on ketones for energy, clarity, and fat loss.

Look for exogenous ketones that are free of added sugars (stevia is best for sweeteners), high in the ketone beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and contain electrolyte salts—which is our next listed supplement.

5. Electrolytes for Your Nervous System

As you drastically reduce carbs and enter ketosis, your body initially drops a lot of water—taking important electrolyte minerals with it.

Your body needs electrolytes to conduct electricity throughout your nervous system and keep everything firing and working properly, such as your digestive system and heart. Replenishing electrolytes also helps prevent the symptoms of keto flu.

Those electrolytes are:

• Sodium
• Magnesium
• Potassium

A simple way to increase sodium is by adding more sea salt to your food or dissolving some in water.

For the magnesium and potassium, you might need to supplement, such as adding mineral/electrolyte drops to water—or you can look for a ketone supplement that already contains added electrolyte salts.

Also, Don’t Forget: Drink Water

Since low-carb diets tend to increase water loss, remember to drink water very often. Dehydration is a common symptom of ketosis that’s preventable with regular water intake!

Reading for Starting the Keto Diet: Keto Zone Diet Book

To jumpstart your keto success, Dr. Colbert also recommends “supplementing” with the Keto Zone Diet book for an optimal healthy living plan covering how to use these supplements and everything you also need to know when starting the keto diet (or getting back into it).

Get ready to lose weight, balance hormones and appetite, burn fat, and live a purpose-driven life with your new balanced keto diet plan.

The post Starting the Keto Diet? 5 Doctor-Recommended Supplements You Need appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.