Being on a keto diet means eating healthy fats and low-carb foods. Since most fruits, legumes, and whole grains are restricted, you need to know which foods you are allowed to consume. Today’s question is, are artichokes keto friendly? Yes, Artichokes are keto-friendly. However, there are other better low-carb vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, and asparagus. But, let’s focus on artichokes!
Are Artichokes Keto Friendly to Eat?
Healthy keto foods include low-starchy vegetables like avocado, spinach, broccoli, cucumbers, and zucchini and other low-carb foods like Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, root vegetables, and parmesan cheese.
To know, are artichokes keto friendly, we need to know this thorny vegetable’s carb content.
Artichokes Carbs and Fiber
The U.S. Department Of Agriculture states that one medium artichoke (128g) contains 10.5g of total carbs, 0.99 grams of sugar, and 5.4g of total dietary fiber. For 1 cup serving size of artichokes hearts, the total carbs are 15.4g. One artichoke heart (2.49g) contains 2.49g of total carbs. Finally, a large artichoke contains 14g of total carbs. Now for keto dieters, these would be many carbs for their ketogenic diet.
Yet we still consider artichokes keto-friendly, why? The total carb count is high but artichokes are very high in fiber which decreases their net carbs. One cup serving size of artichoke hearts contains 2g of carbs.
Another reason why artichokes are keto-friendly is apart from them being low-carb, we usually consume them as sides or minor ingredients hence we end up consuming little carbs. This type of vegetable majorly used in Mediterranean cuisines can be considered a great addition to the low-carb diet.
Carbs in Artichokes Canned
Canned artichoke hearts are more practical and more affordable while fresh artichokes can be costly and take more time to trim and cook. Canned artichoke hearts are either frozen, canned in olive oil and spices, or canned in brine.
My recommendation for keto artichoke hearts would be those canned in oil because they are high in healthy fats which will increase ketosis promoting your brain and overall health. Be sure to read the nutritional facts in the can to know how many carbs are in a 100g serving of your artichokes.
In 100 g of canned cooked artichokes with no added fat are 11.9 g of total carbohydrates, 5.7 grams of fiber, and 6.2 grams of net carbs. It is important to mention that it is not the grams of carbohydrates only to look out for when choosing your canned artichokes.
The ideal choices when it comes to the canned varieties are those in canned oil rather than those in brine. Raw artichokes contain only 0.15 grams of fat which would be considered too low for the keto diet, hence making the oils great fat sources.
Those in brine have a higher sodium content which may not be the best pick for your heart’s health.
Artichoke Keto Recipe
Before we get into the kitchen, we need to answer one important question:
What is the Healthiest Way to Eat Artichokes?
The best way to eat these low-carb vegetables is steamed. In your saucepan steam artichoke hearts with your favorite herbs and spices. Cook for about half an hour until the leaves are tender.
Another way to enjoy artichokes keto is by baking them stuffed with parmesan cheese and vegetables. The crunchy and creamy dish is a delicious delight!
You know we can’t go without leaving some easy keto artichoke recipes for you to add to your keto diet recipes.
Now although steaming is the best option, other cooking methods can bring variety into your diet. Here are a few options you’d enjoy.
Keto Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe
The artichoke dip is the perfect high-fat, low-carb side for all. It is a good appetizer and will only take you 30 minutes to prepare.
Ingredients
- I batch of spinach
- Olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Mayonnaise (I’d recommend the one with avocado oil or olive oil)
- Parmesan cheese
- Greek Yoghurt
- Artichokes hearts in oil
- 1 small garlic (minced)
- Preferred spices (you can use black or cayenne pepper)
Procedure
- Cook your spinach in oil until tender then set aside.
- In a saucepan, heat your parmesan cheese until creamy then add mayonnaise, spices, chopped artichoke, Greek yogurt, spices, and minced garlic and stir.
- Strain your cooked spinach to remove excess water
- Add your spinach to your mixture.
- Transfer to a ceramic dish, and add more parmesan cheese on top.
- Add your spinach artichoke dip into a baking dish and bake.
- Serve
Grilled Artichoke Recipe
This delicious crunchy recipe is great for anyone on a keto diet. It works as a healthy appetizer!
Ingredients
- Cooking oil
- 1 garlic clove cut in half
- 1 lemon, sliced
- Sea salt/ Himalayan pink salt to taste
- A single-medium artichoke/ cans of Artichoke Hearts
- Preferred herbs, chopped
Method
- Heat your chopped herbs in cooking oil until warm. Set them aside and let to cool.
- If using fresh artichokes, trim your artichoke leaves and rub lemon on the edges to prevent oxidation. Trim off your stems, 2 inches from the base of your artichoke. The top 1/2 inch of the artichoke should be cut and discarded. Cut your vegetable into two.
- Remove chokes and fuzzy inner leaves with a metallic spoon then rub lemon juice all over the inside.
- Heat water and a clove of garlic (grated) in a pot until it boils, then place your artichokes on the steamer rack cut side down. Steam for half an hour on medium heat.
It’s okay for the artichokes to be undercooked. Drain water and dry artichokes with a paper towel. Use a brush to brush the herb-infused oil on the artichokes, sprinkle oil, and grill the cut side down for 10 minutes until there are grill marks on the cut sides.
Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve. You can enjoy this with other veggies or alone.
Is Artichoke Dip Keto Friendly?
One tablespoon of artichoke dip contains 1 gram of carbohydrates, 0.7 g of net carbs, 3.05 g of fat, and 1.6 grams of protein. Checking the content of Artichokes dip, you can see that it is low in carbs, has a high fat content, and contains moderate amounts of protein.
With this, it is safe to say that Artichoke dip is keto-friendly! Use fresh raw artichokes over the cans of artichokes hearts, especially those in saline water. You can add sour cream or mozzarella cheese as an excellent source of fat for your delicious artichoke dip.
Artichokes Carbs Keto?
Because of their benefits and essential vitamins, I am pro artichokes for a keto diet. Yet, if you are still concerned about artichokes’ net carbs, you can still enjoy artichokes in a moderate amount.
You can eat them once in a while, to add variety to your diet. Also, be mindful of how much artichokes you are consuming per serving. The net carbs of cooked artichokes hearts are considered fair, as long as intake is monitored. This will ensure you do not exceed the required carb intake for a keto diet.
Does Artichoke Spike Insulin?
Can diabetics eat artichokes or do they spike insulin? The good news, diabetics can eat artichokes without worrying about their blood sugar levels rising. Artichoke hearts are high in fiber which helps in slowing down the absorption of glucose into the blood. Low blood sugar equals low insulin levels.
A clinical trial testing the effects of artichokes on the glycemic indices concluded that consuming supplementation of artichokes regulated Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) because the vegetables are low in net carbohydrates.
Final Thoughts
Are artichokes keto friendly? Yes, in moderate amounts. This article has covered artichokes and staying within your carb limit. Consume them in a fair amount and you have nothing to worry about. Tell us in the comment sections which recipe you like for your low-carb diet. Don’t be shy to ask any question on keto too!
