How Many Carbs in Cauliflower? Is It Keto Friendly?

While many vegetables are a-okay on the keto diet, there are some starchy, high-carb options you should avoid at all costs. If you are a big fan of cauliflower, you may be asking yourself,  is cauliflower keto approved?

Still worried cauliflower may not be the best choice? 

Let us take a deep dive into everything cauliflower to give you all the information needed to ensure it is a great option for keto and provide you with a few great recipe ideas too. 

Is Cauliflower Good for the Keto Diet?

Vegetables are ideal for most diets. In spite of this, keto takes a different approach to the keto diet that banishes some vegetables to the” bad” side.

Luckily for cauliflower lovers, this diet welcomes the vegetable, and in a large amount. To illustrate, we took a quick look into how many carbs are in popular cauliflower options, and here is what we found.

Types of cauliflower and their carb count (1 cup servings) (*):

Types of Cauliflower	Net Carbs	Sugar	Fiber	Total Carbs
Raw Cauliflower	2.8	2.4	2.5	5
Small head of Cauliflower	2.44	6.36	6.6	14.04
Cooked Cauliflower	1.80	1.76	3.4	5.20
Cooked Frozen Cauliflower	2.01	1.89	4.8	6.81
Canned Cauliflower	2.60	2.50	4.8	7.40
Creamed Cauliflower	8.28	4.90	3.6	11.88
Mashed Cauliflower	5.54	5.55	3.4	8.94
Green Cauliflower	1.90	1.94	2.0	3.90
Pickled Cauliflower	10.24	8.94	2.4	12.64
Cream of Cauliflower Soup	13.88	10.09	1.5	15.38

Breaking it down a little, you will notice, you can eat an entire head of raw cauliflower and still have more than half of your allotted daily carbs left for other foods.

Why is Cauliflower Good for Keto?

The keto diet, as you may already know, is a high protein, medium fat, and low carbohydrate diet. This means keeping your carb intake no higher than 50 grams per day to stay in ketosis.

In 100 grams or about 1 cup of cauliflower, you are only eating about 5 grams of carbs. This will fit into your diet with no problems, giving you a healthy menu item to work with for every meal of the day.

Nutritional facts for cauliflower (*):

• 27 calories
• 0.3 g. of fat
• 2 g. of protein
• 5 g of carbohydrate
• 0.197 mcg of vitamin B6
• 47 mg of phosphorus
• 24 milligrams (mg) of calcium
• 51.6 mg of vitamin C
• 61 mcg of folate
• 2 g of sugar
• 16.6 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin K
• 16 mg of magnesium
• 320 mg of potassium
• 2.1 g of fiber

Taking a look at the nutritional facts above, it is easy to see why we recommend cauliflower on the keto diet. However, this is not the only reason.  

Other Reasons Cauliflower is Good for Keto

We wanted to emphasize the other benefits cauliflower offers the body, aside from being a top choice for low-carb foods. So we put together a list of the advantages of adding this produce to your next grocery list. (*)

1. Full of antioxidants:

Antioxidants reduce inflammation and heart disease. According to the National Cancer Institute, Studies show eating foods with antioxidants can decrease the chances of developing or dying from cancers. (*)

2. High in fiber:

With 2.1 grams of fiber, you will feel fuller and longer by eating just one cup of cauliflower. According to the USDA, a lack of fiber consumption is a significant problem in the US and is a common issue for gut health. (*)

3. Contains lots of nutrients: 

You will get a smorgasbord of nutrients by eating this one vegetable. Cauliflower has 77 % of your daily recommended Vitamin C intake, 20% vitamin K, and 10% of vitamin B.

4. High in Choline:

This is an essential nutrient that serves essential functions in your body, such as cell structure, a healthy metabolism, and nervous system maintenance.

 Most people will only get the daily recommended dose of choline through the foods they eat (such as cauliflower which has 45mg in one cup.)

5. Aids in weight loss:

Cauliflower can help you lose weight because it helps to keep you fuller longer, is ideal for snacking on when you are hungry without overdoing it on calories and sugar, and provides the nutrients your body requires to feel energized making you more active throughout the day.

6. Keeps you Hydrated:

Cauliflower is high in water content with around 92% grams of water per cup. Staying hydrated is extremely important to your overall health, whether you are on keto or not. 

Cauliflower is Versatile

Cauliflower is a very versatile vegetable and can easily pair with other ingredients to create a variety of meal options to suit all tastes. 

We believe mixing up your menu when using the same foods is a great way to keep you on track with dieting, eliminating the monotony at meal time and providing a plate full of keto-approved options.

How To Add Cauliflower to Your Keto Diet

People all over the world have found ways to incorporate this favorite farm produce into all three main courses, and snacks, by getting a little creative. 

So, how do we recommend adding cauliflower to your keto diet? 

• Eat it raw: Add it to a salad or eat it all on its own (or with a keto-approved dip.)
• Cook it up: Use it as an ingredient in a  low-carb recipe
• Get creative: Use it in place of non-keto foods such as rice, bread, and even pasta.

With this in mind, we thought it might be helpful to share our favorite ways to utilize cauliflower while navigating the keto diet. 

Cauliflower and Cheese

One keto fan favorite is mixing cauliflower and cheese together to make a healthy and approved keto dish. 

When mixing the ingredients together you can sprinkle your cheese of choice on top of your cauliflower, melt it on, or mix it up with some other keto friendly ingredients like broccoli or bacon.  

Keto approved cheeses to try:

• Cheddar cheese
• Gouda Cheese
• Goat Cheese
• Cream Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Provolone Cheese

Cauliflower Bread

Making a quick meal is difficult on keto because easy-to-grab foods are no longer an option. 

One of the most missed items on this diet is bread, with many Sandwich lovers looking for an alternative. Luckily, there are ways to get around this issue by using cauliflower in creative ways. And one of our favorite options is cauliflower bread.

What can you do with cauliflower bread? 

• Cauliflower toast
• Cauliflower grilled cheese and ham sandwich
• Cauliflower buns for bacon and cheeseburgers

Cauliflower Potatoes

We know all too well how much many will miss the beloved potato when navigating the keto diet since mashed, baked, fried, and any other type of potatoes are a huge no-no here. 

With the help of some added ingredients, mashed cauliflower can help you curb those potato cravings and will make you forget about all those unhealthy carbohydrates by imitating the starchy vegetable.

Cauliflower Rice

Traditional rice is not something those on the keto diet eat on a regular basis as it is high in carbs. 

To make cauliflower rice, all you have to do is toss fresh-cut chunks into your blender and pulse it until you get fine, thin, and small bits of veggies. After that, toss in your favorite meats, spices, or other keto-approved ingredients for an amazing cauliflower rice dish. 

Cauliflower on the Keto Diet FAQs

Have more questions about eating cauliflower on the Keto diet? Well, we have answers. 

Below are some of the most common questions people often ask about eating cauliflower while  following keto, along with information we gathered from professionals who know what they are talking about. 

How Much Cauliflower Can You Eat on the Keto Diet?

You can eat pretty much as much cauliflower on keto as you want.

Keep in mind that you need to keep a balanced diet that includes proteins and fat, which cauliflower does not provide.

Can You Have Cauliflower Pizza on Keto?

Yes, you can have cauliflower pizza on keto as long as the rest of the ingredients are low carb as well. 

Can Cauliflower Kick You Out of Ketosis?

It is unlikely that cauliflower would kick you out of ketosis. 

With 5g of carbs per cup, you would need to eat at least 10 cups of cauliflower. That is a lot!

Should You Eat Cauliflower While Following the Keto Diet?

Eating cauliflower while following the keto diet,  along with protein-rich foods with healthy fats, is a great option.

Final Thoughts

We believe keto is a great way to lose weight, feel great, and reduce unhealthy foods from your diet.

Adding nutrient-rich vegetables such as cauliflower to your daily intake will provide a much higher chance of success in staying in ketosis while feeling energized and providing your body with the essential nutrients it needs.

Up Next:

• Is broccoli keto friendly?
• Is cabbage keto friendly
• Are carrots keto friendly?
• Is zucchini keto friendly?
• Keto vegetables list
• Keto vegetables to avoid