Are Onions Keto or Not?
If you are looking for a way to spice up your meals, then you may be thinking about adding a few onions. At the same time, if you are following the keto diet, are onions keto-friendly? Onions have a fairly pungent aroma and countless potential uses. Therefore, they are a staple in the kitchen. So, how many carbs are present in onions? Fortunately, they are keto-friendly, as long as you control your portion sizes. Learn more below!
Onions Nutritional Facts
Even though onions are keto-friendly, they are also a vegetable with carbs that can add up quickly. Therefore, you need to keep your portion sizes relatively small and track the number of carbohydrates you consume. On average, a whole raw onion contains approximately 14 grams of total carbs. Onions also contain 1.1 grams of protein, 0.1 grams of fat, and 4 mg of sodium. Even though this does not sound like onions are keto-friendly, you are probably not going to eat an entire onion like a typical fruit. Therefore, as long as you count your carbs carefully, you should be able to stick to the boundaries of the keto diet and still enjoy onions as a part of your meal. In addition, onions also contain fiber, so the net carbohydrate count is a bit lower.
Health Benefits of Onions
There are a number of health benefits of onions. These include:
- Onions contain a lot of vitamin C, which is a nutrient that plays an essential role in regulating the immune system and helping tissues repair themselves.
- Onions are also a powerful antioxidant. This means that they can help your body fight free radicals and reduce inflammation.
- Onions also contain a lot of B vitamins. This is important for red blood cell production and nerve protection.
If you eat onions regularly, you can enjoy all of these benefits.
Best Keto Brands of Onions
Even though onions are keto-friendly, you may be looking for a specific onion that has an even lower carbohydrate count. For example, you might want to go with red onions, which contain even fewer carbohydrates. A whole red onion contains approximately five grams of total carbohydrates. If you are looking for something even lower, then you may want to go with green onions, which are commonly called scallions. A quarter cup of green onions contains fewer than two grams of carbohydrates. Consider mixing up your onions from time to time with these outstanding options.