Lettuce is a versatile vegetable that’s used in many salad recipes. It’s difficult to overeat lettuce because it’s so filling, and it’s also packed with various micronutrients like vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and calcium. But is it allowed on the keto diet?
Is Lettuce Keto-Friendly?
You’ll be glad to know that yes, lettuce is keto-friendly. It’s low in carbohydrates as well as calories. If you love fresh produce, lettuce is one of the vegetables you can enjoy in the keto lifestyle.
Carbs in Lettuce
1 cup of shredded green leaf lettuce provides 1 gram of total carbs and 0.5 grams of net carbs (1). There are other types of lettuce with a similar number of carbs per serving like romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce.
Fats in Lettuce
1 cup of shredded green leaf lettuce provides 0.05 grams of fat (1). While it’s naturally low in fat, you can boost your fat consumption while on keto by pairing lettuce with mayonnaise, cheese, and pork.
Protein in Lettuce
1 cup of shredded green leaf lettuce provides 0.49 grams of protein (1). If you’re looking to optimize your protein needs for muscle preservation, you might as well eat lettuce with other protein-rich foods as part of a healthy keto diet.
Calories in Lettuce
1 cup of shredded green leaf lettuce contains only 5 calories (1). It’s one of the lowest calorie foods around which makes it desirable for helping support weight loss on keto. You’ll also get a similar number of calories with other types of lettuce.
Summary
Lettuce is a keto-friendly vegetable packed with nutrients. It provides very small amounts of protein and fat per serving — two macronutrients that you should also meet on keto. Since lettuce is full of water, it’ll fill you up easily without adding too many calories in your diet.
References:
- FatSecret. Calories in 1 cup of shredded Green Leaf Lettuce and Nutrition facts
