Are Potatoes Keto?

When following any kind of diet, it’s vital that you know what foods to avoid.

The same rules apply to those on a keto diet – you need to know what foods you can and cannot consume otherwise you risk throwing your entire diet out of balance. 

So, what about potatoes? Potatoes are a key ingredient in many different dishes and meals, but are they keto friendly or are you ruining your keto diet by adding some potatoes to your plate in the evening? 

Check out this guide to learn whether or not potatoes are keto. This way, you can better tailor your diet to meet your needs! 

Can You Eat Potatoes On A Keto Diet?

Let’s get straight to it – can you or can you not eat potatoes on a keto diet? 

Absolutely not! Potatoes are one of the worst foods to eat on a keto diet! 

The whole point of a keto diet is to avoid sugars, gluten, and carbohydrates. By doing this, you force your body into a state of ketosis.

This is when your body burns fat instead of glucose to provide you with energy – but eating foods that are high in carbohydrates and sugar knocks your body back out of ketosis and completely ruins the point of the diet! 

Potatoes contain a lot of starch and carbohydrates, making them entirely unsuitable for a keto diet. 

In fact, your average potato has around 35 g of total carbohydrates. The same goes for other types of potatoes like red potatoes (31g of total carbohydrates) and sweet potatoes (20g of total carbohydrates). 

Many people make the mistake of assuming that potatoes are fine because they don’t contain any gluten but fail to realize that the super high levels of starch and carbohydrates mean that potatoes are definitely a good choice of food for those on a keto diet! 

Keto-Friendly Substitutes For Potatoes

So, potatoes are a strict no-no in a keto diet. However, there are lots of great recipes that require potatoes but this doesn’t mean you have to miss out on your favorite meals.

There are plenty of great keto-friendly substitutes you can use in your favorite recipes to make them suitable for your keto diet. 

Check them out below and pick out the substitutes that best suit your tastes! 

Radishes 

The first potato substitute on our list is radishes.

Red radishes are a great alternative to red potatoes (or even baby potatoes) as they have the same color and similar taste – but contain half the carbs!  

Turnips

Turnips are very similar to radishes but are a different color. This makes them a better substitute to use to make keto mashed potatoes. 

Butternut Squash

A great substitute for sweet potatoes is butternut squash. It’s similar in color and consistency to sweet potatoes, plus it shares a very similar subtle sweetness. 

However, don’t eat butternut squash in excess – it’s higher in carbs than other entries in this list so too much can cause you to force your body out of ketosis. 

Cauliflower 

Cauliflower is a great low-carb vegetable used in a ton of recipes as a substitute for potatoes. Even in other diets that try to cut back on carbs and gluten, cauliflower is often used as the go-to substitute in casserole dishes. 

Zucchini 

Finally, we have zucchinis. 

Zucchinis are a great substitute for making potato-based sides like fries or chips. When properly sliced, they can crisp up when cooking and work as an amazing keto-friendly alternative to these popular snacks and sides. 

So, if you are looking for a keto-friendly vegetable to use to make your own keto fries or chips, zucchini is the way to go. 

Final Thoughts

So, potatoes are definitely not a keto-friendly food which means that a lot of traditional dishes are not suitable for those on a keto diet.

Luckily, there are plenty of keto-friendly foods you can use as a substitute for potatoes in your meals. Check them out in the list above! 

We hope this guide has helped you better understand what foods you need to avoid to force your body into ketosis. Thanks for reading!  

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