Plantains are a versatile food that you can prepare in various ways. But are plantains keto? Or maybe there’s something better than plantains if you’re trying to follow a keto diet? Read on to learn more about this nutritious fruit.
When starting a keto diet, it is sometimes confusing to know which foods are keto-friendly and which are not.
Especially if you want to seek variety in your diet, there will be many foods that you wonder if you can eat, such as plantains.
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What is the Keto diet?
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate eating plan that aims to change the way the body uses energy.
It consists of drastically reducing the intake of carbohydrates and replacing them with fats.
This has compelling health benefits like weight loss and reducing high blood pressure.
Plantains Nutrition Facts
Plantains are a staple in the kitchens of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.
The consumption of plantains in the United States has increased in recent years, so it is increasingly common to find them in supermarkets and grocery stores.
They are usually cooked as a side dish, and you can fry, bake or boil plantains.
Plantains are high in carbs but also high in fiber.
They are very nutritious and have vitamin A, vitamin B, and vitamin C.
Also, plantains are a good source of potassium and magnesium, essential for good health.
According to studies, potassium helps reduce high blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease.
Plantains are also a great source of carbohydrates.
A 100g serving of plantains has about 152 calories, 0.07 g of fat, 36 g of carbohydrates, 1.2 g of protein, and 2 g of fiber.
Plantains do contain fiber, but it is not a significant amount. However, it does have a high amount of carbohydrates.
The plantain has a glycemic index of 62, which causes a small spike in blood sugar when eaten.
Are plantains suitable for the ketogenic diet?
No, they are not.
Plantains are high in carbohydrates.
The standard ketogenic diet limits the carbohydrates you can eat to about 50 grams per day.
Plantains have 36 grams of carbohydrates; therefore, eating plantain will bring you very close to the daily limit.
Due to their high carbs content, plantains are not keto-friendly.
However, suppose you want to consume a plantain.
In that case, you could do so by consuming a small amount and adjusting your carb intake for the rest of the day’s meals.
What are the differences between green plantains, ripe plantains, and plantain chips
Green plantains
Green plantain is an unripe plantain that has a high starch content and less sugar than ripe plantain.
You can’t eat raw plantain because it does not have a very flavorful taste, but you can prepare it fried and it is delicious.
Ripe plantains
A straightforward way to know if the plantain is ripe is by the color of the peel.
Yellow plantains, with peels with brown/black spots, indicate that they are riper and sweeter.
As the plantain ripens, its sugar content increases.
Plantain Chips
Plantain Chips are thin slices of plantain that have been fried and are usually slightly salted.
Although they are sold as gluten-free and organic products, they are not the best snack option since they, like potato chips, contain many calories and fat.
You can safely get healthier options.
Choose between cheese, avocado, nuts, or boiled eggs. Any of them is a better option.
Since plantains are not keto, what can you use as a substitute?
While you can’t eat plantains on a keto diet, there are plenty of other foods you can enjoy when following a low-carb diet.
If you are looking for keto-friendly side dish options that you can use as a substitute for the plantain, take a look:
Zucchini
Zucchini is low in carbohydrates and calories, as a cup of zucchini has about 3.5 grams of carbohydrates and 19 calories.
You can also prepare zucchini in either the oven or the pan in many ways.
And if you’re in a hurry, use the microwave.
It is widely used in keto diets as a substitute for potatoes or preparing zucchini noodles with a spiralizer.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is another keto-friendly food, with 5 grams of carbs per 1 cup of chopped cauliflower and only 27 calories.
You can prepare delicious mashed cauliflower or cauliflower rice, and you will have a fantastic side dish!
Green beans
A cup of green beans has 7 grams of carbohydrates and 31 calories.
Prepared with bacon, they are a tasty and a keto-friendly side dish.
Asparagus
Asparagus has 5 grams of carbohydrates for 1 cup.
They have vitamins and fibers and are super easy to prepare.
Whether grilled, steamed, or pan-fried, you can have a side dish ready to serve and eat in just a few minutes.
Broccoli
Broccoli works well sautéed as a side dish, finely chopped to accompany a salad, raw with the dressing of your choice; there are several options to enjoy broccoli.
One cup of raw broccoli has about 6 grams of carbohydrates and is one of the highest-fiber foods.
Suppose you’re not specifically following a low-carb diet. In that case, you can enjoy plantains as part of your meal plan without worrying a lot about their carb content.
But if you are on a keto diet, you should avoid consuming plantains.
