5 things that may not seem Keto-perfect but are and 5 things that seem ok but are not

While the ketogenic diet – a high fat, low carb and moderate protein diet – has been gaining ground, there are still some misconceptions about the plan. We asked Shirley D’Souza, Nutritional Ketogenic Coach in Dubai, about five things that may seem keto but are not and five foods that may not seem keto-perfect but are. Here’s what she had to say.

Jicama. Although a root vegetable is not going to kick you out of ketosis and makes a french fry replacement! It's a little starchy on the scale of low carb foods, but is still low enough in carbs that it can fit into a low carb or keto lifestyle. One cup of jicama has 5.1 grams net carbs. It's also an excellent source of vitamin C.

Chayote, also known as mirliton and choko, is an edible plant belonging to the gourd family, and make for making keto version apple pies and apple crumble or even zoodles or papaya version salads, you wont even know the difference!! A one-cup serving delivers 6 grams of total carbohydrate with a little over 2 grams of fiber for a net carb count of just 4 grams.

Seaweed is great in forms of chips - making your own sushi roles and is a rich source of a variety of vitamins such as vitamin C, A, E, and B12 and also offers powerful antioxidant properties. Because of its low carb levels, it can be part of a keto diet. In fact, there have also been many studies that suggest that seaweed can be used to help control blood sugar levels.

Spaghetti Squash while done in moderation like high carb veggies (onions, tomatoes etc) is not going to kick you out of ketosis. One cup of spaghetti squash has 5.5 net carbs. If you pair it with low carb ingredients, it will make the perfect macro-friendly meal. Great substitute for spaghetti bolognese.

Palmini - or heart of palm Over 90% of Palmini is water. Additionally, Palmini is a vegetable and just as many other vegetables, Palmini has a very high content of fiber. The combination of water and fiber create an “Almost Free” calorie product. No sugar, 15 calories and 3 g of carbs per serving. Palmini is a pasta or lasagne substitute made from Hearts of Palm. When properly rinsed and paired with your favorite sauce the taste and texture are remarkably like regular noodles.

Peanuts. While most people believe that peanuts can be eaten on a keto diet, this isn’t so. Peanuts is a legume and these are high in carbs. 100 gram of peanuts, for instance, have 16 grams of carbs.

Snap peas. Legumes, which include any kind of bean, lentils, sugar snap peas, and peas, are normally part of a healthy diet. That's not so for the keto diet. While legumes are good for you, they're also high in carbs.

Soya and Soya lectin.. One reason to avoid these is that they are high in phytoestrogens, which could affect hormone levels. Another is that many soy products are highly-processed, something you definitely want to avoid on the keto diet. Lastly, soy products are high in phytates, which can bind to minerals and prevent their absorption in your body. So those practising vegan or vegetarian keto can digest them in moderation to meet their protein goals as long as they ensure what they are consuming is non GMO based silken tofu or tempeh. However ingredients with soya lectin or soya sauce are best avoided for all.

Carrots. Firstly, this first falls under category of root vegetable which we [following a ketogenic diet] avoid. We look into its glycemic index score properties - below 55 is low. 56 to 69 is moderate. 70 and above is high.Carrot’s glycemic index score is 72; it’s fairly high. A few decoration pieces wont kick you out of ketosis but carrot juice with lack of fiber definitely will.

Bananas and watermelons. So most might know these are not keto. However we do state all berries are keto right? Technically banana and watermelon fall under the berry category. Both the fruits will kick you out of ketosis and are avoided on keto because of high sugar and carb content. If your carb intake is too high, you’ll kick yourself out of ketosis and sabotage your keto diet.