When cooking keto, I’m always looking for a little extra flavor to add to give my food a little more oomph. Green onions are a great choice because they add a little bit of peppery, onion flavor, plus a great crunch. It’s a great, low-calorie way to spice up your food.
But before you dice up a handful of green onions to add to your dish, you’re going to want to know are there carbs in green onions and whether they are keto friendly. Well, the short answer is a resounding yes. Green onions are keto friendly and very low in carbs.
» You might also be interested in Foods to Avoid on a Low-Carb or Keto Diet and How Many Carbs are in Zucchini.
In this article, we’ll go over the amount of carbs in green onions, whether they are keto-friendly, mention some of the recipes in which we use green onions on this site, and some other low-carb garnishes for you to consider on your journey to a healthy diet and a happy life.
How Many Carbs Are in Green Onions?
A quarter cup of green onions contains a total of 1.8 total grams of carbs. This total includes fiber, of which there is 0.7 grams in 1/4 cup. So there are 1.1 net grams of carbs in 1/4 cup of chopped green onions.
In case you’re wondering, that same 1/4 cup of chopped green onions contains 0.5 gram of protein, 0 grams of fat, and 8 calories.
I tend to use about 1/4 cup of chopped green onions to cover an entire casserole, which is about 8 servings, so you can see that the small amount of green onions you’ll use in one serving is very small. It’s so small that it’s not really even worth it to count the carbs in the green onions you’re adding.
You’ll need 9 whole green onions to make a cup sliced, so 4.5 green onions in 1/2 a cup and 2.25 in a quarter cup. I usually would only use half of one green onion per serving.
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Avoid White or Yellow Onions
One thing to keep in mind about onions is that the carb and nutritional content of regular onions is quite a bit different than green onions.
Regular white or yellow onions contains 17% more carbs than a green onion. There are 3.7 total grams of carbs in 1/4 cup of white onions and 0.6 grams of fiber, leading to 3.1 net grams of carbs.
White onion also contains 0.4 grams of protein, 0 grams of fat, and 16 calories.
So as you can see, it’s better to add green onions to your food than white onions. Green onions are therefore the only version that is ideal for the keto diet.
Are Green Onions Keto Friendly?
Yes, green onions are considered keto friendly. This is because they are very low in sugar and low in carbs. They can be used to flavor a dish, give texture and crunch, and lead to a more satisfying meal.
1/4 cup of green onion is considered a typical serving size, though I’d say most people tend to use only half of that amount in a dish.
Keto-Friendly Recipes With Green Onions
On my website, you can find several delicious low-carb, keto-friendly recipes that use green onions as a garnish that you can try for your next meal or snack. Here are three of my favorites that I highly recommend.
- Asian-inspired recipes – green onions make a great addition to many Asian-inspired dishes, like the Ground Beef Broccoli pictured above.
- Salads – I use green onions in all types of salads, like this Avocado Egg Salad, Cauliflower “Potato” Salad, and Easy Chicken Salad.
- You can also make a tasty side dish by grilling green onions and adding a low-carb sauce.
Other Low-Carb Garnishes
While I’ve discussed green onions in this article as a component of the keto diet, there are other types of flavorful garnish and herbs you can add to your cooking to spice up the dish without many carbs.
Here are the carb counts in 1 tablespoon of the following herbs:
- Parsley has 0.12 net grams of carbs
- Cilantro has 0.04 net grams of carbs
- Rosemary has 0.11 net grams of carbs
- Thyme has 0.08 net grams of carbs
- Sage has 0.12 net grams of carbs
All three of these choices have low total and net carbs, which may make it easier for you to work them into your regular daily diet.
CONCLUSION
Green onions are really a perfect garnish for anyone who likes the flavor of onion, but is trying to keep to a low-carb or keto diet plan. Not only are the low in carbs, they are easy to get at your local supermarket or to grow yourself, if you’re so inclined.
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Laura is dedicated to a low-carb lifestyle after losing 52 pounds on the keto diet. As many of us do, she struggles with her weight and has found that one of the only diet lifestyles that allows her to maintain a healthy weight is a low-carb diet. She shares her favorite low-carb recipes here that are both easy to make and full of flavor, so you don’t even miss the carbs.