Is Cauliflower Keto Friendly?

Keto bloggers love to write about cauliflower because it's a great replacement for beloved carbs like rice, potatoes, and pasta. The Centers for Disease Control even classified cauliflower as a powerhouse vegetable.

Cauliflower has 3 g of net carbs per 1 cup serving and is high in fiber, vitamin C, and choline. Choline is an essential nutrient that most people lack in their diets, and adequate intake reduces the risk of liver disease and dementia. Be aware that you'll lose most of cauliflower's nutritional value if you boil it. Instead, steam or stir-fry it.

Substitute cauliflower for carbs in popular keto recipes like "mac" and cheese, pizza, and mashed cauliflower. For a simple snack, eat raw cauliflower with a keto-friendly dip. Or, try one of two popular ways to cook cauliflower as a side dish. One is called "ricing" the cauliflower, where you put the raw florets in a food processor, grate it on a cheese grater, or buy it already riced. Then, you cook the "rice" by steaming, pan-frying, or roasting it. The second method is to steam frozen or fresh cauliflower on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Cooked cauliflower has a strong odor, so it may make your home a bit smelly. Those prone to bloating or gas may experience an additional type of odor, as the body produces extra gas when it digests cauliflower.