Keto Foods Are Bell Peppers Keto-friendly? – Net Carbs + Keto Bell Pepper Recipes
Are bell peppers keto? It isn’t always easy to figure out the best fruits and vegetables to incorporate into your diet given that each individual has different nutritional requirements.
Let’s take a closer look at bell peppers and see if it’s a good fit for you.
What Makes Bell Peppers Such a Popular Choice for Low Carb Diets?
Before we really dive in and answer whether or not bell peppers are keto, let’s first take a look at some of the reasons why bell peppers are so popular in the first place:
- Bell peppers are low in both calories and carbs.
- While they don’t offer much in the way of protein or dietary fat, bell peppers are still incredibly nutrient-dense.
- All varieties of bell peppers are rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, especially the antioxidants vitamins A and C.
- Bell peppers contribute a lot of volume to low carb dishes since it’s so low in calories, making them more filling and satiating.
- They’re easy to incorporate into a wide variety of keto dishes. They’re particularly good in low carb skillet dishes.
Are Bell Peppers Keto?
Bell peppers are absolutely 100% keto-friendly.
While it’s true that they don’t offer much in the way of the main keto macros namely protein and fat, depending on the color of bell pepper you’re using, they’ll only have around 2-3 grams of net carbs per average serving size. This makes bell peppers one of the best low carb fruits (yes, bell peppers are actually fruits, not vegetables) to have in your diet.
One of the main reasons why bell peppers work so well in such a wide variety of keto recipes is because they’re the only type of pepper that doesn’t contain capsaicin, the main bioactive compound that gives peppers their distinctive spicy kick.
Bell Pepper Nutrition Facts
Here is the approximate nutritional breakdown for a 100 gram serving size of bell peppers (NOTE: this breakdown uses red bell peppers, but you can expect green and yellow variations to have a near identical profile).
- 28 calories
- 0.2 grams dietary fiber
- 0.9 grams protein
- 6.7 grams carbs
- 1.2 grams dietary fiber
- 2.4 grams sugar
- 0 mg cholesterol
- 2 mg sodium
- 166 mg potassium
Keto-friendly Bell Pepper Recipes
Keto Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers
Slow Cooker Mexican Keto Vegetable Soup
Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers
Hawaiian Pizza Sheet Pan Keto Chicken Breast
Crustless Skillet Pizza
Slow Cooker Weight Loss Soup
Health Benefits of Bell Peppers
Since they’re so nutrient-dense, bell peppers end up providing you with some great health benefits. With that being said, here are 3 of the most impressive health benefits offered by bell peppers:
- Excellent source of vitamin C. All varieties of bell peppers are incredibly rich in vitamin C, which offers numerous incredible health benefits in its own right. Vitamin C is actually a rather potent antioxidant, and it’s responsible for everything from strengthening your immune system to reducing your risk of diseases like cancer. (1)
- Packed full of disease fighting antioxidants. Bell peppers also contain an abundance of other bioactive compounds and antioxidants that all work in tandem to further fortify against chronic inflammatory diseases. (2)
- Can help you burn more calories. Interestingly, despite the fact that bell peppers don’t contain any capsaicin, studies have found that they are capable of activating a thermogenic response and increasing metabolic rate; without also boosting heart rate and blood pressure like spicier pepper varieties would. (3)
Keto Bell Pepper Alternatives
Looking for keto approved bell pepper substitutes? No worries, we’ve got you covered with everything from spicy swaps to healthy green veggies that offer similar textures:
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