Keto Foods

Are Onions Keto-friendly and Good For You?

By Bree

Last updated on September 4, 2022

Onions are commonly used in a variety of tasty low carb recipes in order to add a distinctive and aromatic flavor to things. That’s true whether you’re using white onion, red onion, green onion, or yellow onion. But are onions keto?

Today, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at onions (more specifically white onions) in order to definitively answer that very question.

What Makes Onions Such a Popular Choice for Low Carb Diets?

Before we really start to look at whether or not white onions or keto, we’ll start by first taking a look at some of the reasons why onions are so popular with low carb dieters in the first place:

Onions are low in calories with only a modest amount of net carbs per 100 gram serving size.
Onions are incredibly nutritious. They’re widely considered to be a superfood thanks to the fact that they’re loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds.
It’s quite easy to incorporate onions into a variety of keto dishes in order to add quite a distinctive flavoring. It’s a classic case of a “little bit can go a long way”.

Are Onions Keto?

Onions are absolutely a 100% keto-friendly food.

Admittedly, onions might not seem like a keto food at first glance. After all, they don’t exactly offer up much in the way of either protein or dietary fat.

With that being said though, the net carb count of an onion is low enough that it’s easy to work with, even if you’re someone who has to be rather strict with your carb intake. On top of that, the various other health benefits that are proven to be associated with onion consumption more than makes up for their lack of protein or fat.

And last but not least, let’s not forget just how easy it is to make your keto meal ridiculously tasty by adding in even one small white onion for flavoring.

When you stop to consider all of the above points, it becomes ridiculously easy to recommend onions to any and all keto dieters.

Onion Nutrition Facts

Here is the approximate nutritional breakdown for a 100 gram serving size of raw white onion:

40 calories
0.1 grams dietary fat
1.1 grams protein
9 grams carbs
1.7 grams dietary fiber
4.2 grams sugar
0 mg cholesterol
4 mg sodium
146 mg potassium

Good Keto Onion Recipes

Thick Cut Keto Onion Rings

VIEW RECIPE

Keto French Onion Soup

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Keto Garlic Chicken Skillet with Red Onions

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Pickle Dog with Onion Jam

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Health Benefits of Onions

Onions are widely considered to be a superfood thanks to the incredible health benefits that they offer. With that in mind, here are three of the top health benefits that you can gain by including onions as part of your keto diet:

Excellent source of antioxidants. Onions contain more than 25 different types of disease fighting antioxidants and flavonoids. It’s essential to include plenty of antioxidant-rich foods as part of your diet in order to help protect against various types of disease. (1)
Loaded with anti-inflammatory compounds. Onions are also a rich source of anti-inflammatory compounds that can help to reduce your risk of developing chronic inflammatory diseases like Alzheimer’s or heart disease. Studies have confirmed that onion consumption can help to reduce LDL cholesterol levels, lower high blood pressure, and improve overall vascular function. (2)
Helps to regulate blood sugar levels. Onions may also be a good food option for individuals who have type 2 diabetes. Numerous studies have found that eating onions helps to normalize and control blood sugar levels. (3)

Keto Onion Alternatives

Onion is often used as an aromatic when cooking; garlic is commonly used for similar purposes. If you’re looking for a few keto approved alternatives that can fulfill the same role, then try one of these options out: