7 High-Fiber Keto Foods

A ketogenic (keto) diet keeps the body in a metabolic state of ketosis, which happens when there are fewer carbohydrates in the body. If you're limiting carbs because you're on a keto diet, consider this: Including fiber-rich carbs in your diet can be beneficial.

The original keto diet—extremely low in all carbohydrates (even veggies), low in protein, and very high in fat—was developed for children with epilepsy who weren't responding to medication, Summer Yule, RDN, based in Avon, Connecticut, told Health.

"Many people are now adopting the diet for weight loss," said Yule. "In these cases, the macronutrient profile may contain more protein and less fat than in the traditional ketogenic diet."

Even so, studies have reported increased levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) due to a keto diet. LDL cholesterol is sometimes called "bad" cholesterol because too much of it can lead to a buildup of plaque in the arteries, which can increase the risk of heart disease.

Benefits of Fiber in Keto Diets

That's where fiber can help. Fiber has many benefits, including cardiac, digestion, blood sugar, and gut health. Dietary fiber also has benefits for mortality and overall metabolic health.

However, many high-fiber foods, like beans, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, are also high in carbs, so they're limited in the keto diet. Adding more low-carb, high-fiber foods to your plate will give you a fiber boost without boosting your LDL level.

"Including more keto-friendly high-fiber foods in the diet may help improve the person's lipid profile without having to go off keto," said Yule.

Keto-friendly Foods High in Fiber

Discussing diet changes with a healthcare provider is important to make sure the keto diet is right for you. Even if you are not on the keto diet, high-fiber foods may be a great addition to your meals. Note: It's important to drink plenty of fluid and slowly increase fiber intake. Increasing fiber intake too quickly may cause gastrointestinal distress.

Here are some high-fiber, low-carb foods to eat on the keto diet.

Lupini Beans

This yellow legume is a terrific option for the health-conscious consumer.

A one-cup serving of cooked lupini beans contains about 200 calories, 26 grams of protein, and 4.6 grams of fiber—about 19% of the recommended daily value. The lupini bean is a good source of zinc and magnesium.

Low in carbs and high in fiber, lupini beans (aka lupin beans) are perfect for those on keto who are looking for a high-protein, high-fiber snack.

"I've noticed that the amount of carbs/fiber can vary greatly between lupini bean brands," said Yule. "To make sure that you are choosing a keto-friendly food, check the label."

According to the keto diet, you should aim for about 5% to 10% percent of your daily calories to come from carbs—that amounts to about 25 to 50 grams per day, A one-cup serving of lupini beans contains 12 grams of carbs, so eat these in moderation,

You also can add lupini beans to salads for extra protein, add them to chili, use them instead of chickpeas in falafel or hummus, or eat them as a side dish.

Ground Psyllium

Psyllium husk is a fiber commonly used as a gentle, bulk-forming laxative. But psyllium has special benefits for heart health too. It's one of two fibers (β‐glucan is the second) with an FDA-approved health claim for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering cholesterol.

Psyllium has been studied in at least 24 clinical studies, with over 1500 subjects, with doses of 6–15 grams/day. The studies show that psyllium lowers LDL cholesterol by 6–24% and total cholesterol by 2–20%.

With 8 grams of carbs and a whopping 7 grams of fiber per two-tablespoon serving, ground psyllium is an easy way to increase fiber intake on the keto diet.

"It works great as a binding agent in recipes," said Yule. "Just make sure to consume it with plenty of water, coconut water, or juice to avoid dehydration." Add a tablespoon to your beverage, and you're good to go.

Brussels Sprouts

If you want to boost your fiber intake on a keto diet, make non-starchy veggies like Brussels sprouts a staple, said Yule.

Brussels sprouts provide a range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and protein. Regularly consuming Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables may help prevent many common cancers.

Cooked Brussels sprouts are keto-friendly, containing just 5.5 grams of carbs, including two grams of fiber, two grams of protein, and just 37.5 calories per one-half cup. So you can enjoy them often on a keto diet.

You can prepare Brussels sprouts by oven-roasting them after tossing them in avocado oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Then cook for 30 to 40 minutes at 400 degrees until the outer leaves are golden and slightly crisp. You can also use sautéed, shaved Brussels sprouts as a bed for lean protein, such as salmon or lentils. Add bacon and mozzarella or Parmesan cheese to your sprouts for a keto-friendly side.

Artichokes

A great choice on any healthy eating plan, artichokes are a great source of potassium, vitamin C, folate, and magnesium. And one study published in 2021 found that, among people with high blood pressure, 12 weeks of consuming artichokes significantly reduced their blood pressure.

For keto dieters, artichokes are low carb (with 14 grams of carb per serving) and high fiber. One medium-sized artichoke packs nearly 7 grams of fiber, about one-third of the average daily value.

Also, artichokes contain inulin, a fiber that functions as a prebiotic.

With a keto diet cap of 25-50 grams of carbs per day, try to eat these healthy fiber-packed veggies in moderation.

You can cook artichokes yourself or buy ready-to-eat artichokes frozen, jarred, and canned. Eat them as a side dish or add them to omelets, salads, pasta, tacos, and more.

Wild Blueberries

You can have fruit on the keto diet if you keep serving sizes small. "Berries are among the fruits with the highest fiber content yet are relatively low in carbohydrates for a small serving,"
Naomi Whittel, Gainesville, Florida-based author of High Fiber Keto, told Health.

Blueberries are nutrient powerhouses. Approximately one cup of fresh blueberries contains 64 calories, 0.7 grams of protein, and no fat. Blueberries also provide 86 milligrams of potassium, 13 milligrams of phosphorous, four grams of fiber, and 12 milligrams of calcium. 

One big benefit of blueberries is antioxidants. That cup of blueberries will give you 8.1 milligrams of vitamin C, an important antioxidant for your skin and bones.

Blueberries make the list of keto-friendly fruits. A one-cup serving of blueberries has around 17 grams of net carbohydrates. Beth Warren, RDN, founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Secrets of a Kosher Girl, told Health that you could most likely fit one-quarter to one-half of a cup into your daily menu while staying in ketosis.

Add blueberries to salads and smoothies, or eaten as a snack with nuts. For the ultimate high-fiber keto smoothie, mix unsweetened coconut milk, avocado ("the perfect keto food," according to Whittel), chia seeds, and up to one-half cup of blueberries.

Garlic

Garlic may be small, but it comes with some big potential health benefits, including:

• Strengthening immunity
• Protecting against cancer
• Lowering blood pressure
• Improving bone health

And in people with high cholesterol, garlic has been shown to reduce total cholesterol and LDL while slightly improving protective "good" HDL.

Nutrition-wise, three cloves of garlic will deliver about a half gram of protein, just 3 grams of carbs, and about a quarter of a gram of fiber.

Along with onions, leeks, and chives, garlic is a fiber-filled little package that can add flavor to any keto meal, said Whittel.

Garlic butter (garlic cloves, butter, salt, and pepper) quickly adds flavor to your keto steaks and chicken fillets. Or simply add garlic to homemade extra virgin olive oil vinaigrette dressing, sautéed greens and other veggies, sir-frys, soups, stews, and savory nut butter sauces.

Dark Chocolate or Raw Cacao Powder

Dark chocolate is a source of healthy fatty acids and may have many other potential benefits. Cocoa polyphenols—plant-based compounds—in dark chocolate may help in the prevention of:

• Cancer
• Heart diseases
• Metabolic disorders
• Anti-inflammatory diseases

Additionally, research has shown that cocoa polyphenols can affect gut bacteria such that they cause an anti-inflammatory response path.

Chocolate can be part of a keto diet but choose dark chocolate that's at least 70% cocoa solids, and preferably more—the greater the cocoa percentage, the lower the carbs.

One bar of dark chocolate with 70-85% cacao solids brings you nearly eight grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber. However, that same bar has 46 grams of carbs, about the keto diet limit for carbs.

Even better, go for raw cacao powder. "Cacao powder can be used in smoothies and keto desserts for a boost of nutrition, fiber, and flavor," said Whittel.

A Quick Review

In trying to limit their intake of carbohydrates, many people following the keto diet avoid fiber-rich foods. But fiber has many cardiac, digestion, blood sugar, and gut health benefits.

The trick is adding more low-carb, high-fiber foods to your plate. Incorporating some of these high-fiber, low-carb foods allowed on the keto diet will help you stay on a keto diet without sacrificing the many benefits of fiber.