Coleslaw, also known as cabbage salad, is commonly made with cabbage, carrots, mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper, and an unexpected ingredient… SUGAR.
If you are on the keto diet, sugar is something you should stay away from at all costs. It will 100% knock you out of ketosis. So this makes answering the question “Is coleslaw keto friendly” pretty simple.
Coleslaw is not keto friendly, and you guessed it… it’s because of the added sugar.
Don’t be upset though. I gathered some awesome low carb coleslaw options at the end of this post. Check them out & let me know what you think.
How is coleslaw made?
Coleslaw is pretty simple to make and was brought to America from the Dutch where they called it koolsla,
The ingredients list may shock you. Check them out below.
What ingredients are in coleslaw?
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Mayonnaise
- Sugar
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Pepper
Is coleslaw unhealthy for you?
This all depends on the ingredients the coleslaw you are eating. If there is sugar in it, you can believe it is going to be on the unhealthy side. But if there is no added sugar, chances are it is pretty healthy. This doesn’t make it keto friendly/ Keep reading to see if coleslaw is keto friendly.
What can you use coleslaw with?
Coleslaw is a common family barbecue side and it can be added to just about any cuisine as a side as well. You will see it accompanied with chicken fingers or burgers at fast-food restaurants. Most notably, you can find coleslaw as a side at KFC.
So… is coleslaw keto?
Coleslaw is NOT keto friendly. I would say it deserves a failing grade, but you can make a low carb coleslaw option if you get a strong craving for coleslaw on the keto diet.
Please Note: KFC coleslaw has over 30 grams of carbohydrates per serving and is NOT keto friendly.
Are there any keto friendly coleslaw options?
There are some options for keto friendly coleslaw. You can find them in the list below, or by searching for different keto/low carb coleslaw recipes.
How do you make low carb coleslaw?
Paleo Low Carb Coleslaw from wholesomeyum.com
Ingredients
4 cups shredded coleslaw mix (primarily cabbage with small amount of carrots)
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Powdered erythritol
- 1 tsp Celery seed
- Sea salt (to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
Keto Coleslaw from lowcarbyum.com
Ingredients
- 4 cups cabbage, finely shredded
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise (preferably avocado oil mayo)
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon SweetLeaf stevia drops or 2 tablespoons other sugar equivalent sweetener
- 1 teaspoon ground celery seed
What are some alternatives to coleslaw?
Here are some of the alternatives to coleslaw currently out there. They may not all be keto friendly so beware and do your research if necessary.
- Green Bean Slaw
- Crunchy Broccoli Slaw
- Lemony Brussels Sprout Slaw
- Celery Slaw with Edamame
- Pickled Pepper Slaw
- Spicy Raw Beet Slaw with Citrus
Recap
After doing a some more research, we can conclude that traditional coleslaw is NOT keto friendly. There are some alternative options if you had to make something similar to coleslaw like broccoli slaw or cerlery slaw with edamame, or you can make a low carb version of traditional coleslaw. The bottom line is to stay away from it or find a way to make it work with your keto diet so you are not knocked out of ketosis.
