Is cucumber keto friendly?

Cucumbers always confused me as a kid. They looked like a large pickle, but it never tasted as good so I usually stayed away from them.

As I grew older those thoughts changed as I started to eat salads and add cucumbers to my dinner plate. When I started practicing a ketogenic diet I wasn’t sure if I could keep eating them, so I researched and found an answer… so are cucumbers keto friendly?

I did some research which I have provided below. I also have given you a quick answer to this question if you are in a hurry.

Is cucumber keto friendly?

Yes, cucumber is keto friendly. Be sure not to eat more than 1 cup or you may be putting yourself in a tricky situation with your carb count.

Nutritional Facts for Cucumber

All of the below nutritional information for the cucumber was pulled from nutritiondata.self.com and is based on ½ cup of sliced cucumbers.

How many carbs are in a cucumber?

There are approximately 1.9 grams of carbohydrates per ½ cup of sliced cucumbers.

What is a cucumber, really?

I can’t be the only one that was confused about what a cucumber really is. Is it a pickle or is it entirely different vegetable?

Are cucumbers a fruit or a vegetable?

Common belief is that the cucumber fits in the vegetable column when this question is asked, but technically this is incorrect.

Let’s take a quick look at the main definitions of a fruit and a vegetable.

According to Merriam Webster:

• Fruit: the usually edible reproductive body of a seed plant; especially : one having a sweet pulp.
• Vegetable: a usually herbaceous plant (such as the cabbage, bean, or potato) grown for an edible part that is usually eaten as part of a meal.

So… a cucumber is technically a fruit based on it’s definition.

This isn’t anything to worry about because it won’t affect your keto diet if it is a fruit or a vegetable. It will only affect your diet based on the nutritional information of the cucumber above.

Are there different types of cucumbers?

There are two basic types of cucumbers, those eaten fresh—called slicing cucumbers—and those grown for pickling. – berkeleywellness.com

There are also other types of cucumber varieties which I will list below.

Types of Cucumbers

• Slicing cucumbers – most common
• Pickling cucumbers – most common
• Armenian (snake melon, snake cucumber)
• Hothouse (English) cucumbers
• Japanese cucumbers (kyuri)
• Kirby cucumbers
• Lemon cucumbers
• Persian (Sfran) cucumbers

Are all types of cucumber keto friendly?

Are slicing cucumbers keto friendly? – Yes

Are pickling cucumbers keto friendly? – Yes

Are Armenian cucumbers keto friendly? – No

Are hothouse cucumbers keto friendly? – Yes

Are Japanese cucumbers keto friendly? – Yes

Are kirby cucumbers keto friendly? – Yes

Are lemon cucumbers keto friendly? – Yes

Are cucumbers unhealthy for you?

Despite being 95% water, cucumbers can have many health benefits and are a very good choice for your everyday diet. 

Benefits of Eating Cucumbers on the Keto Diet

Here are some known benefits according to livescience.com:

• Hydration
• Cancer prevention
• Skin
• Bone health
• Antioxidants
• Heart health
• Digestion
• Weight loss
• Brain health and memory

Where can you find cucumbers?

Cucumbers are found anywhere you can find produce for sale. Whether that’s your local grocery store or if you’re lucky enough at your local farmstand.

You can also grow your own cucumbers in a backyard garden by purchasing your very own seed.

What recipes can you use cucumber with?

You can be boring and make a cucumber salad… or you can get a little creative and try cucumber in a way you never thought of before.

Here are some of the recipes I can’t wait to try:

• Everything Bagel Cucumber Bites on pinterest.
• Baked Cucumber Chips with Salt & Vinegar Flavor on pinterest.
• Keto Ranch Cucumber Salad with Bacon on pinterest.

Let us know if you have any questions or if you want to connect and talk more about the keto diet or keto lifestyle!