If you’re new to keto, you’re probably wondering: what can you eat on the keto diet? This diet is a great way to lose weight and feel more energized as you live your life. But, while many great-tasting foods are still available to you on keto, you will need to make sacrifices and cut out some foods on keto. Because ketosis requires you to take in very few carbs throughout the day, nearly all high-carbohydrate foods are off-limits to keto dieters. Some of these foods are obvious: any processed sugary foods are out, as are wheat and most grains, legumes, and even a lot of fruits and vegetables—though not all of them.
Of course, there are always exceptions to these rules, and many fruits and vegetables are great sources of nutrients. So knowing which ones you can and can’t have on keto is crucial. This can be even more important when it comes to vegetables, which have a tendency to work their way into meals as side dishes. Leafy greens, brussels sprouts, and green beans are all perfectly suitable keto options. Potatoes and carrots, meanwhile, can be more difficult to manage on keto.
Corn is a popular vegetable that you may think is harmless. It’s light, and a serving of fresh corn seems perfectly harmless! But the question here is: can you have corn on keto?
Is Corn Keto?
It may surprise you to learn that corn is, in fact, not keto-friendly. A couple of kernels is unlikely to throw off ketosis, but “a couple of kernels” is not a standard serving of corn. A typical serving of corn has around 40 grams of carbohydrates—give or take a few, depending on how it’s prepared. Given that the standard goal for keto is to remain under 50 carbs per day, one helping of corn can be enough to throw you off completely. So it’s safe to say that corn is not keto and should be avoided or swapped out whenever possible
But what about other corn products, like corn chips or tortillas? The answer is, unfortunately, no in most cases. Any corn-based product will likely need to be swapped out for a keto-friendly alternative. This means cornbread, corn-based tortillas, and corn chips are all off-limits.
Thankfully, there is no shortage of low-carb vegetables that can take corn’s place in your keto recipes. Broccoli, cauliflower, and zucchini can all work fairly well in combination with a variety of spices and cuisines. Best of all, they’re filling while being low in carbs.
Corn-Free Recipes
While swapping corn out as a side dish is easy enough for many meals, fans of dishes like burritos and tacos may have a harder time finding ways to enjoy some of their favorite meals without corn. Many of the ingredients traditionally found in these recipes are keto-friendly: beef, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, and avocado are all excellent foods to have on keto. But corn is not, which means no corn filling—and certainly no corn tortillas.
There are some excellent recipes for keto tortillas to make keto burritos, but one simpler option is to simply skip the wrap altogether and enjoy a nice taco salad instead. Taco salad is usually less messy than a taco anyway! This allows you to enjoy all the great combinations of flavors you’d ordinarily love in a taco without adding any excess carbs to your diet.
If you’re new to keto, or simply looking for new recipes to try, try this simple and delicious Keto Taco Salad for a keto-friendly recipe that doesn’t require any major alterations to stay within your daily carb limit. You can get more recipes for keto living at Sugarless Crystals, including Keto Cornbread and Coconut Flour Tortillas.