One thing a lot of people ask me about the keto diet is how to come up with good side dishes. So many side dishes are based in carbohydrates, and it can be difficult to know exactly which ones are and which ones aren’t keto-friendly.

Quinoa is one side dish that comes up pretty frequently, so I decided to dedicate a whole post to it.

In this article, I’ll be doing a deep dive on quinoa, and will explain just how keto-friendly it actually is. Stay tuned till the end, because I’ve included some great keto-friendly recipes as well!

Nutrition Breakdown of Quinoa

The nutrition breakdown of quinoa, for a 100 gram uncooked serving size is as follows:

• Calories – 368 kcal
• Total Carbohydrates – 64.2 grams
  • Dietary Fiber – 7 grams
• Protein – 14 grams
• Fat – 6 grams
• Vitamin E – 2.4 milligrams (12% of your daily value)
• Thiamin – 0.4 milligrams (24% of your daily value)
• Vitamin B6 – 0.5 milligrams (24% of your daily value)
• Riboflavin – 0.3 milligrams (19% of your daily value)
• Folate – 184 milligrams (46% of your daily value)
• Potassium – 563 milligrams (16% of your daily value)
• Zinc – 3.1 milligrams (21% of your daily value)
• Manganese – 2 milligrams (102% of your daily value)
• Iron – 4.6 milligrams (25% of your daily value)
• Magnesium – 197 milligrams (49% of your daily value)

Along with the added health benefits that come with quinoa being so rich in vital nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and manganese, it also has some pretty impressive antioxidant properties, which have been linked to fighting off cancer and promoting cell regeneration within the body.

The added benefits you get from increased amounts of folate and iron are great for your overall energy levels and circulation, and are especially helpful for pregnant women who need these rich prenatal vitamins to help ensure the proper growth and development of their babies.

Additionally, the high amounts of dietary fiber that come from quinoa have been proven to have prebiotic qualities that can vastly improve digestion, reduce cases of inflammation and nausea, and minimize bloating and swelling.

Is Quinoa Keto-Friendly?

Based on the high amount of total net carbs per serving of quinoa, it is unfortunately not keto-friendly.

While Quinoa does have a lot of great health benefits, it also has a relatively high glycemic index value. So even if you’re eating quinoa in small servings and eating a completely low carb diet around it, you’d still be running the risk of getting a spike in blood glucose levels, which can knock you out of ketosis as well.

There are some alternatives to the keto diet like the targeted keto diet (TKD), which would technically allow for consuming foods like quinoa, but from a traditional perspective, if you want to maintain a healthy state of ketosis for the long term (which will help you see the maximum potential of all of its benefits), you’ll want to opt for more keto-friendly alternatives to quinoa.

I’ll get into what exactly those alternatives are, as well as keto-friendly recipes that use these alternatives down below.

Keto-Friendly Alternatives to Quinoa

So if you can’t eat quinoa on the keto diet because of its high carb counts and high glycemic index level, what can you eat that’s similar?

Fortunately there are a variety of other types of vegetables that can help fill the void of this grain without cutting too far back on the benefits it provides, while still coming in at a fairly low carb count.

Some of the best quinoa alternatives for the keto diet inclue:

• Cauliflower Rice

I enjoy using cauliflower rice as an alternative to foods like quinoa and couscous because it still has a high amount of fiber as a cruciferous vegetable, making it have a similar texture when cooked, and it has that same property that helps it take on the flavor of whatever else it is being cooked with.

It comes in at a much lower net carb count than quinoa, can fight off inflammation, balance hormones, and even has a lot of the same cancer preventing antioxidant qualities as quinoa.

• Grated Radish

While radishes aren’t commonly eaten, and definitely aren’t used as a side dish normally like you would with quinoa, their high fiber content and texture makes them extremely versatile for transforming them into other types of dishes.

Additionally, they’re jam packed with vitamins A and C, along with healthy amounts of important minerals like beta-carotene, iron, phosphorus, calcium, and sodium. Like quinoa, they also prevent inflammation and improve digestive health, all while also contributing to improved immune system functionality, skin elasticity, and overall bone health.

• Shredded Water Chestnuts

Shredded water chestnut ‘rice’ is another great way to get those nutrients and great textures like that of quinoa without all the added carbohydrates. They’re often found as the white, crunchy vegetables that come in your Chinese food orders, but they are one of the most low-carb vegetables around, and when shredded correctly, mimic rice and quinoa fairly accurately.

Technically an aquatic vegetable, water chestnuts provide some extra crisp and crunch sensations when cooked properly, all while being full of vitamin B6, potassium, manganese, riboflavin, and copper. As you may have guessed, another reason that makes them a stellar keto-friendly substitute for quinoa is because they are also rich in antioxidants.

• Broccoli Rice

Like cauliflower rice, broccoli rice is a cruciferous vegetable that has high amounts of fiber, while being relatively low on the net carb side.

Broccoli rice is great because, in my opinion, it has a bit of a lesser aftertaste compared to cauliflower rice, but shares the same ability to really take on the flavor of whatever it is being cooked with. It’s also a huge source of vitamin A, and only comes in at around 55 total calories per cup!

Quinoa Alternative Keto Recipes

• Low Carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients:

• • 3 cups of cauliflower florets (stems removed and washed)
  • One small onion (finely chopped)
  • 3 to 4 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 2 medium tomatoes (finely chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 whole jalapeno (finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon of Cumin Powder
  • 3/4 cup of diced Bell Peppers
  • 1/2 teaspoon of Paprika Powder (or red chili powder)
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander (or cilantro)
  • Salt to taste

Instructions:

• • Add your cauliflower florets to a food processor or food chopper, and pulse until the cauliflower resembles rice
  • Heat oil in a medium sized pan and add in the onion, garlic and jalapenos
  • Stir fry the mixture for a few minutes until the onion becomes translucent and starts to carmelize
  • Add in the tomatoes, cumin powder, salt, and paprika powder to the pan
  • Cook the tomatoes for a couple of minutes until they start to soften
  • Add in the diced bell peppers and the cauliflower rice to the pan, mix well
  • Stir fry the cauliflower and all the ingredients for another 3 to 4 minutes until the cauliflower is tender
  • Top with your favorite topping like sour cream or guacamole, and serve hot

• Radish Low Carb Hash Browns

Ingredients:

• • 1 pound of shredded radishes
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 1/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 a teaspoon of salt
  • 1/2 a teaspoon of onion powder
  • 1/2 a teaspoon of garlic powder

Instructions:

• • Combine all of the ingredients together
  • Spread them all out into preheated skillet coated with olive oil
  • Cook until the mixture is browned on both sides

• Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients:

• • 2 cups of broccoli florets
  • 2 cups of cauliflower florets
  • 1/4 teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt
  • 1/2 cup of chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 1/8 teaspoon of pepper
  • 2 ounces of cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

• • Place your broccoli florets into a food processor and pulse them until the broccoli starts to resemble rice
  • Repeat this process with the cauliflower florets
  • Spray a large saute pan with cooking spray and heat the pan to high
  • Add in the broccoli and cauliflower rice together, and stir for one to two minutes
  • Add in the broth, cover and steam for five minutes
  • Add in the cream cheese and cheddar cheese, cook until melted
  • Mix well, serve into a serving dish, and top with remaining cheddar cheese

• Spinach Artichoke Dip with Water Chestnuts

Ingredients:

• • 1 14-ounce can of drained and chopped artichoke hearts
  • 10 ounces of chopped spinach
  • 8-ounce can of sliced water chestnuts, drained and freshly chopped
  • Half a cup of sour cream
  • A quarter cup of mayonnaise
  • A quarter cup of cream cheese
  • A quarter cup of Romano cheese
  • A quarter teaspoon of minced garlic

Instructions:

• • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (or 190 degrees C)
  • Mix the artichoke hearts, spinach, water chestnuts, sour cream, cream cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, and mayonnaise together in a small baking dish.
  • Cover dish with aluminum foil
  • Bake the dish in the preheated oven until thoroughly cooked and bubbling. The cook time should be about 25 minutes
  • Serve hot, and enjoy

Final Thoughts

As you can see, even though quinoa technically isn’t a keto-friendly option for this diet, it doesn’t mean that you have to go without dishes that rely on it.

There are even more ways than what I’ve described to substitute quinoa in a variety of mediterranean and European dishes, and with these vegetable alternatives you’ll be able to both cut down on carbs and enjoy a hearty meal that’s rich in fiber and flavor.

Do you have any favorite quinoa substitute recipes that are keto-friendly? Drop them in the comments below!