Is Fennel Keto Friendly?

People from the Mediterranean area now almost everyone across the globe is familiar with the bulb-looking flowering plant called fennel. This one is also pretty famous inside Italy. It grows plenty in the dry area near the sea or rivers.

Fennel belongs to the family of carrots and has a shape as if it has put on some weight. Jokes aside and not judging by its look, it contains some health benefits. However, you might be thinking about the question, “is fennel keto friendly?” especially if you are on a hunt to gather a low-carb diet list.

I have put some weight idly sitting in my home on a recent vacation. And most of you already know that keto is now a popular method of shredding extra weight from your body. Ketogenic foods are low carb, and thus fennel can be a good choice that you can use in your meal.

is fennel keto friendly

Facts About Fennel

Fennel is most likely oriented in the Mediterranean and is not only a healthy vegetable but also an ingredient of homemade remedies since ancient times. It has a massive demand in Italy, and California is the source of the market in America. It has a significant influence on the Indian and Chinese dishes too.

This vegetable is full of a ton of healthy micronutrients. The root, leaves, seeds, and stalk every part of the fennel are edible. This aromatic vegetable has a mild licorice flavor. 

facts about fennel

The low carb is suitable as keto proteins. Therefore, it is ideal for salads and roasted, braised, or pan-fried dishes. Fennel is a good choice as a substitute for chicken, pork, and fish in a keto dish.

Nutritional Information Of Fennel

Fennel is low in carbs; therefore, suitable as a keto-friendly ingredient. However, the amount of low fat is the flip side. Serving the dish with an additional source of fat can be a solution to this downside.

nutrition information of fennel

Moreover, 100 grams of fennel contains, 

  • 414 mg of Potassium
  • 51.75 mg of Sodium
  • 49.45 mg Calcium
  • 17.25 mg of Magnesium
  • 0.74 mg of Iron
  • 964 (IU) of Vitamin A
  • 11.96 mg of Vitamin C
  • 0.047 mg Vitamin B6

You can see that fennel is rich in vitamins and minerals from the above. Additionally, A decent-sized fennel bulb has 73 calories, 0.47 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbs, and 2.9 grams of protein. And the amount of net carbs is around 9.7 grams.

Criteria Of A Keto Friendly Food

There are several factors you should be aware of before making the list of the ingredients you will use in your meal. You have to give priority to the low-carb-containing food for a keto diet.

criteria of a keto friendly food

You should consider your carbohydrate limit and set a goal. One of the criteria is selecting food that helps you keep your carbohydrates low. You can bring variety in dishes by adding meats, eggs, dairy, vegetables, and fruits according to your need.

Secondly, you should consider the size of your serving. Some food contains high carbohydrates, whereas you only need to use a small portion.

Last but not least, you should prioritize quality over quantity. Try to avoid processed food and food that contains high sugar. Give priority to whole foods as they are healthy and balanced nutrients. So, the question remains, is fennel keto friendly and fulfills these criteria?

Reasons That Make Fennel Suitable For Keto

You have to stay conscious about carbs and choose your ketogenic diet accordingly. You should set your mind during the keto stage and pick alternative foods than regular ones to keep the carb in check. The calorie ratio of your diet should be 65-80% of fat, 10-20% of protein, and 10% of carbs.

reasons that make fennel suitable for keto

Your goal should be not to cross the limit of 30 grams of net carbs per day. Subsequently, with time you have to reduce it to 0 grams and let the body use the fat as an energy source.

Fennel is a standard low-carb ketogenic diet because of its micronutrients. One hundred grams of fennel can provide you with 7 grams of carbs, and 3 grams of fiber with 0 grams of fat. The fennel is slightly processed and free of harmful non-keto ingredients making it keto-friendly.

You can decide for yourself, is fennel keto friendly? Low in net carbohydrates and balanced nutrients make it a ketogenic choice.

Health Benefits Of Fennel 

Whole foods not only help you to lose weight but also helps you to improve your overall health. Fennel contains low fats, as well as packed with nutrients. Besides, it reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, and two types of diabetes.

Besides vitamins and minerals, fennel consists of a few phytonutrients and flavonoids. They are a good source of antioxidants and inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Because of these compounds, fennel works as a therapeutic agent

Ideal For Bone And Dental Health

Various vitamins and minerals help the development of your bone and teeth and reduce damage. Fennel seeds and fennel contain manganese, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. They are essential for bone development and cell damage repair.

The element existing in the fennel supports bone growth and helps normalize blood sugar regulation. Many people who are doing keto look for this component in their regular consumption.

Moving to dental health, chewing fennel seeds increases saliva production, which balances the mouth’s pH. It helps to reduce the risk of having a dental cavity and bacterial activity. Thus, it protects you from tooth decay.

Reduces Heart Diseases

Large fennel contains 73 grams of dietary fiber and reduces the high cholesterol factors in your body. Fresh fennel and its seeds are loaded with healthy minerals like potassium, folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and zero cholesterol. These components can reduce the risk of heart-related diseases.

An electrolyte like potassium assists you in overcoming the keto flue while going through the body transaction and ketosis. Moreover, a study shows that 4000 mg of potassium consumption has lowered the risk of death from ischemic heart disease.

The fiber content and the antioxidants work well against cardiovascular disease. Vitamin C is helpful for nitric oxide production. It relaxes the blood vessel and has normal flow through vasodilation which reduces the risk of blockage.

Cancer Preventive Properties In Fennel

Fennel can reduce the risk of cancer for its beneficial compounds. A study based on the extraction of fennel essential oils shows its effects. Therefore, this keto-friendly ingredient deserves to be on your food list for its significant characteristic.

It contains a good number of cancer-preventive properties. It has a significant number of flavonoids. Moreover, the fennel includes a free radical scavenger called anethole. It destroys the damaged cells before they reach the stage of getting cancerous.  

Fennel can also provide Selenium which is a rare cancer-fighting compound. This antioxidant is effective against cell damage. Moreover, it assists the liver in producing an enzyme to prevent stomach disease.

However, the studies result from a lab experiment where the quality is highly maintained. So, the effectiveness may vary depending on the environment of the food. But there is no doubt that the components in fennel help in cell repair and DNA synthesis, which can lower the chances of cancer development.

Keto Friendly Dishes With Fennel

keto friendly dishes with fennel

Few may describe it as a close taste like anise, and the prominent flavor is as in licorice. However, it does not taste like anise but has a distinct aromatic flavor to clear your concern.

It is a trendy vegetable in Asian cooking and is the fifth spice in Chinese recipes. You can consume it cooked as a main dish or raw use in a salad. You can eat fennel as fried, baked, or steamed. 

For example,

Fennel gratin can substitute the potato gratin. You can slice the fennel bulb and stream it in the microwave for 5 minutes till it is tender. You can oven bake it for another 30 minutes with an ovenproof dish and top with cream or cheese.

fennel gratin

Roasted fennel can be a good keto side dish. You can make a proper slice around 1 cm thick. Then you can add salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil to keep it simple and tasty.

roasted fennel

As fennel lacks fat but low cabs, you can add fat materials to your cooking. Low carb turmeric chicken is a dish where chicken is roasted with fennel and artichokes. It is flavored and full of a fragrant dish inspired by Mediterranean meals.

The Keto Unfriendly Fennel Recipe

Even though fennel is a keto-friendly food, not in all cases, processed fennel is low in the nutrients available in the food. Besides, it is low on fat; therefore, you should add a different source for it to complement the amount of fat.

That is the only downside, and you can pretty much use this versatile vegetable in any form. Sugar is a big no for keto meals. Fennel only contains 3.9 grams of sugar per 100 grams of serving. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is fennel a low-carb vegetable?

Per cup of fennel contains only 4 grams of net carbs. It is indeed a low glycemic food. It can fit comfortably with your daily carb limit because of its low carb.

2. Is raw fennel edible?

Yes, you can have fennel as cooked or raw. The raw fennel comparably tastes sweeter. On the contrary, the cooked one tastes similar to anise or licorice flavor.

Raw fennel is a good ingredient for salad dishes. Moreover, you can make juice out of it as well.

3. Is fennel beneficial for losing weight?

Fennel is high in fiber, which keeps you full for longer and helps you avoid cravings and overeating. As a result, fewer calories are consumed, resulting in weight loss.

Consuming fennel seeds may aid in fat loss by increasing vitamin and mineral absorption in the body.

Fennel helps decrease fat substances in diabetes individuals in various investigations. As a result, many individuals like including this vegetable in their diets.

4. What diseases can fennel prevent?

Fennel is used to treat various digestive issues such as heartburn, intestinal gas, bloating, loss of appetite, cholera, and newborn colic. It is helpful to treat upper respiratory tract infections, coughs, and bronchitis. Also helps improve backache, bedwetting, and vision issues.

5. Is fennel a type of starch?

No, celery, asparagus, and fennel are examples of non-starchy vegetables. They have a low glycemic index because of their low starch content.

6. Is fennel good for lowering blood sugar?

High-fiber diet, specifically soluble fiber consumption, assists in lowering blood sugar levels and hence the risk of type 2 diabetes. Beta-carotene, another antioxidant found in fennel seeds, may also help people with type 2 diabetes by decreasing blood sugar levels.

7. What are the health advantages of fennel?

Dietary fiber at significant levels can help avoid constipation and enhance gut health. Fennel contains Selenium, which helps boost your immune system and helps you fight infections. It includes Choline, which can assist in the reduction of chronic inflammation.

Besides, fennel act as an active estrogenic agent, which also benefits the females with menopause symptoms. 

The usage of fennel seeds in gout treatment is another health advantage. Fennel seeds can break down kidney stones as well as uric acid in the tissues.

8. Is fennel beneficial for the liver?

Fennel seeds cleaning capabilities help maintain a healthy gall bladder and liver. Tea made from fennel seeds is beneficial to the liver.

Final Thoughts

Fennel is now a worldwide recognized food because of its unique taste and versatile use. Moreover, its health benefits and other properties come as a plus. It will help you maintain a good healthy diet and prevent a various number of diseases.

Now, only the question remains, is fennel keto friendly or not? The vivid description proves the fact that fennel is indeed a keto-friendly ingredient. It not only contains a few carbohydrates but is also rich in fiber, protein, and other vitamins and minerals, making it a suitable choice to use in your keto diet.

Therefore, I conclude by ensuring you that fennel is an excellent choice for your keto diet menu, and you can get use fennel in any manner suitable to your dishes. I hope you have got all the answers about the fennel with the help of this article.

Hey there. I am a registered doctor and founder of this site. The main goal of this site is to help individuals with good food habits, diet, and nutrition. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, exploring different food recipes and diets.

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