Cauliflower Carbonara Skillet Under 10 Carbs

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Don’t sleep on cruciferous veggies folks. This cauliflower carbonara skillet is as hearty as any game-day meal we’ve ever had – and it’s under 10 carbs. We challenge you to eat this and then not kick back in your easy chair and rub your belly in satisfaction!

A quick refresher, the classical ketogenic diet is 5% carbohydrates. Pair the drastic low carbohydrate intake with moderate protein consumption and you will likely be in a metabolic state of ketosis. The macros in this carbonara fit the keto lifestyle pretty perfectly:

Better yet, half of the carbohydrates in cauliflower are fibrous. Remember that fiber does not count as an energy containing carbohydrate. For a full deep-dive on this, check out our guides to What are Net Carbs, and How Many Carbs Should I Eat.

We repeat: Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that is literally indigestible and so it just ferments in our large intestine. Don’t be scared of fibrous carbohydrates. No matter what diet you are on, it would be wise to up the fiber. It slows the digestion of other sugars and leads to a slower and lower insulin response. This means less of a signal to your body to store fat.

The way I think about it is that while fiber is technically on “team carbohydrate” it’s just a cheerleader and has no effect on the game.

Cauliflower fun fact: The head of the cauliflower is actually a form of an undeveloped flower, and if it weren’t protected by thick leaves for most of its life, the sunlight would stimulate the production of chlorophyll and the flowers would become inedible.

Take home message:

Cauliflower is an awesome nutritious substitute for typical high-glycemic starchy carbs. Know the cauliflower. Love the cauliflower. 🙂

 

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