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When following keto or other low carb diet, most root vegetables are out. Say goodbye to sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and even carrots. If it grows below ground, chances are it’s too carb-heavy to be consumed.

…Or is it?

One root vegetable, celeriac, is relatively low in carbohydrates compared to its other tuber friends. Celeriac contains roughly 7 grams of net carbs per cup, far fewer than other starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes or turnips.

That means keto french fries are possible. No more pairing a juicy, lettuce-wrap burger with more lettuce dressed up as a side salad. Now you get to enjoy burgers and fries the way nature intended — sans the bun, of course.

What Exactly Is Celery Root?

Celery is popular in various cuisines, but many people are unfamiliar with the root that is closely related to it. Celeriac, more commonly known as celery root, is in the same family as celery. Celery is cultivated for its stalk and leaves, but celery root is harvested for its root.

The Health Benefits of Celery Root

Celeriac offers loads of health benefits. Besides being a lower carb starch, it contains plenty of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber which benefit your cells, bones, and immune system. These include:

• Phosphorus: Celeriac contains phosphorus, which is required for cell metabolism[*][*].
• Copper: It also contains copper, which helps restore immunity and prevents anemia[*].
• Vitamin K: The vitamin K content of the celeriac improves bone mineralization by promoting osteoblastic activity in your bones[*].
• Magnesium and vitamin B6: Both magnesium and vitamin B6 help provide energy for your body[*][*].

Where Can You Buy Celeriac?

If you started reading this article and thought, “I’ve never even heard of celeriac,” don’t worry, you’re not alone. While this particular starch is becoming more popular in grocery stores across the United States, it was relatively unheard of for many years.

If you’re looking to purchase celeriac, you will have the most luck searching at large-chain grocers, rather than a small, local store. Chains like Whole Foods, Publix, and Wegmans often carry the vegetable. You can also search on Amazon.com.

Before making a trip to the store, call customer service and see if they carry the product. If your store doesn’t carry it, you can substitute celeriac for a few other low carb vegetables, which you’ll read about below.

How to Make Low Carb Fries

Homemade french fries need just three ingredients: potatoes, oil, and a sprinkle of salt.

On a ketogenic diet, you will swap out potatoes for a low carb alternative (in this case, celeriac), use a keto-friendly oil, and, in this particular recipe, use Everything Bagel Seasoning for a little extra flavor. For added flavor, you can try sprinkling onion powder, black pepper, and garlic powder onto your fries for an extra kick.

How to Select a Low Carb Alternative to Potato French Fries

If you can’t find celeriac at your local store, there are a few low carb foods you can choose it its place. Simply follow the steps outlined in the instructions below.

Recipe note: If you choose a vegetable, peel and slice your vegetable into strips, just as you would your celeriac. You may have to adjust the cook time, depending on the vegetable used.

Here are a couple options to choose from:

Jicama

Jicama is, like celeriac, a tuber. It’s been called the yam bean because it is from the bean family. It is white in color and looks like a very large parsnip. You can use jicama just as you would a regular potato, making jicama fries, hash browns, or even scalloped potatoes.

Zucchini

There are plenty of recipes available for baked zucchini fries on the web. However, because zucchini is not a tuber (and therefore filled with water), the cooking process is slightly different.

To make zucchini fries, you should first briefly roast strips of zucchini in the oven, then blot with a paper towel to extract as much excess water as possible (some people call this “sweating” the zucchini).

Toss your sweated zucchini in a beaten egg yolk, then dredge in a blend of almond flour (or coconut flour) and grated parmesan cheese. Finally, return to roast in the oven for a crispier french fry.

Avocado

For a delicious, low carb french fry, try roasting avocados in the oven. Simply line a baking sheet with sliced avocado, and flip halfway through. Or, even better, wrap prosciutto around the avocado before baking (it’s a delicious treat!).

Pork Rinds

Pork rinds make an excellent keto alternative to french fries. They’re crunchy, crispy, and perfect for munching. While you might turn up your nose at pork rinds as a side dish, they do make a party-friendly appetizer.

How to Select a Keto-Friendly Cooking Oil

Most fry recipes call for canola oil, corn oil, or grapeseed oil — none of which are healthy or keto-friendly. These seed oils become rancid when cooked at high temperatures, which causes inflammation and cell damage when you consume them.

For this keto recipe, choose a healthy oil like coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil.

Or, if you would like to use less oil altogether, try baking your keto french fries in an air fryer rather than the oven. If you’ve never used one, an air fryer makes your food incredibly crispy, making it perfect for fries.

Enjoy Your Burger and Fries, Even While on the Keto Diet

Celeriac can be eaten raw, cooked, and is even great in salads. But you’re going to love it as a substitute for potatoes. Pretty much anything you can do with a potato — like making fries — you can also do with celeriac.

Give this recipe a go, and leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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