Is baba ganoush keto
Yes! Made from fire-roasted eggplant, olive oil, lemon, tahini, and spices, baba ganoush is a delicious Mediterranean dip. It’s great for bread, but on the keto diet, you can just eat it with a spoon, with cut veggies, or if you’re feeling adventurous, toasted keto-tortillas. It’s hearty, fatty, utterly delicious, and wonderfully easy to make.
Keto rating: Great
Many keto dieters struggle to get enough vegetables into their diet and this offers an easy way to get them along with healthy fats. Additionally, keto operates best when it’s done with whole-foods and this is a dish with an ingredient list that offers nothing but real, wholesome items.
Examining baba ganoush for keto dieters
Baba ganoush is made traditionally by roasting whole eggplants over a fire until they’re blackened and soft inside. Then, you scrape off the burned bits and put the hot pulp into a bowl. Next, you add in lemon juice and a spice blend that traditionally includes cumin and paprika (and sumac, if you don’t have fresh lemons), as well as a healthy amount of tahini and olive oil.
Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds (sort of like peanut butter) and you can get it at most grocery stores. Once you’ve thoroughly mixed the ingredients, that’s it – now you can enjoy it with whatever dipping item you see fit. Traditionally it’s served with pita bread, which you can replicate by shallow-frying keto tortillas, but if you don’t want to make your own, you can find low carb tortillas in most grocery stores as well.
Additionally, keto baba ganoush is great served as a side dish, eaten with sliced green pepper, cucumber, celery, or carrots.
Also, you can just use a spoon – this stuff is so delicious that you might not care to use a dipping implement and nobody will judge you.
Baba ganoush for the keto diet
If you can find baba ganoush premade, it’s almost certainly something your local Lebanese, Greek, or middle eastern restaurants in your area make themselves. It’s not a common thing to find made by a large distributor, so in most cases, you’ll be making your own. Baba ganoush is also a great alternative to hummus, which can be higher in net carbs than most keto dieters want to mess around with.
Keto baba ganoush nutritional facts
Per 1/4 cup serving:
- Calories: 114
- Fat: 10g
- Protein: 2.3g
- Carbs: 4g
- Sugar: 0g
- Dietary Fiber: 3g
- Sugar alcohols: 0g
Making your own keto baba ganoush
Since there are likely to be no standard, mass-produced versions of baba ganoush in your area (at least ones that aren’t filled with sugar and stabilizers), let’s look at some recipes. Fortunately, it’s very easy to make and the ingredients are readily available in most grocery stores. Here are some baba ganoush dip recipes that are simple and delicious.
Keto baba ganoush, by Keto Diet App
- Keto Diet App is a great website if you want to do a very strict, whole-foods approach to keto. Their recipes are meticulously calculated for keto macros and they have total transparency about ingredients and macronutrients. Plus, this recipe is very basic but incredibly delicious.
Epic baba ganoush, at Cookie + Kate
- This recipe isn’t on a strictly keto website, but as we stated before, you’d probably have to royally mess up to make baba ganoush not keto. It’s a straightforward recipe, with some fresh herbs suggested but not necessary.
Spicy keto baba ganoush, by Cast Iron Keto
- Cast Iron Keto switches things up a bit by adding roasted serrano peppers and cayenne, but it’s a welcome inclusion. The spiciness blends well with the creamy smokiness of the eggplant. Definitely a winner and one you will keep coming back to over and over.
Super simple baba ganoush, at Minimalist Baker
- Keto and uncomplicated, this recipe is extremely simple but extremely delicious.
Baba ganoush is keto, healthy, and a great way to get your veggies
Full of good fats and delicious, fire-roasted vegetables, baba ganoush is a unique and healthy side dish or snack on the keto diet that even your non-keto and vegan friends will love. Give it a try and let us know what you think!