Is Squash Keto?

If you’re following a ketogenic diet, does that mean you’ll need to cut out squash?

The Short Answer:

Some forms of squash are safe for a keto diet but many are high in carbs and should be avoided.

The Long Answer:

A lot of people assume that because the ketogenic diet is a diet that all vegetables are allowed. It’s a diet, so you’re supposed to eat veggies, right?

Not so much.

Keto is all about numbers, folks. That means you’re constantly trying out new foods to see how if affects your daily keto macros. Carbohydrates are the enemy here, with your daily intake recommended to be below 20g. Carbohydrates should make up only 5% of your daily caloric intake when following the keto lifestyle.

A lot of vegetables are very high in carbohydrates and should be avoided like the plague.

So, what about squash?

The problem with a question like “is squash keto?” is that squash is a fairly diverse term. There are so many different varieties of squash and to know whether or not you can include them on your keto program is going to take some research along with trial and error.

So, which squashes are ok? The main squash which is perfect for a ketogenic lifestyle is zucchini, which is a form of summer squash. In fact, a lot of keto recipes use sliced zucchini noodles (or zoodles, which happens to be one of my favorite silly food words) to replace actual pasta.

What about butternut squash? Full stop there. Remember what I said about keeping your carbs under 20g? Well, butternut squash has 21g in one cup so it’s definitely out of you keto plan. Kabocha squash makes a great substitute and that has only 9g of carbs in one cup!

What is Keto?

The Ketogenic Diet, or Keto, is a low carb, high-fat diet which helps you lose weight by forcing the body into a state of ketosis. On the Keto diet, users force the body to shed pounds by feeding on fat broken down in the liver, rather than carbohydrates and glucose.

When we eat a lot of carbohydrates, the body produces both insulin and glucose. The body feeds on the glucose to produce energy and stores fat, rather than burning it. With keto, you can lose weight, improve your overall health, and enrich yourself in both body and mind. Learn more about the Keto Diet here.