Are Cucumbers Keto? Carbs In Cucumber

When you’re on the keto diet and trying to be healthy or to lose weight, it won’t mean that eating any veggies or fruits is going to be OK.

Most diets and lifestyle eating habits usually advocate eating as many fruits and veggies as you can, don’t they?

But when you are carb-counting, like what the Keto diet [1] is all about, you will soon discover that not all vegetables fit keto macronutrients.

And when it comes to the cool cucumber, you would imagine that this is one vegetable/fruit that would be non-negotiable when it comes to dieting and losing weight – after all, doesn’t it just consist of all water?

Cucumbers: Are They Keto-Friendly?

The good news is that cucumbers are keto!

And it’s really because their carb count is so low, and that’s for all cucumber varieties.

So you can safely enjoy them and stick to your macros at the same time.

How do you stick to your macros?

First of all, what are macronutrients?

They are nutrients that supply energy to give you the right amounts of proteins, carbs, and fats that your body needs.

It is protein, carbs, and fats that are the three main components that make up the keto diet.

Fats make up the main focus of the keto diet, then protein, and then carbs.

Fat is the most energy-dense nutrient, supplying 9 calories per gram with carbs, and protein supplies 4 calories per gram.

Pam Nisevich Bede, a registered dietician, says of the keto diet, “The ketogenic lifestyle is a regimented diet or way of eating, without a lot of room for cheating.

Tracking your macros can help you maintain ketosis [2] and help assure you’ll be following a high fat, moderate protein, very low carb plan.

This is important because precise intakes of macros lead to better results, including weight loss and body composition changes.”

Most weight loss plans work by cutting calories – NOT the ketogenic diet

The keto diet works differently in that it changes the way the body uses energy.

The keto diet encourages your body to use byproducts of fat metabolism.

These are called ketones, which the body uses for fuel.

It causes your body to enter a fat-burning state which is known as ketosis [3].

Your appetite is suppressed, making it easier for you to eat less. That causes you to lose weight.

A typical keto plan diet will allow you to eat around 75% of fat, 20% of protein, and 5% of carbohydrates.

But it’s not just a low-carb diet.

It’s really different from other low-carb diets – Because if you eat too much protein while on the keto diet, you won’t be likely to reach and maintain ketosis.

The Keto diet requires a lot of strict attention to detail

It means you need to invest time to prepare and plan your meals.

Most people are so happy that the cucumber forms part of the keto diet.

One question people always ask is – Do cucumbers have carbs in them at all? And the answer to that is, yes, they do.

An entire cucumber, raw, will give you 7.2 grams of total carbs.

Even when a cucumber is peeled, it still has carbs in it.

But then the number of carbs will be lower – you will get only 2.9 grams of net carbs out of a medium-sized peeled cucumber.

What about sliced-up cucumber?

People ask about sliced cucumber; whether it can be eaten on the keto diet.

Yes, it can. One half-cup of cucumber slices with the peel on will consist of 1.9 grams of total carbs and 1.6 grams of net carbs [4].

What about mini cucumbers? How many carbs are in them?

You can imagine that mini cucumbers will be lower in carbs than regular-sized cucumbers. One mini cucumber contains just 2 grams of total carbs and 1 gram of net carbs.

Check out this table to get a good idea of the carbs in cucumbers

Serving	Total carbs	Net carbs
One whole cucumber, unpeeled (200 g)	7.2 grams	6.2 grams
One whole peeled cucumber (200 g)	4.3 grams	2.9 grams
½ cup sliced cucumber	1.9 grams	1.6 grams
1 mini cucumber (whole)	2 grams	1 gram

Foods suggested for diets are there because they are healthy. You are encouraged to eat them on the diet.

The Health Benefits of Cucumbers

1) Cucumbers are highly nutritious.

Calories: 16
Protein: 1 g
Fat: 0 g
Fiber: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 4 g
Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 2 mg

As you can see, cucumbers are really low in calories. But they have plenty of nutrients in them too:

Vitamin C: 14% of the RDI
Vitamin K: 62% of the RDI
Magnesium: 10% of the RDI
Potassium: 13% of the RDI
Manganese: 12% of the RDI

2) They’ve got micronutrients in them and antioxidants

Scientists, from their research, have known for a long time that cucumbers aren’t just salad fillers; rabbit food.

One journal, the Journal of Aging Research and Clinical Practice, says that cucumbers contain a group of polyphenols called lignans.

This has proven to be helpful in treating cancers that are estrogen-related. They also contain other antioxidants like flavonoids and beta carotene.

Both of these help to fight inflammation and protect cells from chronic disease.

3) Cucumbers are known for keeping blood pressure in check

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, can cause terrible health problems such as increasing the risk for stroke and aneurysm.

But cucumbers come into the picture here, because they have high doses of electrolyte potassium in them.

They can also help to reduce sodium-induced water retention.

And that in turn helps to lower blood pressure – that’s what the American Heart Association says.

OK, so cucumbers aren’t going to just mitigate polishing off a whole lot of chips that you eat in a day.

If you do suffer from high blood pressure, ensure that you get rid of those types of harmful habits that can cause blood pressure to rise.

For instance, living a sedentary lifestyle and eating too much-saturated fat- and cholesterol-laden foods can cause high blood pressure.

4) Cucumbers are good for keeping the digestive system strong

Even though cucumbers don’t have a whole lot of calories in them, they still have plenty of fiber in them.

And we all know how fiber can keep the gut healthy and the bowel movements regular [5].

Cucumbers are also good for managing symptoms like high cholesterol and diabetes as well. With all that extra water and fiber a cucumber contains, you might even be prevented from overeating.

Make some pickled cucumbers.

That results in fermentation taking place, and this also makes cucumbers perfect fuel for the gut, helping to increase the good bacteria.

5) Cucumbers supply the body with mega-hydration

It is important to stay hydrated so nutrients can be carried properly to the cells.

This will prevent constipation and flush out bacteria. In fact, eating cucumbers can help you to reach the recommended daily fluid intake of eight cups of water a day.

Naturally, the water you get from cucumbers will depend on how many cucumbers you eat.

But because they do consist of 95% of water, you can be sure that cucumbers will contribute to a lot of your hydration needs.

6) They may help promote a healthy weight

There’s no exercise or food that can single-handedly cause you to lose weight.

But cucumbers added to your diet just make it easier with all their water and low calories.

They help with weight loss in that they help to fill you up so you are less likely to fill up on junk foods.

7) Fantastic for regulating diabetes

Similar to how they are good for helping you to control your weight, cucumbers are also excellent for helping to keep diabetes in check as well.

Just because they are so rich in water, they help to reduce cravings for eating sugary snacks.

Cucumbers have vitamins C and K, flavonoids, antioxidants, and phytonutrients.

Sometimes people peel a cucumber when a lot of the nutrients are actually in that dark green skin [6]. Cucumbers also have a low glycemic index.

Some research studies [7] suggest that cucumbers, plus other plants, can help to control and prevent diabetes and might also help to limit oxidative stress in diabetics.

8) Cucumbers can help to strengthen our bones

Calcium isn’t the only nutrient needed to keep bones strong. Cucumbers have vitamin K in them.

A study from the journal PLos Medicine [8] found that postmenopausal women who ingested 5 milligrams of vitamin K each day over a period of 2 years experienced 50% fewer fractures than those not in the study.

Vitamin K helps blood clot well.

9) Your skin and hair can benefit from cucumbers

This is because cucumbers have a supply of silica in them. Silica is a very important mineral for the hair and skin. Drinking cucumber juice rejuvenates the skin from within.

10) They’re super versatile in cooking

Cucumbers have a neutral flavor, so they are superb in many dishes, many salads, and even as a simple snack.

Look at these fantastic keto recipes using cucumber because you can’t afford not to eat them; they simply supply a plethora of health and beauty benefits.

Conclusion

Cucumbers are made from a lot of water and this naturally makes them low carb.

They are very suitable to use if you are following the keto diet. Not only are cucumbers low-carb, but they are exceptionally hydrating as well.

They have a very refreshing, mild taste, making them delicious on a hot summer’s day.

People eat cucumbers as a savory food, but it is actually a fruit. It’s got so many benefits, the cucumber is featured in many beauty products.

Cucumbers come from the Cucurbitaceae family.

Other members of this family are the squash and different kinds of melon. People in India have been growing cucumbers for both food and medicinal purposes since ancient times.

They have proven to be ideal for the keto diet.

A Cucumber Growers Association spokesman said, “The cucumber growers of England have seen an increase in demand every year for our fresh and juicy cucumbers. Demand has become so great, that our members have had to re-plant their crops in April and May to ensure there are enough high-quality fresh English cucumbers.”

That was for the Wimbledon fortnight – who doesn’t want to eat delicious cucumber sandwiches, keto or not – Down it with some refreshing Pimms (not Keto!)

The cool cucumber is certainly a keto food, a fruit, a delicacy that accommodates people from the poorest to the richest – it’s no wonder, it is so sought after.

It has the personality of being generous in its calming, soothing, delicious, and healthy ways – and it makes everybody want to feel cool!