Is Okra Keto Friendly?! (Benefits, Nutrition, Recipes)

Okra is an edible sea pod also known as lady’s finger and can be eaten raw or cooked. Several healthy dishes use okra as their main ingredient.

Moreover, okra is low in carbs and keto dieters can add boiled or raw okra to their keto veggies chart. Also, okra is a great source of numerous healthy nutrients like vitamin A, E, C, calcium, iron, magnesium, etc.

Why Is Okra Keto Friendly?

Okra contains a little amount of fat i.e only 0.19 grams(100 g serving) which is not fulfilling the high fat criteria of the keto diet. Then why is okra keto friendly?

Well, okra is a great source of dietary fiber which reduces the okra net carbs a lot more than other famous keto vegetables. Because of this okra is keto friendly vegetable.

Is Okra A Low Carb Vegetable?

Yes, okra is a low carb vegetable because 1 cup of okra provides 7.45 grams of carbs. Furthermore, the same serving size also contains 3.2 grams of dietary fiber (1).

After deduction of the dietary fiber net carbs in okra becomes 4.25 grams. This little amount of okra net carbs will not kick you out of ketosis.

How Many Okra Can You Eat on Keto?

A keto dieter must maintain daily carbs limit of 30 grams. 8 pods of raw okra(3 inches sized each) weigh 95 grams.

This serving size contains 7.08 grams of carbs and 3.04 grams of dietary fiber. After subtracting the dietary fiber okra net carbs comes down to 4.04 grams.

This amount of net carbs is perfect to maintain a keto lifestyle. So you can eat 8 pods of raw okra on keto.

Are Okra Good for You

Yes, okras are a great source of healthy nutrients and good for you. Okra has numerous health benefits over human health. All of these okra health benefits are proven by scientific studies.

The major health benefits of okra are

• Okra has anti-diabetic benefits. Studies on high fat diet fed mice have shown that okra aids in lower body weight and glucose levels. Moreover, okra improves glucose tolerance and decreases total serum cholesterol levels (2).
• The rhamnogalacturonan component of okra provides a hypoglycemic effect in diabetics (3).
• Okra is a rich source of beta-carotene (precursor of vitamin A), xanthin, and lutein. All of these have antioxidant properties that prevent eye problems like cataracts and glaucoma (4).
• The vitamin C and K components of okra improve bone health by restoring bone density and preventing osteoporosis. Both of these are essential for the blood-clotting process (5, 6).
• Okra is an excellent source of fiber that relieves and prevents constipation. Dietary fiber helps to bind toxins and lubricates in the large intestines. Because of its natural laxative property, effortless and normal bowel movements took place (7).
• Okra contains alkaline properties which help in neutralizing the acid. Moreover, it speeds up the healing process of peptic ulcers by providing a protective coating within the digestive tract (8).
• Okra is a powerhouse of folate that prevents miscarriages and stops constipation during pregnancy. Furthermore, folate is also beneficial in the formation, protection & prevention of defects of the neural tube of the fetus. Moreover, it reduces the risk of birth defects like spina bifida (9).

When to Eat Okras on Keto?

You can eat raw okras or boiled okras with your keto meals. Raw okras can be eaten with 1 tbsp of keto approved garlic powder as a morning no bake snack.

Moreover, you can consume boiled okras with keto black pepper sauce as a side dish for lunch or dinner.

Okra Nutrition Facts

Okra is a highly nutritious keto friendly green vegetable. There are several micronutrients and macronutrients are present in okra.

Let’s check the nutrition facts of raw okra against 100 grams of serving

• Calories: 33
• Protein: 1.93 g
• Fat: 0.19 g
• Carbohydrate: 7.45 g
• Fiber: 3.2 g
• Sugar: 1.48 g
• Calcium: 82 mg
• Iron: 0.62 mg
• Magnesium: 57 mg
• Phosphorus: 61 mg
• Potassium: 299 mg
• Sodium: 7 mg
• Zinc: 0.58 mg
• Copper: 0.1 mg
• Vitamin C: 23 mg
• Thiamin: 0.2 mg
• Riboflavin: 0.06 mg
• Niacin: 1 mg
• Vitamin B6: 0.21 mg
• Folate: 60 µg
• Choline: 12.3 mg
• Vitamin A: 36 µg
• Vitamin E: 0.27 mg
• Vitamin K: 31.3 µg

Keto Okra Recipes

Both raw and boiled okras are used in multiple keto recipes. All of these recipes are low in carbs and nutrient dense.

These delicious dishes are well fit for the keto meals and help you to stay full for a long time. The top 3 low carb okra recipes are given below.

Keto okra salad: This low carb recipe contains tomato, cucumber, carrot, and raw okra. To make this low carb no cook recipe mix sliced tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, and okra. Moreover, you can add 1 tbsp of onion powder keto to make a tasty flavor.

Okra fruit mix: To make this mouth-watering fruit mix only 3 ingredients are required. This delicious recipe is prepared by adding boiled okras with keto dragon fruit and kiwi. But can you use kiwi for keto diet? Well, to make this fruit mix keto friendly you should use only 1/4 slice of kiwi fruit.

Boiled salmon okra: This is a healthy low carb seafood recipe that can be prepared quickly at home. To make this recipe mix 30 grams of a sliced and cooked salmon piece with 2 pieces of boiled okra. This side dish can be a great addition to keto soups.

How to Store Okras

Fresh okra lasts for 3-4 days. The life of okra can be extended another 2-3 days by deep freezing. To use okra for a long term proper and perfect storage is required.

To store okras first wrap the unwashed okras with clean paper and keep them in a perforated plastic bag. Now place the bag in the freezer.

Bonus tip: Place the okra bag in deep freeze to make it frozen which will improve the life span of okras for another 2-3 days.

Final Thoughts

Okra is a low carb vegetable and a great addition to keto friendly vegetables list. It contains a little number of carbs and net carbs.

Okras can be added with keto recipes to make these recipes filling. Moreover, okra is a good source of several vitamins, nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants.

Because of these micronutrients and macronutrients, okras are healthy and prevent numerous health disorders.