Is Green Bean Casserole Keto-Friendly? A Detailed Look at This Classic Holiday Side

Green bean casserole is a staple at many holiday dinners. This creamy, crunchy casserole is a nostalgic favorite for good reason – it’s delicious! But is green bean casserole keto-friendly? With its combination of green beans, cream of mushroom soup, fried onions, and often a starch like bread crumbs on top, green bean casserole doesn’t seem like an obvious choice for a low-carb keto diet. However, with a few simple substitutions, this classic comforting dish can easily be adapted to fit into a ketogenic lifestyle.

An Overview of Keto Diets

First let’s take a quick look at what the ketogenic or “keto” diet is. Keto is a very low-carb high-fat diet. By restricting carbs to around 5-10% of total calories and getting 60-75% of calories from fat, keto aims to put the body into ketosis. This is a natural metabolic state where the body switches from primarily burning glucose for fuel to burning fats and ketones.

Ketosis offers several potential benefits including

• Enhanced weight loss due to increased fat burning
• Appetite suppression
• Stabilized blood sugar levels
• Improved mental focus and clarity
• More consistent energy levels

To achieve and maintain ketosis, keto followers must restrict their net carb intake to 20-50 grams per day. Net carbs are total carbs minus fiber since fiber does not impact blood sugar or ketosis. With such a major reduction in carbohydrate intake, many traditional recipes and products like bread, pasta, rice, baked goods, sugar, starchy veggies, and processed snacks are limited or eliminated on keto.

So keeping net carbs low is key for successfully following a ketogenic diet. Now let’s analyze the carb content of a traditional green bean casserole recipe.

Analyzing the Carbs in Classic Green Bean Casserole

The main ingredients in classic green bean casserole are:

• Green beans – low carb at around 5g net carbs per cup
• Cream of mushroom soup – around 5-7g net carbs per half cup
• Fried onions – approximately 15g net carbs per 1/4 cup

A standard recipe calls for 4-5 cups of green beans, 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, and 1/4 to 1/2 cup fried onions.

So a single serving ends up providing roughly

• Green beans: 20-25g net carbs
• Mushroom soup: 10-14g net carbs
• Fried onions: 15-30g net carbs

Total net carbs per serving: 45-69g

Yikes! That’s nearly half the daily allotment of net carbs on keto in just a single serving. So classic green bean casserole made with regular ingredients is too high in carbs to fit into a keto lifestyle.

But don’t give up hope yet! With a few easy ingredient swaps, we can transform this holiday favorite into a keto-approved dish.

Modifying Green Bean Casserole for Keto

Here are some simple substitutions to make green bean casserole keto-friendly:

Use Low-Carb Mushroom Soup

Swapping out regular canned cream of mushroom soup for a low-carb alternative drastically reduces the carb count. Look for keto soup made with milk or heavy cream instead of flour-based roux. Or make your own low-carb mushroom “cream” sauce with mushrooms, chicken or vegetable stock, cream cheese, and heavy cream.

Skip the Fried Onions

The crunchy fried onions on top are one of the best parts of green bean casserole. But they are also one of the main sources of carbs. Try baking sliced almonds or chopped walnuts instead to save about 15g net carbs per serving. Skipping the onions altogether or using just a sprinkle as garnish are other options.

Cut Some of the Beans

Green beans themselves are relatively low in carbs. But all those cups can add up. Try reducing the amount of green beans to just 2-3 cups per casserole to save 5-10g of net carbs per serving.

Ditch the Bread Crumbs

Some recipes call for bread crumbs or crackers on top. Since all bread and grain products are off-limits on keto, leave off this extra topping.

Use Lower-Carb Beans

Green beans are one of the lowest carb bean varieties, but switching to an even lower carb veggie can help further reduce carbs. Substituting zucchini noodles (“zoodles”), diced cauliflower, or broccoli florets for some or all of the green beans can make the dish even more keto-friendly.

Add More Fat

Since keto is a high-fat diet, feel free to bump up the fat content! Mix in 8 oz. of cream cheese with the mushroom soup, drizzle the top with olive oil or melted butter, or sprinkle with extra shredded cheese. Adding more healthy fats will keep the casserole satisfying while lowering the carb percentage of each serving.

Sample Keto Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Here is an example of a modified low-carb and keto-approved green bean casserole recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups green beans, ends trimmed
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Instructions:

1. Steam or boil green beans and broccoli florets until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Make mushroom “cream” sauce by sauteing mushrooms in butter, then stirring in cream cheese and heavy cream until smooth and creamy. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
3. Combine green beans, broccoli, and mushroom sauce in a casserole dish. Top with almonds and Parmesan cheese.
4. Drizzle melted butter over the top.
5. Bake at 350°F until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
6. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition for 1/6 recipe:

Calories: 195
Fat: 18g
Net carbs: 8g
Protein: 7g

As you can see, with some simple low-carb swaps, it’s easy to keep green bean casserole on your holiday table while sticking to your keto diet goals. This adapted recipe cuts the net carbs down to just 8g per serving – keto-approved!

While the classic version loaded with beans, condensed soup, and fried onions is too high in carbs for keto, you can definitely still enjoy all the nostalgic flavors of green bean casserole. With modifications like baking the onions, making a lower-carb mushroom sauce, and switching some of the beans for low-carb veggies, green bean casserole can readily be made keto-friendly. Use these tips and get creative with your own carb-cutting substitutions to whip up a delicious low-carb green bean casserole this holiday season.