Are sunchokes keto friendly? This is going to be one of those really frustrating articles that answer, ‘yes’ and, ‘no’. Technically a serving of sunchokes (also known as Jerusalem artichokes) will set you back around 7 grams of carbs, so for some, this will be far too many, for others, they may want to incorporate this into a keto diet. However, as always, if this is not for you, we’ve got some of our favorite keto friendly alternatives ready for you.
What Are Sunchokes?
Sunchokes resemble ginger in that they are tubular-shaped brown, pink, or purple and thin-skinned vegetable of the sunflower family.
They are similar to potatoes, and they’re in season from late fall to early spring. They don’t have to be peeled, and they can be cooked in much the same way a potato can be.
Sunchokes can be grilled, steamed, roasted, pickled, baked, fried, or any way you can think of really. They’re versatile and unique vegetables.
A Keto-Cap (aka A Keto Recap!)
If you’re new to keto and want a bit more information, check out our keto beginners guide.
As a quick summary, if you need it, the keto (also known as the ketogenic diet) is a low-carb, high-fat diet.
The whole concept of the keto diet is that your body transitions from burning glucose, in simple terms, sugars or carbohydrates, to burning fat as its primary fuel source.
For a keto diet, people will restrict their macros to eating;
- 70% of their calories from fat
- 25% from protein
- 5% from carbohydrates
Sticking to these macros for a period of time will put your body into a state of ketosis. Ketosis is when your body has transitioned from burning carbohydrates as its primary fuel source to burning fat for fuel. It is at this point that you will start to see and feel the benefits of the keto diet.
There are a lot of new terms and abbreviations that you may come across, sometimes it can feel like a new language that you need to learn. In order to help you out and keep you on the right track, we have created a keto terms and keto abbreviations guide, bookmark these to make your keto journey easier.
Some people can be put off the keto diet because of the side effects, however, these are only short-lived and the health benefits of keto far outweigh the side effects.
One of the main benefits which attract people to the keto diet is that it can cause significant reductions in insulin levels (by up to 75%) and blood sugar levels, which can be attractive to those that struggle with diabetes, amongst other health complaints.
What is the Nutritional Value of Sunchokes?
The nutritional value of 1 cup of sliced sunchokes:
| Nutritional Facts | Nutritional Value per serving of sunchokes | Nutritional Value per serving of potatoes |
| Calories | 40 | 113 |
| Carbs | 9.2 g | 26 g |
| Protein | 2.2 g | 3.1 g |
| Fat | 0.4 g | 0.2 g |
| Fiber | 2.4 g | 2.7 g |
| Sugar | 6 g | 1.4 g |
Sunchokes are high in fiber, low in calories, and low in carbs. It’s a great option for substituting potatoes. Sunchokes are not fattening. Also, they carb a great source of inulin, which is an important prebiotic for building healthy bacteria in the gut, however, they are also very high in digestible carbs, so not very keto friendly.
How Many Net Carbs are there in Sunchokes?
To find the net carbs in your food, you can follow this simple formula:
Net Carbs in Sunchokes
- Subtract the fiber content from the carbs to get the net carbs.
- Carbs (c) – Fiber (f) = Net Carbs (n)
- (c) – (f) = (n)
- 9.2 – 2.4 = 6.8
- There are 6.8 net carbs found in one cup of sliced sunchokes.
Net Carbs in Potatoes
- Subtract the fiber content from the carbs to get the net carbs.
- Carbs (c) – Fiber (f) = Net Carbs (n)
- (c) – (f) = (n)
- 26 – 2.7 = 23.3
- There are 23.3 net carbs found in one cup of sliced sunchokes.
There are far more net carbs in potatoes than in sunchokes, so you could easily replace potatoes with sunchokes for a keto diet, however, even for a keto diet they are still relatively high in carbs so should be eaten with caution.
Are Sunchokes Keto Friendly?
If you have room in your daily keto diet for nearly 7 carbs, you could add a cup of sunchokes. They’re low carb yet they’re filling. They’re sweet, but they have enough starch to prevent a rise in glucose levels.
Sunchokes are low calorie, moderate carbs, and high fiber, which makes sunchokes probably not the best option for a keto diet.
What are the Health Benefits of Sunchokes?
Sunchokes are a magnificent source of iron, calcium, fiber, magnesium, and potassium. They’re low calorie, low carb, and contain the carbohydrate inulin, which helps to stabilize blood sugar and glucose levels.
They can be cooked most of the ways a potato can be cooked, with fewer carbs. You can try them mashed, fried, or even roasted.
The Best Keto Friendly Alternative to Sunchokes
If you’re craving a replacement for that texture you get from sunchokes or potato, some of our favorite alternatives are;
- Courgette
- Daikon Radish
- Kale
- Swede (Rutabaga)
For more inspiration and how to best use these ingredients check out or article on Top Keto-Friendly Alternatives to Potato.
Staying hydrated on the keto diet is really important, for more on how much water you should be drinking, check out our guide to staying hydrated on the keto diet.
If you’re planning on dehydrating yourself(!) and drinking alcohol on the keto diet, check out our ultimate guide to drinking alcohol on a keto diet. Also, you may be interested in, how to recover from a cheat day.
Summary: Are Sunchokes Keto Friendly?
Sunchokes are moderate in carbs, meaning that some may be able to fit in a small amount into their keto diet and remain in ketosis. However, if this is not for you, we have listed some of our favorite keto-friendly alternatives for you.
