Is Falafel Keto-Friendly? (Find Out Now!)

If you’ve ever experienced the delightful culmination of flavors and spices in middle eastern cuisine, you’ve likely come across falafel. A fried, fritter-like ball made with chickpeas and fresh herbs and spices that pairs well with pita bread. Unfortunately, not many of us knows exactly what is in falafel; is it suitable for those on a keto diet?

Falafel is not keto-friendly because it contains chickpeas or fava beans and flour. Both of these are considered high carbohydrate foods, along with beans such as kidney, black, and pinto beans. However, Afia Falafels offers a variety of frozen falafels that are relatively low in carbohydrates. Other keto alternatives are Zucchini Fritters and Lupini Bean Air Fryer Falafel.

Let’s take a deeper look at what exactly falafel is, its health benefits and alternatives that those on the keto diet may enjoy.

What are Falafels?

Falafels are a Middle Eastern dish typically made with mashed chickpeas or fava beans and herbs and spices that are then deep fried into round fritters and served with pita bread. Most falafels are vegetarian and vegan friendly due to their plant-based ingredients.

You can find falafels at restaurants or food stands that serve Middle Easter cuisine, or at your local grocery store in the frozen food aisle. They have a savory, herbaceous flavor and crunchy outer texture that can be made with a variety of different ingredients.

Why Are Falafels Green?

Some falafels might look green in appearance because of the many vibrant green herbs used in them, such as cilantro and parsley which are often added fresh. Some processed falafels may even contain food coloring to make them look more vibrant.

Do Falafels Have Gluten?

Most store-bought and restaurant made falafels use flour along with chickpeas as their main ingredients. Because flour contains gluten, most falafels are not gluten-free unless otherwise marketed or made at home to be gluten-free.

Are Falafels Healthy?

Because falafels can be made in a variety of different ways, there are healthy versions and less healthy versions. For example, baked falafels will be lower in fat and oils than those that are traditionally fried. Deep fried falafels tend to be high in calories and saturated fats. Those who regularly consume these types of foods have an increased risk for obesity, heart disease, diabetes and even cancer [1,2].

Falafels also tend to be relatively high in sodium depending on their ingredients, especially if choosing store bought falafels. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adults to consume no more than 2300mg of sodium per day, or equal to about 1-teaspoon of salt. Anything that contains 20% (460mg) or more of the recommended amount of salt per day is considered a high salt food [3].

Because the main ingredients in falafels are chickpeas or fava beans, they are a good source of fiber. Combine that with the fresh herbs and spices commonly added to falafels, they can be a healthy, nutritious dish.

The plant-based fiber present in chickpeas and fava beans can help to prevent overeating by keeping you fuller after meals. Some studies have even shown fibers to help reduce hunger hormones for better appetite control overall. The fiber in chickpeas and fava beans can also help to improve blood sugar levels, decrease cholesterol and improve bowel health. These benefits can help to reduce incidents of heart disease and colon cancer [4, 5, 6]

Nutrition Facts for Falafels

Nutrition Facts (Per 6 small falafels): [7]

Calories 330
Fat 18g
Saturated fat 2g
Sodium 300mg
Carbohydrates 32g
Sugar 0g
- Added sugar 0g
Fiber 5g
Protein 13g

Keto-Friendly Alternatives to Traditional Falafels

Afia Falafels

Afia is a plant-based, frozen take on the Mediterranean classic falafel. Gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, and non-GMO, these falafels are relatively low in carbohydrates with about 5 grams of net carbs per serving of 3.

Afia makes a variety of different flavors of falafels that are known by many in the keto community to be one of the only low-carb falafels available aside from home made. Some of their flavors contain lower net carbs than others. For example, their sundried tomato falafels contain the highest net carbs (8 grams per serving) while their three cheese contains the lowest (4 grams per serving.)

You can find these products available online at afiafoods.com or in retail stores, such as Walmart, priced at $4.47 for a 9-ounce bag.