Parsley is a flowering plant native to the Mediterranean. It is bright green in color and has a mild, bitter flavor that pairs well with many recipes. When you are cooking keto, though, it is not as simple as throwing things in a pan without a second thought. You have to be sure that every ingredient you are using is keto-friendly. Is parsley a keto-friendly herb?
Parsley is keto. It is low in net carbs and free of harmful ingredients like non-keto sweeteners, highly refined oils and food additives. Parsley is not the only keto-friendly herb, though. Gourmet Garden Lightly Dried Basil, Simply Organic Rosemary, Good & Gather Organic Cilantro, Good & Gather Organic Dill and McCormick Gourmet All Natural Chives all make great substitutes.
In this article, we will discuss whether or not parsley is healthy. We will also discuss other keto-friendly herbs that will kick your keto recipes up a notch. Let’s dig in!
Contents
Is Parsley Healthy?
Believe it or not, parsley has some pretty impressive health benefits. Those benefits are:
1. Parsley Contains Many Important Vitamins And Nutrients
One half cup of fresh, chopped parsley provides 11 calories, 2 grams of carbs, 1 gram of protein, less than 1 gram of fat, 1 gram of fiber, 108% of the Reference Daily Intake of vitamin A, 53% of the Reference Daily Intake of vitamin C, 547% of the Reference Daily Intake of vitamin K, 11% of the Reference Daily Intake of folate, and 4% of the Reference Daily Intake of potassium.
Vitamin K is vital for blood clotting and bone health.
Vitamins A and C are important nutrients with antioxidant properties and therefore can help your body fight disease.
2. Parsley Contains Cancer-Fighting Substances
Parsley is particularly rich in flavonoid antioxidants and vitamin C, which reduce oxidative stress – a condition characterized by an imbalance in levels of antioxidants and free radicals – in your body and can lower your risk of certain cancers.
In fact, high dietary intake of flavonoids can reduce your risk of colon cancer by as much as 30%. Additionally, increasing your vitamin C intake by 100mg per day can reduce your risk of cancer overall by 7%. Lastly, increasing your vitamin C intake by 150mg per day can reduce your risk of prostate cancer by as much as 21%.
3. Parsley Is Rich In Nutrients That Protect Your Eyes
Parsley is rich in lutein, beta carotene, and zeaxanthin – pigments found in plants that help protect your eyes and promote healthy vision.
Lutein and zeaxanthin can prevent age-related macular degeneration, an incurable eye disease and a leading cause of blindness around the world. In fact, eating foods that are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin can reduce your risk of age-related macular degeneration by as much as 26%.
Parsley is also rich in vitamin A, which is essential for eye health as it helps protect the cornea – the outermost layer of your eye.
4. Parsley May Improve Heart Health
Parsley is rich in the vitamin B folate. High intakes of dietary folate may reduce heart disease risk. In fact, a study with over 58,000 people found that the highest intake of folate was associated with a whopping 38% reduced risk of heart disease.
In turn, low intake of folate may increase your risk of heart disease. We know this because a study of 1,980 men showed an alarming 55% increase in heart disease risk in those with the lowest intake of folate.
Parsley Nutritional Information
All the added health benefits and only 1 calorie per tablespoon, feel free to sprinkle parsley freely on your dishes! [1].
Ingredients:
- Fresh Parsley
Nutrition Facts (per 1 tbsp):
- Calories: 1
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Sodium: 2 mg
- Potassium: 21 mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 0.2 g
- Dietary Fiber: 0.1 g
- Sugar: 0 g
- Protein: 0.1 g
How To Add Parsley Into Your Diet
Now that you know all of the amazing health benefits parsley has to offer, you may be wondering how you can add more parsley into your diet. Lucky for you, adding parsley into your diet is easier than you might think. Here are a few ways you can do it:
- Stir fresh leaves into a homemade chimichurri sauce
- Mix finely chopped leaves into your salad dressings
- Sprinkle fresh or dried leaves on top of your favorite salmon dish
- Finely chop the stems and add them to a potato salad for a satisfying crunch
- Simmer dried flakes in a homemade tomato sauce
If none of those options sound appealing to you, you may be interested to know that parsley may act as a natural breath freshener. So, if all else fails, chew on a sprig while cooking to freshen up your breath.
Keto-Friendly Alternatives To Parsley
Ok, so you have tried all the different ways to add parsley to your diet and it is just not working for you. That’s fine. We all have different taste buds, so not everyone is going to enjoy parsley. Or maybe you do enjoy parsley, but are just looking to add something new to your recipes. Whatever the case may be, there is a plethora of keto-friendly herbs for you to choose from.
Gourmet Garden Lightly Dried Basil
This conveniently chopped basil has a sweet, aromatic flavor and is dried just enough to last for a full four weeks once opened. Try some in your favorite pasta dish, salads, or even in your eggs. No matter how you enjoy it, you are sure to love it.
These are the ingredients found in Gourmet Garden Lightly Dried Basil:
- Organic basil
- Organic canola oil
- Sea salt
- Ascorbic acid (to protect color)
Here is some important nutritional information to note for Gourmet Garden Lightly Dried Basil (per 1 teaspoon serving):
- Calories: 0
- Total fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 25mg
- Total carbs: 0g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: 0g
Simply Organic Rosemary
This herb has a pungent, fresh, earthy taste and aroma with pine-like notes. It is often used as a seasoning in a variety of dishes like soups, casseroles, salads and stews. However, you can also use rosemary with chicken, lamb, pork, steaks and fish. It even goes well with grains, mushrooms, potatoes, onions and spinach. The sky is the limit with this versatile herb.
These are the ingredients found in Simply Organic Rosemary:
- Organic rosemary
Here is some important nutritional information to note for Simply Organic Rosemary (per 1 teaspoon serving):
- Calories: 4
- Total fat: 0.18g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 0.6mg
- Total carbs: 0.77g
- Protein: 0.059g
Good & Gather Organic Cilantro
Give your favorite dish a boost of fresh and bright flavor with this organic cilantro. You can use it to change up your sour cream, flavor your oils, add to a stir-fry, sprinkle on top of tacos, and so much more. No matter what you are whipping up, this organic cilantro is a great choice to step up your culinary game.
These are the ingredients found in Good & Gather Organic Cilantro:
- Organic cilantro
Here is some important nutritional information to note for Good & Gather Organic Cilantro (per 1 teaspoon serving):
- Calories: 3
- Total fat: 0.083g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 0mg
- Total carbs: 0.587g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: 0.341g
Good & Gather Organic Dill
Never have a dull moment in your everyday dishes again by having this organic dill on hand. It brings a great flavor to a wide range of different meals. For example, you can use it to make salt and vinegar cucumbers, a creamy spinach and dill dish, lemon and dill chicken, oven baked salmon and so much more. Just make sure to keep it refrigerated, rinse it before use, and you are good to go!
These are the ingredients found in Good & Gather Organic Dill:
- Organic dill
Here is some important nutritional information to note for Good & Gather Organic Dill (per 1 cup sprigs serving):
- Calories: 4
- Total fat: 0.1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 5mg
- Total carbs: 0.6g
- Protein: 0.3g
McCormick Gourmet All Natural Chives
These chives are freeze-dried at peak freshness to preserve the flavor and color of fresh chives. They feature a mild onion flavor with a hint of garlic, making them a wonderful addition to many dishes like soups, dips, mashed or baked potatoes, fish and even omelets. Once you start adding chives into your recipes, you won’t want to stop.
These are the ingredients in McCormick Gourmet All Natural Chives:
- Chives
Here is some important nutritional information to note for McCormick Gourmet All Natural Chives (per 1 tablespoon serving):
- Calories: 1
- Total fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 0mg
- Total carbs: 0.1g
- Total sugars: 0.1g
- Protein: 0.1g
Final Thoughts
Parsley is keto-friendly. It is low in net carbs and free of harmful ingredients like non-keto sweeteners, highly refined oils and food additives. It also has amazing health benefits like containing many important vitamins and nutrients, cancer-fighting substances, can protect your eyes and improve your heart health.
Parsley is not the only keto-friendly herb out there, though. So if you do not like parsley or just want to try something new, Gourmet Garden Lightly Dried Basil, Simply Organic Rosemary, Good & Gather Organic Cilantro, Good & Gather Organic Dill and McCormick Gourmet All Natural Chives are all keto-friendly, as well.
Related Questions
Is Parsley Gluten-Free?
Yes. Parsley is gluten-free and therefore safe for those with celiac disease or other gluten intolerances.
Is Parsley Vegan?
Yes. There are no animal ingredients whatsoever in parsley and therefore can be used in vegan recipes.
Is Parsley Paleo?
Yes, parsley can be used on the paleo diet.
Is Parsley Whole30-Approved?
Yes, Parsley can be used on the whole30 diet.