Is Cabbage Keto? Carbs, Net Carbs & Verdict

Yes — cabbage is firmly keto-friendly, and it's one of the best low-carb vegetables you can eat. Raw green cabbage has only about 3.3g net carbs per 100g (5.8g total carbs minus 2.5g fiber), and a full cup of shredded cabbage is just ~3g net carbs. Against a daily keto budget of 20-50g net carbs, that's almost nothing. Red and Savoy cabbage are nearly identical. The only thing to watch is what goes on the cabbage — sweet coleslaw dressing and sugary sauces are where the carbs sneak in, not the cabbage itself.

Cabbage is cheap, filling, and endlessly versatile, which makes it a staple for low-carb eaters. It bulks up meals, stands in for noodles and wraps, and barely touches your carb count. Here's exactly where it lands and how to use it.

How many carbs are in cabbage?

Net carbs = total carbs minus fiber, since fiber doesn't raise blood sugar. For raw green cabbage:

• Per 100g (about 3.5 oz): ~5.8g total carbs, ~2.5g fiber, ~3.3g net carbs
• One cup shredded (~89g): ~5.2g total carbs, ~2.2g fiber, ~3g net carbs
• One cup cooked (~150g): ~8.7g total carbs, ~2.9g fiber, ~5.8g net carbs
• One whole small head (~900g): ~30g net carbs (you're not eating a whole head in one sitting)

Cooking shrinks cabbage down, so a cup of cooked cabbage packs more grams of vegetable than a cup of raw shredded — that's why the net carbs per cup are a little higher when cooked. Per gram, raw and cooked are about the same.

Cabbage carbs by type

Different cabbages vary only slightly. All of them are keto-safe in normal portions. You can log any of these in CarbMeNot to get exact numbers for your serving.

Cabbage type	Net carbs (per 100g)	Keto-friendly?
Green cabbage (raw)	~3.3g	Yes
Red / purple cabbage (raw)	~5.3g	Yes
Savoy cabbage (raw)	~3g	Yes
Napa / Chinese cabbage (raw)	~1.2g	Yes
Bok choy (raw)	~1.2g	Yes
Sauerkraut (plain, drained)	~1g	Yes
Cooked green cabbage	~3.9g	Yes
Store-bought coleslaw	~8-15g per cup	Check the label

Red cabbage carries a bit more sugar (and more antioxidants from those purple anthocyanins), but it's still low. Napa cabbage, bok choy, and plain sauerkraut are even lower than green cabbage, making them some of the lowest-carb vegetables you can put on your plate.

Is cabbage keto?

Yes, comfortably. Keto generally caps you at 20-50g of net carbs per day, and a generous cup of cabbage uses only about 3g of that. You'd have to work hard to overeat cabbage into a problem.

What makes cabbage so keto-friendly is its makeup: it's roughly 92% water and packed with fiber, so the actual digestible carbs per bite are tiny. That same fiber and water keep you full, which is a real advantage when you're cutting carbs and want volume on your plate without the calories or sugar.

Cabbage also delivers nutrients worth having — it's an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K, plus it provides folate and potassium, which helps when you're managing keto electrolytes. Fermented cabbage (sauerkraut, kimchi) adds gut-friendly probiotics on top.

How much cabbage can you eat on keto?

Realistically, as much as you want. Here's the math: at ~3g net carbs per cup, you could eat 4 to 5 cups of shredded raw cabbage and still land around 12-15g net carbs — under a strict 20g limit, and a small slice of a 50g budget.

That's a huge volume of food. Half a plate of sautéed cabbage, a big cabbage-based salad, or a bowl of cabbage soup all stay easily within range. The practical limit isn't ketosis — it's your appetite. Just remember to count the cabbage toward your daily total if you're stacking it with other carb sources.

What to watch: dressings, sauces, and sweet slaws

The cabbage is never the problem. The carbs come from what you add:

• Coleslaw dressing — most bottled and deli slaw uses sugar-sweetened dressing, pushing a cup to 8-15g net carbs. Make it at home with sugar-free mayo or an oil-and-vinegar base.
• Sweet-and-sour cabbage — recipes often add sugar or honey. Use a keto sweetener instead.
• Stir-fry sauces — many bottled sauces hide sugar and cornstarch. Check the label or make your own.
• Cabbage rolls with rice — the cabbage leaf is fine; the rice filling isn't. Swap rice for cauliflower rice or extra meat.
• Kimchi — usually keto-friendly, but some brands add sugar; scan the label.

The rule is the same as with most vegetables: the cabbage is keto, but the sauce decides whether the dish is.

Easy ways to eat more cabbage on keto

Cabbage is one of the most flexible low-carb ingredients once you skip the sweet stuff:

• Shred it raw into a slaw with sugar-free mayo, mustard, and apple cider vinegar
• Sauté with butter, garlic, and bacon for a rich side
• Use big leaves as wraps in place of tortillas
• Slice into "steaks," brush with oil, and roast until the edges crisp
• Stir into soups and stews to add bulk for almost no carbs
• Use it as a base for fried "rice" or low-carb noodle dishes

Controlling the dressing yourself is the smartest move — that way you know exactly what's in it. Log your ingredients in CarbMeNot and you'll see your real net carbs instead of guessing.

Know the carbs before you bite

Cabbage is about as safe as keto vegetables get, but the difference between fresh slaw and a cup of sugary deli coleslaw can be 3g versus 14g of net carbs. CarbMeNot uses AI-powered food recognition to scan a meal or a label and break down net carbs instantly, so you always know whether a dish fits your day. Browse the vegetables database to check any ingredient. Download CarbMeNot and track your cabbage — and your dressings — the easy way.

Key takeaways

• Cabbage is strongly keto-friendly at about 3.3g net carbs per 100g, or ~3g per cup shredded.
• You can eat 4-5 cups of cabbage and still stay under 15g net carbs — appetite is the only real limit.
• All types are keto-safe: green, red, Savoy, napa, bok choy, and plain sauerkraut.
• Watch the add-ons — sweet coleslaw dressing, sugary sauces, and rice fillings are what add carbs.
• Make slaws and sauces yourself and log them in CarbMeNot to keep your net carbs accurate.