Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

• What Is Cauliflower Tabbouleh?
• How To Make Cauliflower Tabbouleh
• Tips For The Best Cauliflower Tabbouleh
• Keto Tabbouleh FAQs
• Keto Tabbouleh Salad Storage Instructions
• More Simple Mediterranean Recipes
• Tools To Make Keto Cauliflower Tabbouleh
• Cauliflower Tabbouleh Recipe card
• Recipe Reviews

This healthy cauliflower tabbouleh is easy (takes just 15 minutes!) and loaded with vegetables. Surprise, surprise – cauliflower does it again to replace carbs in an unexpected way. Serve keto tabbouleh as a side dish with simple chicken breast , for a light and healthy meal or keto lasagna for a comforting dinner.

And yes, this salad is keto friendly, but like most of my keto salad recipes , you don’t have to be keto to enjoy it! I served this for my friends and it was the first thing on the table to disappear.

What Is Cauliflower Tabbouleh?

Tabbouleh is a Mediterranean salad featuring chopped parsley, tomatoes, cucumbers, mint, bulgur, and a lemon-y dressing. Sometimes I’ve seen it spelled tabouli or tabbouli, but tabbouleh is the most common spelling.

This simple cauliflower tabbouleh keto recipe makes a couple easy swaps. We use a combination of riced cauliflower and hemp hearts instead of bulgur, which keeps it low carb and packs in extra veggies, plus healthy fats. You still get the same flavors!

How To Make Cauliflower Tabbouleh

This cauliflower rice tabbouleh salad comes together so quickly! Here’s how to make it:

• Make cauliflower rice. Cook cauliflower rice according to instructions here. Set aside to cool.

• Chop veggies. Finely chop the tomatoes, cucumbers, mint, and parsley. Slice the green onions and combine all of the vegetables in a large bowl.

• Make dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.

• Assemble. Toss together vegetables and dressing together. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill for 30 minutes if possible, to bring out the flavors.

Tips For The Best Cauliflower Tabbouleh

Using a very sharp knife is important to prevent bruising your fresh herbs.

Why? Because if you go over the herbs multiple times, you can end up with a soggy tabbouleh.

To make it easier, cook a whole fresh head or entire 12-oz package of cauliflower rice.

The actual low carb tabbouleh recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups, but it’s more convenient to use up your whole head of cauliflower or whole package of frozen cauli rice. Just keep the leftovers for another meal.

If you need ideas for how to use up your leftover cauliflower rice, lots of my keto cauliflower recipes call for it.

One of my favorites that pairs well with the same meal is cauliflower hummus . You won’t tell the difference from the real thing, promise.

Adjust salt to your liking.

I recommend starting with 1/2 teaspoon in the dressing and adjust the salad to taste once it’s all mixed together. I ended up with 3/4 teaspoons salt total.

Is tabbouleh salad keto friendly?

Typically, tabbouleh salad is made with a grain called bulgur – so it’s not keto. Which is why we need our own cauliflower tabbouleh recipe. This one is perfectly keto friendly!

(If you want a gluten-free version but don’t need it to be keto, try millet tabbouleh salad .)

How many carbs in tabbouleh salad?

Enjoying tabbouleh on the keto diet is possible with this version that is made with cauliflower rice instead of bulgur. It has just 4.1 grams net carbs per serving .

Why do you need to add hemp hearts?

You don’t have to. But I recommend that you do!

The hemp hearts add a nutritious boost and healthy fats to balance out the macronutrients in this simple salad. And, they add some texture that resembles bulgur.

Keto Tabbouleh Salad Storage Instructions

Can you make cauliflower tabbouleh salad ahead?

Yes, you can make this salad ahead. It’s best to make it at least 30 minutes ahead to let the flavors come together, but because the salad is made with sturdier vegetables, you can also make it a couple days in advance.

How to store low carb tabbouleh

Store this low carb tabbouleh in the refrigerator for 1-3 days.

More Simple Mediterranean Recipes

• Israeli Salad – Just 5 basic ingredients and a super simple dressing. This salad goes with everything and takes just 10 minutes to make.
• Lamb Kofta Kebab – The perfect pairing for your cauliflower tabbouli. Pair it with tzatziki sauce !
• Chopped Mediterranean Salad – The whole salad takes just 10 minutes to make. It’s packed with cucumbers, artichokes, tomatoes, onions, and more.
• Greek Dip – Use cauliflower hummus instead of regular to keep this low carb.
• Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms – These make cute little appetizers, but – who am I kidding? – I’ve totally had them as a meal with a salad.

Tools To Make Keto Cauliflower Tabbouleh

Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.

• Chef’s Knife – Using a sharp knife is important in this tabbouleh cauliflower salad recipe. This one has 5 stars and is only $30!
• Dressing Shaker – Add all of the dressing ingredients to this shaker and simply shake until emulsified. It’s great to have if you make your own dressings a lot.
• Mini Whisk – If you don’t have a dressing shaker, I love these little whisks for making smaller amounts of dressing.

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

Tabbouleh:

• 1 1/2 cups Cooked cauliflower rice (fresh or frozen; no salt or pepper) ▢
• 3 medium Roma tomatoes (finely diced; ~1.5 cups) ▢
• 1 medium Cucumber (finely diced; ~1.5 cups) ▢
• 1/4 cup Fresh mint (leaves only, chopped finely) ▢
• 1 bunch Curly parsley (thick stems removed, chopped finely; ~1 cup packed) ▢
• 2 stalks Green onions (sliced thinly) ▢
• 1/4 cup Hemp hearts ▢

Dressing:

• 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil ▢
• 3 tbsp Lemon juice ▢
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder ▢
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt (plus more to taste) ▢
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Cook the cauliflower rice according to the instructions here . Set aside to cool.
2. Finely chop the tomatoes, cucumbers, mint, and parsley. Slice the green onions thinly. Combine the vegetables in a large bowl.
3. Add the cauliflower rice (once cooled) and hemp hearts.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the cauliflower tabbouleh. Toss to combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
5. If possible, cover and chill for 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop (optional).

Did You Like It?

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Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 cup

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

Add Your NotesYour Notes

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.

Keto Cauliflower Tabbouleh Recipe

Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• The Basic Keto Meal Formula
• Understanding Macros
• Keto Food Swaps
• Keto Food List
• Electrolyte Basics
• Keto Diet Types
• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• Recipe Reviews

Even though I have a great guide to starting a keto diet , people often ask me for a quick keto cheat sheet they can use. That’s why I created this simple keto diet cheat sheet , so that you can have all the info you need handy. We’ll cover the basic keto formula for building meals, foods to eat and to avoid, delicious keto swaps for high-carb foods, electrolyte basics, and 4 ways to follow the keto lifestyle.

You can keep reading to view this info, or download my keto cheat sheet printable pdf to print out or save ad-free on any device (plus the pdf has more details!).

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ foods) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System + EBooks (Only $37)

The Basic Keto Meal Formula

Eating keto doesn’t have to be complicated! While there are plenty of delicious easy keto recipes to choose from, you don’t even have to cook from a recipe to get started.

Simply follow the keto cheat sheet formula of protein + veggie + fat for your meals.

Be sure to choose a moderate amount of protein, only low carb vegetables (mostly ones that grow above ground), and generous fat to attain an optimal macro ratio. That’s approximately 60-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. The table below will give you ideas for what to choose.

Understanding Macros

Macros are macronutrients for short. They include fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You can calculate your own macros using the macro calculator , but the macro keto cheat sheet below will explain how to look at macros when following a keto lifestyle.

Carbs Are A Limit.

Keeping carbs low is what gets you into ketosis and keeps you there. Ketosis means that you’re using fat as your primary energy source instead of sugar, and requires keeping carbs very low.

A good starting point is 20-25 grams net carbs per day, but you can experiment after a few weeks to see if your body stays in ketosis at higher levels. People who are very active may be able to do more and stay in ketosis, up to around 50 grams per day.

“Carbs are a limit” means that you set a limit for how many carbs to eat per day and don’t exceed it. You don’t have to hit that limit, so if you’re under that’s okay, just don’t go over. Ideally most of your carbs would come from low carb vegetables, and if you’re eating enough veggies, you’ll usually get close to the limit naturally.

A common misconception is that reaching ketosis requires a certain macro ratio, but it’s really only restricting your carb intake that gets you there [ * ]. In the absence of sufficient carbs to use as energy, the body will switch to using fat as fuel. This is called the metabolic state of ketosis.

Protein Is A Goal.

Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of all our cells. It’s a crucial for keeping our muscles strong and for many cellular functions [ * ].

“Protein is a goal” means that you always want to eat enough protein to reach the goal each day, but not exceed it too much. You want enough for your needs, but excess protein can trigger gluconeogenesis, which is protein being converted to sugar [ * ] and can kick you out of ketosis.

Fat Is A Lever.

Fat is the primary macronutrient in a keto lifestyle, because being in ketosis means that fat is your primary fuel source. Fat as a fuel source will come from your food, and if you are losing weight, from your body.

A big advantage of a keto lifestyle is the high fat intake. It keeps you full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to, and using it as the primary fuel source makes it easier on your body to burn body fat, with a lower chance of breaking down your muscle (provided you get enough protein).

Aside from reaching your protein goal and limiting your carbs, the remainder of your calories on a keto diet comes from fat.

Don’t fear fat – it’s your main energy source on keto, and getting enough of it trains your body to use fat for fuel instead of sugar. That means that as long as you are not overdoing your overall calorie intake, you’ll efficiently burn your body fat for fuel as well.

“Fat is a lever” means that you can increase or decrease your fat intake depending on your goals and hunger levels. Increase it (along with exercise) to gain muscle, or decrease it to lose weight.

Keto Food Swaps

One of my favorite challenges is creating recipes, or just discovering, keto food swaps. These are delicious keto replacements for traditionally high-carb or high-sugar foods.

So, I created this keto diet cheat sheet with all the swaps in one place! I also have more keto food swaps in my Easy Keto Cookbook .

Keto Swaps For Breakfast

Keto Swaps For Bread

Keto Swaps For Meals & Side Dishes

Keto Swaps For Snacks & Sauces

Keto Swaps For Cooking & Baking

Keto Swaps For Drinks

If you’re looking specifically for keto alcohol options, browse the full keto alcohol guide .

Keto Food List

When looking for a keto cheat sheet printable, the most-requested information is a keto food list.

The great thing is that keto doesn’t have to feel restrictive. It’s incredibly satisfying and there’s such a wide variety of foods you can eat!

Foods To Eat On Keto

• Leafy greens – Such as spinach, chard, and lettuce.
• Above-ground veggies – Such as peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower.
• Full-fat cream & cheese – Such as heavy cream, sour cream, and full-fat hard cheeses.
• Natural meats – Such as beef, lamb, and pork.
• Berries – Such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
• Avocados
• Unsweetened nut milks – Such as almond milk and coconut milk.
• Almond flour and coconut flour
• Eggs
• Healthy fats – Such as coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and butter.

Foods To Avoid On Keto

• White flour & sugar
• Rice & grains – Such as barley, wheat, and corn.
• Milk & yogurt – Such as fruit on the bottom yogurt, sweetened Greek yogurt, and all milk.
• Cereal
• Processed food – Such as granola bars, candy
• Most fruit – Such as apples, bananas, and grapes
• Hydrogenated fats – Such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, and margarine
• Sweetened beverages & condiments – Such as soda, ketchup, and sweet dressings
• Starchy veggies – Such as peas, carrots, and beets.
• Potatoes – Such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes.

That’s the short keto diet cheat sheet version of all the keto food categories, but I recommend downloading the full Keto Cheat Sheet System. It includes a super detailed printable keto food list with over 100 items, including 2 color-coded pages with net carb counts, along with 6 more pages of keto cheat sheets:

Get The Keto Cheat Sheet System PDF (Only $37)

Electrolyte Basics

Getting enough electrolytes is crucial for anyone, but especially so on a keto diet. The reason is that ketosis has a diuretic effect, which increases excretion of water and electrolytes, especially sodium [ * ]. This is often the cause of the keto flu.

For more details on electrolytes and avoiding keto flu, check out the full keto flu guide here .

The important thing to know about electrolytes is that replenishing them will keep keto flu away and keep your body functioning well. I always recommend an electrolyte drink and whole food sources of anything your body needs before resorting to supplements, so I made a list of what to eat to get each of the 3 major electrolytes – sodium, magnesium and potassium.

Here’s your keto diet cheat sheet for getting electrolytes from food:

Keto Diet Types

People follow a keto lifestyle for different reasons. Some do it just to lose weight, others are after better overall health, increased energy, and reduced inflammation.

Strictly speaking, the defining factor of a keto diet is the metabolic state of ketosis, which is achieved by restricting carbs. However, many people (myself included) also reduce or eliminate processed, inflammatory, or low-nutrient foods.

Below is your keto cheat sheet summary of the different ways that people follow keto. You choose what works best for your goals and lifestyle!

• Strict Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, count all calories and macros, and eat clean, unprocessed foods.
• Lazy Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, and track only net carbs OR eat keto foods without tracking.
• Dirty Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, with “if it fits your macros” approach including processed foods.
• Low Carb – Up to 50-100g net carbs daily, less strict.

For a more detailed listing of these different types of keto with pros and cons, grab the Easy Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF below!

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ swaps) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System (75 pages, Only $37!)

Cauliflower Tabbouleh

A quick and easy 15-minute cauliflower tabbouleh recipe! This keto tabbouleh is made with cauliflower rice, fresh veggies, and lemon dressing.

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera for the full recipe, including tips, step-by-step photos, and storage, or to save it to your account. You can also find it at: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/keto-cauliflower-tabbouleh-recipe/

Ingredients

Tabbouleh:

• 1 1/2 cups Cooked cauliflower rice (fresh or frozen; no salt or pepper)
• 3 medium Roma tomatoes (finely diced; ~1.5 cups)
• 1 medium Cucumber (finely diced; ~1.5 cups)
• 1/4 cup Fresh mint (leaves only, chopped finely)
• 1 bunch Curly parsley (thick stems removed, chopped finely; ~1 cup packed)
• 2 stalks Green onions (sliced thinly)
• 1/4 cup Hemp hearts

Dressing:

• 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt (plus more to taste)
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the cauliflower rice according to the instructions here . Set aside to cool.
2. Finely chop the tomatoes, cucumbers, mint, and parsley. Slice the green onions thinly. Combine the vegetables in a large bowl.
3. Add the cauliflower rice (once cooled) and hemp hearts.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the cauliflower tabbouleh. Toss to combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
5. If possible, cover and chill for 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop (optional).

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 cup

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. :)