Healthier (Keto-Friendly) Broccoli Salad with Bacon & Mayo

This healthier (keto-friendly) broccoli salad is one that continues to evolve at our house. It gets better (healthwise) as time goes on but is still really tasty.

We always enjoyed the original recipe but it was quite sweet and that made it a good prospect for a healthy update.

Below, I’ve included the nutritional analysis so you can follow how this recipe has evolved to be better for us over time.

No matter what version you try, this is always a very popular dish for potlucks, dinner parties, etc. Everyone seems to enjoy this salad, even if it is good for you!

Healthier (Keto-Friendly) Broccoli Salad Updates:

• Original Broccoli Salad Recipe

The main ingredient is broccoli, so of course, that’s generally good for you. But, the original recipe called for Miracle Whip and 3/4 cup of sugar in the dressing.

The original ingredient list was 2 bunches of broccoli (cut up), 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 lb. bacon (fried & crumbled), 1 small red onion (diced), 1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip, 2 Tbsp. of vinegar, and 3/4 cup of sugar.

Broccoli made with fresh broccoli, cheddar cheese, red onion, bacon with mayonnaise, Swerve and vinegar dressing.

The nutritional analysis for this original version comes out like this:

Healthier Broccoli Salad Update #1

In addition to using healthier ingredients, we’re trying to use organic ingredients wherever possible. To update this recipe, we changed to organic broccoli, replaced the Miracle Whip with organic mayonnaise, decreased the sugar to 1/3 cup, and added organic dried cranberries.

The nutritional analysis for this version looks a little better carbohydrate-wise but didn’t improve in terms of calories.

We didn’t miss the sugar or Miracle Whip in this at all, perhaps because the dried cranberries add some sweetness. It really is quite tasty and we’ve enjoyed this version but I wondered what would happen if we could find a good sugar substitute like honey or Swerve.

Healthier Broccoli Salad Update #2

In this version, I switched to 1/3 cup of Swerve (Erythritol sugar substitute) in the hopes that it would be lower in calories and carbohydrates. Well, as you can see below, the calories decreased significantly but the carbohydrates actually went up a bit.

Broccoli made with fresh broccoli, cheddar cheese, red onion, bacon with mayonnaise, Swerve, and vinegar dressing.

Healthier (Keto-Friendly) Broccoli Salad Update #3

In this version, I omitted the dried cranberries altogether to bring the carbohydrates as well as the calories down a bit more.

Healthier (Keto-Friendly) Broccoli Salad

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Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

• 2 bunches organic broccoli (cut up)
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 pound bacon (fried & crumbled)
• 1 small red onion (diced)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (omit for keto-friendly version)

Dressing

• 1 1/2 cup organic mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1/3 cup Swerve (Erythritol sugar substitute)

Instructions

 

• Mix vegetables, cheese, bacon, and cranberries (if using) together. Mix dressing ingredients together and add to vegetable mix. Chill overnight to blend flavors.

If you’re looking for other healthy salad ideas, these tuna stuffed avocados have really been a hit too.