Recently the fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant chain Cava opened up a location near me. Since I love Greek food I made the 30 minute drive to check it out AND order a perfectly keto-friendly meal.

If you love Cava and follow a keto diet you might wonder what exactly to order at Cava for a delicious, filling low-carb meal. I’ll share exactly how to order a keto Cava bowl and how to customize ten different bowls with just 15 grams of net carbs (or less)!

Is Cava keto-friendly?

Cava is one of the easiest restaurants to order a keto-friendly meal. They have many high-fat, low-carb ingredients on their menu and you can customize bowls that will satisfy your taste buds and help you stick to your keto diet.

Here's how to order a keto-friendly meal at Cava:

Start with a salad base with your choice of healthy greens, add low-carb dips and spreads like Crazy Feta, roasted eggplant, or tzatki, and add your favorite protein like braised lamb, grilled meatballs, or chicken. Add as many low-carb toppings as you like (tomato & onion salad, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, avocado, just to name a few), and drizzle on a perfectly keto dressing like garlic sauce, Greek vinaigrette, or skhug. Avoid the complimentary pita bread, the curated pita wraps, pita chips, falafel, rice, and lentils. Stay away from sweetened tea, lemonade, or sugary soft drinks.

Want to make your keto-friendly Cava order super simple? Keep reading for 10 Cava bowls you can order with 15 grams of carbs of less!

In this post I'll share:

What is Cava? And how to find a location near you.
Is Cava keto-friendly?
Exactly how to order a perfectly keto-friendly Greek bowl at Cava.
10 Greek bowls you can order with 15 grams of carbs or fewer.
What NOT to eat at Cava on a keto diet.
Is Cava healthy? Anti-inflammatory? Gluten-free? Vegetarian or vegan? Whole30-approved?
Does Cava sell their dips, spreads & sauces? (And where to find them.)

What is Cava?

Cava is a fast-casual Greek restaurant chain that features the delicious flavors and healthy ingredients of the Mediterranean. Create your own low-carb customizable bowls using a base of super nutritious greens, hearty proteins, colorful vegetables and toppings, flavorful dips and spreads, and tangy dressings and sauces.

Cava is located in 22 states.

Cava was started by 3 friends who grew up in Greek families and wanted to share the flavors of their roots, as well as the fun and friendly vibes. Cava opened its first restaurant in Maryland in 2006, and now has over 80 locations in 22 states across the U.S.

Find a Cava location.

Visit Cava's locations page to find a restaurant near you.

Dine-in, carry-out, or order delivery.

At Cava, you can dine in, carry out, or order delivery.

Take a peek at their complete menu here: Menu - Cava

RELATED: Love Greek food like Cava? See How to Eat Keto at a Greek Restaurant: Exactly What to Order on a Low-Carb Diet

Cava restaurant — Arrived at Cava on a rainy day, but I enjoyed a great keto-friendly Greek bowl!

Exactly how to order a perfectly keto-friendly Greek bowl at Cava.

Here are the step-by-step instructions to order a keto-friendly Greek bowl at Cava. You can order a keto bowl online, on the app, or in person at a local restaurant.

cava app — Don’t be tempted by the pita bread on Cava’s app! Using the app to place your order allows you to customize your low-carb bowl.

Start with a base of SALAD for a keto bowl.

Salad base (choose 1 to 2 of Cava's healthy greens options: SuperGreens, Organic Arugula, Spinach, Romaine, or SplendidGreens). Depending on which greens you choose, your bowl will start with 1-2 grams of net carbs.
Just say no to the complementary warm pita!!

Choose up to 3 dips and spreads.

Flavor your Mediterranean bowl with up to 3 dips and spreads.

Crazy feta, 1 gram net carbs
Harissa, 4 grams net carbs
Hummus, 3 grams net carbs
Red pepper hummus, 3 grams net carbs
Roasted eggplant, 1 gram net carbs
Tzatziki, 1 gram net carbs

If you choose more than one dip or spread for your bowl, the number of carbs will be divided by either 2 or 3 (for 2 or 3 servings). Actual carb counts are for one full serving. (Choosing Crazy Feta AND hummus would be a total of 2 grams net carbs: 0.5 grams for a half-portion of Crazy Feta + 1.5 grams carbs for a half-portion of hummus.)

Add a hearty, low-carb protein.

There are lots of low-carb protein choices at Cava. Choose one or two varieties for your bowl. Just avoid the falafel.

Braised lamb, 1 gram net carb
Grilled chicken, 2 grams net carbs
Grilled meatballs, 1 gram net carbs
Harissa honey chicken, 5 grams net carbs
Roasted vegetables, 9 grams net carbs
Spicy lamb meatballs, 2 grams net carbs

Choose unlimited keto-friendly toppings.

Customize the Cava bowl with your choice of keto-friendly toppings. Experiment with new flavors because you can add unlimited toppings at Cava! Avoid the pita crisps (9 grams carbs), and be cautious with the pickled onions (5 grams carbs), lentil tabbouleh salad, and fire-roasted corn (4 grams carbs each).

Avocado, 2 grams net carbs
Cabbage slaw, 1 gram net carbs
Crumbled feta, 0 grams net carbs
Fire-roasted corn, 4 grams net carbs
Kalamata olives, 2 grams net carbs
Lentil tabbouleh, 4 grams net carbs
Persian cucumber, 1 gram net carbs
Pickled onions, 5 grams net carbs
Salt-brined pickles, 0 grams net carbs
Shredded romaine, 1 gram net carbs
Tomato & cucumber salad, 2 grams net carbs
Tomato & onion salad, 2 grams net carbs

Drizzle on a dressing.

Choose up to two dressings for your keto Cava bowl. The dressings are made in-house daily.

Garlic dressing, 0 grams net carbs
Greek vinaigrette, 1 gram net carbs
Hot harissa vinaigrette, 2 grams net carbs
Lemon-herb tahini, 2 grams net carbs
Preserved lemon vinaigrette, 1 gram net carbs
Skhug (a Mediterranean sauce made with cilantro, chili peppers, and spices), 1 gram net carbs
Tahini Caesar, 2 grams net carbs
Yogurt Dill, 1 gram net carbs

What to drink at Cava when you follow a keto diet?

There are several low-carb beverage choices at Cava:

Unsweetened black tea 0 carbs
Unsweetened jasmine tea 0 carbs
Spindrift Blackberry 3 grams carbs
Spindrift Cucumber 0 carbs
Spindrift Lemon 0 carbs
Spindrift Raspberry Lime 2 grams carbs
Water! 0 carbs

RELATED: Cava features many fresh vegetables which are an important part of not only a low-carb, but also an anti-inflammatory diet. Check out 25 Keto-Friendly Anti-Inflammatory Foods You Should Eat Every Week

My bowl is the keto one on the top left. The other (delicious but high carb!) bowl is my husband’s.

10 Greek bowls you can order with 15 grams of carbs or fewer.

If you don't want to do the math, here are 10 tasty Greek bowls you can order from Cava - all with just 15 grams of net carbs or less! The nutrition information is based on the data provided on Cava's website.

1 - Greek Salad Curated Cava Bowl ( 15 grams net carbs)

Just ask for the Greek Salad Bowl at your local Cava restaurant (or click "add to bag" on the app) because their signature bowl is perfectly keto-friendly without any modifications.

The Greek Salad bowl includes romaine and arugula, hummus, tzatziki, grilled chicken, feta, cucumber, tomato, Kalamata olives, and Greek vinaigrette and has just 15 grams of net carbs.

2 - The Keto Minimalist Special (10 grams net carbs)

SplendidGreens + Baby Spinach
Tzatzki
Roasted eggplant
Crazy feta
Braised lamb (1/2 portion)
Grilled meatballs (1/2 portion)
Crumbled feta
Avocado
Kalamata olives
Tomato & onion salad
Garlic dressing
Skhug

This was really delicious, super healthy, and perfectly keto! This bowl had tons of flavor from the dips and dressings. The Crazy feta - a jalapeño-infused whipped feta spread - was spicy and delish! There was enough protein to keep me satisfied. Both the grilled meatballs and the braised lamb were tender and flavorful. The bowl had lots of healthy fats from the olives and avocado (they give you an entire half of avocado!) and the greens provided crunch, texture, and tons of healthy antioxidants.

3 - Lamb 2-Ways Keto Cava Bowl (11 grams net carbs)

Romaine + SplendidGreens
Tzatziki
Braised lamb (1/2 portion)
Spicy lamb meatballs (1/2 portion)
Tomato & onion salad
Persian cucumber
Crumbled feta
Avocado
Yogurt dill dressing

4 - Crazy for Meatballs! (11 grams net carbs)

Romaine + baby spinach
Roasted eggplant
Red pepper hummus
Grilled meatballs (1/2 portion)
Spicy lamb meatballs (1/2 portion)
Cabbage slaw
Salt-brined pickles
Crumbled feta
Kalamata olives
Avocado
Preserved lemon vinaigrette

My pug's name is Meatball so this bowl is an ode to him. Plus meatballs (the food variety) are fun to eat and Cava’s meatballs are low in carbs.

RELATED: Did you know that eating the rainbow is a fun way to get loads of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in your diet? See How to Eat More Veggies on a Keto Diet - Free Low Carb Eat the Rainbow Tracker

5 - The Spicy Greek ( 15 grams net carbs)

Enjoy a little spice with your keto Cava bowl when you order Harissa Honey Chicken, Hot Harissa Vinaigrette, and other tasty ingredients! (Harissa is a hot, smoky, garlicky chili paste that is used in some Mediterranean dishes.)

SplendidGreens
Crazy Feta
Harissa honey chicken
Tomato & cucumber salad
Salt-brined pickles
Kalamata olives
Avocado
Hot harissa dressing

6 - Grilled Chicken & Tabbouleh (14 grams net carbs)

One of the nice things about customizing your own Cava bowl is that you can add higher-carb ingredients, like lentil tabbouleh in this case, if you balance your meal with lots of low-carb choices.

Romaine
Tzatziki
Grilled chicken
Tomato & cucumber salad
Lentil tabbouleh
Crumbled feta
Avocado
Tahini Caesar dressing

7 - Keto-friendly vegetarian Cava bowl (15 grams net carbs)

SplendidGreens
Roasted eggplant
Roasted vegetables
Kalamata olives
Avocado
Garlic sauce

8 - Clucking amazing! (15 grams net carbs)

This bowl features both grilled chicken and Harissa Honey Chicken. It also has fire-roasted corn which is usually a keto no-no but since it’s such a small amount the corn only adds 4 grams of net carbs (and lots of flavor).

SplendidGreens
Roasted eggplant
Tzatziki
Grilled chicken (1/2 portion)
Harissa honey chicken (1/2 portion)
Persian cucumber
Fire-roasted corn
Crumbled feta
Garlic dressing

9 - Greek Spinach Salad (14 grams net carbs)

Baby spinach
Hummus
Grilled meatballs
Tomato & onion salad
Pickled onions
Avocado
Crumbled feta
Greek vinaigrette

All the Things Bowl! ( 15 grams net carbs)

In this bowl I added as many low-carb ingredients as I could to get a colorful, bountiful, keto-friendly bowl with the delicious flavors of the Mediterranean. This has a whopping 16 ingredients for only 15 grams net carbs. Keto mission accomplished.

SplendidGreens
Baby spinach
Crazy Feta
Tzatziki
Roasted eggplant
Braised lamb, 1/2 portion
Grilled meatballs, 1/2 portion
Tomato & onion salad
Cabbage slaw
Persian cucumber
Salt-brined pickles
Kalamata olives
Avocado
Crumbled feta
Garlic dressing
Yogurt dill dressing

Is Cava healthy?

Cava has lots of healthy, whole food, and high-quality ingredients to choose from. Because you can pick your own ingredients it is easy to customize a Cava bowl to your particular definition of good health, whether you follow a keto diet, gluten-free diet, anti-inflammatory, or another eating style.

Is Cava anti-inflammatory?

Many of Cava's ingredients are compatible with an anti-inflammatory diet. This is a big deal for me personally because I have an auto-immune disease and strive to avoid foods that cause inflammation in my body.

Anti-inflammatory ingredients are foods high in antioxidants, polyphenols, and healthy fats. Eating foods with anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce your risk of some chronic diseases, ease joint pain, improve symptoms of IBS, decrease your risk of depression, and help you lose weight.

Some of Cava's anti-inflammatory ingredients are:

all of the salad greens (romaine, spinach, SplendidGreens, SuperGreens)
avocado
Kalamata olives
roasted eggplant
tomato & cucumber salad
tomato & onion salad
Persian cucumbers
pickled onions
salt-brined pickles
roasted veggies
cabbage slaw
fire-roasted corn
hummus
red pepper hummus

Is Cava gluten-free?

Cava has many gluten-free ingredients on its menu. Avoid pita bread, pita chips, falafel, and baked desserts which all contain wheat. See Cava's Allergen and Nutrition statement for details.

Is Cava vegetarian or vegan?

It's easy to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet and dine at Cava. Avoid meatballs, lamb, and chicken. Instead, choose falafel or roasted vegetables. The tzatziki, yogurt-dill dressing, crumbled feta, and Crazy feta all contain dairy so they are considered vegetarian, but not vegan.

All of the greens and grain bases are both vegan and vegetarian. The currently available toppings (as of September 2022) with the exception of crumbled feta, are vegan as well.

Is Cava Whole30-approved?

The Whole30 is a diet that excludes dairy, grains, legumes, sugar, and alcohol. Pita bread and crisps, falafel, desserts, feta crumbles, and Crazy feta, yogurt dill dressing are all off limits on a Whole30 diet.

There are plenty of Cava ingredients that are compatible with the Whole30 diet, like grilled chicken, grilled meatballs, braised lamb, spicy lamb meatballs, all of the salad greens, harissa dip, roasted seasonal vegetables, cabbage slaw, tomato & onion, Persian cucumbers, tomato & cucumber salad, Kalamata olives, and avocado. The Greek vinaigrette, spicy harissa, and lemon-herb tahini are Whole30-approved.

Does Cava sell their dips, spreads & sauces? (And where to find them.)

Cava sells selected dips, spreads, and sauces at Whole Foods and other markets throughout the country. My Whole Foods (in Kansas City, Missouri) sells Crazy Feta, traditional hummus, tzatziki, and lemon-herb tahini sauce.

Select Cava Dips and Spreads available at:

Whole Foods Market
Central Market
Roots
Giant
Yes! Markets
Mom's Organic
Balducci's

Select Cava Sauces

Whole Foods Market (mid-Atlantic region only)
Central Market

I use my Amazon Prime membership to place my Whole Foods order online and have it delivered right to my house. (Try a free 30-day subscription to Amazon Prime.)

I hope you enjoyed this "how to eat Keto at Cava" tutorial, and hope you like some of the low-carb Greek bowl combinations I've listed. Check out the other Restaurant Guides for more how-to-eat-keto guidance and happy eating!

--The Keto Minimalist

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. This means if you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, see my disclosures here.

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