KETO DIET FOODS -WHAT YOU CAN EAT
When you are unsure about what you can or cannot eat, a diet becomes confusing and frankly dull. It is essential to know which keto diet foods you can enjoy and what you should avoid on your new keto lifestyle. Therefore, ‘Keto diet foods – a complete list’ is designed to make it very easy for you to determine how to move forward. It is a very comprehensive list and covers all the foods you are may have questions about along with personal tips that I have discovered on my keto journey.
MEAT
You can eat all unprocessed meats can on the keto diet. Wherever possible, choose grass-fed protein. Avoid those treated with hormones and grains.
It more manageable for your body to process, as well as being more nutritious. Use this link for the best meats to eat on a keto diet.
Avoid overeating protein. Keto focuses on increasing fat intake. Excess protein becomes glucose once consumed, which can stop you from getting into ketosis. Use this link to learn more and work out your protein consumption levels.
MEATS THAT YOU CAN EAT
- Beef
- Lamb
- Pork (includes bacon and sausages, but check sausages for carbs)
- Turkey (dark meat preferable)
- Chicken (dark meat superior)
- Venison
KETO DIET FOODS: FISH AND SEAFOOD
All fish and seafood are good sources of protein on the ketogenic diet. Avoid breaded fish and try and eat fatty fish such as salmon as much as possible as they contain high Omega’s as well as helping you to get your fat macro’s in order.
Mackerel, Sardines, and Herrings have lower mercury content as do other smaller fish, and are available from sustainable sources.
For a full list of fish and seafood and complete information, use this link; Best fish and seafood to eat on a keto diet.
EGGS
Eggs are your best friend on a ketogenic diet. They are a go-to staple as a snack, for breakfast or as an omelet for lunch when looking at keto diet foods.
Scrambled, fried, boiled, poached, they are versatile and nutritious! Use them to make keto-friendly sauces such as Bernaise and Hollandaise to complement both proteins and vegetables. When looking at keto diet foods – complete list; make sure you stick with organic free-range eggs, which are better for you and better for the chickens!
Since cholesterol in eggs is no longer a cause for concern, enjoy as many as you want and use them for keto-friendly baking too! Best way to eat eggs on a keto diet.
GOOD FATS
It is important to consume good fats on the ketogenic diet. These include;
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Avocado oil
- Macadamia nut oil
- Goose fat
- MCT oil
Use them in salad dressings, keto-friendly sauces such as garlic butter and hollandaise sauce and to roast and grill meats and vegetables.
Use MCT oil and butter to make a bulletproof coffee to start the day instead of breakfast a couple of times a week. Best fats to eat on a keto diet.
It is also good to incorporate goose fat and other animal fats when you have them leftover from roasting.
DAIRY FOODS THAT ARE HIGH IN FAT
High-fat dairy foods work brilliantly on a keto diet, and they expand your cooking options, in terms of sauces and versatility.
BUTTER, CHEESE AND CREAM
Butter and heavy cream are both excellent choices as well as high-fat cheeses. Avoid low-fat cheeses such as cottage cheese as they tend to contain more sugars. For the same reason, avoid low-fat yogurts and milk. If you want to make a sauce that usually contains milk, try using heavy cream mixed with water. Add a natural carb-free sugar to recreate the sweetness of milk for cheese sauce to eat with cauliflower, for instance (cauliflower cheese). Butter is beautiful for slathering on vegetables as well as for use in keto baking. Utilize it to make sauces, but try and make sure you choose a grass-fed variety. Kerrygold butter is superb grass-fed butter, and you can find it on all supermarket shelves. Best dairy foods on a keto diet.
KETO DIET FOODS: VEGETABLES THAT GROW ABOVE THE GROUND
Green vegetables tend to be lower in carbohydrates than other plants. Fresh or frozen are equally good choices. Using oils and fats to dress them, you can kill two birds with one stone. See: Best vegetables to eat on a keto diet.
KETO DIET FOODS: STAPLE VEGETABLES TO CHOOSE:
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Kale
- Zuccini or Courgettes
- Cabbage
- Avocado (although technically a fruit)
- Asparagus
- Spinach
Other good choices are; tomatoes, eggplant, cucumber, green beans, celery, and bell peppers. Make an effort to try vegetables that you would not usually choose. The nutrition values vary from one plant to another, and variety is the spice as they say! It is also good to remember that brassica vegetables tend to be lower in carbs, which means that you can eat more substantial amounts of them.
NUTS AND SEEDS
Nuts and seeds can be the right choice on a keto diet. However, it is important to limit consumption as they are higher in carbs than a lot of other foods. Almond flour is a favorite among keto diet foods. It can be used instead of flour for baking, and many substitute foods like bread and cookies can use this very versatile ingredient when eating keto.
BEWARE OF CONSUMING TOO MANY NUTS
Some nuts contain a lot more carbs than others, so try and get used to identifying the ones that have fewer carbs. Beware of the morish-ness of nuts. When you choose them as a snack, weigh out a portion, or portion them in advance, so that you do not consume too many, which will push you out of ketosis!
You will see, for instance, that Cashew nuts come in at a whopping 8.4 grams per 100 grams! Whereas Macadamia nuts have only 1.5 grams and Pecan nuts only 1.1grams. Here is a list of values:
- Brazil nuts: 1.3 grams carbs per 100g
- Macadamia nuts: 1.5 grams carbs per 100g
- Walnuts: 1.9 grams carbs per 100g
- Hazelnuts: 2.3 grams carbs per 100g
- Pine nuts: 2.7 grams carbs per 100g
- Almonds: 2.9 grams carbs per 100g
- Pecans: 1.1 grams carbs per 100g
- Pistachios: 5.8 grams carbs per 100g
- Cashews: 8.4 grams carbs per 100g
- Peanuts: 3.8 grams carbs per 100g
BERRIES
Most fruits are a no-no on a keto diet because of their high sugar content. However, berries tend to be lower in carbs than most fruits and eaten in moderation on a ketogenic diet. Treat them as a treat. Have them with heavy cream once a week!
They can also be used to make keto puddings and desserts, which include ice cream. Another good practice is to make some keto strawberry jam, so that you can enjoy the occasional piece of keto toast for breakfast. I find that keeping foods like this around reduces the chances of you straying!
- Strawberries 8g carbs per 100g
- Blackberries 10g carbs per 100g
- Blueberries 14g carbs per 100g
- Raspberries 12g carbs per 100g
DRINKS
Water is your dearest friend in terms of keto diet foods. It keeps you hydrated and helps to keep things moving along as you clean out the toxins from your old diet. Water can help clear any keto flu headaches and keep electrolytes intact, with a pinch of sea salt or pink Himalayan salt in your glass of water.
Herbal team is also a great beverage to enjoy between meals. All teas are pretty safe, but check carb contents on labels, just in case, and do not add any sugar!
Coffee should be limited. Too much can harm ketosis. There is various thinking on this; this article explains why. 2 or 3 cups a day is OK. You can add some heavy cream, or if you are having a bulletproof coffee for breakfast, butter and MCT oil.
ALCOHOL
Alcohol should be limited to special occasions. It should be avoided altogether for the first two weeks of eating keto diet foods while your body adjusts to using fat instead of glucose for energy. It is also worth mentioning that when you drink alcohol, the body will always use this first as a form of energy. As a result, weight loss may slow. It does not usually stop unless there are carbs in the alcohol, but it will temporarily slow you down, so save it for a treat now and again!
Use it in serious moderation. Stick with spirits that are low in carbs, such as gin or vodka, whiskey, or brandy, with no sugar mixers, such as sparkling water. A dash of no-calorie tonic and some fresh lime add flavor without adding carbs. If you do crave a glass of wine, red wine is fine on occasion, but it is higher in carbs than spirits, and the carbs soon stack up if one drink leads to several more!!
KETO DIET FOODS – TO SUM UP, WHAT YOU CAN EAT;
A good rule to keep in mind is to stick with foods that are in their natural form. Foods that you have to cook from scratch. Processed foods are all full of hidden sugars and preservatives that are bad for you generally, but an absolute no-no on the ketogenic diet.
A good rule of thumb is that keto diet foods should not have a list of ingredients, if possible. If you miss bread and other higher-carb foods, look for recipes that you can make yourself that are keto-friendly. There are lots of keto diet foods out there, and they are often more tasty alternatives than higher-carb options!
KETO DIET FOODS – COMPLETE LIST: WHAT YOU CANNOT EAT
SUGAR
Remove sugar in all and any form. Include high sugar soda, fruit juices, sports drinks and vitamin water in this list. Check the labels of bottles, as you will find that most manufactured drinks contain sugar. It is also essential to avoid diet soda’s as these contain sweeteners that are not keto-friendly and can contribute to weight gain.
Foods containing sugar must be eliminated from your diet and your cupboards while you are moving to a ketogenic way of eating. Include cakes, biscuits, doughnuts, ice-creams containing sugar, breakfast cereals, and protein bars. Check the labels of anything you suspect may contain sugar and just say NO!
Honey, although considered a natural sweetener, is full of carbs. Agave, which sells as a natural sweetener, is still sugar. Avoid it. On the keto diet, it is not your friend, and neither is maple syrup.
Check the carb and sugar content of salad dressings, sauces, condiments, and any packaged goods that you may consider eating. It is better, as mentioned before, to avoid all pre-prepared foods, which ensures that you avoid hidden sugars. If in doubt, always check the label!
STARCHES
These include potatoes in any form, french fries, chips, crisps, and also sweet potatoes.
Bread is a full-on no-no! That includes all wholewheat or wholemeal types. Indeed, any products containing wheat or grains are not on the menu on a keto diet. Flour is not allowed, as most brands include wheat or grains. Pasta, Muesli, and porridge also fall into this category. For that reason, do not eat them. Do not eat rice, whether black or brown, as it is high in carbohydrates. Think about Cauliflower rice as an option instead.
Beans and legumes are high in carbohydrates, so omit them from the diet. At the same time, avoid starchy root vegetables. Examples include carrots and parsnips. On the other hand, in moderation, use them with other lower-carb vegetables in a soup, for instance. Peas are also high in sugar. Replace them with lower carb options such as green beans.
BEER AND CIDER
Beer is liquid bread. Full of quickly absorbed carbohydrates. Cider is much the same. These high carb carbonated beverages are like poison on the keto diet. The also cause fat to accumulate around your belly, the most dangerous place to carry extra weight. There are a few low carb beers out there, but again they are low in alcohol too—best low carb keto beers. If you must have a drink on occasion, stick with spirits and take solace as the weight falls off!
FRUIT
Fruit is very high in carbs. We have all grown up believing that fruits are as good for us as vegetables. A they are natural foods and do, on the whole, contain a fair amount of fiber. Nonetheless, on the keto diet, you can eat it only in tiny quantities. That said, only on occasion and if possible, you should limit it to the lower carb options, like berries.
Here is a list of the carb values of the least carb-heavy fruits:
- Peach – One medium-sized (150 grams) contains 13 grams of carbs.
- Grapefruit – half a grapefruit (125 grams) contains 15 grams of carbs.
- Kiwi – One medium-sized (70 grams) contains 8 grams of carbs.
- Cherries – Half a cup (75 grams or about 12 cherries) contains 8 grams of carbs.
- Plum – One medium-sized (65 grams) contains 7 grams of carbs.
- Clementine – One medium-sized (75 grams) contains 8 grams of carbs.
- Blueberries – Half a cup (75 grams) contains 9 grams of carbs.
- Cantaloupe (melon) – One cup (160 grams) contains 11 grams of carbs.
BAD FATS
Fats to avoid on a keto diet are transfats. These include margarine, canola oil, and many vegetable fats. They are very unstable.
These oils containing trans fats raise your “bad” LDL cholesterol and increase your risk of coronary artery disease. They are high in omega-6 fats. They also oxidize and become rancid quite quickly. Avoid them at all costs!
TO SUM UP WHAT YOU CANNOT EAT ON THE KETO DIET
The most straightforward rule to stick to is to avoid any processed foods altogether. However, if tempted to buy something like a salad dressing or mayonnaise, check the labels to ensure that you are not consuming hidden carbs. If possible, make your meals from scratch using keto-friendly ingredients.
NEXT: BEST FOODS TO EAT ON A KETO DIET
Find out the best eating options on the ketogenic diet.