Keto Diet Food List: Complete List With Printable Pdf
Mar 18, 2020 · This post may contain affiliate links ·
This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
The most difficult part of starting the Keto Diet is learning which foods you should enjoy and those you should limit. This Keto Diet Food List should make that a little easier. Print out a copy and stick it on your refrigerator or take it with you to the grocery store.
Starchy Vegetables And Sugary Fruit
Since carbohydrates and sugar must be restricted, both of these naturally occurring sources must be limited in tight moderation to maintain ketosis. Starchy vegetables contain more carbohydrates than others, namely corn, potatoes, beets and yams, among others. On the other hand, some fruits are inherently sweet and can impede your progress towards ketosis you’ll need to cut bananas, mangos, pears, and raisins altogether.
What Is The Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet is super high in fat , super low in carbohydrates , and moderate in protein . This is a pretty drastic departure from the generally recommended macronutrient distribution of 20% to 35% protein, 45% to 65% carbohydrates, and 10% to 35% fat.
The most important component of the keto diet is a natural and normal process called ketosis. Normally, bodies run very well on glucose. Glucose is produced when the body breaks down carbohydrates. It’s a very simple process, which is why it’s the body’s preferred way to produce energy.
When you cut back on carbs or just haven’t eaten in a while, your body looks for other sources of energy to fill the void. Fat is typically that source. When your blood sugar drops because you’re not feeding your body carbs, fat is released from your cells and floods the liver. The liver turns the fat into ketone bodies, which your body uses as its second choice for energy.
Also Check: Can You Have Sweet Potatoes On Keto
What Happens If I Eat High Carb Or Non
Because losing weight on a ketogenic diet still requires calorie control, straying from your keto diet food list on the occasion is not going to destroy your progress, as long as you keep you your overall nutrition goals in mind.
Where your keto macros really start to matter is your ability to get into and stay in ketosis. The amount of carbs you eat directly impacts your ability to use ketones as a source of fuel. When you go over you carbs, you can cause your body to use these carbs as your source of energy – putting a pause on your fat burning mode.
Of course, once you resume your low carb keto diet plan, you can get back into ketosis pretty easily. And remember, while ketosis is thought to have some possible health benefits, it is not essential for better health or weight loss.
Because of this, it is possible to follow a modified or less restrictive keto diet and still see incredible results. Many will use these food lists as a guide or jumping off place and still see success with keto.
Nuts Seeds And Healthy Oils

Nuts and seeds are full of healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, fiber and protein. They also are very low in net carbs. Olive oil and coconut oil are the two oils recommended on the keto diet. Olive oil is high in oleic acid and is associated with a lower risk of heart disease. Coconut oil is high in saturated fat but contains medium-chain triglycerides , which can increase ketone production. MCTs may increase metabolic rate and promote the loss of weight and belly fat too. Measure portion sizes when consuming any type of healthy fat.
Carb counts for 1 oz. of nuts and seeds :
- Almonds: 3 g net carbs
- Brazil nuts: 1 g net carbs
- Cashews: 8 g net carbs
- Macadamia nuts: 2 g net carbs
- Pecans: 1 g net carbs
- Pistachios: 5 g net carbs
- Walnuts: 2 g net carbs
- Chia seeds: 2 g net carbs
- Flaxseeds: 0 g net carbs
- Pumpkin seeds: 2 g net carbs
- Sesame seeds: 4 g net carbs
Read Also: Does Keto Diet Cause Diarrhea
Cheesy Keto Pizza Cups
Pizza is so well-appreciated that it seems like people have found creative ways to incorporate an iteration of a pizza recipe into even the most restrictive of diets, and that includes keto. While many keto pizzas use a cauliflower crust to help reduce the amount of carbs, this recipe actually uses a mix of cream cheese, mozzarella, almond flour, and coconut flour for the crust instead. Also, toppings like cheese and pepperoni fit well within the keto diet, so you can enjoy your low-carb pizza with the works.
Get our recipe for Cheesy Keto Pizza Cups.
Keto Latte Swirl Brownie
While coffee might not be considered a classic comfort food, lattes are certainly help comfort many people during busy mornings packed with rush hour traffic and work. The only thing that could make the morning ritual of a daily latte even sweeter is combining it with an actual comfort food, like a decadent brownie. This brownie recipe is keto-friendly combines almond flour, cream cheese, and dark chocolate, as well as instant espresso, culminating in fudgy deliciousness few will be able to resist.
Get our recipe for Keto Latte Swirl Brownie.
Recommended Reading: What Is Dirty Lazy Keto
Top Food And Drinks To Avoid On Keto
Since a keto meal plan is all about hitting your macros, just about any food is allowed on this eating plan. However, certain high sugar foods can make sticking to your nutrition goals a real challenge.
Additionally, cutting back on heavily processed foods, saturated fats, trans fats, and empty calories can support your overall health, wellbeing and how successful you are.
Here are the top foods to steer clear of to support your macro and health goals.
What Are The Benefits Of The Keto Diet
Well, you can lose weight on keto. And maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the risk of and alleviate symptoms related to heart disease, diabetes, and a whole host of other challenging conditions.
When it comes to weight loss, “there is no question that ketosis does work in the short term,” Konstantinos Spaniolas, M.D., associate director of the Stony Brook Metabolic and Bariatric Weight Loss Center in New York.
Anecdotally, plenty of men have told Men’s Health that the keto diet helped them lose large amounts of weight. According to Spaniolas, keto helps with weight loss by reducing cravings.
Some studies show that keto may lower blood sugar for people with type 2 diabetes, but there is not enough long-term research to determine whether its safe and effective for diabetics.
Also, side note, although studies have shown that the keto diet can reduce seizures for children with epilepsy, there is no evidence indicating that keto helps with other brain disorders or improves mental cognition, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
So, in the short term, yes, a keto diet can help you lose weight, which may reduce your risk of diseasebut more indirectly than directly. But what about in the long term?
Read Also: Strict Keto Diet Food List
Good Examples Of Carb Keto Diet Foods:
- Approximate grams of carbs per day based on a 2,000-calorie diet: 70
Protein is essential to build muscle cells and burn calories. As a result, if you eat too little protein on the keto diet , then your body will turn to muscle tissue as fuel. This, in turn, will lower your overall muscle mass and the number of calories you burn at rest. Likewise, eating too much protein puts undue strain on your kidneys. Plus, your body will convert the excess protein to carbohydrates for fuel, and that’s the exact opposite goal of the keto diet.
Experts say to shoot for around 15% of calories from high-fat protein sources like those below. Some protein sources also provide important vitamins to keep your hair, eyes, and immune system strong, while others should only be consumed in small doses. “While processed meats like sausage and bacon are technically permitted on the keto diet, I’d recommend limiting them since they’re high in sodium,” Hyman says. Instead, opt for organic, pasture-raised, and grass-fed meat and poultry, if possible.
Keto Foods And Foods To Avoid
The following table lists the foods that are allowed in the keto diet and the ones that are forbidden.
Keto Foods/Allowed |
---|
10 cashew nuts 2 tablespoons coconut chips + 10 strawberries |
Eggs fried in butter + rennet cheese |
Scrambled eggs with oregano and grated Parmesan |
It is important to remember that the keto diet should be prescribed by a nutritionist.
Also Check: How Many Carbs In Chipotle Keto Bowl
Keto Condiments And Sauce List
When it comes to sauces and condiments, you’ll want to make sure you account for any added calories or fat.
While many high fat sauces, like ranch dressing and mayonnaise, are keto approved, they can also pack a lot of calories in a small serving, making losing weight a bit more challenging if you aren’t paying attention to what you’re eating.
On the other hand, adding some healthy fat to a lean meal can support your ketogenic diet by helping to keep you satisfied and potentially assist with getting into and staying in ketosis.
It’s a balancing act and depends on what works best for your health goals. Use sauces and condiments for added flavor, just be sure to double check the nutrition label and track what you’re consuming.
- Other high fat low carb sauces
You can also easily make your own high fat, home made keto sauces using simple ingredients like oils, nuts, herbs, and vinegars.
Keto Food Guide: What To Eat And What To Avoid

Keto Food Guide: What to Eat and What to Avoid
Posted 2 years ago
When youre new to the Keto diet, the grocery store can feel like enemy territory, with hidden carbs everywhere just waiting to make their way into your cart and throw you out of ketosis.
If youve read our Ultimate Guide to the Keto Diet, then you already know the basics: limit carbs, get adequate protein, eat plenty of healthy fats, and avoid processed junk.
But what does that look like in practice?
Rest assured that after a few weeks, this will all seem like second nature. But in the meantime, weve put together this printable Keto food list to save you hours of staring at labels on your next shopping trip.
And remember — if you do come across an item in the grocery store that youre unsure of, weve got you covered. Just open the Carb Manager app on your mobile device, and use our barcode scanner to quickly determine the Keto grade for any food item.
Read Also: Is Keto And Gluten Free The Same
Complete Keto Diet Food List: What You Can And Cannot Eat If You’re On A Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein and very-low-carbohydrate diet. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of energy, but on a strict ketogenic diet, less than 5% of energy intake is from carbohydrates . The reduction of carbohydrates puts the body into a metabolic state called ketosis. Ketosis is when the body starts breaking down stored fat into molecules called ketone bodies to use for energy, in the absence of circulating blood sugar from food. Once the body reaches ketosis, most cells will use ketone bodies to generate energy until you start eating carbohydrates again.
Traditionally, the ketogenic diet was only used in clinical settings to reduce seizures in children with epilepsy. “Now there is a lot of interest in the diet’s effectiveness in helping with other neurological conditions, cancer, diabetes, PCOS , obesity, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease,” says Emily Stone, M.S., RD. People also eat keto to lose weight .
Even if you know that you need to eat a very-low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein diet, it can be confusing to know which foods to eat. Here’s our guide to foods you can eat, foods you should avoid and foods you can sometimes have when you’re following a ketogenic diet.
Keto Diet Lunch And Dinner Recipes
When it comes to lunch and dinner, aim for plenty of quality protein foods and non-starchy veggies to keep you feeling satisfied, and then add healthy fats to support ketosis and provide massive flavor.
Curb cravings and hit your macro goals with this delicious low carb chicken parm recipe.
Make your standard lettuce wraps more exciting and high protein with these chicken guacatillo wraps.
Indulge without the carbs when you make this decadent cauliflower mac and cheese recipe.
Get plenty of good fat and quality protein with these tasty salmon cakes, served with a zesty chimichurri sauce.
You can keep your snacks simple with staple choices like plain almonds, string cheese, or jerky, or take things up a notch with these protein packed matcha fat bombs.
Recommended Reading: Keto Hamburger Soup The Bomb
Follow Your Hearts Veganegg
Follow Your Heart is another plant-based company that makes vegan alternatives of everything from cheese to mayonnaise. They even make vegan eggs!
Their VeganEgg is advertised as a vegan whole egg replacement that has the taste and texture of real eggs. You can use it to bake keto-friendly cookies, muffins, and cakes. The VeganEgg can also be used to cook up fluffy scrambled eggs and omelets as well.
There is, however, one downside to using egg replacements on the keto diet: they dont contain as much fat or protein as a whole egg. This can make meeting your macros on the vegan ketogenic diet much more challenging.
That being said, there are plenty of vegan-friendly fats and protein-dense vegan meats, nuts, seeds, and supplements you can use to meet your fat and protein needs while minimizing carb intake.
These are all excellent vegan egg replacements. But you also have to consider that eggs are among the most nutrient dense foods. They contain all vitamins except Vitamin C, a wide range of minerals, and high-quality protein. When using egg replacements instead, you have to make sure you get sufficient nutrients. Read more about this in the section The Downsides of The Vegan Ketogenic Diet below.
Easy Affordable Keto Recipes
These five recipes are simple, easy to prepare, and packed full of flavor leaving you completely satisfied after every meal. You might also recognize some of them as ones that youre already eating at home .
We wanted to make sure these recipes were familiar, cost-effective, and a smooth transition into the keto lifestyle. Keep reading for a sneak peek into the recipes and how they taste! For the full recipes, .
Pro tip: Each recipe is set up to make two servings, except the fat bombs, which makes four. For those of you who love meal prepping, weve got you covered. Simply double or triple the recipes, prep them on a weekend, and never look back.
Recommended Reading: 3 Ingredient Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
Keto Stuffed Jalapeos Fat Bomb
The goal of the keto diet is to eat foods that are low-carb and high-fat. While there are a lot of foods you should obviously avoid because of their carb content, like bread and pasta, some fruits and vegetables are high in carb content, too. However, this is not the case with these stuffed jalapeño peppers. This recipe fills the peppers with high-fat foods like ground beef, bacon, and pork rinds, as well as cheddar and cream cheese, culminating in a keto-friendly comfort food appetizer that’s perfect for sharing with friends.
Get our recipe for Keto Stuffed Jalapeños Fat Bomb.
Possible Side Effects Of A Keto Diet
There are a number of immediate side effects people transitioning over to a keto diet may experience. According to Shoemaker, some people will experience stomach issues and gastrointestinal distress due to such a drastic change in diet. “A condition informally known as the ‘keto flu’ which often includes fatigue and muscle cramps can be caused by shifts in the way your body holds fluid when you first begin,” she says. “This eases up in a few days, and you can lessen these symptoms by drinking plenty of fluid and taking an electrolyte supplement.”
Some people may also experience a halitosis known as “keto breath” that’s attributed to an increased production of acetone, which is one of the ketone bodies. “Keep breath mints handy, and know that this will subside in a few days as well,” Shoemaker suggests.
Read Also: Keto Friendly Foods At Walmart
What To Keep In Mind When Producing Your Ketogenic Meal Plan
If you choose to try the keto diet plan, you will need to limit food sources considering that about 60 to 80 percent of your calories will come from fat. This means you will eat meats, fats, and oils, and a restricted amount of nonstarchy veggies. You will require to eat approx. 64 g of protein daily. Whereas, your carbs will come from 20 to 50 grams of carbs. You should change listed below your personal requirements.
Simply one serving of blueberries frequently pushes ketogenic dieters out of ketosis. This can result in them burning carbs for fuel and is an extremely easy method to reset the metabolic clock.
Unsweetened Coffee And Tea

Plain coffee and tea contain zero grams of carbohydrates, fat or protein, so they are A-OK on the keto diet. Studies show coffee lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Tea is rich in antioxidants and has less caffeine than coffee drinking tea may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, help with weight loss and boost your immune system.
Don’t Miss: Keter Samoa 70-gallon. Deck Box