Keto Food List: What To Eat On A Keto Diet

The keto diet has grown major popularity in recent times due to its proven health benefits of reducing harmful belly fat, enhancing weight loss, and preventing certain diseases (1). With more studies on the rise to further analyze its importance, understanding what foods to eat on a keto diet continues to be a challenge for some.

Our mission at Health VIP Club is to answer all of your keto diet questions. So, to start things off, we’re sharing what to eat on a keto diet with specific keto diet foods that will energize you and keep you on the right keto track.

Keto Diet Foods List

While on the ketogenic diet, most of your diet will consist of foods that are high in fat coupled with a protein source and low carbohydrate foods. Keep in mind that portion control is key (2).

Keto-Friendly Proteins

Grass-fed Meat: These include beef, venison, goat, and lamb. Choose the chunks of meat with more fat since they contain less protein and more fat.

Meat from wild animals is also acceptable; however, avoid sausages and meats that come with sugary sauces and those covered in breadcrumbs. The sugar and breading will kick you out of ketosis faster than it was to eat it.

Pork: Boston butt, pork chops, ham pork, and loin are acceptable to eat on a keto diet. When choosing ham, be on the lookout for added sugar. It may not say “added sugar” on the front of the food package, so always be sure to read the ingredients list.

Bacon And Sausages: Preferably, you should buy these at specialty health food stores. If this is not possible, always read the labels to avoid those which contain fillers, such as soy or sugars.

Poultry: Free-range Cornish hen, quail, goose, pheasant, chicken, duck, and turkey.

Fish And Seafood: Cod, tuna, scrod, anchovies, mackerel, flounder, catfish, trout, mahi-mahi, halibut, sole, sardines, salmon, halibut, snapper, and calamari. Always opt for wild-caught fish to avoid toxins present in commercially reared fish.

Canned Tuna And Salmon: Canned tuna and salmon are fine to consume while you are on the keto diet. However, avoid seafood rich in fillers, breaded seafood, and fried seafood.

Vegetable Protein Powders: Protein supplements such as whey protein, hemp protein, pea, and rice are acceptable.

Whole Eggs: This includes chicken eggs and quail eggs, which you can prepare through any means desired; fried, soft or hard-boiled, deviled, scrambled, or omelet style.

Shellfish: Oyster, mussels, lobster, shrimp, crab (not imitation crab that contains additives), clams, scallops, and squid.

Keto-Friendly Oils and Fats

Keto Food List For Beginners | Health VIP Club

Because oils and fats are your main sources of energy while you are on a ketogenic diet, go for the ones that you enjoy. These may include:

Omega 3 fatty acids from fish such as tuna, shellfish, and salmon
Fish supplements or krill
Monounsaturated fats such as egg yolks, avocado, and butter * Vegetable oils such as olive oil and coconut oil
Non-hydrogenated beef tallow, ghee, and lard.
Duck and chicken fat

In order to make it easier to stick to this diet, be aware of which types of fat your body can tolerate. Many people seem to have zero or very low tolerance of vegetable oils and mayo. This may be a good thing because most of these oils are rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids––the kind that is a risk factor for heart disease (3).

In this case, work with the listed monounsaturated fats to reduce the inflammatory effect brought about by polyunsaturated fats (4). Nevertheless, work to balance both fats because you cannot survive on monounsaturated fats alone (5). Even then, avoid hydrogenated fats such as margarine to reduce the number of trans fats you eat.

Keto-Friendly Vegetables

What To Eat On A Keto Diet | Health VIP Club

For this keto food list, opt for organic or better yet, grow your own to avoid all pesticide toxins. Avoid starchy vegetables: corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peas, and winter squash that are high in carbs. Instead, opt for moderate intake of sweet vegetables: squashes, peppers, tomatoes, and carrots.

The best vegetables for keto diets include:

Celery
Collard greens
Onions (high in sugar; moderate intake)
Alfalfa Sprouts
Beet greens
Broccoli
Spinach
Dandelion greens
Bamboo shoots
Cabbage
Brussels sprouts
Garlic
Mushrooms
Shallots
Kale
Bok choy
Sauerkraut
Chives
Celery root
Swiss chard
Cauliflower
Snow peas
Bean sprouts
Olives
Cucumbers
Salad greens and lettuces: romaine, arugula, fennel, bok choy, boston lettuce, endive, mache, escarole, sorrel
Radicchio, chicory water chestnuts
Turnips
Scallions
Dill pickles
Leeks
Radishes
Chard
Asparagus

Keto-Friendly Dairy Products

Mascarpone cheese
Unsweetened whole milk yogurt (limit intake of this type of yogurt because it is a little high in carbs)
All soft and hard cheeses
Cream cheese
Full fat sour cream (don’t forget to check for additives on the ingredients list)
Full fat cottage cheese
Heavy whipping cream

In any case, always go for raw milk products, and if you don’t have easy access to them, go for the organic ones.

Keto-Friendly Beverages

Bulletproof coffee
Decaf tea
Flavored seltzer water
Decaf coffee
Water
Herbal tea
Lemon and lime juice (limit intake)
Clear broth or bouillon

Keto-Friendly Nuts and Seeds

Nuts: Almonds, macadamias, pecans, and walnuts are nuts with the lowest level of carbs. Meaning you can consume them in small amounts. Other nuts such as chestnuts, pistachios, and cashews contain a higher amount of carbs. So, you should carefully monitor your intake of those.

Nut flours: These are necessary because while you are on this diet, it doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to bake anymore. Nut flours, such as almond flour, will suffice.

Keto-Friendly Sweeteners

Erythritol
Splendor-liquid
Inulin and chicory root
Lo han guo
Liquid stevia
Xylitol
Swerve

Keto-Friendly Spices

Sea salt
Peppermint
Ginger
Basil
Chili pepper
Cloves
Thyme
Cilantro or coriander seeds
Rosemary
Black pepper
Cumin seeds
Oregano
Turmeric
Cayenne pepper
Cinnamon
Mustard seeds
Parsley
Dill
Sage

Conclusion

As you can see, being on a ketogenic diet is not as highly restrictive as most may think. In fact, the keto foods you can eat are foods that other diets tell you to avoid. Though other diets prove to support other evidence, the keto diet is changing the game by the benefit of supporting your body with fat, the most energy-efficient form of food, as being the main energy source instead of carbohydrates and showing positive outcomes (6, 7).

If you don’t have the time or patience to organize your grocery list of keto-friendly foods, it may be a good idea to invest in a custom keto diet plan. A good keto diet plan is designed to set you up for keto success without forcing you to do any heavy lifting.

Simply take this and you’ll get detailed keto recipes with step-by-step instructions, including a shopping list each week so you’re set up with everything you need.

Additionally, there are foods you should avoid to achieve optimal ketosis as your body makes the switch from using glucose to synthesizing fats for ketones. So, stay tuned as we share keto diet foods to avoid next!