A typical keto or ketogenic diet consists of: 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbohydrate (carb). Most people in the US consume 4 to 5 pounds of food a day. This means that if you follow keto diet, you should eat about 3.8 pounds of fat, 1.0 pounds of proteins, and 0.2 pounds of carb daily.
If you are a beginner of Keto diet, it may be necessary to weight the food you cook so that you get a sense the weight of each food, which should help you Keto diet practice.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or have been keto for years, having the keto diet food list will make it easier for you to shop, carry out meal plan and stock up on low-carb, high-fat groceries.
The Keto Diet Shopping List can be a challenge, since most of us have been practicing traditional high-carb and low-fat food. It takes time to get used to the keto diets. One of initial task is to research the keto diet food list so that you get custom to keto diet shopping habits.
Here is the keto diet food list:
Fats and Oils
Keto diet is all about fat and it is important to have high quality fat. Even though both unsaturated and saturated fats are considered keto-friendly. The unsaturated fat has been approved for keto diet.
Many of the following products, such as olive oil and coconut oil, contains zero carb and are ideal fats for keto diet. The followings are the fats for Keto diets:
- Avocado
- Avocado oil
- Coconut oil
- Red palm oil
- Salad dressing
- Duck fat
- Lard
- Macadamia oil
- Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) oil
- Olive oil
- Palm shortening
- Sesame oil
- Tallow
- Walnut oil
Processed trans fats can be very damaging to your health. Artificial trans fats are formed during food production through the processing of polyunsaturated fats. Example of trans fats to avoid include:
- Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils found in processed products, such as crackers and fast food
- Processed vegetable oils.
Meat, Poultry and Eggs
Meat and poultry do not contain carbs and are rich in protein. They are considered staple food on a keto diet.
Egg contains low carbs and is rich in protein, is an ideal food for keto diet.
The followings are the meat and poultry used for Keto diet:
- Beef
- Chicken
- Deer
- Deli meat
- Duck
- Elk
- Goat
- Goose
- Hot dogs
- Lamb
- Moose
- Pepperoni
- Pheasant
- Pork
- Pork rinds
- Quail
- Rabbit
- Salami
- Sausages
- Sheep
- Turkey
- Veal
- Wild boar
- Wild turkey
Fish and Other Seafood
Fish and seafood are carb-free or low in carbs, high in fat, and keto-friendly food. The following seafood can be included in your shopping list:
- Abalone
- Anchovy
- Bass
- Caviar
- Clams
- Cod
- Crab
- Eel
- Flounder
- Grouper
- Haddock
- Halibut
- Herring
- Lobster
- Mussels
- Mackerel
- Mahi-mahi
- Mussels
- Octopus
- Orange roughy
- Perch
- Red snapper
- Rockfish
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Scallops
- Shrimp
- Squid
- Sole
- Turbot
- Trout
- Talapia
- Tuna
Some fish are high in carbs. When they are served, please remember to count their potential carb amounts. Such shellfish include the followings:
- Clams
- Mussels
- Octopus
- Oysters
- Squid
Vegetables
Vegetables are a critical part of a low-carb diet. There is a large collection of vegetable for your selection. Ensure to select the ones with low-carb and the followings are good choices:
- Artichokes
- Arugula
- Asparagus
- Beet greens
- Bok choy
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Butterhead lettuce
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Chard
- Chives
- Cucumber
- Dandelion greens
- Eggplant
- Endives
- Fennel
- Garlic
- Green beans
- Jicama
- Kale
- Kimchi
- Kohlrabi
- Leeks
- Leafy greens
- Mushrooms
- Mustard greens
- Okra
- Olive
- Onions
- Parsley
- Peppers
- Pumpkin
- Radicchio
- Radishes
- Rhubarb
- Sauerkraut
- Scallions
- Seaweed
- Shallots
- Spaghetti squash
- Spinach
- Swiss chard
- Tomatoes
- Turnip greens
- Watercress
- Zucchini
- Romaine Lettuce
The following starchy vegetables have high carbs. Please consume with caution.
- Beets
- Grain products, such as bagel, bread, pancake, pasta, and rice
- Potatoes
- Yams
Fruits
If you want something sweet, berries are a good choice. They are low in calories and carbs. The followings are examples of good Keto diets:
- Blackberry
- Blueberry
- Cranberry
- Lemon
- Lime
- Olive
- Raspberry
- Strawberry
This is the area we need to change our mind set. “One apple a day keeps doctor away” doesn’t hold true in keto diets. Most of our favorite fruits contain high amount of carbs. Single consumption of one apple and one banana may lead to the carb intake out of keto carb range. The followings are the fruit to avoid for your Keto diets:
- Apple
- Apricot
- Banana
- Cantaloupe
- Dates
- Dried fruit
- Grapefruit
- Grapes
- Kiwi
- Mangos
- Melons
- Orange
- Peach
- Pineapple
- Plantain
- Plum
Dairy
Dairy are low in carbs and high in fat, which make them a great fit for a keto diet. But be careful to buy real dairy to ensure you obtain correct carbs and fat and be careful that it can be extremely easy to overeat.
Here is the dairy list:
- Blue cheese
- Brie
- Butter
- Cheddar
- Clotted cream
- Cottage cheese
- Cream cheese
- Ghee
- Greek yogurt
- Heavy cream
- Kefir
- Milk
- Parmesan
- Quark
- Sour cream
- Whole cream
Milk contains fairly high in carbs and consume with cautions.
Nuts, Seeds, Beans and Legumes
Nuts and seeds are low in carbs and high in fats, making them good keto diets. Here is a list of the nuts and seeds for Keto diets:
- Almonds
- Brazil nuts
- Chia seeds
- Hazelnuts
- Hemp seeds
- Macadamia nuts
- Peanuts
- Pecans
- Pine nuts
- Pistachios
- Pumpkin seeds
- Nut butters
- Sesame seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Walnuts
Beans and legumes contain a fair amount of carbs and need to be consumed with caution.
Liquids
The following drinks are carb-free.
- Almond milk
- Broth
- Coconut milk
- Coffee
- Seltzer water
- Sparkling mineral water
- Lemon and lime juice
- Tea
- Water
Soda, beers, wine, and other alcohol products contain fairly high in carbs. Consume with cautions.
Herbs
Herbs are very low in fat, protein, and carbs. They are used for flavoring and garnishing food to enhance diet flavors. The followings are good for Keto diets:
- Allspice
- Basil
- Cardamom
- Cayenne pepper
- Chili powder
- Coriander
- Cloves
- Cumin
- Curry powder
- Dill
- Ginger
- Nutmeg
- Oregano
- Paprika
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Thyme
- Turmeric
Now you have the Keto Diet Food List. It is not extensive, but is a good start for you to use this as reference for your specific keto diet selection. If you would like to have good reference book on Keto diet, please check this book: “The Complete Ketogenic Diet for Beginners: Your Essential Guide to Living the Keto Lifestyle”
I’ve researched Keto Diet and read reviews on this, but its good to read it from other post’s points of view, so maybe I can learn something I never knew about a Keto Diet.
A Keto Diet is a really great diet, as you will actually be eating fats instead of cutting them out of your diet. Other diets require you to cut out fats, but not this diet. That’s what makes it more interesting to follow.
There are normal ingredients to eat in the Keto Diet that is similar in other diets, but I prefer this diet overall because it is easy to follow in my opinion and you actually see results if you follow the instructions given
Thank you for this in-depth review of the Keto Diet.
All the best to you.
Thanks for stopping by. It is easier to practice Keto diets than most people think of. In fact, the Keto diets are taste, since you can use a lot of fat food.
I have been practicing Keto diets for one year, which helped me significantly. I am not only healthier, but also full of energy. I love it!
Oh this is a fabulous post on dieting. I have never really heard anything about keto diet until I came upon this post. I’ve always been really careful of what I take and I’m glad you put this up. I like how you have listed out all this available foods and vegetables that one can get and which is more rich is carb and the rest. I’ll be sure to get that book to read more and efficiently take the diet. Thanks for the post
This is just a short list, but worthwhile to have it. As you can see, you have wide range of selection for your Keto diets, if you decide to pursue your Keto lifestyle!
Hi! I’m glad I found your post. These list serve as a very good reference. And I’m happy to see many of the foods I enjoy on these lists. I love avocado and olive oil. I also enjoy parmesan cheese and Greek yogurt. But what has pleasantly surprised me and I’m very happy to read on these lists are pepperoni and hot dogs.
I am so happy that you already have Keto food in your list. As described in my post: https://kcancer.com/2019/07/08/keto-diet-cheat-sheet/, it is important to take what you have and displace, don’t replace.
Food like peperoni and hot dogs need to be careful. Make sure the materials are organic and also check to determine carb content.
You are almost there and Happy Keto!
I follow the trends with diets quite closely. It would appear that the Keto diet is good for some people. It is similar in many respects to the Atkins diet and also the Paleo diet although Paleo doesn’t like dairy or legumes.
It shows that the high fat, medium protein and low carb diets are getting the upper hand with some people.
A list of foods that are acceptable when you are following a diet is very handy to have. The list seems pretty extensive for anybody to be able to find foods they like.
Derek
Thanks for your comments. No what kind of diet you try, it is important that you enjoy it and it is good to your health.
You may choose between different diets and make up of diets that fit you best.
Keto diets are scientifically approved and helped a lot of people. I have been practicing it for one year. My fat belly is almost gone now. I feel good and enjoy my Keto food!
As you can see from the list, you have wide range of selections for Keto diets. Anyone with desire to try will find his/her keto diet food list.
Would you believe, this is the first time I hear of the Keto diet? I have heard of it before, but never in detail the way you have just explained it. I wouldn’t have even known how to spell half the things you mentioned.
Okay, so here are some questions. I a a vegetarian, can I still go to a keto diet? I drink almond milk and eat eggs. I also eat tons of vegetables, and fruits, mostly berries, and seeds and nuts. So, is this an acceptable solution to going keto? Or do is this only for meat eaters?
I enjoyed reading about your scientific explanation of our the body processes all these foods. It used to be that we tried to avoid fatty foods. I’m still avoiding transfats, that for sure, but now I can look forward to eating a little more seeds and beans perhaps. Will look into the tools you mentioned to test my BHB. This is super interesting information, Anthony. I believe I will give it a try. I’m always looking for ways to make my body healthier.