The Keto diet has been popular for a while now, and it’s popularity doesn’t appear to be waning.

While this low-carb, high-fat diet has thousands of fans and offers a number of health benefits, if you’re a keto newbie it can be a bit confusing to know what you can eat on the keto diet.

It’s fairly obvious that things like white bread and potatoes are a no-go, but what about fruit? Can you still snack on strawberries or do you have to drink a cup of coconut oil instead? (answer = no!)

So let’s break it down and talk about exactly what you can and can’t eat if you want to follow the keto diet.

The Key to the Keto diet

The key to thing you’re trying to achieve when you’re on a keto diet is to build ketones.

And the key to building ketones is a mixture of fasting and a diet with at least 65% of your food intake being from fat.

This leaves you with about 30% protein with the last 5% being made up of an additional 5% of fat or 5% of dark green low carb vegetables like dandelion leaves, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, etc.

The keto diet has a strict 5% carbohydrate allowance. In general, you can eat from the following food groups: Fats and Oils, Protein, Vegetables and Fruits, Dairy products, Nuts and Seeds, Water and Beverages.

Starting a new diet isn’t easy, especially when you need to eat specific foods and stay from other types of foods. This ketogenic diet food list should help you be able to make decisions about what you are eating and shopping for.

What Can You Eat On A Keto Diet

Fats and Oils

Try to get your fat from natural sources like meat and nuts. Supplement with saturated and monounsaturated fats like coconut oil, butter, and olive oil. Here are some good fat options:

Fatty Fish

Animal Fat (non-hydrogenated)
Lard
Tallow

Avocados
Egg Yolks
Macadamia/Brazil Nuts

Butter/Ghee
Coconut Butter
Cocoa Butter

Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Avocado Oil

Macadamia Oil
MCT Oil

Protein

Remember that too much protein on a ketogenic diet is not a good thing. Choose from the following:

Fish. Anything that is caught wild like catfish, cod, flounder, halibut, mackerel, mahi-mahi, salmon, snapper, trout, and tuna. Fattier fish is better.
Shellfish. Clams, oysters, lobster, crab, scallops, mussels, and squid.
Whole Eggs. You can prepare them in many different ways like fried, deviled, boiled, poached, and scrambled.

Ground beef, steak, roasts, and stew meat. Stick with fattier cuts where possible.
Pork. Ground pork, pork loin, pork chops, tenderloin, and ham. Watch out for added sugars and try to stick with fattier cuts.
Poultry. Chicken, duck, quail, pheasant and other wild game.

Offal/Organ.Heart, liver, kidney, and tongue. Offal is one of the best sources of vitamins/nutrients.
Other Meat. Veal, Goat, Lamb, Turkey and other wild game. Stick with fattier cuts where possible.
Bacon and Sausage. Check labels for anything cured in sugar, or if it contains extra fillers. Don’t be overly concerned with nitrates.

Nut Butter. Go for natural, unsweetened nuts

Read -> Healthy Habits - How to Drink More Water

Vegetables and Fruits

Nightshades. This includes tomato, eggplant, and peppers.
Root Vegetables.This includes onion, parsnip, garlic, mushrooms, and squash.

Berries. This includes raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.
Citrus. This includes lemon, lime, and orange juice (or zest) in water and in recipes.
Completely avoid starchy vegetables and large fruits like potatoes and bananas.

Dairy Products

Greek yogurt
Heavy whipping cream
Mayonnaise (preferably homemade)

Spreadable items including cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, mascarpone, crème fraiche, etc.
Soft Cheese including mozzarella, brie, blue, Colby, Monterey jack, etc.
Hard Cheese including aged cheddar, parmesan, feta, Swiss, etc.

Nuts and Seeds

Fatty, low carbohydrate nuts. Macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, and pecans can be consumed with meals to supplement fat.
Fatty, moderate carbohydrate nuts. Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, and pine nuts can be used in moderation to supplement for texture or flavor.
Higher carbohydrate nuts. Pistachios and cashews should rarely be eaten or avoided as they’re very high in carbohydrates

Water and Beverages

Water. This will be your staple, go-to source for hydration. You can drink tap, bottled or sparkling water.
Broth. Loaded with vitamins and nutrients. More importantly, it will kick start your energy by replenishing your electrolytes.
Coffee. Improves mental focus and has some added weight loss benefits.

Tea. Has the same effect as coffee. Try to stick with black or green.
Coconut/Almond milk.You can use the unsweetened versions in the carton from the store to replace your favorite dairy beverage.
Diet soda. Try to severely reduce or completely stop drinking this. It can lead to sugar cravings and sometimes insulin spikes in the long run.

Flavoring. The small packets that are flavored with sucralose or stevia are fine. You can alternatively add a squeeze of lemon, lime, or orange to your water bottle.
Alcohol. Choose hard liquor. More beer and wine will be too high carb to consume. Frequent consumption of alcohol will slow weight loss down

Read -> 10 Keto Fat Bombs To Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Foods to Avoid on the Keto Diet

If you are uncertain about any products or food items that might not be keto friendly here is a list of things that you should always be on the lookout for and avoid:

Sugar. It’s typically found in soda, juice, sports drinks, candy, chocolate, and ice cream. Avoid sugar at all costs.
Grains. Any wheat products, pasta, cereal, cakes, pastries, rice, corn, and beer should be avoided. This includes whole grains like wheat, rye, barley, buckwheat, and quinoa.
Starch. Avoid vegetables like potatoes and yams and other things like oats, muesli, etc. Some root vegetables are okay in moderation – be sure to read the section on vegetables.

Trans Fats. Margarine or any other spreadable replacement butter should be avoided as they contain hydrogenated fats.
Fruit. Avoid any large fruits such as apples, oranges, bananas as they’re extremely high in sugar. Some berries can be consumed in moderation – be sure to read the section on fruits.
Low-fat foods. These tend to be much higher in carbs and sugar than full-fat versions. Make sure you read the package.

Sample Keto Meal Plan #1

Breakfast: 2 eggs cooked any way with yolks. Sausage containing no carbs or sugar. Bacon.
Lunch: Chicken with as much skin and oily gooey bits as possible. Steamed spinach or broccoli.
Supper: Steak with cheese. Fried mushrooms. Leafy green salad.

Before bed 1 glass of wine with a slice of cheese.

Sample Keto Meal Plan #2

Breakfast: 2 egg omelet with fried mushrooms, cheese, and chopped parsley.
Lunch: A whole duck breast if you can get it or chicken again with as much fatty skin as possible. Leafy green salad.

Supper: Hamburger made with high-fat mince without the bun. The mince can contain the usual paprika, chopped onions, and garlic if you like, but absolutely no syrup or sugar. Add cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and any other leafy low-carb greens you like.
Before bed 1 glass of wine with a slice of cheese.

Read -> 10 Delicious Keto Thanksgiving Recipes

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What Can You Eat on the Keto Diet? (Including a Keto Diet Food List)