What to Eat (and Not Eat) on a Keto Diet: A Beginner's Guide
/If you are new to eating keto or thinking about starting a keto diet, you may wonder “what can I eat?” or “what foods are keto-friendly?” In this post I will share all of the delicious, healthy foods you can enjoy on a keto diet, and what foods to stay away from when you are eating low-carb.
On a keto diet, you can eat proteins like beef, chicken, pork, seafood, and eggs. Eat non-starchy vegetables, like asparagus, peppers, mushrooms, and spinach. Enjoy nuts, seeds, nut butters, and fats like avocado, coconut, and olive oil. Many keto dieters eat full-fat dairy, like cheese, butter, and heavy whipping cream.
In this post I share detailed lists of many delicious foods you can eat on a keto diet, and the high-carb foods you should avoid, so let’s explore!
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
Keto-Friendly Proteins
Buy the highest quality you can afford. If you can spring for wild-caught salmon, do it. The same goes for free-range eggs, or grass-fed, grass-finished beef. These are definitely the healthiest options.
However, don’t be discouraged if a trendy grass-fed Wagyu ribeye or Kerrygold grass-fed butter isn’t in your budget. (It’s not in mine!) You can follow a keto diet on a budget and there is no shame in buying $2 ground beef rolls at Walmart when they’re on sale. (I do.)
If you purchase processed or packaged meats like lunch meat, hot dogs, or meatballs, be sure to read the nutrition labels carefully. Many processed meat products have added carbs like sugar, honey, bread crumbs, sauces, or marinades. A 3-ounce Italian-style meatball may have many more carbs than 3 ounces of plain ground beef.
Beef:
Brisket
Ground beef
Prime rib
Steak
Stew meat
Pork:
Bacon
Ground pork
Pork chops, tenderloin
Poultry:
Chicken (thighs and legs are fattier cuts - good for keto)
Cornish hen
Duck
Eggs
Turkey (breast, whole, legs, ground)
Seafood:
Crab
Fish of all kinds (catfish, cod, trout, tilapia, etc.)
Lobster
Scallops
Shrimp
Other keto proteins:
Bison
Collagen protein (I use Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides every day, and apparently so does Jennifer Aniston, lol. I buy the large tub on Amazon and you can see the current price HERE.)
Deli meats (read labels)
Lamb
Keto-friendly protein powders (read labels) (Orgain has a really good-tasting chocolate keto-friendly protein powder, with 10 grams of protein and 0 grams net carbs.)
Need a little help with a simple, organized keto shopping list?
Keto-friendly produce.
In a perfect world, enjoy organic, local, and seasonal vegetables. In the real world, just include lots of fresh or frozen non-starchy veggies and low-carb fruits.
Keto veggies:
bell peppers
broccoli
Brussels sprouts
cabbage
cauliflower
cucumbers
green beans
kale
lettuce
mushrooms
olives
onions
romaine
spinach
summer squash
tomatoes
zucchini
Other keto produce:
avocado
berries
garlic
herbs (fresh, frozen, dried)
lemons
limes
Want to include lots of healthy keto-friendly plant foods in your diet? See: How to Eat More Veggies on a Keto Diet with Free Printable Low-Carb “Eat the Rainbow” Food Tracker
Nuts and seeds.
If you’re not eating raw nuts or seeds, be sure to read labels for added oils and seasonings which can increase the carb count.
almond butter (no added sugar)
almonds
chia seeds
flaxseed
peanut butter (no added sugar)
pumpkin seeds
sunflower seeds
walnuts
Keto fats and oils.
Obviously fat is an important part of a keto diet. You will get fat in your diet from meats, poultry, nuts, and dairy (among other foods), and these keto-friendly oils:
avocado
avocado oil (Avocado oil is great for high-temperature cooking, like making steaks in a cast-iron skillet!)
bacon fat
butter
cocoa butter
coconut butter (If you haven’t tried coconut butter, it tastes like the filling of an Almond Joy, but not so sickeningly sweet. I’ve been known to eat a spoonful straight from the jar to satisfy a sweet craving.)
ghee
olive oil
Keto-friendly dairy.
Always choose full-fat dairy products. Read labels, especially for products like whole-milk yogurt which could have added sugars.
butter
cheese
cream cheese
heavy whipping cream
ricotta cheese
sour cream
yogurt (unsweetened, whole-milk)
Keto-friendly beverages.
Read labels to check for added sugar or undesirable ingredients. If adding sweeteners to coffee or tea, do your research and choose wisely.
almond milk, unsweetened
bone broth
coffee
diet soda
full-fat coconut milk
tea
water
Keto condiments.
Read labels carefully.
hot sauce
lemon juice
lime juice
mayonnaise
mustard, yellow, brown
salad dressings
salsa (no sugar added) or fresh pico de gallo
sugar-free barbecue sauce (I’m from Kansas City so I know BBQ sauce, but unfortunately regular barbecue sauce is loaded with sugar and/or molasses. Primal Kitchens make decent keto-friendly sauces. Click to see the current price on Amazon.)
vanilla extract
vinegar, white, red wine, apple cider, balsamic
Keto Treats
Keto "treats" are processed snacks, desserts, cereals, or other foods that taste like snack food you know and love but are manufactured with zero-carb sweeteners or other ingredients to keep them low-carb.
Many keto dieters love the convenience (and taste) of packaged keto treats. Others prefer eating real keto foods that occur in nature. It's up to you whether you want to include keto treats or not. I personally rely mostly on real foods (think meats, veggies, nuts, and seeds) but I do love me a good keto granola or keto peanut butter cup sometimes!
These days you can find packaged keto-friendly foods at most local grocery stores, Target, Walmart, health food stores, and on Amazon. Be sure to read labels for serving sizes and net carb counts. It can be easy to overeat delicious keto cookies!
beef jerky
keto cereal or granola (This Granola Bakery Chocolate Coconut keto granola has only 1 gram net carbs. Swoon!)
keto cookies (When I started eating gluten-free 10 years ago I had to bake all my own treats! It’s so nice to be able to purchase keto cookies for a special occasion treat!)
keto protein bars (I don’t eat keto protein bars often, but I do like to have them on hand when I travel or for days I just don’t feel like cooking. Try a few brands to find one you like.)
low-carb tortillas
pork rinds
I buy most of my keto treat foods and other pantry staples from Amazon because it’s convenient, there is such a wide selection of products, and the prices are usually better than what I can find locally. See this article for more details: 182 Keto Pantry Foods You Can Order On Amazon to Save Time and Money
What NOT to eat on a keto diet.
Now that you know all the tasty low-carb foods you can enjoy on a keto diet, it’s important to know what is off-limits if you want to stay in ketosis.
Remember that portion size matters. One or two Hershey’s Kisses probably won’t kick you out of ketosis, but an entire “share size” bag of Peanut M&M’s likely will.
Avoid these high-carb foods on a keto diet:
sugar, honey, high fructose corn syrup, and other sweeteners
grains, including wheat, cornmeal, oats, wheat, and rice
pasta and noodles
legumes
starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, French fries, corn, peas, and beets
sweets like candy, cookies, cakes, ice cream, and pies (though see this ARTICLE about ice cream)
bread, buns, tortillas
most snacks like tortilla chips, crackers, pretzels, potato chips, and Cheetos
sugary drinks, energy drinks, fruit juice, most store-bought smoothies or shakes, regular milk, liqueurs, and most alcohol
most fruits other than berries
many traditional breakfast foods like waffles, pancakes, cereals, Pop-Tarts, donuts
most fast foods without modifications (See the Restaurant Guides for ordering out)
I hope you found this Beginner’s Guide to What to Eat (and Not Eat) on a Keto Diet helpful. Happy keto eating!
— The Keto Minimalist
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