Ketogenic Food List • What is Keto Diet?

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I’ve created this full Ketogenic food list of allowed and not allowed foods + all there is to know about the Ketogenic Diet.

Do you feel like your normal body energy is all over the place? Are you constantly losing focus after a meal containing high levels of carbohydrates? Well, try to consider the Ketogenic Diet, also known as Keto for short. Just like the normal diet, this one aids in weight loss and is considered a fat loss diet. However, it is not really like the average diet. It stands out on so many levels. It comes with its own Ketogenic food list, see below. Keto diet is famous for improving the health of people suffering from cancer, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s disease and many other health issues (see below). It is simple yet requires paying attention to what you eat.

What is Keto Diet? (Low-Carb, fat loss diet)

The Keto diet is a diet where you eat very low amounts of carbohydrates, moderate amounts of proteins, and a high amount of fats. It seems like you are cutting down on all the good stuff, but this is actually more beneficial to your health than most diets. Most people are generally addicted to carbohydrates (learn about good carbs vs bad carbs) and sugars, especially those of the working class due to the high energy levels they have to sustain and the minimal free time they get. However, this diet is sure to wean you off this addiction sooner than you think.

The Nitty-Gritty Details about Ketogenic Diet…..

The main benefit of this is the amount of glycogen this diet allows you to accumulate in the body. Glycogen from carbohydrates and all other macronutrients end up stored in the body. Therefore, fat levels in the body are burnt-out for energy, which the diet boosts. The body loses its main source of energy and settles for the substitute source, which is the fat. This, in turn, makes your lean body mass higher and your body fat percentage lower, thus weight loss. The name “Ketogenic” comes from the act of the body turning fat stored in the liver to “Ketones”, which are then transported to the brain and voila! Each meal will boost your efficiency. When you reduce the amount of carbohydrates you eat daily to below 50 grams, your body then goes into ketosis. This is a natural state and a survival mechanism our bodies go through. See our ketogenic food list below to help with lowering your carbs daily. I know it’s hard, but this is key!

How Can You Know That You Are In Ketosis?

There are two engineered tests of telling whether you are in a state of Ketosis or not. The first one is a Ketone strip, which resembles a pregnancy test. This means that you will be required to urinate on the strip. The next test is through a blood glucose meter. Most people prefer to let bygones be bygones. Testing is a dramatic approach but if you feel like this is necessary, by all means, go for the test.

Naturally, you can also know through the following signs:

• Your breath will have a foul metallic taste
• Increased urination
• Foul-smelling urine

What Are The Types Of Ketogenic Diets?

It is worth noting that there are three types of Ketogenic Diets, they are:

• Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD) – This is the Ketogenic diet as explained above. It can contain up to 5% carbohydrates, 20% protein, and 75% of fat. The ketogenic food list below will guide you with what you should and should not eat.
• Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD) – entails consuming an increase in carbohydrate when going about workouts. This could be during, before or both. Athletes and body builders are more conversant with this diet.
• Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) – This diet is reportedly what phenomenal professional boxer, Connor McGregor practices. It involves incorporating the basic Standard Ketogenic diet above and only eating from the ketogenic food list below; yet it allows for a carbohydrate rich meal. This guarantees efficiency, speed, and strength and is thus advisable for athletes due to their eventful careers. It does not have to be just a simple meal; it could go up to 3 days of high carbohydrate intake depending on the amount of energy you are planning to foster.

If you want to print the Ketogenic Food List PDF infographic, fill out the form below and we’ll email you the printable version (we have a black/white version that will be easily printable).

Ketogenic Food List – Allowed Foods

Keto is a low carb and high fat diet. This ketogenic food list should help you know what is recommended and what should be avoided when following a keto diet.

Fats/Oils:

• Butter/Ghee
• Olive Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Macadamia Oil
• Fatty Fish
• Animal Fat (non-hydrogenated)
• Lard
• Tallow
• Avocados
• Egg Yolks
• Coconut Butter
• sunflower oil
• safflower oil
• sesame oil
• peanut oil
• canola oil
• fish oil

Nuts/Seeds:

Low Carb & High Fat Nuts: Best choices while on the ketogenic diet.

• Brazil Nuts
• Macadamia Nuts
• Pecans

Moderate Carb & High Fat Nuts: Eat in moderation while on the ketogenic diet.

• Almonds
• Peanuts
• walnuts
• hazelnuts
• pinenuts

High Carb Nuts: Eat very rarely while on the ketogenic diet.

• Pistachios
• Cashews

Proteins:

Beef – Ground beef,roasts, steak, and stew meat. The fattier the meat the better for this diet.

Bacon/Sausage – Always check for added sugars, or cured in sugar – skip these. Extra fillers are also frowned upon on the Keto Diet.

Eggs – scrambled, hard/soft boiled, poached and fried are all good ways to cook an egg. Free range are best.

Fish – catfish, cod, flounder, halibut, mackerel, mahi-mahi, salmon, snapper, trout, and tuna. Wild caught is best, and the fattier the fish, the healthier it is for you on the keto diet.

Nut butters – A great alternative source of protein. Almond butter is great for this diet. Always shop for natural nut butter without added sugar.

Organ meats – kidneys, tongue, heart and liver. These contain high amounts of nutrients.

Poultry – Chicken, turkey, duck, quail, pheasant, goose, or other wild game.

Pork – Ham, pork chops,pork loin, ground pork and tenderloin. Fattier cuts are best, avoid any with added sugars.

Shellfish/Seafood – Squid, clams, lobster, oysters, crab, scallops and mussels.

Other meats/proteins – Veal, goat and lamb.

Low Carb Vegetables:

• spinach
• kale
• swiss chard
• lettuce
• any dark leafy greens
• celery
• green bell pepper
• cucumber
• zucchini
• eggplant
• tomato
• olives
• asparagus
• cabbage
• cauliflower
• brussels sprouts

Lowest Carb Fruits:

• lemon
• lime
• blackberry
• strawberry
• raspberry
• coconut (meat)
• cantaloupe

Low Carb Condiments & Spices:

• mustard
• mayonnaise
• aioli
• hot sauce (any without added sugar)
• guacamole
• soy sauce
• vinegar
• vinaigrette
• cream cheese
• salsa (make sure no sugar is added)
• salt
• pepper
• chili powder
• curry powder
• basil
• chives
• oregano
• rosemary
• thyme
• cinnamon

Low Carb Snack Ideas:

• Cheese
• greek yogurt
• cottage cheese
• olives
• eggs
• cold cuts
• avocado/guacamole
• macadamia, brazil nuts or pecans
• veggies (from above list) dipped in cream cheese, guacamole or salsa
• pork rinds
• pickled vegetables (non sweet)

Low Carb Drinks:

• water
• sparkling water
• coffee (black)
• tea (plain, no added sugar)
• club soda
• coconut water

Foods to Avoid on Keto Diet:

Ketogenic food list of foods you should skip/avoid for best results. The most important thing to look out for while on Keto diet is complex carb intake. You’ll want to eat the least amount of grams of carbohydrates each day that you can. If you can keep it under 50 grams daily that’s good, but it would be best if it was under 20 grams daily.

• anything sugary, any sweets
• high carb fruits (dried fruit, grapes, banana, pear, pineapple, apple, blueberries)
• breads
• crackers
• pasta
• grains
• rice
• legumes
• beans
• alcohol
• sugary drinks like soda or juice
• potatoes (especially sweet potatoes)
• parsnips
• beets
• carrots
• root veggies
• anything high in carbohydrates
• “sugar free” diet foods

What Are The Benefits Of the Ketogenic Diet?

It started out as a treatment for neurological conditions and diseases like epilepsy. It has also shown benefits and improvements in the following health deficits:

• Cancer
• Metabolic diseases
• Acne
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Epilepsy
• other neurological conditions
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Heart disease
• Insulin-related diseases
• Brain injuries
• Parkinson’s disease
• ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)

Before your body fully adapts to the Keto diet, you are bound to experience some adaptation side effects like nausea, insomnia, fatigue, hunger, decreased energy levels and even decreased mental function. “Keto flu” is the phrase coined for this phase. Nevertheless, do not let these scare you into going back to your normal carbohydrate-rich diet. The benefits of the Keto diet are more substantial than that piece of cake that your brain is yelling for you to eat! So keep strong and consistent. Whether you are diabetic, overweight, mentally frustrated, or just simply looking to boost your metabolism, this is the right diet for you.