The Keto Foods to Put You in Ketosis (original) (raw)

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Keto Diet Foods, Including What to Include vs. Avoid

January 25, 2023

Keto foods - Dr. Axe

The ketogenic (or “keto”) diet is a very high-fat, very low-carb diet that is best known for its weight loss benefits. The goal of the keto diet is to enter and then stay in a metabolic state called ketosis, in which you burn fat for energy, rather than carbohydrates (glucose).

In the typical diet, our bodies (brains and muscles) are fueled by glucose (a type of sugar) that we get from eating carbohydrate foods. But if those carbs stop coming in and glucose levels drop, we can use our fat for fuel.

In fact, once all our our reserved glucose/glycogen runs out after several days on a low-carb, keto diet, our bodies create compounds called ketone bodies (or ketones) from our own stored body fat, as well as from fats in our diet. In addition, researchers have discovered that ketones contain main benefits, such as fat loss, suppressing our appetites, boosting mental clarity and lowering the risk for a number of chronic diseases.

But before starting a ketogenic diet, it’s critical to get to know a properly constructed keto diet food list and also understand how much of each type of food group you consume.

It starts with limiting carbohydrate intake to just 20–30 net grams per day. “Net carbs” describes the amount of carbs remaining once dietary fiber is taken into account. Because fiber is indigestible once consumed, simply don’t count grams of fiber toward their daily carb allotment. So that means subtracting grams of fiber from total carb games, to give you the total net carbs.

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On a standard keto diet, fats provide about 70 percent to 80 percent of total daily calories, protein about 15 percent to 20 percent, and carbohydrates just around 5 percent.

What Are Keto Diet Foods?

Here are examples of high-fat, low-carb foods that are included on the ketogenic food list:

On the other hand, the types of foods you’ll avoid eating on the keto, low-carb food plan are likely the same ones you are, or previously were, accustomed to getting lots of your daily calories from before starting this way of eating. This includes items like fruit, processed foods or drinks high in sugar, those made with any grains or white/wheat flour, conventional dairy products, desserts, and many other high-carb foods (especially those that are sources of “empty calories”).

If you’re new or just still learning the ropes for the keto diet food list, your biggest questions probably revolve around figuring out just what high-fat low-carb foods you can eat on such a ketogenic low-carb diet.

Overall, remember that the bulk of calories on the keto diet are from foods that are high in natural fats, along with a moderate amount of foods with protein. Those that are severely restricted are all foods that provide lots of carbs, even kinds that are normally thought of as “healthy,” like whole grains, for example.

The biggest shifts in your daily habits will be how you food shop and how you cook. If even if you’re accustomed to a relatively low-carb diet, keto recipes will still be even lower carb.

How much can you eat on the keto diet? You will require lots of healthy fats in order to get into ketosis, create ketone bodies, and have enough energy without eating carbs. You don’t need to count calories, but rather should focus on filling up on the right types of foods.

You will be considerably more energetic and healthier when cooking your own keto-friendly food, rather than buying supposedly keto foods off the shelf. Therefore, make sure you understand the keto diet rules and start stocking up with the keto grocery list.

Best Keto Foods

Below you’ll find a full keto diet menu for beginners, based on food type.

1. Healthy Fats

Most healthy fats contain zero net carbs, especially the kinds listed below, which also have other health advantages. Fats should be included in high amounts with every meal throughout the day.

Healthy keto fats include saturated fats, monounsaturated fats and certain types of polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), especially omega-3 fatty acids that confer multiple health benefits. It’s best to include all types in your daily regimen, with an emphasis on saturated fats, especially compared to PUFAs.

Best keto fats:

2. Proteins

Most protein foods and animal proteins (meat, fish, etc.) have very little, if any, carbs. You can consume them in moderate amounts as needed to control hunger.

It might seem counterintuitive if you’re trying to lose weight, but you want to choose fattier cuts of meat rather than leaner types. For example, chicken thighs and legs are preferable to chicken breasts because they contain much more fat. We’ve got keto diet chicken recipes to help.

3. Non-Starchy Vegetables

4. Low-Sugar Fruit

What fruit can you eat on keto? Your No. 1 fruit choice should be avocado (yes, it’s a fruit). In small quantities, berries can also be consumed.

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5. Snacks

5. Condiments

6. Drinks

Keto Foods to Limit

These are the keto foods to eat only occasionally in order to stay in ketosis:

1. Full-Fat Dairy

Dairy products should be limited as well, to only “now and then” due to containing natural sugars. Higher fat, hard cheeses have the least carbs, while low-fat milk and soft cheeses have much more.

2. Medium-Starchy Vegetables

3. Legumes and Beans

4. Nuts and Seeds

5. Fruits

6. Snacks

7. Condiments

Most condiments below range from 0.5–2 net carb grams per 1–2 tablespoon serving. Check ingredient labels to make sure added sugar is not included, which will increase net carbs. (Stevia, monk fruit and erythritol will become your go-to sweeteners because neither raise your blood sugar — combine for a more natural sweet taste and, remember, a little goes a long way!)

8. Drinks

Consume the unsweetened keto drinks below only moderately, having just 1–2 small servings per day. These will typically contain between 1–7 net carb grams per serving.

Keto Foods to Avoid

What can you not eat on a keto diet? When on a ketogenic diet, you should avoid the following types of foods:

1. Any Type of Sugar

One teaspoon of sugar has about 4 net grams of carbs, while every tablespoon has about 12 net grams. Avoid all of these:

2, Any and All Grains

One slice of bread, or small serving of grains, can have anywhere from 10–30 net grams of carbs. Cereals and cooked grains typically have 15–35 grams per 1/4 cup uncooked, depending on the kind. Avoid the following:

3. Most Non-Berry Fruits

Most fruits simply contain too many carbs and can prevent you from reaching your goals if you eat them. So when on keto, stay away from especially the “sweet fruits” like mangoes, papayas, bananas, oranges and apples.

4. Nearly All Processed Foods

5. Sweetened and Caloric Beverages

Final Thoughts