Switching to ketogenic diet can be hard and overwhelming at first. Here is a thorough guide to what food can you eat on a keto diet. Before we tell you about all the tasty and nutritious keto foods to eat on keto diet, let us first tell you how does keto diet work on a body and what happens to your body’s metabolism when you go on keto diet.
Keto diet is all about eating a diet with fats in high, carbs in low amounts with a moderate quantity of proteins. Ketosis is needed to happen in your body for the body to burn fat. Normally, our body uses glucose from carbohydrates for energy.
But when you are on keto diet and consuming a high ratio of fats, the body breaks down fat instead and produces ketones or keto bodies that the body uses as a source of energy. This process is called ketosis and is the reason body loses weight during keto diet.
Keto Diet on average, contains 70-80% fats from total daily calories, 10-20% protein, and 5-10% carbohydrates. It’s equally important to talk to your care provider before you go on a strict keto diet.
Keto Foods
Here is the list of keto-friendly foods you can devour all you want:
Meat & Substitutes:
A wide variety of meat can be eaten on keto diet because meat is high in fats. Types of keto-friendly meat and fatty foods for keto are:
- Lamb
- Chicken
- Ground Beef
- Turkey
- Steak
- Ham
- Sausage
Soy products like tofu and tempeh.
Red meat is a rich source of high-quality protein and many nutrients important for good health.
Seafood:
Fatty fish are good keto food options that include:
- Salmon
- Herrings
- Sardines
- Anchovies
Other keto food options in seafood include:
- Crab
- Tuna
- Lobster
- Shrimp
Seafoods contain high quantities of omega-3s and increased fish intake is associated with decreased cardiovascular disease risk.
Seafood is also considered an exclusive source of nutrients like protein, amino acids, fibers, and minerals.
Keto Vegetables:
All non-starchy and most of above-ground vegetables can be taken as keto foods. Leafy greens are good keto-friendly veggies.
Other keto foods are:
- Celery
- Tomatoes
- Mushrooms
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Brussels sprouts
- Spinach
- Zucchini
- Cucumber.
- Peppers: although these are technically fruits but are treated like vegetables and add spice to cooking.
Fruits:
Most fruits are not good keto foods because high in sugar and carbs and hence are avoided on keto diet. Following are some exceptions and approved keto food options:
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Lemon & Lime
Dairy Products:
- Yogurt (greek yogurt makes a good keto breakfast, unflavoured or low-fat yogurts are to be avoided)
- Cheese (Goat cheese, cottage cheese, blue cheese, cream cheese, parmesan cheese)
- Butter
- Cream
Plant-based Milk:
Most types of plant-based are keto-friendly except oat milk.
Keto-friendly milk alternatives:
- Soy Milk
- Almond Milk
- Coconut Milk
Unsweetened versions of these should be opted on keto diet.
Research indicates that many kinds of nut milk are higher in heart-healthy unsaturated fats and have a healthier fat profile.
Eggs:
Eggs are considered very appropriate keto food because they contain negligible amounts of carbs and are high in proteins. You can eat them in any form – butter-fried eggs, scrambled eggs, or boiled eggs.
Consuming eggs, including the yolks, do not increase the risk of CVDs and can be safely eaten as one of the best keto food options and snacks as well. 5
Keto Nuts & Seeds: Most of the nuts are keto-friendly. Except for a few that are high in carb content like cashews, most nuts are good keto foods allowed on keto diet such as:
- Peanuts
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Brazil nuts
- Hazelnuts
Keto-friendly seeds:
- Flax seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Chia seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
Oils and Ghee:
Ghee is carb-free great fats that can be enjoyed in keto diets.
Olive oil and extra-virgin olive oils are good oil alternatives for cooking and also for salad dressings.
Bottom-line:
Although a strict keto diet may seem too overly restrictive to adopt at first, it comes with many health benefits and can accommodate a wide variety of food options that are both nutritious and tasty.
