Keto Food Guide: What to Eat and What to Avoid

When you first start following a ketogenic diet, grocery shopping at the supermarket can be a bit tricky. It may seem as if carbohydrates that can kick you out of ketosis are lurking everywhere. But don’t worry. We’ve prepared a list of ketogenic foods for you, which will save you time and prevent confusion during your next shopping trip.

The core of the ketogenic diet is to limit carbohydrates, consume an adequate amount of protein, eat a large quantity of healthy fats, and avoid processed foods. Here are the foods you can eat in large quantities and in moderation while on a ketogenic diet, as well as the foods you need to avoid.

Foods You Can Eat in Large Quantities
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, and very-low-carbohydrate diet, with a macronutrient ratio of approximately 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% carbohydrates (70:25:5). Here are the foods you can eat in large quantities while on a ketogenic diet:

Fish and Seafood
Poultry
Low-carb Vegetables
Low-carb Dairy Products: Cheese, Plain Greek Yogurt, Ricotta Cheese, etc.
Avocado
Eggs
Nuts and Seeds
Healthy Oils
Unsweetened Coffee and Tea
Water

Foods You Can Eat in Moderation

Berries
Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Powder (with over 90% cocoa solids)
Non-glycemic Sweeteners

Next, let’s explore the main food categories of the ketogenic diet in detail.

Meats and Eggs
The ketogenic diet is not a “meat-only” diet. Although current research no longer supports the idea that excessive protein will kick you out of ketosis, those on a ketogenic diet should still maintain a balance among meats, vegetables, and other foods to maximize nutrient intake. Most people on a ketogenic diet should aim to eat a fairly “normal” amount of meat and choose meats with higher fat content to help meet their fat macronutrient goals.

Ketogenic-friendly meat and egg options include:

Beef
Chicken
Bacon
Ham
Eggs
Pork
Lamb
Poultry
Pork
Venison
Veal
Game Meat
Organ Meats
Deli Meats in Moderation (sliced chicken, corned beef, ham, smoked meat, pastrami, prosciutto, roast beef, cured meat, etc.)
Cured Meats in Moderation (sliced sausage, pepperoni, salami, soppressata)

Note: Some processed meats, such as ham, bacon, certain deli meats, and some cured meats, may contain sugar or fillers, which can increase the carbohydrate content and make them unsuitable for the ketogenic diet.

Fish and Shellfish
Fatty fish and other seafood are excellent sources of protein and fat. It should be noted that some seafood, especially shellfish, may contain a considerable amount of carbohydrates.

Ketogenic-friendly fish and shellfish options include:

Crab Meat
Cod
Oysters (in moderation)
Salmon
Flounder
Mackerel
Lobster
Herring
Wild Salmon
Shrimp
Sardines
Squid
Sea Bass
Salmon
Bass
Tuna

Cheese and Other Dairy Products
This category can be an excellent source of healthy fats. Be cautious about consuming a large amount of dairy products until you are sure that your body can tolerate them, as many people are sensitive to dairy products and may experience problems such as inflammation. Please note that milk is not included in this list because of its high carbohydrate content and should be consumed very sparingly.

Ketogenic-friendly dairy options include:

Butter/Ghee
Blue Cheese
Ricotta Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Cream Cheese
Cream
Goat Cheese
Feta Cheese
Gouda Cheese
Goat Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
Plain Greek Yogurt
Swiss Cheese
Parmesan Cheese

Healthy Oils
Although most of your fat calories will come from other parts of your diet, cooking with a large amount of healthy oils can indeed help increase your daily fat macronutrient ratio. Healthy oils can also be used to increase the fat content of dishes that may be lacking in fat. How about stir-frying asparagus with avocado oil? Or tossing a salad with olive oil? Absolutely!

Ketogenic-friendly fat and oil options include:

Butter, preferably from grass-fed sources
Coconut Cream
Avocado Oil
Coconut Oil
MCT Oil
Olive Oil
Walnut Oil
Sesame Oil
Cocoa Butter
Ghee
Lard from pasture-raised pigs
Seed and Nut Oils

Seeds and Nuts
This category is rich in protein and healthy fats, and many options have very low carbohydrate content. They can be sprinkled on salads, added to recipes, or eaten alone as a healthy snack.

Ketogenic-friendly seed and nut options include:

Coconut
Chia Seeds
Brazil Nuts
Hemp Seeds
Flaxseeds
Macadamia Nuts
Hazelnuts
Pumpkin Seeds
Almonds
Sesame Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Walnuts
Hazelnuts
Flours or Butters Made from These Ingredients

Vegetables
Contrary to what is often depicted in the media about the ketogenic diet, a properly followed ketogenic diet actually favors vegetables stir-fried with healthy oils rather than endless piles of bacon. Vegetables stir-fried with healthy oils should be the staple of your ketogenic diet.

Although there are many exceptions, a good rule of thumb is to choose vegetables that grow above the ground and avoid starchy root vegetables. Use the food database in the Carb Manager app to check the net carbohydrate content of foods you are unfamiliar with.

Ketogenic-friendly vegetable options include:

Broccoli
Bitter Greens
Napa Cabbage
Celery
Lettuce
Chinese Broccoli
Spinach
Leeks
Summer Squash
Zucchini
Eggplant
Cabbage
Asparagus
Brussels Sprouts
Carrots
Cauliflower
Green Beans
Cucumbers
Spinach
Red and Green Bell Peppers
Tomatoes (in moderation)
Certain Mushrooms

Fruits
Most fruits are sugar bombs and are strictly prohibited in the ketogenic diet. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up all fruits forever!

The following fruits have relatively low carbohydrate content and can be eaten in moderation:

Blueberries
Blackberries
Limes
Lemons
Strawberries
Raspberries
Cranberries (unprocessed, unsweetened)

Beverages
People following a ketogenic diet should drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and flush out toxins. Alcohol (even ketogenic-friendly options) should be consumed as little as possible.

Ketogenic-friendly beverage options include:

Lemon Water
Black Coffee
Unsweetened Tea
Bone Broth
Mineral Water

Sweeteners
Although sugar is strictly prohibited in the ketogenic diet, you can satisfy your sweet tooth by using non-glycemic alternatives while remaining in ketosis.

Ketogenic-friendly sweetener options include:

Erythritol
Monk Fruit Extract
Stevia
Xylitol
Sorbitol
Maltitol
Allulose
Sucralose

Foods to Avoid
You may already know that you should avoid high-carbohydrate foods when following a ketogenic diet. But if you are following a “clean keto” diet, you should also avoid unhealthy fats and “processed foods.” Although these foods may not kick you out of ketosis, they may cause inflammation and other health problems, which are contrary to the goals of losing weight and taking control of your health.

The foods that should be completely avoided include:

Grains
Pasta
Starchy Vegetables
High-sugar Fruits
Sweetened Yogurt
Soda and Juice
Honey, Syrup, or Any Form of Sugar
Potato Chips and Cookies
Baked Goods, Including Gluten-free Ones
Corn Products
Vegetable Oils
Sugary Snacks

With this basic list, let’s explore the main categories of “foods to avoid” in more detail.

Grain Products
Grain products usually have a high carbohydrate content. This includes many “gluten-free” alternatives that are made from non-wheat grains or other high-carbohydrate substitutes.

Grain products to avoid include:

Oatmeal
Rye Bread
Flour and Tortillas
White Bread
Rye Bread
Whole Wheat Bread
Oats
Sourdough Bread
Buckwheat
Corn
Sandwich Wraps
Potato Chips
Cereal
Pasta

Vegetables
While low-carbohydrate vegetables should be the staple of your healthy ketogenic diet, many vegetables surprisingly have a high carbohydrate content and should be avoided. As mentioned above, most root vegetables contain a large amount of carbohydrates and fall into the “prohibited” category.

Vegetables to avoid include:

Sweet Potatoes
Potatoes
Yams
Corn
Peas
Sesame Seeds
Snow Peas
Taro
Cassava (also known as Yuca)
Butternut Squash
Radishes

Beans
Beans such as peas and legumes usually contain a large amount of protein and other essential nutrients. Unfortunately, they also have a high carbohydrate content and should be avoided when following a ketogenic diet.

Beans to avoid include:

Chickpeas
Baked Beans
Pinto Beans
Cowpeas
Black-eyed Peas
Black Beans
Green Beans
White Beans
Red Beans
Kidney Beans
Navy Beans
Peanuts

Fruits
Despite the healthy reputation of fruits, they contain a large amount of carbohydrates. A small apple contains enough carbohydrates to kick most people out of ketosis! People following a ketogenic diet should completely avoid most fruits.

Fruits to avoid include:

Oranges
Citrus Fruits
Bananas
Pineapples
Grapes
Pears
Plums
Mangoes
Peaches
Fruit Juice
Fruit Smoothies
Candied Fruits

Dairy Products
While many dairy products can be an important source of healthy fats and protein, other types may contain a large amount of carbohydrates. In particular, carefully check the carbohydrate content of milk and any flavored or sweetened yogurt.

Dairy products to avoid include:

Condensed Milk
Most Milk from Animals
Skim or Low-fat Yogurt
Creamy Ricotta Cheese

Meats
Maintaining an adequate protein intake is crucial for maintaining muscle mass while on a ketogenic diet, and meat can be an excellent source of this protein. On the other hand, certain meat products may contain hidden carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, and processed “junk.”

Meat products to avoid include:

Breaded Meats
Sugary Bacon
Processed Meats That May Contain Hidden Carbohydrates
Processed Meats High in Nitrates

Plant-based Proteins
Unhealthy Fats and Oils
For the ketogenic diet, the “unhealthy” fats we usually consider are trans fats, hydrogenated fats, and fats that are likely to cause inflammation.

Fats and oils to avoid include:

Corn Oil
Canola Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Peanut Oil
Sunflower Oil
Soybean Oil
Castor Oil
Cottonseed Oil
Flaxseed Oil
Soybean Oil
Commercial Lard

Success Tips: When cooking, don’t let oils with a low smoke point reach too high a temperature, as this may “spoil” otherwise healthy oils and cause them to break down into unhealthy compounds. Always use fresh oil and discard any oil that shows signs of spoilage.

Seeds and Nuts
While seeds and nuts are generally considered healthy ketogenic-friendly snacks, certain varieties have a relatively high carbohydrate content and should be avoided.

Seeds and nuts to avoid include:

Cashews
Chestnuts
Pistachios
Soybeans
Edamame
Peanuts
Flours or Butters Made from These Ingredients

Beverages
Pay attention to what you drink. Beverages can be an important source of hidden carbohydrates, usually in the form of sugar. Most of your liquid intake should come from water (6-8 glasses a day), and sugary beverages should be completely avoided.

Beverages to avoid include:

All Soda, Including Diet Soda
Soda and Energy Drinks (be careful with even “sugar-free” varieties)
Sugary Sports Drinks
Kombucha
Kefir
Lemonade
Fruit Juice
Iced Coffee, Mocha, and Other Sweetened Coffee Drinks
Sweetened Iced Tea
Most Beers
Cocktails Such as Screwdrivers, Margaritas, and Piña Coladas
Alcohol and Sweet Liqueurs
Dessert Wines

Sweeteners
You may know that high-carbohydrate, sugary sweeteners have no place in the ketogenic diet. But certain other technically low-carbohydrate sweeteners may cause health problems other than an insulin response and should also be avoided.

Sweeteners to avoid include:

Sugar
Honey
Agave Nectar
Maple Syrup
Fructose
Saccharin
Aspartame
Sucralose

Putting all this information together, there may be a bit of a learning curve when you first start following a ketogenic diet, but soon you’ll become a pro at it!