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What Can You Eat on the Keto Diet? A Detailed Guide

According to the most recent forecast of registered dietician nutritionists (RDNs), the keto diet remains the #1 diet in America.

The keto diet can produce dramatic weight loss, and it can do so quickly. These quick results make it an increasingly popular option for the millions of Americans hoping to slim down and enjoy better health.
If you are one of those Americans, you might wonder, "What can you eat on the keto diet?" This guide will help you stock your kitchen with keto-friendly foods so that you can achieve your health and weight loss goals -- fast.



What Is a Keto Diet?

The keto diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb approach to weight loss. It makes use of the body's natural efforts to supply itself with the fuel it needs to function.

Carbohydrates are your body's go-to source for fuel. When it is deprived of carbohydrates, however, it doesn't shut down. Rather, it seeks energy elsewhere. In fact, a body deprived of carbohydrates will seek energy from fat, which is precisely what dieters want to burn.

Ketosis is the metabolic state in which your body burns fat to produce ketones that it can use for fuel.
To achieve ketosis, keto dieters typically limit themselves to 20-50 grams of carbohydrates a day. In turn, they replace the carbohydrates they've removed from their diet with more fat, which, they've ensured, the body will now burn more effectively.


What Foods Should You Avoid on the Keto Diet?

The typical American diet is high in carbohydrates. So limiting your daily carbohydrate consumption to 20-50 grams may seem challenging. However, it is possible, and knowing what foods to avoid or limit is the first step.

Foods high in carbohydrates include:

• Bread, pasta, cereal, rice, crackers, oatmeal, popcorn, and other grain-based foods
• Starchy vegetables, like potatoes and corn
• Beans and other plant-based proteins
• Fruit and juices
• Milk, yogurt, and other high-sugar dairy products
• Sweets and other processed foods, including cakes, cookies, ice cream, candy, and sodas

When most people think of carbohydrates, they think of bread and pasta. Remember, though, that carbohydrates are comprised primarily of sugars. So avoiding or limiting carbohydrates means avoiding or limiting sugary foods, including otherwise "healthy" sugary foods, like fruits.

Highly processed foods are also often a culprit when carbs sneak into your diet, so be wary of them as well.


What Can You Eat on the Keto Diet?

Ok, so you need to limit your intake of foods high in carbohydrates, but you still need to eat. You need to supply your body with energy, and you need to combat hunger. What can you eat on a keto diet?

People on a keto diet maintain their typical consumption of protein and compensate for the lost carbohydrates by significantly increasing their consumption of fat. Keto diet foods include those that are simultaneously high in fat and low in carbs. In fact, countless options are available.


Meats

Most keto diets include meat as a primary source of protein. However, a proper keto diet is high in fat, not protein. Because the body can use excess protein to produce sugars, eating too much meat on a keto diet can be counterproductive. Thus, moderate consumption of meat is key for keto dieters.
Also important to avoid are processed meats, like lunch meats and sausages, as they can include hidden carbs.


Seafood

Most keto dieters obtain at least some of their protein from seafood. In fact, certain seafood, like shrimp and crab, are ideal keto diet foods because they contain almost no carbohydrates. Other shellfish, like clams and mussels, are higher in carbs and should be consumed in moderation.

Salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, and other fish high in omega-3 fats are also very keto-friendly.
Preparation matters when consuming seafood on a keto diet. Avoid breading, which adds carbs. Choose, instead, to cook with plenty of oils, butter, and other fats.


Eggs

Eggs are another ideal keto food. They are versatile, and their preparation often involves the addition of other fats to your meal.

The only caution with eggs involves cholesterol levels. You should keep this in mind as you plan meals, but experts suggest that you'd need to eat an unlikely 40 eggs a day to cause trouble.


Sauces

High-fat sauces are an important component of keto cooking. Your goal on the keto diet is to consume more fat. At the same time, you're avoiding carbohydrates. Because carbohydrates taste good and are often used to add flavor to meals, some dieters struggle to remove them.

Fatty sauces can help, adding flavor and the necessary fats for ketosis without adding carbs. Fat also promotes feelings of fullness so you won't be hungry on a keto diet.

Popular choices for cooking and condiments include:

• Butter, olive oil, and coconut oil
• Salad dressing
• Full-fat mayonnaise
• Mustard
• Sugar-free ketchup, BBQ sauce, and steak sauce
High-fat homemade sauces, like bearnaise sauce


Cheese and Other High-Fat Dairy

Although many dairy products, like milk and yogurt, contain hidden sugars, cheese is a high-fat, low-carb option for keto dieters. Keto dieters can also use heavy cream in cooking and in coffee for added fat.


Vegetables Grown Above the Ground

Keto dieters should avoid starchy vegetables, but they can consume lower-carb vegetables in a variety of ways.

Keto-friendly vegetables include:

• Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage
• Zucchini and eggplant
• Asparagus
• Peppers
• Tomatoes and avocados (technically fruits)

Dieters can cook these with plenty of oil or butter, put them in salads with full-fat dressing, or dip them in fatty sauces.


Berries

Fruit is high in naturally occurring sugar and is, thus, high in carbs. Keto dieters should exercise caution with most fruits, but berries, in moderation, are an exception. Although sweet, berries are low in carbs and high in fiber.

Berries, especially berries with real whipped cream and a sprinkling of dark chocolate, can be a good alternative to other sugarier and more highly processed treats or desserts.


Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are a healthy, high-fat snack or addition to salads and sauces. Most are low in carbs, and their fat and fiber content contribute to feelings of fullness.

Moderation is still important here, though, as it's easy to eat more nuts than you actually need to feel full. You should also limit or avoid certain nuts, like cashews and pistachios, that are higher in carbs than others.


Snacks

Some people worry that the keto diet's caution against processed foods will prevent them from enjoying convenient and portable snacks.

Keto dieters don't need to avoid these kinds of snacks though. They just need to make the right choices. Click here for a wide variety of packaged and homemade keto-friendly snacks.


Making Good Choices Is Key to Your Keto Success

As this list of keto foods shows, there are many answers to the question "What can you eat on the keto diet?" Use this list to guide your choices. Then check out our blog for more healthy living tips.

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Comments

la
Aug 27, 2020 at 09:20:53
< a href="https://mommacuisine.com/blog/what-can-you-eat-on-the-keto-diet-a-detailed-guide">great!!!</a>