Keto-Friendly (and Unfriendly) Foods
So you have talked to your doctor and decided to give the keto diet a try—great! But what do you eat? You might have an idea of the basic tenants of the diet, but let us refresh your memory: essentially, you are looking to eat mostly fats, a limited amount of protein, and almost no carbs if you are following a ketogenic diet. So what are some good foods that follow the keto guidelines?
• Meat: Carnivores, rejoice! The keto diet includes meat such as beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and fattier cuts of meat in sausages.
• Most fats and oils: Do you love butter? Lucky you! You can have butter, coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, lard, avocado oil, and mayonnaise on the keto diet.
• High-fat dairy: “Life is great. Cheese makes it better.” ―Avery Aames, The Long Quiche Goodbye. Feel free to chow down on cheese, heavy cream, cream cheese, and sour cream.
• Nuts: We are just nuts about this item on the list! Almonds, peanuts, peanut butter, macadamia nuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and walnuts all get the green light on the keto diet.
• Seafood: Embrace the ocean while you enjoy options like salmon, snapper, trout, tuna, or cod, or shellfish such as oysters and clams.
• Eggs: “Eggs are a very good source of inexpensive, high-quality protein. More than half the protein of an egg is found in the egg white, which also includes vitamin B2.”[1]
Of course, we would be remiss if we did not mention some of the foods that should be avoided by anyone trying to follow a ketogenic diet.
• Fruit: If you are avoiding sugar, unfortunately this means cutting out fruit, a big natural source of fructose.
• Root vegetables: The keto diet also avoids starches, which eliminates root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, beets, and turnips.
• Grains and starches: Bye bye, bread, pasta, and cereal, as well as foods like wheat, rice, and barley.
• Legumes: Beans might be the musical fruit, but you will not be singing their praises if you follow a ketogenic diet.
• Sweets: If the keto diet avoids fruit because of the sugar, that means any other sweets are definitely out of the question. Candy, chocolate, and pastries will have to find homes with other families.
This is just a brief list so you will want to ensure you discuss this with your doctor to ensure you are meeting all of your dietary needs before embarking on this diet.
What are your favorite keto recipes? Tag us on social media and let us know!
[1] Lewin, Jo. “The Health Benefits of Eggs.” BBC Good Food, BBC, 6 Nov. 2019, www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-eggs.