Keto Diet Food List:
What To Eat and What Not To  

By Jennifer Smith, Natural Medicine Practitioner and Certified in Holistic Nutrition

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Following a basic keto diet food list can give you a good idea about what is considered keto, and what is not.  One of the most common questions regarding the keto diet is knowing what you can and can’t eat.

This diet is a little more complicated since you are eating a very low-carb diet, but are not eating unlimited amounts of protein like with an Atkins style low-carb diet. Here are some things to know about what you can and can’t eat, including some items you can have but in limited quantities. 

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 
1 Corinthians 10:31 

What You Can Eat Freely On A Keto Diet

The first category of foods on our keto diet food list includes high-protein and low or no-carb foods that you can eat almost to an unlimited amount. You still need to watch your portion sizes and make sure you don’t consume too much protein, but these are still good foods to enjoy while on the keto diet.

Keto Diet Food List:
The following foods can be enjoyed freely

Meat: grass-fed or wild-caught

You want to enjoy plenty of meat on the keto diet, but try to include meat and seafood that is wild-caught or grass-fed. This includes any type of beef, poultry, pork, and fish as long as it is wild-caught. You can still do very well on the Keto diet if you eat conventional meat products, however I would avoid fish that is farmed as it can be highly toxic and cause more inflammation than it's worth. 

Vegetables with no starch

 Some vegetables can be enjoyed freely while on the keto diet, but not starchy vegetables. When they are non-starchy vegetables, they tend to be lower in carbs and appropriate for this type of diet. This includes most types of leafy greens, radishes, cucumber, asparagus, squash, zucchini, and cauliflower. You can also have plenty of avocado. 

Healthy fats

There is nothing wrong with having a generous amount of fats on the keto diet, but the types of fats do matter. You don’t want to eat sweets and fried foods, but healthy fats like seafood and fatty fish, macadamia and olive oils, and saturated fats are completely fine. My favorite fats to cook with are ghee and butter. Ghee works well even at high temperatures as does coconut oil. Olive oil is ok on salads, but should not be heated. 

Have These in Limited Amounts

There are other vegetables and fruits that are included on our keto diet food list, though you need to be careful with the amounts. These still have low carbs, but more than other veggies mentioned, so watch your quantities and count the total carbs for each meal you plan out. Have these fruits and veggies, but in limited quantities: 

  • Cabbage 
  • Turnips 
  • Fennel 
  • Berries 
  • Artichokes 

You can also enjoy dairy products like cottage cheese, yogurt, cream, and sour cream, but not the low-fat or fat-free versions. When you choose something with low fat, it tends to have starch and sugars you can’t have with the keto diet. You can also have nuts and seeds, including brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and pine nuts. 

Some Keys To Keep In Mind When Following A Keto Diet

Drink more water with sea salt

Drink 2-3 cups of water with a pinch of sea salt, after waking to help facilitate cleansing and detoxification. Add the juice from half a lemon for additional detoxification benefits.  Drink another 3 cups of water with sea salt an hour before lunch and again before dinner.  Boom! You already have reached your goal of 8 cups of water per day and you've helped to ensure you are getting enough electrolytes to prevent Keto flu symptoms. 

Focus On Whole Foods 

Yes, I have seen people eating “junk food keto” and still losing some weight.  But the point of this whole exercise is to gain health, not just continue to eat junk food.  Ditch the diet sodas, ditch the artificial sweeteners, colors, and flavors; and stay away from all the “sugar free” garbage because it’s full of cancerous fake sugars. 

Focus on whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and find easy to make keto friendly recipes as substitutions for the way you used to eat.  If you like sandwiches at lunch, try making it by wrapping with butter lettuce or a parmesan cheese wrap. Do you like cereal at breakfast? Try making a keto granola, or a chia seed parfait (see recipe below) or chia pudding.  If you like soda, try naturally flavored carbonated water, sweetened with stevia. 

Follow the Keto Diet food list above and you will be well on your way to your ideal weight and feeling better than you ever thought possible.  Thanks for reading today!

Easy Keto Diet Recipe

Print Recipe

Add to Plan to Eat

Keto Mulled Berry Chia Parfaits

These chia parfaits are so delicious! The subtle sweetness of the almond & cinnamon flavoured chia layer pairs perfectly with the mulled wine & berry jam, especially when it's topped with a refreshing layer of sour cream. Best of all, the parfaits are naturally sweet so you can avoid using any sweeteners.

Source: ketodietapp.com

Course: Breakfast

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (240 ml/ 8 fl oz)
  • 1⁄2 cup coconut milk such as Aroy-D (120 ml/ 4 fl oz)
  • 1⁄2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 heaped tbsp almond butter preferably roasted (32 g/ 1.1 oz)
  • 4 tbsp chia seeds (32 g/ 1.1 oz)
  • 1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche (230 g/ 8.1 oz) - see note for dairy-free alternatives
  • 1 cup + ¼ cup Mulled Wine Berry Jam divided (300 g/ 10.6 oz)

Directions

  1. To make the chia layer, pour the almond milk and coconut milk in a blender. Add cinnamon and almond butter. Optionally, you can add low-carb sweetener to taste.
  2. Blend until smooth and frothy. Pour into a bowl and add chia seeds. Mix well and let it sit for 20-30 minutes to let the chia seeds soak in the liquids.
  3. Divide the chia-almond mixture between 4 jars (about ½ cup per parfait).
  4. Add the chia jam (¼ cup per parfait).
  5. Top with sour cream (¼ cup per parfait).
  6. Finally, top with the remaining ¼ cup of chia berry jam (a tablespoon per parfait).
  7. Serve immediately, or cover with a cling film and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Amount Per Serving (1)

  • Calories: 289
  • Protein: 4.8 g
  • Carbohydrate: 7.7 g
  • Fat: 23.2 g
  • Fiber: 4.1 g

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Still not sure how to get started with the Keto diet?

I have partnered with a keto expert who has literally written the book on her simplistic version of the Keto Diet.

Most authors of keto books are men, and frankly they just don't have a good understanding of how keto affects women's hormone balance.   Leanne wrote Fat Fueled and The Keto Beginning to help women tailor the diet to fit their individual needs and balance their hormones.  

Here are some resources from Leanne, to get you started losing weight with the Keto Diet, the easy way! These are still my favorite books on the subject and I refer back to them frequently.

About the Practitioner

Jennifer Smith, BA, NMP, CHN, FBCC

Jennifer Smith is a Natural Medicine Practitioner, Holistic Nutrition Practitioner, and Faith-Based Clinical Counselor. She has a Bachelor's degree in Christian Counseling. She has completed advanced training in Functional Nutrition, Functional Medicine, Natural Health Consultant diploma, Biblical Heath Coaching Certification, Biblical natural medicine, and Biblical Eating and Clinical Nutrition. Jennifer has a virtual Natural Medicine practice in Naples, FL called Fx Remedies Virtual Care. 

Learn more . . .

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