Keto food makes dieting a lot easier, after all I’d rather eat fatty cuts of meat that have flavour than another plan chicken breast with vegetables!
Even so, dieters are often their own worst enemies, eating the same food day after day until they snap and can take no more and have a major diet blow out!
Keto dieters are no different, they tend to eat the same foods day-after-day, sausages for breakfast, cheese slices as a snack, hamburger patties for lunch and maybe a steak drenched in olive oil for dinner.
Whilst on the face of it this ketogenic diet menu looks tasty, if you ate this everyday you too would be sick of it!
There are tonnes of foods for a ketogenic diet that you can use to keep your diet varied and enjoyable which keeps you on track.
This database of keto food should be your reference everytime you’re in need of some variety!
Protein Sources
These protein sources make good keto food as they most of them are fatty naturally, if they are not then simply cook them in olive oil to bump up the fat content. The foods in this list contain no carbs so are 100% keto friendly.
Beef
Steak
Hamburger Patties
Ribs (no sauce)
Roast Beef
Chicken
Duck
Tuna
Salmon
Trout
Halibut
Lamb
Pork
Bacon
Ham
Eggs
Shrimp
Crab
Lobster
Whey Protein (less than 5g carbs)
Hot Dogs (Check carb content!)
Low Carb Vegetables
These are keto foods as although they do contain some carbs, they are full of fibre. As keto dieters will know, you take aware the fibre content from the carb content to arrive at “net carbs”, Your net carbs are the figure you need to keep low in order to remain in ketosis.
Broccoli
Spinach
Lettuce
Cabbage
Kale
Asparagus
Olives
Green Beans
Green Peppers
Brussell Sprouts
Cauliflour
Mushrooms
Cucumbers
Avocado (Great fat source also)
Lettuce
Seaweed
Nori
Fat Sources
Butter
Mayonnaise
Oils (Olive Oil, Flaxseed oil)
Heavy Cream (i.e not low fat)
Cheeses
Nuts (Check carb content)
Avocado/Guacamole Sour Cream
Zero Carb Condiments & Other
Soy Sauce
Stevia (Natural Sweetener)
Splenda (There is some carbs in here, so keep it to less than 5g daily)
Salt
Pepper
Mustard
Herbs
Spices
No Sugar Jelly
Drinks
Whilst water is obviously the best choice, I know people can get bored of this so there are other drinks that you can consume.
If you sweeten your tea or coffee with splenda try not to drink too many cups a day as there are a small amount of carbs in splenda (maltodextrin mainly).
Also, diet soft drinks should be fine even in high quantities, that said, its generally not good too drink too many as they are not exactly healthy and some people have been known to be kicked out of ketosis because of them.
Water
Tea
Green Tea
Yerba Mate
Coffee
Diet Soft Drinks (Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite Zero etc)
Sugar Free Juice (mixed with water in small quantities)
Whilst the list of keto food isn’t particularly extensive, you only have to follow it through the week as over the weekend you carb up and begin reintroducing carbs to your diet.
I’ve put together my favourite ketogenic diet recipes which will keep you sane during the week, be sure to check them out!
If you’re following the Cyclical Ketogenic Diet Plan which is the one that allows you to eat carbs all weekend! then here’s some tips for a successful carb up.
The carb up was always my favourite part of the ketogenic diet as I got to indulge my non-keto food cravings and get them out of my system ready for the next week of dieting.
I’m not going to provide a specific list of carb up foods as all carbohydrates are on the menu, however, there are some important things you need to know to make your carb up a successful one!
Remember, the point of the carb up is not to undo all the good work you’ve done during the week. Its main objectives are:
- To Refill Glycogen Stores – Glycogen is stored in your muscles and is your body’s fuel during your workouts and comes from the carbs you eat. Eating carbs over the carb up refills these stores so you have energy for your workouts during the week.
- To Satisfy Your Bodies Needs and Your Cravings – Psychologically eating carbs is good for your mental health if you find keto food restrictive and it’s also good for your body. The carb up reverses leptin signals which put the brakes on fat loss.
5 Sure-Fire Tips For A Successful Carb Up
The carb up is a definitive part of the ketogenic diet, here’s my top tips to make yours a success:
Tip #1 – Start With Fruit
You should eat a small piece of fruit 3-4 hours before your final depletion workout (i.e. before you begin your carb up). This is a good idea because it up regulates liver glycogen which prepares your body for the onslaught of carbs heading its way!
Tip #2 – Simple Carbs Post Workout
Following your final depletion workout you should consume protein and fast digesting carbs immediateley after. Whey protein with maltodextrin/dextrose/waxy maize starch will be perfect. This drives the nutrients into your muscles so your body will be like a sponge ready to soak up all the carbs coming its way without spilling over into fat gain!
Tip #3 – Keep Your Fat Intake Low
Your carb up will be more successful if you keep your fat content low (max 15% of your total calories), I know it’s not as fun as mixing fat and carbs (Pizza anyone?) but it gives better results so try to stick to it after you’ve had your one “cheat meal”
Tip #4 – Complex Carbs Only After 24 Hours
There’s some research to suggest that after the first 24 hours of your carb up you should switch to only consuming complex carbs (sweet potato, wholegrain bread/pasta/rice, vegetables) to prevent fat regain. I did this and I never gained back the fat I had lost during the week.
Tip #5 – Ignore The Scales!
This is important, when you eat carbs your body stores glycogen (which makes you muscles look full by drawing water into them) so its a no-brainer that your scale weight will go up. Relax! It’s will go back down when you return to dieting and if you’re doing things right the scale will hit a new low the following week. Use the mirror as a guide, you should be looking lean with full muscles following the carb up. If so you’ve done it right!
I hope this keto food list has given you some inspiration that there are nice tasting foods for a ketogenic diet if you know where to look.
Remember to check out my ketogenic diet recipes page to see how you can turn keto food into keto cuisine!
The Complete Guide To The Ketogenic Diet
The single most complete guide to the ketogenic diet is Lyle McDonald’s The Ketogenic Diet, this is the book I used to drop 28 pounds in 16 weeks:
I can’t recommend this book enough, everything you need to make your ketogenic diet successful is in this book and it really is the ultimate companion which answers every question you can think of!