Many people look at a ketogenic diet and think about all the foods that are excluded. I hope this list will help everyone realize there really are a lot of delicious foods available for consumption on a ketogenic diet.
For the best results, I suggest you choose the cleanest option you can find and can afford for each food. This means looking for things like organic, grass-fed, pastured, or wild-caught. It also means avoiding heavily processed food and looking for the cleanest ingredients list. However, if you cannot find or cannot afford these options, you can still get good results with conventionally grown products.
Proteins: Choose grass-fed beef, pastured pork and poultry (including eggs), and wild-caught seafood whenever possible. Organic is also great. Anything that comes from an animal is permitted, including, but not limited to:
| MEATS | POULTRY and EGGS | FISH | SEAFOOD |
| Beef | Chicken | Salmon | Shrimp |
| Lamb | Turkey | Tuna | Scallops |
| Pork | Duck | Cod | Crab |
| Goat | Game Hens | Bluegill | Clams |
| Wild Boar | Pheasant | Catfish | Mussels |
| Venison | Goose | Mackerel | Oysters |
| Elk | Ostrich | Sardines | Lobster |
| Rabbit | Quail | Trout | Prawns |
| Bear | Partridge | Walleye | Snails |
And don’t forget the organ meats! Things like liver, heart, bone marrow, etc. are plentiful in nutrients that may be lacking in muscle meats.
Fats: For animal fats, choose grass-fed, pastured, and/or organic when possible. Animals store toxins (like pesticides) in their fat.
| FOR COOKING AND BAKING | FOR DRESSINGS AND DRIZZLING |
| Lard | Extra Virgin Olive Oil |
| Avocado Oil | Hazelnut Oil |
| Coconut Oil | Toasted Sesame Oil |
| Duck Fat | Macadamia Nut Oil |
| Tallow | Walnut Oil |
| Butter* | Almond Oil |
| Ghee* | MCT oil *** |
| Palm Shortening ** | Avocado Oil |
| Cocoa Butter | |
| MCT oil *** |
*if you are not sensitive to dairy (see dairy info below)
**There are ecological concerns with how some palm shortenings are harvested. Please look for a sustainably produced product. I like this one from Healthy Traditions.
*** MCT oil should only be used for low or moderate heat applications, up to about 320°F
Vegetables:
Choose organic if possible, especially for leafy greens and members of the dirty dozen. If you stay within your daily carb limit, all non-starchy vegetables are allowed, including, but not limited to:
| VEGETABLES | |||
| Mushrooms | Garlic | Cauliflower | Kelp |
| Asparagus | Lettuce | Celery | Brussels Sprouts |
| Cabbage | Onions | Collard Greens | Spinach |
| Broccoli | Peppers | Swiss Chard | Carrots (very sparingly) |
| Zucchini | Summer Squash | Endive | |
| Eggplant | Cucumbers | Kale |
Herbs and Spices: These are the most nutrient dense plants you can consume. Use them! Keep in mind that they do have carbs, so you need to track them to make sure you stay within your daily carb limit. Fresh herbs and dried herbs are both good choices. I don’t have a table for this one, because there are too many to list!
Nuts and Seeds: Most nuts and seeds are fine, in moderation. Make sure to watch your portion sizes and track your carbs. Cashews, chestnuts, and pistachios are high in carbs, so they should be avoided. If your goal is to lose weight, you might want to limit or eliminate nuts and seeds from your diet. Also, nuts and seeds can be constipating, so if that is an issue for you try cutting them out to see if things improve. As usual, organic is best if you can find and afford it, but conventionally grown nuts are still good.
| NUTS AND SEEDS | |||
| Pili Nuts | Sunflower seeds | Sesame seeds | Walnuts |
| Pecans | Pumpkin Seeds | Brazil nuts | Peanuts* |
| Almonds | Macadamia Nuts | Hazelnuts |
*Peanuts are technically a legume. While I believe most healthy people can eat them in moderation, there are some concerns with aflatoxins and lectins. Check out this article for more information: https://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-bad-are-peanuts-really/
Dairy: Dairy can be problematic for some people. It can cause inflammation. It can slow weight loss. I suggest that all my clients try eliminating dairy for 30 days to see how it affects them personally. They can choose to do this when they first begin a ketogenic lifestyle, or they can get used to eating keto before cutting out dairy. For those that aren’t sensitive to dairy, the following full-fat dairy products can be included in a ketogenic lifestyle. Choose organic products whenever possible.
| DAIRY | ||
| Butter | Cream Cheese | Cottage Cheese (sparingly) |
| Ghee | Mascarpone | Greek Yogurt* (sparingly) |
| Heavy Cream | Sour Cream | Kefir* (sparingly) |
| Cheese | Crème Fraiche |
*always choose full-fat, plain, and unsweetened fermented dairy products
Fruit: Most fruits are full of sugar. And the sugar is mostly fructose, which is one of the worst sugars to consume because metabolizing it is hard on your liver. Make sure to watch your portion sizes and track your carbs. Choose organic if possible, especially for members of the dirty dozen. The only fruits I recommend are:
| FRUIT | |
| Tomatoes | Olives |
| Avocados | Pumpkin (sparingly) |
| Lemons | Seasonal Berries (sparingly) |
| Limes |
I hope these lists have given you hope that you don’t have to give up EVERYTHING when you go keto. Stay tuned for future posts on beverages and sweeteners!