With the booming popularity of the keto diet, keto diet foods have also gained some great importance in diet plans! If you are about to start a keto diet and have little idea as to how it works, let me assist you with that. Keto diet is really effective for weight loss. Keto dieting tends to melt the body fat, not only is it for weight loss but according to research; keto diet foods can prevent the onset of many diseases.
For instance, it prevents mayo cardiac infarctions and other heart diseases, diabetes, and even cancers to some extent! Keto diet foods are also rich in vitamins, mineral and contain a balance of a lot of essential nutrients for a healthy body.
Keto diet is all about the consumption of proteins, healthy fats, and eliminating carbohydrates from your diet to as low as 5grams in a day. As your body learns to fulfill its need for energy from fats now instead of carbs, a process called ketosis takes place, in short, burning fats in the body as fuel. Keto diet is really not about the calories, grains or gluten. It’s mainly focused on carbohydrate-free foods.
You can start a keto diet but if you aren’t taking the right keto diet foods, you might not be able to achieve your goal. Here are keto diet foods which are a must on the keto diet plan list. You can use these foods to make almost any kind of keto recipe!
The Main Constituents of Your Keto Diet
All keto diet foods are mainly constituted of fats, proteins and a low percentage of carbohydrates. But before you start keto dieting, you must know what quantity of each of these components you should be taking and how they will affect your body? What is the adequate intake and what nutritional value each of these components holds for you!
Carbohydrates (less than 50 grams per day)
Your body cells need the energy to reproduce, divide and multiply and this comes from carbohydrates. Once the carbohydrate supply is cut off or greatly diminished, the body starts breaking down the fats to generate fuel for the cells in the body and brain because the alertness levels have to be kept prompt as well.
This process is called ketosis. If however, you come back to a high carb diet, the ketosis process will be reversed and again carbs will be utilized as fuels so it is really important to avoid any such foods which aren’t keto-friendly. However, a total cut off of carbohydrates can result in your body and brain feeling a little drained; this is why up to 50 grams of carbs are allowed to be taken while on a keto diet.
Moreover, if you really want to keep a check on the carbohydrate consumption, and stay active, then include over the ground grown vegetables in your diet which are low in carbs.
The best sources of low carb fats are:
- Bell peppers
- Celery
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
Fats (anywhere between 139 to 200 grams per day)
Fat rich diet can serve as an effective fuel when your body doesn’t have carbohydrates. Focus on consuming good cholesterol diets. You can go for both processed and unprocessed dairy products. Nuts, oils, and seeds contain good fats too! Best fats are consumed in seeds example:
- Pumpkin seeds
- Flaxseeds
- Sesame seeds
- Chia seeds
Proteins (2grams per kg of your body weight)
Proteins make your muscles and if you are under-eating or overeating proteins, you won’t be able to reach your goal. If you overdose your protein intake, for instance, you are taking a lot of red meat, it will affect your kidneys as they will have to work extra hard when the body starts producing elevated amounts of uric acid. Under consumption would mean a feeling of weakness as the muscle tissue will be utilized b the body to substitute for fueling the cells.
In short, you won’t be able to keep up with workouts and you will feel very lethargic throughout the day! Always pick the organic, grass-fed animal meat as it contains the purest and high-quality proteins. The best sources of proteins are:
- Eggs
- Ricotta Cheese
- Cottage Cheese
- Lamb
Low Sugar foods
Sugars are soluble carbohydrates, and yes they can be really harmful to your skin and body as well. If you have been eating a lot of sugars, it can lead to hormonal imbalances, causes outbreaks on the skin and makes you gain weight rapidly, especially synthetic sugar eatables play a major role in putting on weight! However organic low sugar foods are good for your body!
Sweet foods can come as a strong craving to you and you can’t have them on a keto diet, but who said no to strawberries limes and coconut? In fact, you can have any fruit but in a limited quantity so that you aren’t taking in too many carbs.
Some great low Sugar foods:
- Strawberries and raspberries
- Coconut
- Limes
- Lemons
- Grapes
- Tomatoes
- Avocados
- Cherries
Sea Food
Seafood, be it shrimps, cod, salmon or any type of fish, is rich in high-quality proteins. White flesh fish have zero carbs so they are rated as one of the best keto diet foods. Seafood is a good source of Omega 3 which are healthy fats and the meat also contains essential nutrients like vitamins and proteins to suffice any nutritional deficiency you might be facing. So what are some of the best keto kinds of seafood for you?
- Tuna
- Cod
- Mackerel
- Shrimps
Eggs, Meat, and Poultry
Organic poultry is the best option when considering to include in your keto diet plans. They are rich in good fats. Organic beef, chickens and the eggs which come from them have a high nutritional value. These foods contain proteins needed to build muscle mass! The best keto diet foods for this category are:
- Sour or plain cream
- Greek Yogurt
- Cheese (All kinds)
- Ghee
- Cow Milk (Not synthetic but organic)
- Sausages
- Chicken (Organic)
- Bacon
- Pepperoni
- Pork (In any form)
Vegetables (low carb)
Leafy vegetables hold a paramount of importance in the keto diet foods. Not only are the greens good for your skin but it’s a natural way to cut down on fats while consuming maximum essential nutrients such as minerals and vital vitamins. Most vegetables are low in carbs making them suitable for keto diet foods. All over the ground grown vegetables are keto-friendly. These include:
- Eggplant
- Broccoli
- Raddish
- Fennel
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Artichokes
- Cucumbers
- Olives
- Cauliflower
Nuts
Keto nuts include almost all the nuts but in a limited quantity. Nuts are packed with proteins which mean they will keep providing you with energy throughout the day; they are really beneficial if you are someone who does a strenuous workout or has hectic routines. An adequate intake of nuts will keep you feeling fuller as these contain healthy fats.
Macadamia nuts are really good if you aim to gain more strength as these contain more fats, fewer carbs, and sufficient proteins. Some of the greatest ketogenic nuts include:
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Hazelnuts
- Almonds
- Roasted dry foods
Oils
Oils from nuts or fruits are extremely healthy for your digestive system. You will need oils to cook almost any keto recipe so you should know about keto oils as well. Every type of keto oil, be it, olive oil, avocado oil or walnut oil has its aroma and adds a unique flavor to recipes. You can use either of these Keto oils:
- Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)
- Nut oil (Any keto nut)
- Coconut Oil
- Avocado Oil
Condiments which are Keto Approved
Most keto foods are flavorless without dressings. However, condiments which are keto-friendly can add great flavor to keto diet foods. A lot of condiments are available under various brand names at the stores, but what you really need to do is take a look at the product’s nutritional value.
Make sure the product is sugar-free so there are no carbs. It can have an adequate percentage of fats though that’s okay, some condiments also contain natural sweeteners like maple syrup or coconut sugars and since these are organic, it is okay to eat. Here are a few keto condiments:
- Mayonnaise (Olive Oil)
- Ketchup (Unsweetened)
- Mustard
- Salad dressings which are keto oil-based
Snacks which are Keto Approved
Yes! Keto diet foods do contain snacks! I know with hectic routines and tiring workouts you hardly have time to cook let alone prepare a whole meal, but as a matter of fact, you have to curb those hunger pangs anyway! This is what keto snacks are for! Packaged snacks can be a great help in such cases. Some of the approved keto snacks are enlisted here:
- Crackers (Low Carb)
- Butter made out of nut (Sugar-free)
- Seaweed (Dried)
- Keto Granola bars
- Dip sauces
- No-bake meatballs
Keto Beverages
None of us can give up on tea and coffee! I mean it keeps us going throughout the day! Foods can be compromised on but beverages are difficult to dismiss. When looking for coffee, make sure the coffee beans are organic. You can also keep to consuming the same amounts of tea you sip on but just eliminate the synthetic sugar from it. If you really can’t do without sweet tea then add an organic sweetener to it!
Also, if you are an alcohol consumer, you need to take notes of some of these drinks which are comparatively lower in carbs. Hydration is a very important factor when keto dieting. Your body is literally melting the fat and it needs a sufficient amount of water to keep going.
Your brain can’t function to its fullest if you aren’t drinking enough water. Since your fat is being burnt, if you don’t keep hydrated, your skin might start sagging or wrinkles may also appear. Keto beverages:
- Tea (Unsweetened or sweetened with organic sweeteners, maple syrups, etc.)
- Coffee
- Water
- Vodka
- Champagne
- Gin
- Rum
- Prosecco
Chocolates
Okay, I put this keto diet food separately on the blog because I know almost everyone has that sweet tooth! Any chocolate which contains at least seventy percent of cocoa can be included in keto diet foods. To be specific you can have dark chocolate which has no sugars and has natural sweeteners added to it. Nutty dark chocolates are okay to consume too!
Which Foods To Avoid on a keto diet
Some foods can reverse the ketosis process bringing your body back to carbohydrate utilization. These foods are usually high in carbs, once you start taking the carbs, the process of fat burning will stop so you won’t be able to lose weight altogether. To stop this from happening, note that you aren’t consuming any of these foods:
- Peas or corns, and vegetables which have high levels of starch that contains potatoes too!
- A lot of alcohols have like wine and other cocktails (with artificial sweeteners), beer
- Sugary drinks, fizzy drinks, artificial fruit juices
- Pasta and other forms of pasta
- Most fruits other than the keto fruits mentioned above
- Lentils, peanuts, and beans
Conclusion
Keto diet foods aren’t as boring as you think, in fact, id say you can consume most of the things you eat daily, all you have to do is look out for foods which have high carbohydrate contents and of course, fast foods are a BIG NO as well! Once you start a keto diet with all these keto diet foods, you are bound to feel better; you will feel more active mentally and physically as well.
This is an ideal diet plan for weight loss and these keto diet foods will surely help you along the transformational journey of weight loss towards a healthy body!
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Reference
Jeremy Park, the founder of jeremylife.com, is a love and relationships expert. With a journalism degree and years of exploration, he offers valuable insights to help you live your best love life. His mission is to make the journey enjoyable and effortless.