Getting started on a keto diet can seem overwhelming, but have no fear! It's actually quite simple. To keep the guesswork out of shopping and meal planning I created a simple printable keto food list pdf and grocery shopping list to help make your meal planning and shopping just a little bit easier!
If you want more detail continue through the post and I've included a detailed keto food guide by category, and explain what to eat and what not to eat on a keto diet.
What Can You Eat on a Keto Diet?
You should aim for approximately 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbs. As you can see, the ketogenic diet is a low-carb, moderate protein, and high-fat lifestyle.
Go for sugar free, whole, full fat, organic, and minimally processed foods when possible. Base the majority of your diet on foods such as healthy oils, meat, fish, eggs, butter, nuts, avocados, low-carb veggies, etc.
Some people choose to include dairy in their keto diet, and some no dairy. This is a personal preference.
Consume fresh low-carb vegetables and limit your consumption of fruit. The only fruit I would recommend (sparingly) is berries. Berries such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc have the lowest amount of sugar. On the other hand, fruit like bananas and apples are loaded with sugar and carbs.
What Not To Eat on Keto
The keto diet is high in fat, moderate protein, and low in carbs.
Eliminate processed foods and eat whole foods wherever possible – sugar, breads, starches, bad fats, and chemicals. Avoid all food that are high in carbs, including most fruits and starchy root vegetables and tubers. Here is a quick overview of what you should avoid:
- Alcohol - sugary mixed drinks, liquor, wine, and beer. While there are some cocktails, beer, wine, liquor that are low in carbs, alcohol can actually kick you out of ketosis. It should be consumed at a bare minimum or not at all.
- Beans and Legumes - peas, all beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.
- Condiments, dressings, or sauces that contain sugar, chemicals, and carbs - barbecue sauce, ketchup, honey mustard, teriyaki sauce, etc.
- Diet Food that is "Low Fat or Fat Free" - low-fat mayonnaise, salad dressings, and condiments. Not only are these not high in healthy fats, but they are full of chemicals and processed ingredients.
- Diet Food that is "Sugar-Free"- believe it or not, these contain some carbs. They also use chemical-based sugar substitutes. Avoid sugar-free anything - candies, syrups, soda, puddings, sweeteners, desserts, etc.
- Fruit - avoid all fruit, except berries in small portions (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, and strawberries). See what's acceptable in our food list below.
- Grains and Starches - wheat-based products, flour, pasta, rice, pasta, cereal, rolls, bread, etc.
- High Sugar Foods - cake, cookies, candy, ice cream, soda, fruit juice, pastries, donuts, etc.
- Starchy Root Vegetables and Tubers - potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc.
- Unhealthy Fats - trans fats and polyunsaturated fats, processed vegetable oils, mayonnaise. This includes margarine, vegetable shortening, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, etc. Don't forget to check the labels!
Please reference my keto food guide below to determine what is okay to eat. Print it off and keep it on your refrigerator or download to your phone for quick reference.
🛒 Where to Buy the Best Keto Food
Finding keto diet food and meals have gotten much easier due to the popularity of the low carb and keto lifestyle.
Thankfully, keto meals and products are much more mainstream and you can source many of your ingredients in your local grocery store. If they don't have it there then try online at Thrive Market or Amazon.
My go-to resources for the best keto food selection and quality ingredients are:
- My local grocery store
- Trader Joe's
- Aldi
- Whole Foods
- Local farmer’s market
- Thrive Market
- Costco
- Amazon
- Butcher Box
🥗 Keto Food Guide
This keto food guide consists of the most common keto-friendly foods that can be found in most grocery stores, or at online stores such as Amazon and Thrive Market.
Low Carb Fruits
Most fruits should be avoided except for avocados, tomatoes, and small amounts of berries, lemons, and limes.
- Avocados
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cranberries
- Lemons
- Limes
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
Recipe idea: Lemon Meringue Custard Pies
Low Carb Meat and Poultry
When purchasing meat and poultry, it is best to buy organic and grass-fed whenever possible. Consume meats and poultry that are higher in fat as opposed to lean meats.
- Bacon, no sugar
- Beef, all
- Chicken, all
- Cold Cuts, no sugar
- Duck
- Lamb
- Organ Meats
- Pork, all
- Turkey
- Veal
Recipe idea: Grilled ribeye steaks topped with Garlic Herb Compound Butter or Blue Cheese Dressing.
Low Carb Seafood
I love seafood, it's quick-cooking and high in protein and healthy Omega-3 fats. Note that canned tuna, salmon, herring, and sardines, are fine too. Make sure to check the label for unwanted oils.
- Fish - salmon, mackerel, tuna, tilapia, flounder, cod, halibut, trout, tuna, sardines, herring, etc.
- Shellfish - shrimp, scallops, clams, oysters, mussels, etc.
Recipe idea: Baked Salmon with Mayo and Parmesan Crust
Beverages
Make sure that all beverages contain no sugar.
- Almond Milk
- Bone Broth
- Cashew Milk
- Coconut Milk
- Hemp Milk
- Coffee (hot, iced, or cold brew coffee)
- Cold Brew Coffee
- Matcha Tea
- Seltzer, unsweetened
- Green Tea, unsweetened
- Black Tea, unsweetened
- Water
Recipe idea: Sugar Free Southern Style Sweet Tea
Herbs and Spices
Here is a list of the most common herbs that you will find.
- Basil
- Bay Leaves
- Chives
- Cilantro
- Dill
- Lavender
- Marjoram
- Mint
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Tarragon
- Thyme
- Spices - salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, turmeric, ginger, etc.
Sweeteners
Use natural sweeteners that have little effect on blood sugar. Here is a list of the most common.
While honey and maple syrup are natural sweeteners they have a high sugar content and need to be avoided.
- Erythritol
- Stevia - liquid or powdered with no additives.
- Swerve brand sweetener
- Xylitol
- Monk Fruit
- Allulose
Fats and Oils
On a keto diet you'll want to consume lots of healthy fat to burn as fuel. The best healthy fats to consume are those with high amounts of saturated fatty acids like MCT oil, coconut oil, tallow, and lard.
- Animal Fats - lard, tallow, etc.
- Avocado Oil
- Butter
- Chia Seeds
- Coconut Oil
- Flaxseeds
- Mayonnaise - avocado oil or olive oil mayonnaise
- MCT Oil
- Nuts and Nut Butters - please note that some nuts are higher in carbs than others, the highest carb nuts are pistachios, peanuts, pine nuts, and sunflower seeds. The lowest carb nuts are cashews, macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, and brazil nuts.
- Nuts - dry roasted
- Salad Dressings - made with acceptable oils and whole ingredients only
- Olive Oil
- Peanut Oil
- Sesame Oil
- Sunflower Oil
Low Carb Vegetables
- Artichokes
- Arugula
- Asparagus
- Bean Sprouts
- Peppers, Bell
- Peppers, Hot
- Bok Choy
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Garlic
- Greens
- Green Onion
- Kale
- Leeks
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Olives
- Onion
- Pickles
- Radishes
- Snow Peas
- Spinach
- Squash, Yellow
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
Recipe idea: Greek Salad or Grilled Eggplant Caprese Salad
Dairy and Eggs
- Cheese
- Cottage Cheese
- Cream Cheese
- Eggs
- Greek Yogurt
- Half and Half
- Heavy Cream
- Sour Cream
- Whole Milk
- Butter
- Ghee
Recipe idea: Caprese Salad Frittata
Condiments and Sauces
All condiments, sauces, dressing, etc should be sugar-free, use only healthy fats and ingredients. Always check the label as these often have hidden ingredients and sugar.
- Soy Sauce - use coconut aminos or tamari sauce
- Vinegar
- Worcestershire
- Mustard
- Mayonnaise - avocado oil or olive oil mayonnaise
- Ketchup - unsweetened or sugar-free
- BBQ Sauce - sugar-free
- Olives - use jarred versus canned
- Pickles
- Pizza Sauce - check for oils and added sugar
- Salsa
- Hot Sauce
- Salad Dressings - check for oils and added sugar
Recipe idea: Copycat "Big Mac" Sauce
Low Carb Flours and Baking
- Almond Flour
- Chia Seeds
- Cocoa Powder
- Cacao Butter
- Chocolate, Unsweetened
- Coconut Flour
- Coconut Flakes
- Flax Seeds
- Gelatin
- Hemp Seeds
- Macadamia Nut Flour
- Matcha Powder
- Pork Rinds
- Protein Powder - check the carbs before using, some are quite high!
- Extracts (pure, not imitation) - almond, vanilla, banana, maple, etc.
- Xanthan Gum
- Egg White Powder
Recipe idea: Almond Butter Cake
Recipes You Will Love
📋 Printable Keto Food List PDF (with Grocery Shopping List)
I created this printable keto food list pdf so you would have a quick glance cheat sheet with the most common keto foods readily available!
If you want more details about keto-friendly foods be sure to read our post which covers in detail what foods to eat on keto and what foods not to eat.
I highly recommend that you print it to keep it on your fridge and download it onto your phone so it's handy when you're out and about shopping or at a restaurant! 🙂
To download the guide sign up for our email list below. Don't worry I promise not to spam you! 🙂
vivian
Looking into Keto diet to low my blood sugar but need to gain weight instead of losing weight. I am pretty much having no sugar and carbohydrate in my diet in the past whole year. Sugar level still hasn't changed.
kerry coutts
hi please send recipes to my email as i am just starting
Kori
Hello, I send a weekly email with recipes and you can of course search through my website for even more delicious recipes. Enjoy and good luck! ๐
Kerry coutts
Thank you for sending the food list
Ed
Very interested in Keto
Kori
Great! There are lots of great recipes available now for those following keto. Wishing you success!