For the last couple of years, it seems like everyone’s been talking about the keto diet -
but what is it and how does it work?
Keto or the ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can help you burn fat more effectively.
To follow a keto diet, you eat a lot of fat, moderate protein, and minimal carbohydrates.
These three categories are called macronutrients, and you’ll often hear people refer to them as “macros.” The typical ratios are:
60-75 perfect of calories from fat 15-30 percent of calories from protein 5-10 percent of calories from carbohydrates
Here’s a complete list of foods to eat and avoid while following the keto diet:
FAT
Avocado Cream Cheese Sesame Oil Duck Fat Walnut Oil
Avocado Oil Egg Yolks Whole Cream Blue Cheese Butter
Ghee Cocoa butter Coconut Butter Salad Dressing (no sugar)
Half & Half Lard Macadamia Oil MCT oil Olive Oil
Whole Cream Greek Yogurt (unsweetened)
PROTEIN
Bacon Goat Beef Sausages Turkey Veal
Lamb Beef jerky Cheese Pepperoni Chicken Pork
Ribs Deli Meat Salami Rabbit Quail Cottage Cheese
NUTS AND SEEDS
Almonds Pecans Tahini (sesame butter) Cashews (small amount)
Brazil Nuts Pine Nuts Walnuts
Chia Seeds Pistachios Hazelnuts
Hemp Seeds Nut Butter Pumpkin Seeds
Peanuts Sesame Seeds Sunflower Seeds
FISH and SEAFOOD
Anchovies Mackerel Trout Bass Mahi-Mahi
Tuna Salmon Sardines Eel Herring
Salt Fish Talapia Flounder Snapper Cod
Shrimp Lobster Oysters Caviar Crab
Scallops Octopus Squid Mussels Clams
VEGETABLES
Artichokes Arugula Asparagus Beet greens Bok choy
Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower
Celery Chard Chives Cucumber Dandelion greens Eggplant Endives Fennel Garlic Green beans
Kale Kimchi Leeks Leafy greens Mushrooms (all kinds)
Parsley Ochro Olives Onions Mustard Greens
Peppers Pumpkin Radishes Sauerkraut Scallions
Seaweed Shallots Squash Spinach (Bhagi) Lettuce (all kinds)
Swiss chard Tomatoes Turnip Watercress Zucchini
FRUIT
Blackberry Blueberry Green Apple Lemon
Lime Raspberry Strawberry
HERBS
Allspice Basil Cardamom Cayenne pepper
Chili powder Cilantro/Coriander Cinnamon
Cloves Cumin Curry powder Dill
Ginger Italian seasoning Nutmeg
Oregano Paprika Parsley Rosemary
Sage Thyme Turmeric
LIQUIDS
Almond milk (unsweetened)
Broth (chicken, beef, bone)
Club soda
Coconut milk
Unsweetened coffee
Herbal teas
Seltzer water
Sparkling mineral water
Lemon and lime juice (small amounts)
Unsweetened tea
Water
ADDITIONALS
Almond flour/meal Cacao nibs Cacao powder Coconut aminos
Coconut flour Cod liver oil (fish oil) Dark chocolate 100%
Eggs (of any animal) Fermented vegetables Fish sauce Gelatin Gluten-free tamari Mayonnaise (made with good oils – see list of fats) Hummus
Monk fruit Hot sauce (no sugar) Mustard Pickles
Shredded coconut Stevia Vanilla extract Vinegars
VEGAN PROTEIN
Hummus Lentils Mushrooms Nut butters
Nutritional yeast Seed butters Protein powder (pea, hemp, brown rice)
Seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin) Spirulina Sprouted beans
Tofu/tempe (organic fermented) Edamame
FOODS TO AVOID
PROTEIN ALMOND MILK (sweetened)
ANY MEAT PRODUCTS WITH SUGAR/ GRAINS (meatballs, breaded meat, meats with sweet sauce, etc.)
BARBECUE (with sugar)
CASHEWS (in excess)
COCONUT MILK (sweetened)
HOT DOGS (unless organic / grass-fed)
KEFIR (due to sugar)
MILK (commercial)
PROCESSED DELI MEAT (nitrates or dextrose)
SAUSAGE (unless organic / grass-fed)
SOY MIK (even regular, because it’s GMO) Y
Flavored YOGURT (due to sugar)
VEGETABLES
CORN (and popcorn)
FRUITS
APPLES APRICOTS BANANAS CANTALOUPE CHERRIES
DATES DRIED FRUIT (like raisins) GRAPEFRUIT GRAPES
KIWI MANGOS MELONS ORANGE PEACH
PINEAPPLE PLANTAIN PLUM
STARCHES
POTATO
SWEET POTATO
YAM
GRAINS
OATS (oatmeal)
RICE
WHEAT
OTHER GRAINS
LEGUMES
BEANS (all varieties)
CHICKPEAS (hummus is okay as there is mixed oil)
A keto diet can be especially useful in losing excess body fat while still feeling satiated, and for helping to cope with type 2 diabetes. Additionally, keto is used as a therapeutic diet to help reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures in children.
There is an evolutionary-based reason that we’ve been drawn to low carb diets for so many years, and it starts with our early human ancestors. Hunters and gatherers didn’t have access to refined grains and were forced to stick to something very similar to a ketogenic diet, consisting of just meat and plants.
Based on your knowledge so far, what’s your perception of the keto diet?
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