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Keto Cooking: Keto Food List With Macros
Being on a diet isn’t the easiest thing in the world, especially when you don’t know what you should eat. We’ve put together this ketogenic diet food list to help people out there making decisions on what they are eating and shopping for.
Ketogenic Diet Food List: Everything You Need to Know:
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See more keto recipes, knowledge and tips on the website to keep your weight loss going strong.
Everything you need to know about the keto diet: Getting started? Everything you need is here: We also make things easy with this 30 day diet plan:
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A ketogenic diet is founded on a few basic principles: lots of fat, moderate amounts of protein, plenty of veggies in a very very small amount of carbohydrates. It’s a much different food pyramid than most of us are used to. And if the idea of re-imagining your entire diet feels overwhelming, you’re not alone. Nearly everyone who has embarked on the keto journey felt the same way in the beginning.
Here’s the most important thing to remember: you don’t have to make up your new diet from scratch. There are keto resources, guide,s meal planning tools, and tons of recipes online to help you cook and eat in this new way. Right here at Ruled.me we offer a comprehensive keto food list as well as recipes for every meal plus snacks. Our keto food list is one of the best places to start as you calculate your macros, put together your shopping list, and plan for what you’ll be eating each day to help your body switch over into a ketogenic state and become a fat-burning machine.
Let’s take a look at some of the foods you’ll be eating on a keto diet.
First we’ll categorize them into food groups:
Keto Food List: Fats and Oils
Fats and oils are a big part of the keto diet. Not all fats are the same and some should be avoided. Saturated fats like butter, ghee (which is clarified butter), coconut oil, MCT oils and tallow or lard can be freely eaten. Use them for frying or sauteing foods or mixing into dishes, like the now famous keto proof coffee, monounsaturated fats like cold-pressed olive, flax, avocado and macadamia nut oil should also be eaten as often as you like.
Add them to sauces and dressings or drizzle atop other foods. Naturally occurring polyunsaturated fats like the ones you’ll find in animal proteins and fatty fish are very nutritious. Eat them up. However, beware that processed polyunsaturated and trans fats like the ones you see on so-called heart-healthy margarine spreads should always be avoided.
One other thing to consider is keeping your omegas and balance by eating plenty of wild salmon, tuna, trout and shellfish for Omega-3’s or taking a small fish oil supplement. Keep an eye on your intake of nut or seed based foods as these can be high in inflammatory omega-6s.
Keto Food List: Proteins
Proteins are also an important cornerstone of the keto diet. Whenever possible choose organic, pasture-raised and grass-fed meat. Be careful not to eat too much protein. This can result in lower levels of ketones and increased production of glucose. So try to pair proteins with fattier side dishes and sauces. Wild caught fish like catfish, cod, flounder, halibut, mackerel, mahi mahi, salmon, snapper, trout, and tuna are all good choices.
Remember fattier fish is better. Other types of seafood like clams, oysters, lobster, crab, scallops, mussels and squid provide protein, though some may contain carbs as well so watch out. Whole eggs are one of the most affordable and versatile protein sources.
Look for free-range eggs from a local grocery store or farmers market. One egg contains 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat. Try them hard boiled, scrambled fried, poached and devilled. When it comes to beef choose fattier cuts and blends. For steak ask your butcher what has high fat content. Ribeye is usually a good one.
For ground beef, read the package and buy fattier ratios like 85/15 or 80/20. The same goes for pork. Always look for fattier cuts of ground pork, pork loin, pork chops, tenderloin and ham. Bacon is a keto favorite but read the packaging to make sure there aren’t added sweeteners like brown sugar.
Cured pork products like sausages often contain added sugars and other processed ingredients. Be sure to avoid them. Choose dark meat over white meat when buying poultry like chicken, duck, quail, and other wild game.
Similarly always look for fatty versus lean cuts of other meats such as veal, goat, lamb and turkey. Offal and organs like heart, liver, kidney and tongue, provide protein as well as vitamins and nutrients. Nut butters are a non-meat source of protein. But be sure to choose natural unsweetened versions and go for ones with more fat like almond butter and macadamia nut butter.
Keto Food List: Nuts, Seeds & Veggies
Nut and seed flours are commonly used in keto baking. Just remember that these should be consumed in moderation. Produce whether fresh or frozen is really important to the keto diet and for general health. However, some fruits and veggies are very high in natural sugars and thus should be avoided. A good rule of thumb is to stick with above-ground vegetables.
Some veggies to load up on are broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and green beans, Swiss chard, romaine lettuce and spinach. Limit your intake of higher carb veggies like baby bella mushrooms, squash, parsnips, beets and garlic and night shades like tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplant.
Citrus fruits and berries should be eaten with careful moderation and sweet starchy produce like sweet potatoes and bananas should never be consumed. For more info on eating veggies on a keto diet, read the blog post titled the best low carb vegetables free keto on Ruled.me.
Keto Food List: Diary
When shopping for dairy always be sure to buy full fat dairy items and choose organic and raw when possible. Highly processed dairy normally has 2 to 5 times the number of carbs as the raw and organic versions and this definitely adds up over time. Full fat-heavy whipping cream, Greek yogurt, cream cheese, half-and-half and mascapone are commonly consumed dairy products in the keto diet.
Moderate amounts of soft cheeses like mozzarella, Monterrey, Jack and Brie are fine but hard cheeses such as a cheddar, Parmesan, feta and Swiss tend to be better bet since they’re lowering carbs.
Take care to monitor your dairy levels when eating a protein heavy meal to keep your macros in balance. If you’ve hit a plateau or slowed down in weight loss, consider cutting back on some dairy. Nearly all foods needs seasoning to taste good. Don’t worry about tracking most spices, sea salt and pepper as you cook.
Spices do contain carbs so if you’re using a remarkable amount of them in a recipe make sure you note those however you track your macros. Pass on prepackaged spice blends as many of them contain sugars and other fillers. The place to be vigilant is with sauces, dressings and condiments. Many store-bought versions are loaded with sweeteners. Making these items yourself is preferable though it can be time-consuming.
Some easier sauces to make from scratch include brown butter and simple vinaigrette. If you do go for pre-made condiments, read the labels carefully. Look for ketchup, mustard, relish and hot sauces with no sugar added. Probiotic rich sauerkraut, horseradish, Worcester sauce and fatty salad dressings like ranch and Caesar.
Keto Food List: Keto Beverages
Finally drink water. We recommend a gallon of water each day. The ketogenic diet has a natural diuretic effect and many people starting out notice periods of dehydration. If you’re prone to UTIs or bladder pain it’s extra important to intentionally drink more water throughout the day. You can occasionally add sucrose or stevia sweetened flavor packets or some fresh-squeezed lemon lime or orange to your water bottle for a change of pace.
Other good keto beverages include bone broth which is loaded with vitamins and nutrients and revs up your energy by replenishing electrolytes. Many of us rely on coffee for that improved mental focus especially in the morning. However too much caffeine can stall weight loss so try to stick to just two cups of caffeinated beverages including tea each day. If you like tea, choose plain black or green.
Avoid flavors and add some heavy cream to boost the fat intake. Coconut and almond milks are good dairy alternatives but be sure to use only unsweetened versions.
Steer clear of diet sodas which can lead to sugar cravings and sometimes cause insulin spikes in the long run. And when it comes to alcohol note that frequent consumption will slow weight loss down. If and when you do drink choose hard liquor as most beers and wines are way too high in carbs.
Thanks so much for reading. We hope this has been a helpful guide to what foods we do and don’t eat on a ketogenic diet. Make sure to bookmark this page or follow us on social media to keep updated on keto dieting.