I’ve been eating a high-fat low-carb diet lately, and I’ve gotten SO many questions about eating keto! I even ran a free 5-day keto challenge and some of my ladies lost 10 pounds during the 5 day challenge!!! The results were INSANE!!!
I want to help as many people as possible get started living a healthy lifestyle–and while keto might not be for everyone, I think it’s amazing for those who have struggled with weight loss resistance, binge eating, and hormonal issues.
If you’re new to keto, get started with this post.
If you’re not sure what to eat on a keto diet, here’s a list for you!
I always preach progress not perfection–so if you want something that’s not on this list–don’t sweat! Champagne isn’t a recommended food on keto but you better believe I’m gonna have some lol!
Let’s start by talking about FAT. When eating a keto diet, you eat a LOT of fat. While pork rinds and bacon are high fat–you def want to make sure you vary your fat intake and get the RIGHT fats in your diet.
My Keto Guide is here!!!
I’m SO excited to share it with you! It has several meal plans, recipes (lots of fat bombs!), plateau busting tips, how to calculate your macros and a LOT more! Basically, it’s an all-encompassing guide for starting keto!
Get your copy here!
First, here’s a breakdown of the different kinds of fats:
Trans Fats: Avoid completely. These are chemically altered processed fats that are meant to improve shelf life but are linked to heart disease. You can find trans fats in margarine, fried foods, and foods that are on the supermarket shelf FOREVER (think processed baked goods). Keep in mind that technically a food doesn’t have to have trans fat on the label if it contains less than .5 grams of trans fat per serving (sneaky marketers), but ANY level of trans fats are bad for you. Check the ingredients to make sure it doesn’t contain partially hydrogenated oils. Better yet, don’t eat foods with labels =)
Saturated Fat: Eat these!! Saturated fats have gotten a bad rap over the years, but they’re actually great for you. Some examples are grass-fed butter, ghee, coconut oil, and lard.
Polyunsaturated Fat: There’s a difference between processed polyunsaturated fats that can be found in ‘heart healthy’ margarine, and naturally occurring polyunsaturated fats that can be found in fatty fish and animal protein. Eat the naturally occurring kind 😉
Monounsaturated Fat: Eat these often!!!! Examples of monounsaturated fats are olives, macadamia nuts, and avocado.
Make sure you get the majority of your fats from the list below to have a healthy and balanced keto diet.
Keto Diet Food List: Fats
- Fatty fish (wild caught—not farmed)
- Animal fat
- Avocados
- Egg yolks
- Coconut oil
- Avocado oil
- MCT oil
- Olive oil
- Grass-fed butter/ghee
- Lard
- Tallow
- Cacao butter
- Organic/fair trade chocolate with at least 85% cacao. I LOVE this brand.
Keto Diet Food List: Protein
- Fish. Wild caught, fatty fish like salmon or trout is preferred. Other good options are mahi-mahi, flounder, snapper, trout, mackerel, halibut, catfish, cod, or flounder.
- Shellfish like crab, shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, oysters, lobster, and squid.
- Nuts/seeds and nut butters. My fave nuts are macadamia nuts, followed by Brazil nuts, walnuts, almonds, and pecans. I LOVE chia seeds as well. Make sure you choose unsweetened nut butters (Jiff ain’t gonna cut it) and try to stick with almond or macadamia nut butter. Peanut butter is fine in moderation—but peanuts are high in omega 6 and are heavily sprayed with pesticides, so ensure you buy organic (I love Smucker’s natural organic).
- Poultry. Chicken, quail, pheasant, duck, and other wild game.
- Whole eggs. Try to get free range eggs from a local market, if possible. The eggs will be much healthier AND taste way better.
- Beef. Stew meat, steak, ground beef.
- Pork. Pork chops, tenderloin, ham, ground pork, and pork loin. Yes, you can have bacon too—but make sure it’s high quality without added sugar like Butcher Box bacon.
- Organ meats. They are SO good for you!!! Heart, liver, kidney.
- Other meats like goat, lamb, turkey, veal. Stick with fattier cuts.
Keto Diet Food List: Dairy
- Cheese. There are a MILLION varieties of cheese so I’m not gonna list them here, but my faves are goat, brie, mozzarella, feta, aged comté, and parmesan.
- Heavy whipping cream
- Greek yogurt
- Cottage cheese
- Cream cheese
- Crème fraîche
Keto Diet Food List: Veggies
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Cucumbers
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Green beans
- Romaine
- Onions
- Kale
- Mushrooms
- Zucchini
- Bok choy
- Butternut squash
- Sweet potatoes
- Potatoes
Keto Diet Food List: Fruit
- Berries like blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries
- Citruses like lemons and limes
Keto Diet Food List: Beverages
- Coffee (fair trade/organic)
- Tea (fair trade/organic)
- Bone broth
- Coconut/almond milk. Make sure it’s unsweetened and doesn’t contain additives that you can’t pronounce
- BCAAs. I love my BCAAs!!!
- Alcohol. Ok, I should do a blog post just on alcohol choices. I don’t suggest drinking while going keto, but HELLO I like a drink every once in awhile. I stick to champagne, which is low carb/calorie, or red wine. Liquor like whiskey, tequila, or vodka is also a decent option, just watch out for juice or soda mixes. Just keep in mind that when you drink, your body stops burning fat to process the alcohol.
Keto Diet Food List: Condiments/Sauces
- Mustard
- Mayo (avocado mayo from Primal Kitchen!)
- Sauerkraut (AWESOME for your gut!)
- Relish
- Hot sauce
- Homemade salad dressing
- Coconut aminos (healthier soy sauce)
My Keto Guide is almost ready!!!!
I’m SO excited to share it with you! It has several meal plans, recipes (lots of fat bombs!), plateau busting tips, how to calculate your macros and a LOT more! Basically, it’s an all-encompassing guide for starting keto! If you want to be the first to know when it’s released, sign up here: fitwithrachel.com/keto-guide =)
Snapchat: Rachelngom
Email: clientcare@fitwithrachel.com
“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” Tony Robbins
Are bell peppers allowed
Any other fruit allowed? pears apples banana?
yes on the bell peppers–bananas are super high carb so they’re a treat. pears and apples are ok once in awhile =)
I love to dip my cucumbers in ranch dip. Anything you suggest to try instead?
I would suggest making your own! Here’s a recipe =) https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2015/09/09/easy-keto-ranch-dressing
Hi I’m vegetarian/vegan don’t eat eggs or fish is there any other alternatives?
tempeh is a great vegan protein source =)
Yellow summer squash ok?
yup!