What Do You Eat On A Keto Diet?

What does Ketogenic entail?

The ketogenic diet is becoming increasingly popular as time goes on, and many studies have concluded that this low-carb and high-fat diet is more than effective for promoting weight loss and helping to manage other health conditions. 

This is a diet that has many other benefits to offer aside from weight loss, which is one of the main reasons why so many people are keen to take part. It also isn’t as restrictive as some other diets, which is an obvious plus.

In this article, we are going to tell you more about all of the foods that you can eat on a ketogenic diet, so you can learn more about what you will be able to eat.

Our extensive list will cover lots of keto-approved foods, as well as various snacks that you can eat. 

Types of Ketogenic Diets

Before we get into all of the different foods that you can eat on this diet, it is worth being aware of the fact that there are several versions of the ketogenic diet, and these are the standard keto diet, the clinical keto diet, the high protein keto diet, and the targeted keto diet. 

The standard keto diet is a low-carb, moderate protein, and high-fat diet that typically contains around 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs. 

The clinical keto diet involves periods of higher-carb refeeds, like 5 ketogenic days, followed by 2 high carb days.

The targeted keto diet allows you to add carbs around workouts. 

The high-protein keto diet is quite similar to the standard version of the diet, but it does include more protein. The ratio is usually 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs. 

The number of different foods that you are allowed to eat can vary depending on which diet you are following. 

What can you eat on the Keto Diet?

Seafood

Fish and shellfish are both keto-friendly foods, and salmon and other fish are rich in vitamin B, potassium, and selenium. The best part about them is that they are almost carb-free.

Although, you should be aware that the carbs in different types of shellfish will vary. Most of them do not contain carbs, but there are some that do. 

Low-carb Vegetables

Vegetables that are non-starchy will be low in both calories and carbs, but as well as this, they are high in a variety of different nutrients. Some of these nutrients include vitamin C and several minerals.

Vegetables and other plants also contain fiber, which your body does not digest and absorb like it does other carbs. This is why you will need to look at their digestible or net carb count, which is total carbs minus fiber.

Net carbs actually refer to the number of carbs that will be absorbed by the body.

Cheese

There are hundreds of different types of cheese, and most of them are low in carbs and high in fat, making them perfect for the keto diet.

One ounce of cheddar cheese will provide you with just 1 gram of carbs, but 6.5 grams of protein and a good amount of calcium. 

Meat and Poultry

Meat and poultry are both considered staple foods in a ketogenic diet, and they contain no carbs but are rich in vitamin B and other important minerals.

They are also a great source of high-quality protein, and this is known to be able to help preserve muscle mass during a low-carb diet. 

Eggs

Eggs are one of the healthiest and most versatile foods that you can get, and one large egg contains less than 1 gram of carbs, yet around 6 grams of protein.

This makes them more than suitable for the keto diet, and they are also thought to be able to trigger hormones that increase the feeling of fullness.  

Can you eat bananas during Keto?

Unfortunately, bananas are off the menu if you are following a keto diet.

Even though they are packed full of nutrients, and have added benefits for your hair and skin, bananas are not allowed when you are following the ketogenic diet.

This is mostly due to the fact that they have a huge amount of 31 grams of carbs in just one banana, which almost takes up your entire allowance for the day.

What can I snack on during Ketosis?

Everybody needs a light snack throughout the day to keep them going until mealtime, and thankfully, you don’t have to cut out snacking when it comes to the keto diet.

There are lots of foods that you can have as a tasty snack on this diet, and we will leave a list for you below. 

If you are looking for a snack that is a little more filling, then you might want to consider things like fatty meat or fish, keto sushi bites, one or two boiled eggs, or even smaller portions of leftover meals. 

For a lighter snack to tide you over until your main meal, you could have some cheese, olives, bell pepper or celery and guacamole, beef jerky, or some fat bombs. These are all keto-friendly foods that will give you the extra boost that you need throughout the day.  

If you are trying to satisfy a sweet craving throughout the day, then you could always look to things like 90% dark chocolate, full-fat Greek yogurt, strawberries, and keto-friendly snack bars. 

Can you drink coffee on Keto?

Yes, thankfully, you won’t have to sacrifice your daily dose of coffee when you are following a ketogenic diet, so you can still drink your coffee. Coffee is very low in calories, and it does not contain any carbs at all.

So, this means that you can still drink it without impacting the keto diet. It can be consumed either hot or cold. 

It also contains caffeine, which can help to give your metabolism the extra boost that it needs. Another thing that coffee contains is chlorogenic acid, which is a polyphenol antioxidant that can aid with weight loss.