The keto diet is a popular low-carb, high-fat diet, which may be beneficial for weight loss, epilepsy, and diabetes, as well as Alzheimer's disease, certain cancers, and other diseases.
When you’re on a keto diet, you typically limit your carb intake to 20–50 grams per day. It may seem challenging, but fortunately, there are an array of tasty, nutritious keto-friendly foods available.
Here are the 18 best and most tasty keto diet foods you can enjoy.
What to Eat on Keto Diet?
You might be wondering about what to eat on keto diet. So here are the 18 best keto foods you can enjoy.
1. Keto Diet Food: Low-Carb Vegetables
Non-starchy vegetables, like asparagus and bean sprouts, are low in carbs and calories, but rich in several nutrients like vitamin C, making them an excellent keto food.
Some vegetables and other plants hold fiber, which your body doesn’t digest and absorb as it does with other carbs. So checking the digestible carb count (total carbs minus fiber) is also important.
Although most vegetables contain very few net carbs, consuming a serving of starchy vegetables like yam, beets, or potatoes could put you over your entire carb limit for the day.
Vegetables also have antioxidants that help protect our cells against free radicals, which may play a key role in fighting diseases like cancer or heart disease.
Low-carb vegetables can be a great substitute for higher-carb foods, e.g., spaghetti squash can be a natural substitute for spaghetti, and cauliflower can be used to mimic mashed potatoes or rice.
2. Keto Diet Food: Seafoods
Seafoods like fish and shellfish are absolutely excellent keto foods: salmon and other fish are virtually carb-free and are rich in potassium, selenium, and B vitamins. They make it to the top list of keto food.
Carbs in different types of shellfish vary, e.g., shrimp and most crabs are carb-free, others are not. Although some shellfish contain carbs, they can still be included in a keto diet. You just have to account for these carbs to stay within a narrow range.
The table below illustrates the carb content of some popular shellfish types at 100 grams.
Fatty fish, like sardines, salmon, and mackerel, are rich in omega-3 fats, which have been found to lower blood pressure, reduce triglycerides, and fight age-related mental decline and Alzheimer's disease.
Therefore, frequent intake of fish has been linked to a reduced risk of disease and improved mental health.
3. Keto Diet Food: Avocados
Avocados are another keto diet food you can enjoy. They are a great source of potassium, which is an important mineral many may not get enough of. Higher potassium intake can potentially make the transition to a keto diet a lot easier.
A 100-gram avocado contains 9 grams of carbs. However, its net carb is only 2 grams since the 7 grams of which is fiber.
In addition, avocados are incredibly healthy and they may even help improve triglyceride and cholesterol levels.
For example, a study demonstrated that people who consumed a diet high in avocados experienced an 11% increase in good HDL cholesterol and a 22% reduction in bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
4. Keto Diet Food: Cheese
There are different types of nutritious and delicious cheese. All of them are excellent keto diet foods as they are very low in carbs and high in fat.
A slice of 28-gram cheddar cheese contains 20% RDI for calcium, 7 grams of protein, and 1 gram of carbs.
Although high in saturated fat, cheese hasn’t been found to increase the risk of developing heart disease. In fact, it was suggested that cheese may even help protect against heart disease.
What’s more, cheese holds conjugated linoleic acid—a fat that has been linked to improvements in body composition and fat loss.
Moreover, regular consumption of cheese may help reduce the loss of muscle mass and strength that comes with aging.
A 12-week study in older adults demonstrated that those who consumed 210 grams of ricotta cheese daily experienced an increase in muscle strength and muscle mass.
5. Keto Diet Food: Eggs
Eggs are definitely an ideal keto diet food: a large egg holds < 1 gram of carbs and < 6 grams of protein.
Being one of the most versatile and healthiest foods on the planet, eggs have been found to trigger hormones that keep blood sugar levels stable and increase feelings of fullness, resulting in reduced calorie intake for up to 24 hours.
Most of its nutrients, including antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, are found in the yolk so eating the entire egg is important.
Although high in cholesterol, consuming egg yolks does not elevate blood cholesterol levels in most people. In fact, eggs seem to alter the shape of LDL in a way that lessens the risk of developing heart disease.
6. Keto Diet Food: Meat and Poultry
Considered staple foods on a keto diet, fresh meat and poultry are carb-free and rich in B vitamins and several minerals, such as zinc, selenium, and potassium.
They are also rich in high-quality protein, which can potentially help preserve muscle mass during a very low-carb diet.
A study in older women demonstrated that consuming a high-fatty meat diet resulted in HDL cholesterol levels that were 8% higher compared to eating a low-fat, high-carb diet.
If possible, choose grass-fed meat because animals that eat grass produce meat rich in antioxidants, conjugated linoleic acid, and omega-3 fats than meat from grain-fed animals.
7. Keto Diet Food: Plain Greek Yogurt and Cottage Cheese
Although cottage cheese and plain Greek yogurt contain some carbs, they can still be included in a keto diet. These healthy, high-protein foods have been found to help promote feelings of fullness and reduce appetite. This is why they are included in the list of keto food.
Either of the two makes a tasty snack on its own. But they can both be combined with cinnamon, chopped nuts, and optional sugar-free sweeteners for an easy and quick keto treat.
8. Keto Diet Food: Coconut Oil
Having unique properties, coconut oil is no doubt among the best keto diet foods you can enjoy. It contains medium-chain triglycerides which have been shown to play a role in reducing weight and decreasing metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and abdominal obesity.
In addition, coconut oil has been used to elevate ketone levels in people suffering from brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease.
Coconut oil’s main fatty acid is lauric acid, which is a slightly longer-chain fat. A mixture of coconut oil’s lauric acid and MCTs can help promote a sustained level of ketosis.
What's more, coconut oil has been found to help obese adults achieve belly fat and weight loss. In fact, a study in men who consumed 30 ml of coconut oil every day lost an inch from their waistlines without having to make any other dietary changes.
9. Keto Diet Food: Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are rich in fiber, which helps you feel full and absorb fewer calories overall. They are no doubt among the best keto diet snacks.
Frequent nut consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases like depression, certain cancers, and heart disease.
10. Keto Diet Food: Olive Oil
Olive oil is rich in oleic acid—a monounsaturated fat that has been found to help prevent heart disease and other heart conditions. It is focused on providing impressive benefits for your heart.
Moreover, extra-virgin olive oil is also rich in antioxidants known as phenols, which further protect heart health by improving artery function and decreasing inflammation.
Olive oil is a carb-free pure fat source, making it an ideal base for salad dressings and healthy mayonnaise when on a ketogenic diet.
11. Keto Diet Food: Berries
Most fruits, except berries, are too high in carbs to include in a keto diet. Berries are loaded with antioxidants that have been found to reduce inflammation and protect against disease.
The table below shows the carb counts for 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of some berries.
12. Keto Diet Food: Butter and Cream
Containing only trace amounts of carbs per serving, butter and cream are good fats to include in a ketogenic diet.
For many years, they were believed to cause heart disease due to their high saturated fat contents. But several big studies have demonstrated that saturated fat isn’t linked to heart disease for most people.
In fact, some research found that when consumed moderately, high-fat dairy may potentially lessen the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Butter and cream are also high in conjugated linoleic acid, which can promote fat loss.
13. Keto Diet Food: Ghee
Ghee is also a healthy source of saturated fats that provide nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to the body. This is also among the 18 best keto diet foods you can enjoy.
14. Keto Diet Food: Shirataki Noodles
Shirataki noodles contain < 1 gram of carbs and 5 calories per serving, making them a fantastic keto diet food. They are made from a viscous fiber called glucomannan, which may help control sugar and cholesterol levels.
Viscous fiber forms a gel that helps slow down the movement of the food through your digestive tract, which reduces hunger and blood sugar spikes. It is absolutely beneficial for diabetes and weight loss management.
15. Keto Diet Food: Olives
Olives and olive oil provide the same health benefits. It’s just that the former comes in solid form, and it is among the tastiest keto diet snacks.
Its main antioxidant is oleuropein which has anti-inflammatory properties and may help protect against cell damage. Moreover, consuming olives has been found to help reduce blood pressure and prevent bone loss.
16. Keto Diet Food: Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Powder
Dark chocolate and cocoa powder are great sources of antioxidants. Surprisingly, both are excellent keto diet foods.
Dark chocolate has flavanols, which may decrease the risk of heart disease by keeping arteries healthy and improving blood pressure. Choosing dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa is preferable.
17. Keto Diet Drinks: Unsweetened Coffee and Tea
Unsweetened coffee and tea are incredibly healthy drinks. They both have caffeine which improves your metabolism, as well as your mood, alertness, and physical performance.
What's more, it has been shown that coffee and tea drinkers have a reduced risk of diabetes. In fact, people who have the highest coffee and tea intakes have been shown to have the lowest risk of developing diabetes.
18. Keto Diet Drinks: Unsweetened Sparkling Water
Unsweetened sparkling water is a great keto-friendly alternative to soda. This drink may be flavored but it is generally sugar-free, making it also free from carbs or calories.
However, some varieties may contain carbs, so make sure to check the label before buying it.
Conclusion
A ketogenic diet is a great tool to achieve weight loss and other health-related goals. This low-carb, high-fat diet may seem unsustainable in the long term, but it’s actually not.
Keeping within your daily carb range is easy with a variety of healthy, tasty, and versatile keto diet foods. If you want to go on a keto diet, make sure to come up with a keto diet food plan first before getting started.
