Keto Food List For Beginners: Everything You Need To Know
A ketogenic or keto diet is a well-known diet plan for a faster body transformation.
The diet allows your body to switch the fuel from carbohydrates to fat for different metabolic activities.
But, an individual would require dedication and discipline alongside optimum food to get the best results from the keto diet.
Keto diets have been classified into various categories. But, as a beginner, you must start with the standard ketogenic diet.
The standard keto diet must contain sufficient healthy fats (75%), moderate protein (20%), and low or no carbohydrates (up to 5%).
Butter
Butter contains healthy fats, other fat-soluble vitamins, and conjugated linoleic acids.
Hence, it is one of the best food items to consume during a keto diet. But, you should always purchase butter by checking its quality and manufacturer.
The nutrient-rich butter could be easily distinguished by observing the color.
But, if you are looking for dairy-free butter, ghee is a potential alternative, as the milk solids have been removed during processing.
Avocado
Avocados are densely packed with essential nutrients and beneficial fats; hence, it is widely added to ketogenic diets.
Generally, avocados are a delicious side dish that doesn’t require much preparation.
You may consume raw, cooked, or blended avocado as per your preferences.
Avocados contain healthy fats like monounsaturated fats, potassium, fibers, and other minerals.
Hence, the fruit could be a complete meal for keto beginners. But avocados contain some amount of carbohydrates balanced by the fiber content.
Moreover, avocados may help lower triglycerides and cholesterol levels essential for better heart health.
Eggs
Eggs contain a high amount of choline and proteins. In a ketogenic diet, you would require a quarter of your meal to be rich in protein.
Hence, consuming one or two eggs in the meal would help fulfill the requirements.
Generally, people consuming two eggs in a meal supply their body with 12 grams of protein and approximately no carbohydrates.
They also contain a few beneficial antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin that help keep the eyes healthy.
Additionally, egg consumption would help release hormones responsible for the feeling of fullness and balancing the blood sugar levels.
Low-Carb Nuts
Nuts are one of the richest sources of healthy fat and proteins.
Besides fat, these nuts contain several vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants that may help complement the ketogenic diet.
Hence, a keto beginner may add a few low-carb nuts as snacks. The commonly preferred nuts for the keto diet include pecans, Brazil nuts, walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds.
On the other hand, sunflower seeds could also be considered. This is because there are several benefits of sunflower seeds.
But, you should consider consuming these beneficial nuts raw, as roasted, salted, or processed nuts may cause overconsumption. Moreover, you may opt for powdered nut flour for easy consumption.
Cheese
Adding extra cheese topping to your pizza could be harmful to your health. But, consuming cheese in a controlled portion could be highly beneficial for keto beginners.
Generally, cheese prepared from raw milk contains almost zero carbohydrates and plenty of saturated fats.
Moreover, cheese is also a great source of protein and calcium for the body.
Hence, you should pick raw or unpasteurized cheese from the store for the ketogenic diet.
But, you should limit your daily cheese intake as excess cheese may increase the risk of heart disease.
Greek yogurt and cottage cheese could be a great alternative to raw cheese.
These processed alternatives contain higher proteins and fats alongside some amount of carbohydrates.
Berries
Berries could make an excellent deal for keto beginners. These tiny balls contain fiber and antioxidants with minimum carbohydrates.
Generally, berries could be beneficial in lowering inflammation and the risk of several digestive issues.
You may consider consuming a wide range of berries, including blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and goji berries.
Raspberries could be comparatively beneficial for keto beginners as they contain the lowest carbohydrate.
But blueberries and blackberries would offer higher fiber content. Hence, you should select your berry based on your requirements.
Unsweetened Tea And Coffee
Tea and coffee could be a part of a ketogenic diet for a beginner. But, they should avoid adding sugar to lower their carbohydrate intake.
Generally, plain tea and coffee contain little carbohydrates and other essential minerals.
Moreover, they have several antioxidants that may help lower heart diseases, promote weight loss, and boost the immune system.
Some people also consider consuming herbal tea, like green tea, during their diet. The herbal tea contains several essential minerals along with antioxidants.
Spinach
Spinach could be one great vegetable on a beginner’s keto grocery list. The leafy vegetable contains numerous minerals that may help you keep yourself healthy.
Moreover, you could easily add spinach to different dishes; hence, you may say spinach is a versatile ingredient.
Generally, spinach is chopped and used in salads. But, you may make a smoothie or use it in an omelet for better taste and benefits.
Meat And Poultry
Meat is the best source to get lean protein for the body. People consuming fresh meat or poultry supply their bodies with sufficient protein and minerals like zinc, selenium, potassium, etc.
Moreover, you won’t find carbohydrate content in fresh meat or poultry. But, you should avoid consuming processed meat to lower the risk of several diseases.
You may consider chicken, beef, and other meats that are freshly cut and prepared.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a green vegetable widely preferred for lowering body weight. But, people consider consuming broccoli in their ketogenic diet due to its ability to soak fat.
Hence, such an ability makes it a great side dish in a ketogenic meal, especially for a beginner.
Besides the ability, broccoli is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants like Vitamin K, C, potassium, selenium, phosphorus, etc.
Shirataki Noodles
Regular noodles contain high carbohydrates, but shirataki noodles are one of the best foods for people focusing on weight loss.
These noodles offer fewer carbohydrates and calories, which makes them light food for people on a ketogenic diet.
You may find multiple varieties in the shape of shirataki noodles like rice, linguine, and fettuccine.
Hence, it easily fits into all dishes and comfortably replaces regular noodles.
Generally, shirataki noodles are prepared using glucomannan, a viscous fiber that benefits human health in numerous ways.
This may play a significant role in slowing digestion by making the food dense like gel.
Moreover, they may help reduce appetite and control the blood sugar levels essential for weight loss.
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolates could be an excellent food item in a ketogenic diet. The delicious Choco bars contain up to 70-100% cocoa, almost making them carbohydrate-free.
Moreover, the cocoa used in these dark chocolates contains several antioxidants and flavanols that may help lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart diseases, and improve artery health.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is an impressive plant-based oil that has been widely included in ketogenic diets.
Olive oil contains a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid that helps keep the heart healthy.
Moreover, people consuming extra-virgin olive oil supply their bodies with polyphenol antioxidants that could help suppress inflammation and elevate artery functions.
Generally, olive oil contains approximately zero carbs; hence, they are used in salads and mayonnaise. Moreover, you may warm olive oil at low flame to enhance the flavor.
Fatty Fishes
Seafood, including a few fatty fish, is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, especially Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
Both EPA and DHA could be beneficial in reducing inflammation and the risk of heart diseases.
Besides these benefits, these fatty fish could help create a balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Generally, the fishes included in the ketogenic diet include salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, etc.
Conclusion
While preparing a beginner’s ketogenic diet, you should be careful with carbohydrate intake.
You should avoid immediately lower carbohydrate consumption as it may affect you negatively.
Hence, you could add a few above items to control carbohydrates and increase fat consumption.
But, you must create a good mix for better balance and proportion of the required nutrients.