The ketogenic diet depletes the body of its sugar reserves or carbohydrates, causing it to break down fat for energy. It may aid in weight loss, acne management, and heart health, among other things.
However, after heading straight to your local grocery store to try the keto diet, you realize that you have no idea what to put in your cart. But don’t worry! This article can help you get started.
Here’s a guide on what to add to your grocery list for your keto diet meal plan.
Keto Diet Food List
Meat:
- Chicken
- Pork
- Steak
- Ground beef
- Lamb
- Bacon
- Turkey
- Ham
- Sausage
Fatty seafood:
- Salmon
- Snapper
- Tuna
- Halibut
- Cod
- Trout
- Catfish
- Scallops
Shellfish:
- Crab
- Clams
- Oysters
- Lobsters
- Mussels
Vegetables:
- Cucumber
- Asparagus
- Green olives
- Green beans
- Spinach
- Cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Swiss chard
- Eggplant
- Celery
- Broccoli
- Lettuce
Fruits:
- Avocado
- Pears
- Apricots
- Strawberry
- Raspberry
- Coconut
- Cherries
- Blackberry
- Lemon
- Plums
- Star fruit
- Cantaloupe
- Berry
- Pineapple
- Kiwi
- Apple
Dairy:
- Blue cheese
- Brie
- Cheddar
- Goat cheese
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan
- String cheese
- Greek Yogurt
- Cream
- 50% cream & 50% whole milk
- Unsweetened plant-based milk such as coconut, almond, and soy milk.
Cooking Oils:
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Avocado oil
- Butter
- Ghee
- Animal fats
To eat healthy, choose a variety of nutrient-dense foods every day. Nutrient-dense foods have a high nutritional concentration but have minimal calories. Ensure you eat foods high in lean protein, vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
There are simple ways you can add nutrient-dense foods to your healthy eating plan and ensure you’re eating a balanced diet.
- Replace white rice with brown rice.
- Replace sweetened beverages with water, coffee, or unsweetened tea.
- Instead of sour cream, try plain nonfat Greek yogurt on your chili or baked potato.
- Think of one additional veggie instead of meat or cheese when adding toppings to your pizza, sandwiches, or tacos.
- Instead of chips, snack on crisp veggies or a handful of almonds.
- Instead of candies and cookies, satisfy your sweet tooth with naturally sweet fruit.
Keto Snacks
Are you hungry on the keto diet, yet your next meal is several hours away? A keto snack could be the solution. Snacks can buy you time, allowing you to postpone meals to accommodate your hectic schedule.
Here are some keto-friendly snacks you can munch on when you’re hungry.
Pork rinds
Yes, pork rinds are keto-friendly and popular among those following a low-carb diet. Despite being accessible in the same aisle and being as crunchy as chips, pig rinds have very little in common with those high-carb options. Unflavored pork rinds are one of the few zero-carb snacks available on the keto diet.
Kale chips
Kales are low in net carbs but high in nutrients, making them a great keto snack. Kale retains its nutritious content when made into chips, unlike potato chips. Kale has a lot of fiber, antioxidants, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and B vitamins. It’s low in fat and sodium, and the minuscule amounts of olive oil and salt in my recipe scarcely increase those amounts.
Zucchini chips
Zucchini rank high on the list of keto-friendly vegetables. Zucchini chips are minimal in calories and saturated fats, and they completely satisfy a salty-tooth craving.
Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt is a great option for snacking when on a keto diet. A 3/4 cup serving of plain whole milk Greek yogurt has 5g of carbs, 17g of fat, and 14g of protein.
Keto chocolate
Can you eat chocolate when on a keto diet? The answer is yes. An excellent quality dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids is still keto-approved and beginners may also find it more appealing.
Keto waffles
A regular waffle can contain up to 25g of net carbohydrates. With a few tweaks, you can make keto waffles with as few as 2.5 grams of net carbohydrates per serving! Using coconut flour instead of almond flour makes the waffles high-fiber and low-carb. The greatest keto sweeteners to use are those that taste like sugar but have no calories or carbs, such as granulated erythritol, powdered erythritol, monk fruit, allulose, and xylitol.
What Not to Include in Your Keto Meal Prep
Grains
Most grains are high in carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are abundant in crackers, cereals, pasta, rice, and bread. Whole-wheat pasta and bean-based spaghetti are also heavy in carbohydrates.
Starchy vegetables and high-sugar fruits
The keto diet avoids any vegetables that grow beneath the ground, such as potatoes, yams, onions, parsnips, carrots, beets, and cassava. Limit high-sugar fruits as well, which increase your blood sugar faster and contain more carbohydrates.
Honey, syrup, and any form of sugar
Sugar, honey, maple syrup, and other kinds of sugar that are abundant in carbs but poor in nutrients should be avoided. Also, limit juices, sweetened yogurts, and other foods that use sweeteners.
Chips and crackers
Reduce your use of chips, crackers, and other processed, grain-based snack foods that are heavy in carbs and poor in fiber.
Processed foods
The majority of packaged foods sold in supermarkets are ultra-processed. They also frequently include extra sugar and carbohydrates. As a result, they should be avoided if you’re on a ketogenic diet.
Conclusion
Choosing to improve your eating habits is both empowering and energizing, so stick to that keto-friendly grocery list and start a new eating pattern off on the right foot.
Don’t be hesitant to experiment and try new recipes with keto-friendly ingredients to make every meal satisfying, delicious, and fun. Share this with your family and friends who are also on a keto diet to help them with their keto diet meal plan.
