Keto diets are all the rage right now. There hasn’t been as popular a diet as keto for quite a long time. Unlike other diets, however, keto is the real deal if you stack up on the right supplies and stick to the rules. Everyone thinks that keto diets are hard to endure as there are not many options, but the reality is that there are many foods and snacks you can eat on this diet to lose weight and improve your overall health.
Below you can see the basics of the keto diet and a list of foods you can safely consume. Once you learn what you can eat, you’ll see that you can enjoy going keto. Putting your body in a state of ketosis is the right thing to do – not only will it make you fitter, it will also reduce the risk of several serious diseases.
Keto Basics
In general, a keto diet should consist of 75% fat, 20% protein, and only 5% carbs – that’s the reason it falls under the low-carb diet category. However, if you dive deep down into keto category, you’ll see that not all fats are created equal. There are good (healthy) and bad fats which have a different effect on our health.
Sources of good fats include organic meat, nuts and seeds, coconut and olive oil, while the fats that come from desserts and junk food are obviously bad.
Then you have protein. Thought every protein was good for you? You’re wrong. In fact, the best protein sources for our body are organic types of meat and vegetables.
If we break things down further, you’ll see that not all vegetables, drinks, dairy products, and other foods and drinks are suitable for a keto diet, so it’s not so easy as some people think it is.
Fortunately for you, we have a list of the best keto ingredients so you don’t have to read a book on the diet.
Fats
A keto diet must be full of good, high-quality fats. They will help your body enter ketosis and keep your taste buds satisfied. Here are a few high-quality sources of healthy fats:
- Mayo
- Flaxseed oil
- Butter
- Ghee
- Coconut, olive, and sesame oil
- MCT oil
- Walnut oil
If you’re wondering how you can consume all the fat, you should start cooking with high-quality fats, add them to sauces and salad dressings or make fat bombs you can later eat as snacks.
Protein
Protein is the main macronutrient in a keto diet. People often forget all about it, but if you want to stay in ketosis and see results, protein is the most important factor. Too much protein, however, will bring you to a state of gluconeogenesis, which is a fancy term for getting out of ketosis, which is exactly the opposite thing you want to achieve.
Here are the best natural sources of protein:
- Poultry
- Beef
- Eggs
- Fish
- Pork
- Goat
- Lamb
- Shellfish
- Organ meat
Adding more protein to your diet is easy – you just need to plan these ingredients in your meals. Avoid cured and processed meats though, and stick to organic cuts instead.
Vegetables
Although it’s a low-carb diet, not all carbs are bad for you. There are many vegetable sources of carbs that are ideal for keto dieters. Everything that grows above the ground counts – the veggies that grow below it (potatoes) are full of starch which you don’t need. Here are the best vegetable sources of protein for keto dieters:
- Cauliflower
- Onion
- Celery
- Broccoli
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Artichokes
- Green beans
- Cabbage
- Spinach
- Asparagus
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Kale
- Zucchini
- Pumpkin
You can either eat these veggies raw, steamed or make a delicious salad out of them. You can also eat them as healthy snacks which will keep you full between meals.
Dairy Products
Organic dairy products can be added to a keto diet easily as they’re full of healthy fats and contain just the right amount of protein your body needs. Here’s a list of the ones you can safely consume:
- Sour cream
- Ricotta
- Cream cheese
- Blue cheese
- Brie
- Parmesan
- Colby
- Goat cheese
- Mozzarella
- Greek yogurt
- Yogurt
- Whipped cream
In order to add them to your diet, simply add more yogurt and cheese into your meals. Start substituting things for just cheese as well – cheesy taco shells taste much better than you think.
Nuts and Seeds
As we already mentioned, nuts and seeds are great snacks for a keto diet. You can bring some at work and eat them when you’re hungry or make a habit of eating a handful of them between meals. Here are the best keto nuts and seeds:
- Almonds
- Macadamia nuts
- Cashews
- Walnuts
- Pistachios
- Pine nuts
- Pecans
- Peanuts
- Sesame seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
As we said, incorporating them into your diet is easy if you eat them for snacks.
Beverages
The list of beverages you can drink when on a keto diet is not long. The good news is that you can enjoy a few alcoholic beverages – that’s something at least.
- Tequila
- Rum
- Wine
- Bourbon
- Champagne
- Vodka
- Gin
- Low-carb beer
- Lemon and lime juice
- Tea
- Coffee (no sugar)
- Club soda
- Almond milk (no sugar)
When it comes to alcohol, you need to know that wine has the most carbs, so don’t go overboard with it. You can enjoy a shot glass or two of rum, tequila or vodka every day with a bit of lime or lemon juice.
Now that you know what you can eat and what you should stay away from, go to the kitchen and make your own meals. Homemade meals work best for a keto diet – if you don’t spend time in your kitchen, a pizza from your favorite Italian restaurant will sound much better every day. So, bring out the ingredients and start preparing food if you really want to succeed.
