Keto Food List For Beginners – the best low carb ketogenic diet approved foods to put on your grocery shopping list when starting out on keto – a guide to helping you learn what to eat on a keto diet.
Keto Food List For Beginners
This keto food list for beginners will give you all a concise list of ingredients to stock your kitchen with to make all sorts of quick, easy low carb meals.
Success starts with planning, so have a read through all of the low carb diet foods and put together a list of keto-friendly foods which appeal to you.
You don’t have to buy the whole list from the grocery store every week. Start with a couple of options from each section and build from there to help you achieve your health and weight loss goals.
What Do You Eat On A Keto Diet?
A keto diet is made up of a variety of foods, that all tend to be low in carbs and high in healthy fats.
Your daily macros roughly work out to be:
- 70-80% Fats
- 20-25% Protein
- 5-10% Carbs
To calculate your macros to work out how to create your own, tailor made Keto diet, then I’m a fan of this Keto Calculator.
Keto Fats List
As your diet will be primarily made up of healthy fats, you’ll want to stock your pantry and fridge with a variety of options to enjoy at every meal.
Initially I myself wondered how on earth can I make meals that include as much fat as the keto diet is made up of?
Well, it turns out that by picking a few foods to include in every meal and the fact that they are nutrient dense, you can easily create meals that are 70-80% fat.
As you follow a keto diet for longer, you’ll find that fats keep you fuller for longer and your meals will likely become smaller too.
Here’s a list of high fat keto approved foods:
- Butter
- Coconut Oil
- MCT Oil
- Olive Oil
- Avocado & Avocado Oil
- Hard Cheeses
- Heavy Cream
- Sour Cream
- Mayonnaise
- Cream Cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Brie
- Feta
- Goats Cheese
- Ricotta Cheese
- Cottage Cheese
- Mascarpone Cheese
- Plain, Natural or Greek Yogurt
- Nuts – almonds, cashews, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, walnuts, pecan nuts, hazelnuts
- Seeds – chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds
- Dark Chocolate – 85%+ tends to be lowest in carbs and sugars
- Cocoa Powder
- Coconut – milk, flour, shredded
Keto Shopping List Protein Options
You’ll find that you consume roughly the same amount of protein on a keto meal plan as you would in a regular diet. The keto diet isn’t quite the steak and bacon free for all as some may believe it to be!
Be sure to read nutrition labels on processed meats such as bacon, salami and meat sticks very carefully, because while these usually can be considered keto diet food items, there are often added sugars and hidden carbs that can unfortunately elevate the carb counts and therefore mean the item is not as low carb as it should be.
Here’s a handy list of keto friendly protein options to include in your diet:
- Eggs
- Grass-Fed Beef such as ground beef
- Lamb
- Organ Meats
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Pork
- Fish & Seafood – tuna, salmon, sardines
- Salami
- Sausages (just read the nutritional panel carefully and look out for any hidden carbs/sugars)
If you need a helping hand with low-carb diet meal planning I suggest Balanced Keto Weekly Meal Plans, where you’ll get weekly Keto Diet Meal Plans delivered straight to your Inbox. Get 7 days of meal planning every week – all done for you! Click here to learn more.
Keto Fruit and Vegetables List
I try to include a portion of vegetables that are low in net carbs with every meal, and work through a variety through the day and week, to include as many nutrients as possible.
Here’s a list of low carb vegetables to choose from:
- Mushrooms
- Broccoli
- Spinach and other leafy greens
- Cauliflower
- Zucchini
- Cabbage
- Asparagus
- Cucumber
- Celery
- Radishes
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Eggplant
- Green Beans
- Bok Choy
- Brussels Sprouts
- Avocado
- Peppers/Capsicum
- Garlic
- Onion
- Leeks
- Tomatoes
- Sauerkraut
- Pickles
- Olives
With fruit, you’re limited to strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, lemons and limes. Other fruit tends to be too high in sugars and carbs to be included on a strict keto diet. (Enjoy lemons in an easy homemade keto lemon curd.)
Keto Food List For Beginners – Extra Items
Here are a few more beginner keto grocery list items to stock your pantry and fridge with that are low in carbs:
- Almond Milk
- Stevia
- Almond Flour
- Tea
- Coffee
- Kombucha
- Salt, Pepper & other seasonings/herbs
- Sugar free and low carb salad dressings
- Pizza/Pasta Sauce/Tomato Sauce (just check the nutritional panel for hidden carbs)
- Low carb and sugar free ice cream
- Salad dressing
- Stock cubes
- Vanilla Extract
- Peanut Butter, Almond Butter and other nut butters
What Should You Avoid On A Keto Diet?
Now that you know what you should eat, the question you may be asking is, what should you avoid? The short answer is that you should avoid foods that aren’t on this list!
Some keto dieters believe, however, that nothing should be off limits and as long as you eat to your macros, you can eat anything. And to a certain degree that’s true. You could go and eat a banana and consume your entire days carb intake in one go!
In all seriousness though, if you stick to whole foods and avoid refined sugars and high-carb foods, then you should be steered towards foods that are more keto friendly.
Keto Meal Ideas For Beginners
Putting it all together, meals can be as easy as the above pictured breakfast which is simply eggs and mushrooms fried in plenty of butter or coconut oil.
You can add a dollop of cour cream or a wedge of cheese on the side to elevate the fat content.
For more inspiration, here are some easy keto meal ideas for you. Most of the delicious recipes on my blog have just 4 or 5 ingredients, are quick to prepare and are better than their high carb counterparts.
Simply click any of the keto recipes titles below to be taken to the full recipe and video tutorial.
Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
When you’re craving something sweet, here are some simple desserts to choose from:
As you can see, there really are plenty of easy meals and sweet treats to choose from when you mix and match ingredients from this keto food list for beginners.
Keto Food List For Beginners Video
Here’s a video where I talk you through some of my keto food essentials. Hit play below or click here to watch on YouTube.
More Keto Food List For Beginners Info
Disclaimer – this post is meant for informational post only and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your health professional before making any dietary changes.
Disclosure – this post contains affiliate links.
