What Foods Should You Eat to Stay on Track with the Keto Diet?

September 29, 2020

Keto diets require you to eat foods primarily high in fat; that’s how the body goes into a state of ketosis, burning weight off to lose pounds along the way.

Starting a keto diet with minimal knowledge on the matter can pose as a difficult task. You need to know the foods that are best to eat and the foods that are still good, even if they don’t rank as #1 on the keto charts.

Additionally, there are different categories you have to worry about, such as:

• What kind of meat should you eat?
• What fish and seafood are appropriate to consume?
• Do eggs fall into the keto diet?
• What vegetables have a place on the charts?
• Is dairy included?
• What about nuts and berries?

All those questions are valid. You just need to get the correct information to answer them the right way, and then you can proceed with your keto diet. And that’s exactly what we’re here to help with.

What kind of meat should you eat?

Unprocessed meats are the way to go. If you can, choose organic and grass-fed meats every time; they’re best for your health and your ketosis.

You want to aim to find meats that have no added carbs. Sausages, cold cuts, and meatballs, unfortunately, do contain added carbs most of the time - but there are some brands out there that do not. Our advice? Look close at the packaging and details if they’re available before purchasing sausages, cold cuts, and meatballs. If you’re hesitant to ask the deli clerk, it’s probably best to avoid buying that meat product.

The best meat products to eat on keto are listed below:

• Beef
• Chicken
• Lamb
• Pork
• Veal
• Bacon
• Hot dogs

What fish and seafood are appropriate to consume?

Certain fishes and seafood contain more mercury than others, and that’s found to be a concern of keto dieters. If you want to avoid or limit your mercury consumption, we suggest consuming small fishes, like sardines, mackerel, and herring. But if we’re honest, the best fish and seafood for you are the fatty ones.

The following is a list of the best fish and seafood options you can eat while on keto:

• Fatty fish (e.g., salmon)
• Whitefish (e.g., tilapia)
• Crab
• Lobster
• Mussels
• Octopus
• Scallops
• Shrimp
• Squid

Do eggs fall into the keto diet?

The answer to that question is absolutely! Eggs can be eaten any way you want while you’re on the keto diet. We do recommend purchasing organic or pasteurized, though, as they are the healthiest. 

You can cook your eggs any of the following ways:

• Hard boil
• Soft boil
• Sunnyside up
• Hard scrambled
• Soft scrambled
• Over easy
• Over medium
• Over hard 

What vegetables have a place on the charts?

Fresh and frozen vegetables are excellent foods to include in your keto diet daily. Leafy greens are super healthy, but realistically, any vegetable that’s grown above ground is perfect to stay in ketosis.

Some of the best veggies to add to your keto diet are as follows:

• Lettuce
• Collard greens
• Spinach
• Turnip
• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Celery
• Eggplant
• Mushrooms
• Tomato
• Zucchini

 Some of the good veggies to add to your keto diet are as follows:

• Artichokes
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Cucumbers
• Green beans

Is dairy included?

Dairy does have its limitations when you’re in ketosis, but it’s included in the diet.

For starters, it’s best to avoid milk in excess; milk has a ton of sugar in it, and that’s not necessarily wanted in a keto diet. However, you’re more than welcomed to add milk to your coffee. All you have to do is consume the liquid in moderation.

The same goes for low-fat yogurts, as those have a ton of unnecessary sugar added in, too.

Instead, stick to some of the best dairy food products, listed below:

• Butter
• Heavy cream - for cooking
• Soft cheeses (e.g., blue, Colby, goat, gouda)
• Hard cheeses (e.g., cheddar, Havarti, mozzarella, parmesan, pepper jack, provolone, swiss)

Or, lean on some of the excellent dairy food products, listed below: 

• Feta
• Cream cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Plain Greek yogurt
• Sour cream
• Small amounts of whole milk

What about nuts and berries?

Nuts and berries are delicious, and relatively good for you on a keto diet, in moderation.

Remember that nuts and berries don’t fill your stomach right away; it takes more than a small portion size to satisfy that hunger. That doesn’t mean you can’t keep the two food categories in your daily diet, though.

 The best nuts and berries to consume are as follows:

• Macadamias
• Pecans
• Blackberries
• Raspberries

Try your best to avoid nuts like cashews, as they aren’t great for ketosis.

As for the berries, we suggest pairing them with real whipped cream to create a delicious and healthy dessert.

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