When you start a Keto diet, it is essential that you only eat foods that are listed in the allowed list. As you get used to it, you will get to know your body and be able to judge what works or doesn’t work, and you will be able to have other foods outside of the food list, but please stay within these limits, or you risk returning to your old eating habits. Eventually, you will need smaller and smaller portions and go longer and longer without eating.

It is essential that you only eat when you are hungry and stop before you get full. Eating this way will retrain your body to recognise when you are hungry and not just eating for the sake of it. Don’t be afraid to skip meals as this promotes fat loss, and certainly don’t be scared of eating fat; this will fill you up and keep you fuller for longer DO NOT EAT LOW FAT if it says low fat, products with low fat tend to be higher in sugar and carbs and should be avoided.

MEAT CAN BE EATEN IN ALL FORMS, STEAK, CHOPS, BREAST, LEG, FRESH OR FROZEN. FISH CAN BE FRESH, FROZEN OR TINNED. BERRIES CAN BE FRESH OR FROZEN (BUT NOT DRIED). WATCH OUT FOR CARBS, SUGAR AND SALT IN FOODS, READ EVERYTHING.

• Lemon/lime juice and mayo (shop bought) should be limited to 4tbsp per day
• Cheese should be limited to 4 oz per day
• Heavy Cream should be limited to 2tbsp per day

PROTEIN

• Meat – Beef, Chicken, Veal, Goat, Lamb, Pork, Duck, Quail, Pheasant & any other wild game.
• Bacon and Sausages
• Fish –  Cod, Flounder, Catfish, Halibut, Mackerel, Salmon, Snapper, Trout, & Tuna. (Preferably wild caught fish)
• Cold meats – Ham, Chorizo, Pepperoni, turkey, chicken, Prosciutto, Salami
• Shellfish – Crab, Oysters, Clams, Squid, Scallops, Mussels, & Lobster
• Eggs – including duck eggs, preferably free range eggs, eat fried, boiled, devilled, poached, in omelettes or scrambled.
• Peanut butter
• Whey protein powder

NOTES

• Check bacon to see if it’s been cured in sugar, or if it contains extra fillers
• Avoid anything breaded
• Grass fed meat is preferred as it has a better fatty acid content
• Try to eat only wild caught fish
• Peanut butter can be high in carbs so check the ingredients, try to find a low carb substitute as peanuts are not nuts they are a legume and we do not eat legumes on keto
• Whey protein powders can cause insulin spikes so if you stop losing weight you may want to avoid them

VEGETABLES

• Lettuces and salad greens
• Sorrel
• Boston lettuce
• Radicchio
• Chicory
• Endive
• Escarole
• Fennel
• Mache

• Squash
• Mushrooms
• Olives
• Radishes
• Sprouts
• Sauerkraut
• Snow Peas
• Turnips
• Romaine

• Dill pickles
• Onions, Spring onions, Shallots
• Garlic
• Leeks
• Swiss chard, Spinach, Kale
• Tomatoes
• Arugula

NOTES

• You should aim to eat at least 1-2 cups of greens every day
• Avoid any vegetables that grow in or close to the ground as they will be higher in carbs
• Be careful with the amount of tomatoes, onions and peppers as these are also higher in carbs

FATS

• Olive Oil
• Avocado Oil
• MCT Oil
• Ghee
• Walnut Oil

• Sesame Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Lard
• Tallow
• Red Palm Oil

• Duck Fat
• Butter
• Coconut Butter
• Cocoa Butter

NOTES

• Walnut Oil & Sesame Oil should only be used in small amounts as they contain higher carbs

DRINKS

• Bone broth
• Diet soda (as long as it doesn’t affect you)
• Water
• Coffee

• Tea
• Green tea
• Lemon and lime infused water in small amounts

• Almond milk
• Coconut milk
• Fruit tea

NOTES

• Walnut Oil & Sesame Oil should only be used in small amounts as they contain higher carbs

DAIRY

• Greek Yogurt
• Whipping cream
• Sour Cream
• Double cream
• Parmesan cheese
• Cheddar cheese
• Mozzarella cheese
• Feta cheese

• Swiss cheese
• Blue cheese
• Gouda
• Cottage cheese (full fat)
• Cream cheese (full fat)
• American cheese
• Butter
• Ghee

Dairy-free alternatives

• Coconut Milk (un-sweetened)
• Almond Milk (un-sweetened)
• Coconut Cream

NOTES

• Dairy proteins whey and casein cause insulin spikes, if you find you are not losing weight limit them or cut them out completely
• Some people are also dairy sensitive, if you feel bloated in the tummy area cut back on the amount of dairy you are eating
• Not everyone is able to tolerate dairy, if you have Coeliac disease you may become intolerant to dairy until your gut heals, if you feel you may have a dairy intolerance try eliminating it out of your diet for a few weeks and then reintroduce it and see how you feel
• If you cannot tolerate butter you may be ok with ghee but if not you can substitute it with coconut oil
• Always stick to full fat dairy

FRUIT

• Olives
• Avocado
• Lemon

• Blueberries
• Cranberries
• Raspberries

• Limes
• Strawberries
• Blackberries

NOTES

• All fruit should be avoided on a low carb diet, this is because it is high in carbs and sugar
• If you have to have fruit you can have a small amount of berries now and again but if you feel that you are not losing weight you should avoid them

NUTS & SEEDS

• Almonds
• Pine Nuts
• Hazelnuts
• Walnuts
• Cashews

• Pecans
• Macadamia Nuts
• Pistachios
• Flax seed
• Psyllium Seeds

• Chia Seeds
• Sunflower Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sesame Seeds
• Nut Butters

NOTES

• Make sure if you are eating nuts you choose lower carb ones, macadamias, pecans, almonds and walnuts are the lowest carb nuts
• If you feel like you’re not losing weight cut back on the amount of nuts you eat

SWEETENERS

• Stevia
• Swerve
• Erythritol
• Xylitol
• Splenda

NOTES

• It is advised that you avoid all sugar and sweeteners but if you absolutely have to have them try to stick with the ones listed

HERBS & SPICES

• Ginger
• Paprika
• Chilli
• Garlic
• Onion powder ect

• Cardamom
• Cilantro
• Allspice
• Nutmeg
• Turmeric
• Cinnamon

• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Dill
• Sage
• Cloves
• Parsley

NOTES

• Herbs and spices are great for adding flavour just remember that they do contain carbs so make sure you log them
• Read labels for hidden wheat gluten and sugar

OTHER FOOD ITEMS

• Vinegar’s
• Shredded coconut
• Mustard
• Hot sauce
• Ranch dressing
• Blue cheese dressing
• Salsa

• Salt
• Mayonnaise
• Pork Rinds
• Beef Jerky
• Pickles (gerkins, dill ect)
• Cod Liver Oil (Fish Oil)
• Tomato puree
• Pasta sauce

• Sugar free salad dressing
• Fish Sauce
• Gelatine
• Vanilla extract
• Dark Chocolate
• Gluten free tamari Sauce
• Coconut aminos
• Cider/wine vinegars

• Monk fruit
• Almond flour
• Almond meal
• Coconut flour
• Cacao powder
• Cocoa powder
• Garlic puree
• Chilli puree

NOTES

• You should use pink himalayanrock salt instead of table salt
• Sauces and mayonnaise should be homemade where possible
• Check labels for shop bought items and always choose lower carb, full fat and sugar free

FOODS TO AVOID

• All grains
• Fruit
• Farmed fish
• Soy products
• Alcohol (can’t burn fat while burning alcohol)

• Refined fats / oils
• Low-fat, low-carb, zero-carb products
• Milk
• Fizzy drinks
• Corn

• Processed foods
• MSG – monosodium glutamate
• Artificial sweeteners
• Sugar
• Rice

READING FOOD LABELS

NOTES

Check all packaging for the carbs & sugar content.

Carbs should be 2g of carbohydrates or less per 100g for meat and dairy products and 5 grams or less per 100g for vegetables and any other food items, be aware that eating any products outside of the approved foods list may have an impact on your weight loss.

All of these are forms of sugar: fruit juice concentrate, sucrose, dextrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, glucose, molasses, honey, agave syrup, corn sweetener, high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, syrup,  evaporated cane juice, cane juice.

Avoid MSG and maltodextrin.

Now you have seen what you are allowed to eat on a keto diet, check out our guide on getting started on a ketogenic diet.