- (grass-fed) meat: beef, lamb, goat, venison; avoid processed meats, alway read labels carefully.
- (wild-caught) fish and seafood.
- pastured pork and poultry.
- (pastured) eggs.
- (grass-fed) offal: liver, heart, kidneys and other organ meat.
- saturated: lard, beef tallow, chicken fat, goose fat, clarified butter/ghee, butter and coconut oil.
- mono-unsaturated: avocado-, macadamia- and olive oil.
- poly-unsaturated omega 3’s, especially from animal sources: fatty fish and seafood.
Non starchy vegetables
- leafy greens: Swiss chard, spinach, lettuce, chard, chives, endive, chard, bok choy, radicchio etc.
- some cruciferous vegetables: kale, kohlrabi and radishes.
- others: celery, asparagus, cucumber, yellow or green zucchini, green bell pepper and bamboo shoots.
Fruits, nuts and seeds
- macadamia nuts
Beverages and condiments
- water, coffee (black or with heavy whipping cream/coconut milk) and tea (green, black or herbal).
- pork rinds (for breading).
- mayonaise (without added sugars and preferably with 100% olive oil or macadamia oil), pesto, bone broth, pickles and fermented foods kimchi, kombucha and sauerkraut; read labels carefully, often store-bought versions contain added sugars and additives.
- all spices and herbs, lemon/lime juice and the zest.
- egg white protein and grass-fed gelatin; beware of additives, artificial sweeteners, hormones and soy lecithin.
Eat in moderation
Vegetables, mushrooms and fruits
- white/green/red cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, fennel, turnips and rutabaga.
- eggplant, tomatoes and red peppers.
- parsley root, spring onion, leek, onion, garlic, mushrooms and pumpkin.
- nori, kombu, okra, green beans, bean sprouts, sugar snap peas, wax beans, globe or French artichokes and water chestnuts.
- berries( blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, mulberries etc) and rhubarb; try to avoid eating fruits at the start of keto until more keto adapted.
Grain-fed animal sources and dairy
- beef, poultry and eggs; check labels for the source of these products.
- dairy products: plain full fat yoghurt, cottage cheese, heavy whipping cream, sour cream, crème fraîche and full fat cheese; avoid anything labelled ‘low fat’.
bacon; check labels for preservatives and added starches.
Nuts and seeds
- pecans, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pinenuts, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds; mind the portion sizes.
- brazil nuts in small amounts due to the high selenium levels.
Fermented soy products
- natto, tempeh and soy sauce; non-GMO, fermented kind only.
- coconut aminos.
- edamame and black soybeans; unprocessed.
- healthy zero-carb sweeteners (stevia, erythritol etc).
- thickeners: arrowroot powder or xanthan gum; may cause intestinal issues so please be aware.
- sugar-free tomato products; puree, pasta sauce and ketchup.
- raw cacao powder, carob powder, extra dark chocolate of at least 75% (85% or 90% are better).
Vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds with a higher carb count, only eaten occasionally and in small amounts when keto adapted or in maintenance
- root vegetables: celery roor, carrot, beetroot, parsnip and sweet potato.
- apricot, watermelon, cantaloupe/galia/honeydew melon, dragons fruit (pitaya), peach, nectarine, apple, grapefruit, kiwi, kiwi berries, orange, plums, cherries, pears and fresh figs; all in very small amounts.
- pistachio, cashew nuts and chestnuts.
- dry red wine, dry white wine and unsweetened spirits; do not drink alcohol if weight loss is your goal as the body will always prefer alcohol for energy over body fat. Keep in mind your alcohol tolerance is lower in ketosis, you will get inebriated a lot faster.
- all grains, quinoa and potatoes, including ALL products made of grains.
- all sugars, sweets, cake, pastry, desserts, soda (including diet soda), ice-cream etc.
factory-farmed pork and fish that are high in mercury: swordfish, king mackerel, shark etc.
- processed foods containing carrageenan, MSG (always check labels for mention of MSG with another term), sulphites and PCB.
- artificial sweeteners: Splenda, Equal, aspartame, sucralose, sacharine, acesulfame-K etc.
- refined fats and oils (sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, canola, soybean, grapeseed and corn) and trans fats such as margarine.
- all products labeled ‘low fat’, ‘low carb’, ‘light’ and ’zero carb’; Atkins and Quest products or similar are also non-keto.
- milk with the exception of very small amounts of raw full-fat milk.
- alcoholic and sweet beverages.
- tropical fruits: pineapple, mango, banana, papaya etc, high-carb fruits such as tangerine, grapes etc and dried fruits.
- fruit juices- and smoothies.
- soy products (with the exception of non-GM fermented products) and peanuts; legumes are very bad for gut health.
- wheat gluten; these are sometimes added to low-carb foods so always check labels for them.