Keto foods are high in fat, moderate in protein, and very low in carbohydrates, typically keeping you under 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day. The goal is to shift your body into ketosis, a metabolic state where you burn fat for fuel instead of glucose. Most people following a standard ketogenic diet aim for 70% to 80% of their daily calories from fat, 10% to 20% from protein, and only 5% to 10% from carbs. Here’s what that looks like on your plate.
Fats and Oils: The Foundation
Since fat makes up the vast majority of your calories on keto, the oils and fats you cook with matter more than on any other diet. The best options include extra virgin olive oil (rich in monounsaturated fat), coconut oil, avocado oil, butter, and ghee. Avocado oil has the highest smoke point of any cooking oil, making it ideal for high-heat cooking like searing and roasting. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides, a type of saturated fat your body converts to ketones more readily than other fats.
MCT oil, extracted from coconut or palm kernel oil, takes this a step further. It’s flavorless and can be added to coffee, smoothies, or dressings. If you buy MCT oil, look for products that contain mostly caprylic acid (C8) and capric acid (C10), the two fatty acids shown to raise ketone levels most effectively.
Meat, Fish, and Eggs
Animal proteins are a keto staple because they contain zero carbs. Fattier cuts work best for hitting your fat targets without overshooting protein: think ribeye over sirloin, chicken thighs over chicken breast, and salmon or sardines over tilapia. Bacon, pork belly, and lamb shoulder are all naturally high-fat options.
Eggs are one of the most versatile keto foods. Each large egg has less than 1 gram of carbs, about 5 grams of fat, and 6 grams of protein. Shellfish like shrimp and crab are nearly zero-carb, though some shellfish (mussels and oysters, for instance) carry a few grams per serving worth watching.
Processed meats like sausages, deli meats, and jerky can be convenient, but check labels carefully. Manufacturers often add sugar, dextrose, or maltodextrin as fillers or flavor enhancers, which quietly adds carbs.
Low-Carb Vegetables
Vegetables grown above ground are your safest picks. Non-starchy options like broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, spinach, peppers, mushrooms, green beans, and asparagus average about 5 grams of carbs per half-cup cooked serving. Salad greens like lettuce, romaine, spinach, and arugula contain so little carbohydrate they’re essentially free foods you can eat liberally.
Cauliflower deserves special mention because it doubles as a low-carb substitute for rice, mashed potatoes, and pizza crust. Zucchini works the same way as a pasta replacement.
Starchy vegetables are a different story. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and peas pack 15 grams or more of carbs per serving, enough to use up most of your daily budget in a single side dish. Root vegetables like carrots and beets land somewhere in the middle. Small amounts are fine, but they add up faster than leafy greens.
Dairy Products
Cheese and cream are naturally low in carbs because the milk sugar (lactose) is removed during processing. Hard and aged cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, gouda, and Swiss are excellent choices, usually containing less than 1 gram of carbs per ounce. Soft cheeses like brie and cream cheese work well too.
Heavy cream, sour cream, and full-fat cream cheese are keto-friendly cooking ingredients that add richness without significant carbs. Butter, of course, is nearly pure fat.
Milk itself is not keto-friendly. A single cup of whole milk has about 12 grams of carbs from lactose. Yogurt varies widely: plain full-fat Greek yogurt is lower in carbs than regular yogurt, but flavored varieties often contain added sugar that pushes them well out of range.
Nuts and Seeds
Not all nuts are created equal on keto. The best options per one-ounce (28-gram) serving:
- Pecans: 1 gram net carbs, with only 8% of calories from carbohydrates
- Macadamia nuts: 2 grams net carbs, extremely high in fat
- Walnuts: 2 grams net carbs
Almonds and hazelnuts are reasonable in small portions. Cashews, on the other hand, are one of the highest-carb nuts at around 8 grams of net carbs per ounce, so they can sneak up on you fast. Seeds like chia, flax, hemp, and pumpkin seeds are all low-carb and add healthy fats and fiber to smoothies, salads, or baked goods.
Nut butters are convenient but check labels for added sugar and vegetable oils. The ingredient list should be short: just nuts, and maybe salt.
Fruits That Fit
Most fruit is too high in sugar for keto, but berries are the exception. Raspberries are the best option at just 7 grams of net carbs per cup. Strawberries come in at 8.7 grams of net carbs per cup. Blackberries are similarly low. These numbers mean you can enjoy a reasonable serving of berries without burning through your entire carb budget.
Avocados, while technically a fruit, are the ultimate keto food. They’re loaded with healthy fat, fiber, and potassium, with only about 3 grams of net carbs per whole avocado. Olives are another savory, fat-rich fruit that fits easily.
Tropical fruits like bananas, mangoes, grapes, and pineapple are far too high in sugar. A single medium banana contains roughly 24 grams of net carbs, more than your entire daily allowance on a strict keto plan.
Drinks and Sweeteners
Water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea are your simplest options. Sparkling water and mineral water work too. If you want sweetness without the carbs, stevia and erythritol are the most reliable choices. Neither one raises blood sugar the way regular sugar does, and erythritol has been shown to have minimal impact on blood glucose levels.
Diet sodas sweetened with sucralose or stevia are technically zero-carb, though some people find they trigger cravings. Bone broth is another popular keto beverage, especially during the first week when electrolyte loss can cause headaches and fatigue (often called “keto flu”).
Alcohol is a gray area. Dry wines and spirits like vodka, gin, and whiskey contain few or no carbs, but your body prioritizes metabolizing alcohol over burning fat, which can slow ketosis. Beer is generally too high in carbs, though a few low-carb brands exist.
Hidden Carbs to Watch For
The biggest threat to staying in ketosis isn’t the obvious sugary foods. It’s the hidden carbs in foods that seem safe. There are at least 61 different names for sugar on food labels, including dextrose, maltose, barley malt, rice syrup, and maltodextrin. Sugar is routinely added to savory products like ketchup, salad dressings, pasta sauce, and bread.
Common culprits that catch people off guard include “sugar-free” products that use maltitol (a sugar alcohol that still raises blood sugar significantly), pre-made marinades and sauces, flavored coffee creamers, and even some medications and supplements that use sugar-based coatings. Getting in the habit of reading nutrition labels and scanning ingredient lists for anything ending in “-ose” or “-syrup” will save you from unknowingly exceeding your carb limit.