Keto Low-Carb Foods for a Healthy Life

Hey guys, How are you? I hope You are perfect. A list of keto-friendly foods for keto cooking. When starting the ketogenic diet, it is important to know which foods you can eat and which foods to avoid. The basics of this diet include eating lots of fat, lots of green vegetables, moderate amounts of protein, and very few carbs. Keto is the number one lifestyle diet for losing weight, reversing diabetes, and healing the body from many diseases. In today's article, we will share a list of healthy low-carb foods you can consume to allow your body to enter ketosis and begin burning fat rapidly.

1. Fruits - 

On the keto diet, you have to remove sugary foods entirely. Unfortunately, most fruits are high in fructose which will prevent you from getting into ketosis. You can eat low glycaemic fruits in small amounts such as blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and star fruit. Be careful and make sure that you stay within your daily carb limit of 20-30g net. Avocados are the healthiest fruit on the planet and we highly recommend consuming them regularly. It is a rich source of healthy fats which heal your body and help you to burn fat. You can also consume lots of lemon and lime juice as this helps the body to produce more ketones and improves digestion.

2. Dairy - 

Some people are intolerant to dairy and others can handle it very well. On keto, only full-fat high-quality dairy is allowed. Look for raw and organic products. You can consume full-fat cream, grass-fed butter, Greek yogurt, cream cheese, half and half, mascarpone cheese, mozzarella, brie, cheddar, parmesan, feta, swiss cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, crème Fraiche and homemade mayonnaise. Some of these do contain carbs so you will have to track them to stay within your carb limit. If you are lactose intolerant avoid dairy altogether and use unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk.

3. Saturated Fats - 

When switching to keto you will be eating lots of healthy fats as a fuel source for the body instead of carbs and sugar. The best saturated fats to consume are grass-fed butter, cheese, cream, ghee (clarified butter), lard, tallow and extra virgin coconut oil, MCT oil, or eco-friendly palm oil. These are rich in fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D E, and K which heal the body and speed up fat burning. These fats also have a higher smoke point and can be used for shallow frying, sautéing, and cooking delicious meals.

4. Vegetable Fats - 

We also highly recommend consuming monounsaturated fats like cold-pressed olive oil, flax oil, sesame oil, avocado oil, or macadamia nut oil. These are great to use in delicious salad dressings and can help your body to absorb more nutrients when eaten with vegetables. These fats add a great depth of flavor to meals and can help your body heal and reduce inflammation. Avoid unhealthy oils such as margarine spreads, vegetable oil, soy oil, canola oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, and fast foods that are fried in trans fats. Many of these are genetically modified products that inflame the liver and cause fat to build up in the body. These are dangerous for your overall health and cause hormone imbalances.

5. Protein - 

On keto, you could be consuming around 85-170g of protein per meal to strengthen and protect your muscles. Be careful not to consume too much protein as extra amounts are converted into sugar in the body which will reduce your ketones. One of the best protein sources is pasture-raised eggs which also contain healthy fats and nutrients that help you to burn fat. When it comes to meat, choose organic pasture-raised meats such as beef, lamb, ham, pork chicken, turkey, or bacon. Choose fattier cuts of meat such as ribeye steaks, high-fat ground beef or pork, lamb, goat, etc. These will provide more fuel and energy for the body, with a good fat/protein ratio. Eating organ meats like liver, kidney, heart, tongue, and tripe are also a rich source of nutrients and protein. If you don't like the taste of these you can ask your butcher to mince these and mix them in with your favorite ground meats to disguise the flavor. Sausages often contain many additives and carbs, so be sure to check the label on these. We recommend purchasing high-quality sausages from farmer's markets. When it comes to fish, select wild-caught varieties where possible on keto and enjoy salmon, mackerel, caviar, anchovies, sardines, cod, trout, and tuna. You can also enjoy shellfish which are particularly high in Vitamin B12 such as clams, oysters, lobster, scallops, mussels, squid, and prawns.

6. Omega 3 - 

Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for a healthy body and strong immune system. To get your omega 3's you can consume wild-caught salmon, trout, tuna, herring, and sardines. You can also boost omega-3 levels by taking a krill oil supplement or virgin cod liver oil. You may be wondering about sunflower or safflower oil. These are higher in omega 6 which can cause a little inflammation in the body. Consuming seafood with Omega 3 will balance the omega 3/6 ratio making these fine to eat.

7. Nuts & Seeds - 

We recommend eating nuts and seeds in moderation on keto especially in the beginning as they can cause bloating and irritate the gallbladder. You can eat a small handful of healthy nuts with a meal such as almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, brazil nuts, and pistachios. For seeds, we recommend hemp, chia, flax, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds. These are very nutrient-dense with lots of healthy fats and can improve your health rapidly. You can germinate seeds and nuts by soaking them in water overnight and then dehydrating them in the oven. This makes them much easier to digest for those with gallbladder problems. You can also use unsweetened nut butter like almond butter, peanut butter, and macadamia nut butter for keto puddings called "Fat Bombs". Perform a quick Google search to find many keto fat-bomb recipes.

8. Vegetables - 

The most important foods in keto are vegetables. These provide the nutrients needed to digest fat, build stomach acids, and heal insulin resistance in the body. You should consume cruciferous vegetables every single day such as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Swiss chard, kale, bok choy, watercress, and arugula. We also recommend eating green beans, spinach, chilies, green bell peppers, celery, asparagus, olives, and zucchini. Some vegetables are a little high in carbs, so be sure to monitor your intake of parsnips, beets, tomatoes, onion, red bell peppers, and eggplant. Avoid starchy vegetables like potatoes, squash, and sweet potatoes, and stay away from artichokes, beets, celeriac, rutabaga, carrots, and cassava. Corn should also be avoided as it is usually GMO and sprayed with pesticides that cause you to get a fatty liver.

9. Herbs & Spices - 

Using lots of fresh herbs and dried spices is a great way to add flavor and nutrition to your keto meals. We recommend mint, parsley, thyme, oregano, sea salt, black pepper, turmeric, cumin, chili, paprika, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, ginger, basil, bay leaf, anise, dill, fenugreek, tarragon, and mint. If using large amounts of powdered spice, be sure to count the carbs toward your daily allowance, but generally, spices and herbs are absolutely fine.

10. Sweeteners - 

On keto, you must avoid all forms of sugar but there are some alternative sweeteners you can use to bake with and use in your drinks. The three main sweeteners we recommend are Xylitol, Stevia, and Erythritol. These have a very low effect on blood sugars and taste very similar to sugar, especially xylitol. Just keep these away from your pets as they can be harmful to animals. Also, stay away from honey as this is full of fructose sugar which will knock your body out of ketosis and fat burning.

 

As you can see there are plenty of healthy low-carb foods that you can consume on keto and enjoy every single bite. Remember to stay hydrated with lots of mineral water as ketosis causes you to release more fluids. Try not to have too much of coffee and tea as they contain caffeine which can have negative effects if taken in excess. Try to drink 1-2 cups of these per day maximum, ideally in the morning. I hope you enjoyed this article. For more information please follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Stay tuned with us for more updates. Stay fit and stay healthy!