If you know a thing or two about ketogenic diets, by now you’ve learned that they are low-carb and high-fat diets that will help you lose weight and boost up your energy levels quickly. And just as is the case with other diets, they can get somewhat dull after a period of time.
The best piece of advice we can give you is to keep your diet simple, never boring! Though you have limited food types you can eat, there are tons of recipes out there that you can make from the comfort of your own home. Quick snacks and energy boosters, salads, main courses, and desserts — you name it!
If you are new to keto diets, you surely need a quick guide to what keto-friendly items you can put into your grocery cart and take home, right? Well, since keto diets are quite high in protein, that is the perfect place to start!
Include Proteins
You will still be able to eat most of your meats, so make sure to include a special “protein section” to your next grocery list. Salmon, chicken, tuna, beef, turkey, sardines and even bacon will be the stars of most of your meals.
However, you should be aware of the carb content of some seafood and shellfish, and try to avoid meats bulked out with flour (sausage, hot dogs, economy burgers, “chicken shapes”, etc.). For example, ¼ lb squid can have up to 9 grams of net carbs, which means you can include it in your diet, but just don’t overdo it!
Keto-Friendly Vegetables
As for the salad ingredients, you will be on the safe side with most of the vegetables you come across. Some of your go-to ingredients will be:
- Celery
- Cabbage
- Chives
- Artichoke
- Cucumber
- Lettuce
- Olives
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Radicchio
- Peppers
- Eggplant
- Mushrooms
- Brussels sprouts
- Radishes
- Arugula
- Avocado; and many others
Try to include vegetables into as many meals as you can because, first of all, they are healthy, and relatively all of them have low-carb content (all of the listed vegetables have roughly less than 3 grams of net carbs per cup). And they will make your meaty meals that much tastier! Veggies are just about the most versatile food group there is, so you won’t get sick of eating them, that’s for sure!
Speaking of veggies, you are probably wondering what kinds of oils you will be able to use when cooking them. Well, unfortunately, the first thing you will have to do is bid goodbye to your favourite sunflower oil, and make room for some fats and oils such as grass-fed butter, coconut oil (a must!), olive oil, sesame seed oil, walnut oil, grape seed oil, lard, canola oil, flaxseed oil or safflower oil. (See also: How A Ketogenic Diet Can Help Fight Depression)
Is Mayonnaise Keto?
And, which may come as a surprise to you, you can use mayonnaise in most of your meals as well! As for the other fats you may be interested in, full-fat cheese and heavy whipping cream are not leaving your kitchen anytime soon!
Of course, if you enjoy pouring yourself a drink every now and then, we haven’t forgotten about you, either! Here is the (rather short) list of alcoholic drinks you can still enjoy while staying in ketosis — bourbon, gin, rum, scotch, and vodka. These drinks have no net carbs whatsoever, but don’t let this go to your head! Avoid drinking beer at any cost, because just one pint of beer can have up to 10 grams of net carbs. Definitely not worth it, right?
On a spicier note, if you were wondering about your favorite herbs and spices, you can use almost all of them. But keep in mind that not all will have the same fat-burning benefits for you like cayenne pepper, mustard seed, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, garlic, ginseng, and black pepper will! As for the herbs, try to either grow your own if you have the chance, buy locally grown and organic herbs (the same being the case with dried herbs!).
What About Keto Fruits?
And, though most diets will encourage you to eat all kinds of fruits you can get your hands on, this may not be the case with ketogenic diets. Some fruits have a higher content of net carbs than others, so make sure to limit your fruit intake to the following fruits — strawberries, raspberries, melon, currants, cranberries, blackberries, blueberries, and cherries.
You can mix them up with different nuts and seeds, and make a delicious fruit salad of your choice. The nut department gives you a wider range to choose from, so you can add nuts like almonds, cashews, peanuts, macadamias, shredded coconut, pistachios, walnuts, etc.
However, the easier way by far is to take exogenous ketones to induce ketosis more rapidly. Konscious Keto exogenous ketones are a great choice for that kind because they contain natural ingredients and their perfect blend of essential minerals and electrolytes will improve your state of ketosis.
Now that you’ve got your list of all these delicious keto-friendly items, it’s about time you went grocery shopping, right? Happy cooking, and enjoy your diet!
About The Author:
Sam is the medical consultant with Konscious Keto who helps healthcare and fitness businesses reach their full online potential. Sam is passionate about ketosis diet. His current focus is helping healthcare businesses create better online consulting service. He frequently writes about the latest advancements in the healthcare and fitness industry.
