The keto diet, or ketogenic diet, is a low-carb, high-fat way of eating which offers lots of health benefits and can be a great way to lose weight.. But what exactly can you eat?
What does the keto diet involve?
The diet involves drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake, replacing these foods with healthy fat options. This carb reduction puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis[1]. When your body goes into ketosis, it starts using fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.
It’s a good idea to speak to a doctor before you make the switch to keto.
Keto-friendly foods
The main aim of a keto diet is to lower your carbohydrate intake and achieve ketosis. You’ll need to make sure you’re still getting enough essential vitamins and nutrients to stay healthy, which means choosing low-carb foods and whole foods that help you stay fuller for longer[2].
There are lots of low-carb fruits and vegetables you can eat while you’re following this type of diet. Here are just a few:
- Cucumber
- Peppers
- Courgette
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Coconut
- Lemons and limes
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Avocados
You should try to eat a variety of these every day to make sure you’re getting all the essential vitamins and minerals you need.
Fruits to avoid on the keto diet
While some fruits are okay to eat on the keto diet, providing you don’t go over your carbohydrate limit, there are some others you should avoid. Fruits to avoid on a keto eating plan include high glycemic, sugary types[3]. Some examples are:
- Tangerines
- Oranges
- Pineapples
- Bananas
- Apples
- Pears
- Grapes
- Fruit Juices
- Mangos
- Nectarines
- Peaches
- Dried fruits like raisins, dates, and dried mango, which contain a higher concentration of sugar
- Fruit smoothies, unless you’re sure they stay within your carb goals
- Fruit juices, which include a higher level of sugar
While it might seem strange to see a long list of fruits to avoid on a diet, there is a method to the madness. When it comes to vegetables, you have much more wiggle room. Most have low carbohydrate content, but you should try to avoid the likes of potatoes, corn, parsnips, and others that grow under the ground.
Whatever your reason for trying out the keto diet, we’re sure you’ll enjoy this flexible plan. Allowing you an amount of anything, so long as it fits within your carbohydrates, there are lots of delicious meals and you can enjoy on this diet.
Last updated: 18 September 2020
Sources
1 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-101
2 https://www.atkins.com/how-it-works/library/articles/list-of-foods-you-can-eat-on-keto
3 https://www.atkins.com/how-it-works/library/articles/helpful-tips-ketogenic-foods-to-avoid
