Extensive Keto Food List for Beginners (+ Free Printable PDF!)

A meal without a starchy side dish in form of potatoes or rice just doesn’t feel complete for most of us and carbs usually make up the biggest chunk of the average persons’ daily calorie intake.

Once you take the step to ban carbs from your plate, you might ask yourself how you’re supposed to be satisfied after a meal from now on.

To help you answer this question, we have created this extensive list of keto foods that will give you a very good overview at the beginning of your keto diet.

From the best low carb vegetables to hidden treasures like shirataki noodles – this list has it all.

But the best is yet to come: At the bottom of this post, you’ll find a download link for our free printable PDF file.
This way you’ll always know the net carb content of most keto foods, even when you’re offline.

What foods can I eat on a keto diet?

• Meat & Eggs
• Fish & Seafood
• Dairy Products
• Vegetables
• Berries & Low-Sugar Fruit
• Nuts & Seeds
• Healthy Fats & Oils
• Sauces & Dips
• Drinks
• Other Keto Foods

Where does our information come from?

The nutrition information stems from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the German Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food (MRI).

The content provided in this post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. See further information.

1Meat & Eggs

2Fish & Seafood

3Dairy Products

4Vegetables

5Berries & Low-Sugar Fruit

6Nuts & Seeds

8Sauces & Dips

9Drinks

10Other Keto Foods

11Free Keto Food List as Printable PDF

12FAQ’s

1. Meat & Eggs

Meat & eggs are true nutrient bombs.
They will provide a large part of your daily calories and essential nutrients while you’re following a low carb or keto diet.

By the way, the cholesterol in eggs won’t give you a heart attack just as the protein in meat won’t destroy your kidneys – these and a lot of other claims aren’t based on good science and have been debunked countless times.

Learn more about common meat myths and about eggs & cholesterol.

2. Fish & Seafood

Fish and seafood are a great choice for the ketogenic or low carb diet.

Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines or herring are a great source of bioavailable omega 3 fatty acids, which humans need for a number of reasons, including healthy brain function.

But fish and seafood have a lot of other benefits besides their high omega 3 fatty acid content – they’re also high in dozens of other important nutrients as well as protein.

3. Dairy Products

Low-fat dairy products usually have a higher carb count than their full-fat counterparts.

Dairy products such as cheese and yogurt are also high in specific nutrients, but be aware that eating too many dairy products might hinder your weight loss goals.

This is because it is pretty easy to overeat them and you could easily go over your carb- and calorie goal for the day without realizing it.

For this reason, it is advisable to consume dairy products on the keto diet in moderation.

4. Vegetables

Try to choose more nutritious vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, avocados, and kale instead of nutrient-poor varieties like lettuce.

5. Berries & Low-Sugar Fruit

Even though the carbs from fruit can quickly add up and it shouldn’t be consumed in high amounts on a ketogenic diet, it is still ok to eat it in moderation.

Especially common types of berries such as strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are relatively low in sugar and are therefore suitable for a low carb diet when eaten in small amounts.

In order to not eat too much fruit at once, you might want to make fruity low carb desserts instead of eating them fresh, as that may lead to mindless snacking and overshooting of your carb goal.

6. Nuts & Seeds

Magnesium is often lacking in our modern diet and pumpkin seeds, almonds and the like are good sources of magnesium.

However, similar to dairy products, it might be quite easy for you to overeat on nuts and seeds and overshoot your carb- and calorie goals.

So it might be wise to limit your nuts and seeds consumption while you try to lose weight.

7. Healthy Fats & Oils

However, it is better to use olive oil for cold dishes only and not for frying.

8. Sauces & Dips

Ideally, you should primarily use self-made sauces & dips or store-bought ones that do not contain sugar or other unhealthy additives.

9. Drinks

Other drinks like coffee, tea, or (in moderation) diet sodas are also suitable for the ketogenic diet.

Even some alcoholic drinks like dry wine or gin can be part of a ketogenic diet if consumed in moderation.

10. Other Keto Foods

These foods make the transition to the keto diet easier and some of them are truly hidden treasures!

Erythritol, shirataki noodles, and the like help to make the keto diet a sustainable lifestyle with nothing missing.

11. Free Keto Food List as Printable PDF

If you are looking for recipes to make with these keto foods, check out our keto recipes page!

Next step:
Download the PDF files, print them out and hang them on your fridge to keep track of the carb count of a wide variety of keto foods!

Tip: Download the PDF to your phone as well – this way you’ll always have an overview of the best low carb foods when you’re on the road or grocery shopping.

FAQ’s

Learn more about keto

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