List of foods allowed on the ketogenic diet

Discover the list of foods allowed on the ketogenic diet.

The ketogenic diet is characterized by restricting carbohydrates. Do you want to know what foods it allows? Read on to find out and learn how to make your own “keto menu.”

The foods allowed in the ketogenic diet are a constant search for those who are interested in this nutritional method. It is an eating plan that has become popular in recent years, due to its possible health benefits.

It is effective when it comes to losing weight and also serves to reduce seizures in patients not sensitive to medication. It is even currently being investigated whether it is a treatment for diabetes.

It is based on a simple principle: the restriction of carbohydrates. Since it eliminates an entire food group, this consumption pattern is not for everyone.

Of course, whoever generates good adherence to it is capable of experiencing positive changes in body composition in a short period of time.

List of foods allowed on the ketogenic diet

As we mentioned, the ketogenic diet is an eating plan that does not allow the consumption of carbohydrates.

For this reason, it is necessary to know the foods that can be included regularly so as not to make mistakes. We present them below so that you have no doubts about it.

Keto word from the ketogenic diet

The name “keto” is the abbreviated form of the ketogenic diet, popularized in recent times.

Foods of animal origin

All animal products are allowed under the keto diet, which is another name for this plan.

Meats, fish, and eggs are protein foods that make up the base of the ketogenic dietary pyramid.

Ensuring protein intake is essential to avoid muscle catabolism, which prevents the development of sarcopenia in the medium and long term.

Scientific evidence suggests that the inclusion of these nutrients should be greater than 0.8 grams per kilogram of weight per day, which is the minimum stipulated by the World Health Organization.

You need to be careful with the method of food preparation. The optimal result is to always cook them on the grill, in the oven or by cooking with water. Batters should be avoided, as these would introduce carbohydrates.

In the same way, it is preferable not to fry, to avoid the formation of toxic waste products that can affect health.

An example of these would be polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which cause an increased risk of cancer, according to research published in the journal Scientific Reports.

They can be consumed, then:

White meats.

Red meat

White fish.

Blue fish.

Seafood.

Eggs.

Dairy products.

Vegetables

Most vegetables contain little carbohydrate intake. For this reason, they can be included in the ketogenic diet, as long as tubers and an excess in their amounts are avoided.

It is necessary to emphasize that, when talking about vegetables, we refer to vegetables and greens.

It will be necessary to avoid fruits in large quantities, as their fructose content will break the ketosis process.

This is the part of the metabolism that bases the keto plan and that consists of the production of body energy through sources other than the usual ones.

Proponents of this type of diet maintain that fructose is capable of increasing the risk of liver disease, something that seems to be demonstrated in some recent research.

Likewise, it is necessary to restrict legumes, since these foods also contain sugars capable of interfering with the metabolism of fatty acids.

The vegetables that could be included would be the following:

Cruciferous.

Celery.

Lettuce.

Jewish.

Onion.

Spinach.

Zucchini.

Peppers.

Avocado.

When preparing these products, it is important to avoid, in the same way that it happened with meats, the batter. It is best to cook them on the grill or steamed.

In the case of opting for cooking with water, it is preferable not to discard the broth itself, to avoid the loss of water-soluble vitamins.

Fatty foods

Finally, fatty foods should be included regularly in the ketogenic diet. These provide omega 3 and 6 acids, necessary for the proper functioning of the body.

The former have, among other capacities, a specific power when it comes to modulating systemic inflammation.

In this way, and according to a study published in the journal American Faimily Physician, the regular intake of these nutrients helps reduce cardiovascular risk.

When we talk about fatty foods we refer, fundamentally, to:

Vegetable oils.

Oily fruits (avocado).

Nuts.

These products should always be consumed raw, so as not to damage their nutritional value. Subjecting lipids to high temperatures increases the production of trans-fatty acids. According to the scientific literature, these substances have inflammatory capacities that are harmful to the body.

Drinks allowed on the ketogenic diet

When it comes to the ketogenic diet, it is important to also pay attention to the list of allowed drinks.

Water is always the preferred option. The ideal is to consume it alone, although it is also possible, occasionally, to resort to sparkling water.

Both coffee and tea are allowed, although it is important not to use sugar or artificial sweeteners to avoid causing pancreatic stress. It is possible to reduce these liquids with a jet of milk.

The ketogenic diet, very sporadically, allows the intake of small amounts of alcohol. However, experts do not support this practice, since alcoholic beverages worsen health in other ways.

Ketogenic diet food menu

A keto menu item can include fish and vegetables.

Sample menu with ketogenic diet foods

We are going to present you an example of a menu with foods from the ketogenic diet, so you can learn how to configure it yourself:

Breakfast:

Kefir cup with seeds and nuts.

2 grilled eggs with 1/2 cup of raspberries.

Food:

Baked chicken stilts with broccoli and peppers.

Grilled salmon with asparagus and avocado.

Snack:

Yogurt with flax seeds and pineapple in pieces.

Turkey and cheese rolls.

Dinner:

Baked sea bass with green salad.

Roasted pork rib with avocado and cauliflower.

Introduce a variety of foods into the ketogenic diet

As you have seen, it is possible to plan a varied ketogenic diet within the food groups that it allows.

Anyway, if you have doubts, go to a specialist. This will be able to give you precise and individualized indications.

Remember that the ketogenic diet is not a plan for everyone. There are people who do not adhere to this model or who have a series of pathologies that condition their general condition, so they are not suitable to initiate these restrictive strategies.