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20 Top Foods to Eat on a Ketogenic Diet
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00:00What are the best foods to eat on a ketogenic diet? Today we're going to be talking about the
00:04top 20. Just because a food is high in fat and low in carbohydrates does not necessarily mean
00:12it's good for keto. Hey guys, welcome back to my channel. If you're new here, my name is Kate. I'm
00:27a certified health and nutrition coach. I post videos twice a week here on YouTube talking all
00:31things insulin resistance, weight loss, sleep, and more. So if you're ready to take control of your
00:36metabolic health, make sure to click that subscribe button. And you can also find me on TikTok and
00:40Instagram or share new posts every single day. Now, if you're new to the keto diet, it can feel
00:46overwhelming. You might feel like you have to give up a lot of your favorite foods, but I promise you
00:53it's not as difficult and not as restrictive as it might seem. Once you get over that initial
00:58learning curve of figuring out what foods you can eat, it becomes really easy to stick to. And this
01:04is partially because the foods you eat on keto are so satiating. Feelings of intense hunger are often
01:11unheard of. And this is because restricting carbohydrates in the diet changes the way your
01:17body burns energy. Instead of using mainly carbohydrates for energy, which are a quick
01:22energy source, but our bodies can only store a limited amount. Our bodies burn fat for energy
01:28instead. Even someone who is very lean has over 100,000 calories worth of energy stored in fat that
01:36they're carrying around. Now this metabolic state where you're burning mainly fat for energy is known as
01:42ketosis. And yes, low carb diets are great for weight loss, but the benefits don't end there. They increase
01:49your mental focus, they decrease inflammation, and they can also help with regulating blood sugar and
01:54insulin. And these are benefits that can help a lot of people. But with that, let's get into the top 20
02:01foods you can eat on a ketogenic diet. Number 20, chicken thigh. Now we're starting off the list today with
02:07chicken thigh. And thigh specifically because when you're eating keto, you really need to make sure
02:13you're eating enough fat and not just lean protein on its own. Now if you've watched any of my other
02:20videos, I'm sure you will have heard me talk about how important protein is, how it is the most important
02:26macronutrient. Most people are under consuming protein, and this leads to side effects including muscle loss,
02:33which is extremely concerning, especially as we age. And a lot of people who eat keto, they tend to fear
02:42eating too much protein because they think that it will automatically be turned to glucose if they eat
02:47too much. Well, this is and isn't the case. The body will only turn excess protein that you consume
02:55into glucose and cause a blood sugar rise if number one, you are very insulin resistant, and number two,
03:03you're not eating that protein with enough fat. Someone metabolically healthy can eat lean protein and
03:09not have any issue with it raising their blood sugar. But someone with type 2 diabetes, if they eat the
03:16exact same thing, so a lean source of protein with not enough fat, this can cause that person's blood
03:22sugar to rise. And this is because the second person's body is not used to burning fat for energy.
03:28It's reliant on carbs. So when it doesn't get them, instead of using body fat for energy,
03:34it turns some of the excess protein to glucose. But if you eat enough fat with that protein,
03:41this doesn't happen. You won't have the blood sugar issue. Anyways, all of that is to say that eating
03:46fatty meat is better than eating lean meat. And when it comes to chicken, thigh with the skin on is one of
03:53the best options. Number 19, coconut milk. Coconut milk, both tinned and in a carton, is great for keto.
04:00The tinned ones will be thicker and higher in fat. You can use these in cooking or even add a spoonful
04:06to a smoothie or coffee. Again, fat is important on keto. The carton version is good if you're looking
04:13for a milk alternative. Because when it comes to almond milk and other nut milks, most of these have added
04:20vegetable oil, which is extremely inflammatory and can lessen the benefits of keto. Not to mention a lot
04:27have added sugar, which again, obviously not great for keto. But coconut milk has a lot of fat that occurs
04:35naturally. So usually it doesn't have these added oils and sugars. On top of that, one of the main types
04:42of fat that's found in coconuts, known as MCTs, can actually boost ketosis. It can boost fat burning
04:49and it is fantastic for keto. Number 18, macadamia nuts. These are my favorite nuts to recommend for
04:58keto. Number one, they are the best tasting in my opinion. But number two, the type of fat they contain
05:05is a bit better than other types of nuts. So almonds, for example, are pretty high in polyunsaturated
05:13fat, which itself isn't bad. But in high quantities, it can cause inflammation, which is why some people
05:21who use a lot of almond flour on keto sometimes don't get the best results. But macadamia nuts are
05:28higher in monounsaturated fat, which is less inflammatory. Not saying that almonds are bad,
05:34they're not. But out of all the nuts, macadamias are the best option. Number 17, cauliflower. This one,
05:42I feel like, is self-explanatory. If you've seen any keto shopping list or a lot of keto recipes,
05:51cauliflower is almost always included. It's low in carbs and super versatile. You can make a lot of
05:58cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, or of course, stir fry it or roast it. Number 16, berries. A great
06:06option for keto because they are lower in sugar and carbs than other types of fruit. Blueberries,
06:12raspberries, strawberries, blackberries. All are good options for keto. Number 14, Greek yogurt. I love
06:20Greek yogurt because it's high in fat and protein and usually pretty low in carbohydrates. Other yogurts
06:28tend to be lower in protein, which doesn't make them bad. But once again, fat and protein are very
06:35important on keto. So if you have the option, a plain Greek yogurt is going to be my top recommendation.
06:42Next in line would be any plain yogurt, but avoid ones that are flavored because these usually have
06:49a ton of added sugar. Number 13, zucchinis. Another great low carb vegetable. Again, super versatile,
06:58low in carbs. Some people like to make noodles out of them, which I honestly really enjoy as a
07:04replacement to spaghetti. I think they taste absolutely great when they've been sauteed with a
07:10little bit of olive oil. So good. Number 12, oysters. Now I wanted to throw oysters in here because
07:17they are super, super nutritious. They do contain a few carbs per oyster, which is a lot higher than
07:26most other seafood, which has no carbs or next to no carbs. But I think for the extra nutritional value,
07:35including the extremely high amount of zinc in them, it's worth the trade-off. Number 11, olives.
07:41Now olives are actually a fruit, which surprises a lot of people. They are great for keto because they
07:47are a fatty fruit that is also low in carbs. And they're a great addition to almost any meal at
07:55any time of day. You can have them with breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or you can have them just on their
08:00own. They are so good for keto. Number 10, olive oil. And continuing that thought, olive oil is also great
08:08for keto. Now we spoke about monounsaturated fat earlier when we were talking about macadamia nuts.
08:14And olive oil is mainly comprised of monounsaturated fat. Now I will say that it is best to be used at
08:21room temperature. So putting it on a salad or on cooked meat, or if you're cooking something at a
08:28low temperature, such as eggs. If you heat it too much, it's going to oxidize and consuming oxidized
08:35oils is extremely inflammatory. I won't talk too much about this today. I have a whole video
08:40on why consuming oxidized oils is bad and how to avoid them, which I'm going to link up above.
08:47So check that out if you want to know a little bit more. Number nine, grass-fed butter. Grass-fed
08:52butter is great for keto. We spoke about MCTs before when we were talking about coconut milk,
08:59and butter and dairy products actually contain some MCTs as well. Although not as much as coconut.
09:06Coconut really is king when it comes to MCTs. Grass-fed butter is great for low temperature
09:12cooking or adding to any vegetables or cooked meat after it's been cooked. But it does also have
09:20another really great use, which comes as a surprise to some people. It's really good if you put it in
09:26your coffee. If you've ever put butter in your coffee, let me know in the comment section down below.
09:31Number eight is broccoli. This is another low-carb vegetable that's super versatile. If you're
09:37looking for a way to bulk up your meals, then broccoli is a great option. Number seven, cheese.
09:44Cheese is another great keto food. Most types of cheese are very low in carbs and higher in protein
09:51and fat. With a few exceptions, some softer cheeses are a bit higher in carbs. So those might not be the
09:58best option if you're consuming a lot of them. But in general, cheese is great. Cheese also contains
10:05some nutrients like calcium, vitamin K2, and D3, which can be really hard to get from other types
10:11of food. Calcium, especially if you don't eat dairy. But it is really, really important. Even more so
10:19when we're on low-carb ketogenic diets, it's important to get enough electrolytes because we lose
10:24more of them when we're in ketosis. And calcium, of course, is an electrolyte. And while we're on this
10:30topic, I just really want to highlight the importance of electrolytes. A lot of the symptoms of the keto
10:37flu are actually caused by an electrolyte imbalance. So it's a pretty easy fix. If you can get more
10:42electrolytes in, then most people won't experience most of the symptoms of the keto flu. I always recommend
10:49supplementing electrolytes, especially when you're first starting a keto diet. SOTI is one brand which
10:56I personally use and absolutely love. Their everyday hydration salts are formulated specifically for low
11:03carb diets, and they contain no sugar or artificial ingredients. You can buy them in the tub or in
11:10individual packets. Trust me, if you are experiencing low energy and fatigue and headaches when you're first
11:17starting keto, or even if you've been doing it for a while, supplement electrolytes, this could very
11:23likely be the problem. And adding them in, it can make such a difference. I will put the link to
11:30checkout SOTI in the description box down below, along with the promo code to save 15%. Number six is ghee.
11:36So ghee is butter that has had all of the protein removed. It has a lot of the same benefits of butter,
11:43but also a higher smoke point. So if you're doing any high temperature cooking, ghee is a great option.
11:50Number five, mushrooms. Again, these are super versatile, but they're also very high in potassium,
11:58which light calcium is an electrolyte that is important to get on a keto diet. Number four,
12:04avocados. So on the note of potassium, avocados are another really great source. Usually bananas get
12:12praised for being high in potassium, but avocados actually have more gram for gram. Like olives,
12:19avocados are a fatty fruit. They are low in carbs, high in fat, and great for keto. Number three,
12:26wild caught salmon. Salmon is a type of fish that is higher in fat than a lot of other fish.
12:32And it is particularly great because it's high in omega-3, which is anti-inflammatory. And again,
12:39it also has a lot of potassium. Number two, red meat. Now red meat gets a bad rep, but unfairly so.
12:48It is super nutritious and so good to have on keto. Consuming it does not increase your cholesterol.
12:56It does not increase your risk of heart disease. The studies that have made this connection and made
13:01this claim are very weak. And more and more, we are seeing mainstream thinking shifting. Red meat is
13:09actually very, very healthy. And women especially should be eating more of it because a lot of us are
13:16low in iron. Number one is eggs. Eggs are the top food on my list. They have the perfect ratio of protein
13:25and fat. They are rich in fat-soluble vitamins. And they are extremely versatile. Just an all-around
13:33great food that could be included in any meal. And those are the 20 best foods you can eat on a
13:38ketogenic diet. Let me know in the comment section down below what your favorite keto food is.
13:43Was it on this list or did I miss something? Let me know down below. I love chatting with you guys in
13:48the comment section. And I'm also going to put the link to check out SOTY's Everyday Hydration Salts
13:53in the description box down below. If you did enjoy this video, you might also enjoy my video on how
13:58to get into ketosis in 12 hours. Three simple steps. You can check that out here. If you want to catch up
14:04on my most recent upload, you can find that here. And if you want to check out my coaching programs,
14:08including my seven-day insulin resistance masterclass and also my seven-day keto crash course,
14:14you can find those here. Thanks guys. I'll see you next time. Bye.
14:18Bye.
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