An important benefit of keto is that you can eat a very wide range of products. But, nevertheless, there are several restrictions that should be followed in order to achieve the best results and not interrupt the diet.
Grains
Rice, pasta, cereal, oatmeal, wheat flour, quinoa, and almost all grain products have a high carb content. As a grain replacement, consider spiralized vegetables or shirataki noodles.
Starchy vegetables and legumes
These include corn, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lima beans, lentils, and chickpeas. Because of high carb content, they are not keto-friendly. Mashed or riced cauliflower can be a good alternative for starchy side dishes.
Fruits and fruit juices
Most fruits don’t fit the keto diet and that’s especially true when you consume them as a juice, as the juicing process removes the fiber, leading to a higher net carb content and a more significant spike in insulin. Choose avocados and low-carb berries instead.
Chips and crackers
Grain-based snacks, chips, and crackers are better to avoid on keto. It is, however, possible to make yourself keto-friendly vegetable chips (zucchini would be a great choice) or Parmesan crisps.
Sweetened yogurts
Sweetened or flavored yogurts contain unwanted added sugars. Opt for a plain Greek yogurt, it has the least amount of carbs in this category of products.
Baked goods and milk chocolate
Bread, сakes, cookies, chocolate confections, muffins - these baked goods, along with a long list of other food items, have a much too high carb content to be keto-friendly. Note that “gluten-free” does not mean “carb-free” and gluten-free goods can have as many carbs as usual ones.
Syrups and any forms of sugar
All this contains almost nothing but concentrated sugar and will hardly give you any nutritional value, but it will easily get you out of ketosis. If you have a sweet tooth, it is better to use stevia, erythritol, or Monk fruit sweetener.
Sauces and Condiments
Honey mustard, barbecue sauce, sweet chili sauce, usual ketchup, and many others are full of sugar. Tabasco, olive oil-based mayo, Dijon mustard, herb butter, vinegar, or Béarnaise sauce make excellent low-carb substitutes.
If you doubt whether a product is suitable for keto, you can check the macro content in a certain amount of it using the "Search by Name" function.
You can find more articles, recipes, and insights in the Keto Diet App.