Keto Grocery List: What To Eat And Avoid for Beginners?

Have you considered switching to a keto diet but are unsure how to make it work best for you? Keto dieters strive to eat fewer carbs, often in order to promote weight loss and regulate blood sugar. The keto diet is a restrictive diet. Sometimes it may be difficult to give up certain foods or you may find yourself in a rut, looking for new meal ideas. In this article, we discuss some tips and provide you with a keto grocery list to make this process easier!

Keto Grocery List For Beginners 

The ketogenic diet has a number of variations. We will focus on a standard ketogenic diet consisting of 10% calories from carbohydrates, 20% from protein, and 70% from fat.

Keeping a focus on healthy fats is crucial when considering a keto diet foods list. 

Evidence suggests that a keto diet in and of itself may not be entirely predictive of health outcomes.^[1] The quality of the food you choose to eat has an obvious impact on your health and keeping this in mind when navigating a restrictive diet is of paramount importance. Because keto-friendly foods have a high fat content it’s helpful to focus on limiting saturated fats where possible. It is also important to maintain a healthy balance of fiber intake, as well as intake of nutrients. Establishing a healthy keto grocery list should keep these things in mind.

Protein 

• Chicken 
• Beef 
• Seafood
• Eggs
• Tofu

When selecting meats, seafood, and other sources of protein it is important to be mindful of the kinds of fats these foods contain. Saturated fat^[2] found in protein sources can vary depending on the animal source (turkey and chicken have less saturated fat than beef, for instance) or even the choice of cut (think of sirloin steak compared with T-bone). The choice of protein has the potential to impact cardiovascular risk and may account for some of the variability when the effects of a low-carb diet are studied.

Low Carb Veggies

• Avocado (technically a fruit) 
• Bell Peppers
• Broccoli 
• Cauliflower
• Green beans
• Spinach 
• Zucchini

Low-carb veggies^[3] are staples of a keto grocery list partially because of their versatility. Entire meals can be centered around variations of cauliflower rice, or zoodles (zucchini noodles). Not all vegetables fit well within a keto diet. While spending time in the produce aisle you’ll want to focus on these non-starchy vegetables.

Healthy Fats And Oils

• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Avocado oil

Healthy recipes use these oils in place of alternatives like butter to promote a more healthy fat content. Olive oil can also be a base for a simple but delicious salad dressing.

Dairy And Cheese

• Skim Milk 
• Cheese (Cheddar, cream cheese, mozzarella, etc.) 
• Cottage cheese
• Unsweetened Greek yogurt 

These provide another source of protein as well as essential nutrients^[4] such as calcium. Keto snacks often include nuts and cheese for sustained energy during the day. Lactose-intolerant individuals may prefer alternative products such as almond milk.

Seeds And Nuts

• Almonds
• Chia seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Walnuts 

Nut butters like almond butter, peanut butter,  or nut flour like almond flour butter is also a popular addition to a keto-friendly grocery list. Many of these are high in protein and fat.

In general, watching for and avoiding products with added sugars is crucial for keeping net carbs low. This will mean limiting processed foods and focusing primarily on whole foods.

Starchy Veggies (Avoid)

• Potatoes (Especially sweet potatoes)
• Corn 
• Tomatoes
• Squash
• Pumpkin

Starchy veggies have higher net carbs and will be more likely to cause you to cycle out of ketosis. Cycling in and out of ketosis has been associated with brain fog and other symptoms associated with “keto flu.”^[5]

Tips For Buying Keto Foods 

Read Every Label 

As you might expect, not everything fits into perfect categories. Two different products may both be included on a keto food list but ultimately provide significantly different amounts of net carbs. Establishing a keto diet meal plan is helpful for tracking net carbs and ensuring an adequate balance of nutrient intake is maintained.

Manage Costs And Time

A keto diet shopping list focuses heavily on whole foods. These products are typically not only more expensive but also perishable, presenting potential challenges. Buying in bulk when possible and freezing foods is helpful. Meal planning is also helpful for managing costs by identifying items that may serve multiple roles in multiple meals, increasing efficiency.
Depending on your lifestyle or any number of other factors it may be difficult for you to get to the store and spend the time required to select these products and plan effectively. Luckily there are services available to help. Finding the best keto meal delivery service for you may be a helpful solution.

Alternatives To Purchasing Keto Foods 

Adhering to a strict keto shopping list can be difficult for a number of reasons. Other members of your household may request different foods, you may have to give up a favorite meal or snack, or side effects such as keto flu (nausea, constipation, headache, fatigue, irritability, and difficulty sleeping) may make adhering to the diet a challenge.

An alternative approach can be taking steps to lower overall net carbs by making simple substitutions in the foods you eat every day. Taking strides to improve rather than trying to be perfect can potentially be a more sustainable approach for some, and the potential to lose weight can be maintained.

Conclusion

Maintaining an appropriate balance is crucial when planning and practicing a ketogenic diet. Meal planning is very helpful in many ways – finding versatile products to keep costs low, ensuring a balanced intake of key nutrients, and focusing on healthy fats are all made easier with appropriate planning. A keto diet may not be for everyone and that’s ok. Being mindful and intentional with what you eat can help you achieve your goals, even if your diet doesn’t fit within a strict set of guidelines. If you find yourself struggling, meeting with a dietitian can be very beneficial for additional support.

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