A lot of people are reluctant to go on the keto diet because they don’t want to sacrifice their favorite dishes including pizza and pasta. Some people believe that having bacon and eggs for breakfast and steak for dinner everyday for a month is a great thought – yet it is incomplete without toast, potatoes, or rice. Some people can’t imagine not having sweets such as cake, cookies, or ice cream for at least a month.
It is certainly understandable to be concerned, even though there are options that are acceptable on the keto diet for all of the typically prohibited foods.
However, we have yet to discuss one more principle of the keto diet. For some individuals, being unable to consume soda, energy drinks, or even fruit juice for a period of one month is totally unthinkable.
It is undoubtedly a difficult task to abstain from sugary drinks for a month.
The potential advantages in terms of weight reduction and improved health may make the effort worthwhile. It is just as crucial to note that there are some tasty drinks besides regular water that you can find satisfactory while on the ketogenic diet.
Why are soda and juice such a big deal? Basically, these are the most disastrous items to eat when following a low-carb diet.
Sugary Drinks and the Keto Diet
This is a brief overview of the science behind the ketogenic diet, which consists of eating carbs in low amounts while consuming a high amount of fat.
- The body’s normal energy source is glucose, the blood sugar produced when carbohydrates in the diet are broken down.
- If a person doesn’t consume enough carbs to meet the body’s energy needs, an alternate fuel source has to be found.
- Here’s what happens: when the body is deprived of carbohydrates for a few days, it enters a metabolic state called ketosis.
- As long as the body is in ketosis, it burns stored body fat to produce molecules called ketone bodies (commonly known as ketones).
- The body can thrive with ketones as an energy source – and when body fat is burned to produce them, the result is weight loss.
That explains the magic of the ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet is formulated to deprive the body of carbohydrates, causing it to enter ketosis and therefore sparking fat burning, resulting in notable weight loss.
What is the best way to limit your daily intake of carbs when following a ketogenic diet? Replace the dietary carbohydrates that you generally consume with healthy fats. (And sugar is nothing more than soluble carbohydrates.)
There’s an important catch. If you consume more carbohydrates than you should, it can cause your body to be removed from ketosis, even if it is just for one day. In that eventuality, you will cease to lose weight and will rapidly put the pounds back on, ending up in the same situation you were originally in. Every time you attempt to follow the ketogenic diet or start again, you would likely experience a period of several days in which you have flu-like symptoms, known as the ‘keto flu’, as your body gets used to entering a state of ketosis.
For someone on the keto diet, it is necessary to abstain from items with sugar such as soft drinks, juice, and pastries, along with carbohydrates including bread and noodles. This is because only a limited amount of carbohydrates should be consumed on a daily basis. Consuming no more than 20-25 grams of net carbs daily is the standard for being on a strict ketogenic diet.
What is the amount of carbohydrates in a can of Coke? 40. A can of Monster energy drink? 27. Eight ounces of orange juice? 24. The most appalling is Mountain Dew Code Red, which has 77 grams of carbohydrates.
The problem is obvious. One soda or juice can easily exceed your daily allowance of carbs.
What About Diet Soda?
That’s an interesting question.
It appears that diet soda without any sugar, calories, or carbohydrates could be the ideal drink for people on a ketogenic diet. It provides the same level of sweetness that someone would miss out on if they chose to forgo drinking soda or juice, however it will not have any negative effects on ketosis.
Not so fast, bucky.
It is permissible to drink diet soda while following keto, but it must have been sweetened using a substitute sweetener like stevia, aspartame, or sucralose. Nevertheless, dietary advisors state that it’s not advisable to do so, for a variety of reasons.
The greatest problem is that both sugar and artificial sweeteners activate the same flavor receptors. That strengthens the desires for sugary items and drinks and raises the likelihood that you will succumb to these cravings. Consuming diet soda increases the likelihood of you indulging in something that will take away your state of ketosis.
There are other reasons to avoid diet drinks, too. Research has indicated that consuming sucralose and other zero-calorie substitutes can lead to heightened blood sugar levels, resulting in fat storage rather than fat burning. It has been proven that drinking diet sodas may lead to medical issues such as heart disease.
The conclusion is that drinking diet sodas may potentially ruin your endeavor to shed pounds. It is not recommended to consume diet drinks while following the ketogenic diet.
What About Milk?
If you only know the rudiments of the keto diet, milk might trick you.
This food item isn’t usually associated with sweetness or saccharinity, and you’re likely already aware that it is a routine feature of the ketogenic lifestyle. So milk would seem to be a keto-friendly choice.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Dairy milk has a high sugar content due to lactose, which is a combination of glucose and galactose commonly referred to as “milk sugar”. In other words, milk is full of carbohydrates; one cup of entire milk has 12 g of carbohydrates, and there is even a greater amount of them in nonfat milk or 1% milk. Cream is essentially milk fat that has undergone a process to remove almost all of the lactose, making it suitable for use in a keto diet. However, since this dairy product has a high fat and calorie content, it should only be consumed in moderation.
Let’s take a step back and look at the full scope of “milk” – it paints quite an optimistic outlook. Many types of nut and plant milk, such as hemp milk and macadamia milk (zero net carbs per serving), cashew milk (with one gram), almond milk (at 1.4 grams), and coconut milk (containing two grams) are all low in carbohydrates. However, oat milk and soy milk are not, with 8 grams and 12 grams each respectively. Take a look at the label of commercially available plant and nut milk to ensure it does not have added sugar.
Truth be told, consuming hemp milk every day is likely not something you would do. Let’s get to the news you can use.
Keto Diet Food List
It can be difficult to keep up with a healthy, limited-carbohydrate eating plan, particularly if you have just started doing so. Once you understand a few fundamental guidelines, you’ll find it surprisingly uncomplicated to adhere to the keto diet.
Which Foods Should I Eat on a Keto Diet?
Adopting a Keto Diet isn’t focused solely on shedding pounds, but rather it’s about embracing a healthier way of living. Despite the assumption of many, the ketogenic diet does not only consist of bacon, eggs, and cheese. You should always prioritize nutrient-dense, real food despite how few carbs are present. A well-crafted ketogenic meal plan should include a selection of real, unprocessed foods – including beef, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, nuts, full-fat dairy, different vegetables, and occasionally some fruit such as various types of berries.
Which Foods Should I Avoid on a Keto Diet?
For a traditional keto diet, you should keep your net carbohydrate intake to between 20 and 25 grams per day (or 30 to 50 grams of all carbs). You have to refrain from any food that is high in carbohydrates such as rice, bakery products, oats, noodles, etc, tubers, sucrose, the majority of legumes, and all types of fruit. As well, you should try to abstain from or decrease your intake of prepared meals and pro-inflammatory fats.
It is straightforward to adhere to a low-carbohydrate regimen using our KetoDiet App. Aside from documenting your intake on a regular basis, you can discover an abundant amount of low-carb recipes, educational manuals, and professional articles – anything that’s necessary to adhere to a healthy ketogenic diet, all in one spot.
This is a comprehensive compilation of the most oft-suggested low-carb commodities for the ketogenic diet.
Eat Freely
Grass-fed and wild animal sources such as:
- grass-fed meat (beef, lamb, goat, venison), wild-caught fish & seafood (avoid farmed fish), pastured pork and poultry, pastured eggs, gelatin, ghee, and butter – these are high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids (avoid sausages and meat covered in breadcrumbs, hot dogs, meat that comes with sugary or starchy sauces)
- offal, grass-fed (liver, heart, kidneys, and other organ meats)
Healthy fats like:
- saturated fats (lard, tallow, chicken fat, duck fat, goose fat, clarified butter (ghee), butter, coconut oil, and MCT oil)
- monounsaturated fats (avocado oil, macadamia oil, and olive oil)
- polyunsaturated fats: omega-3 fatty acids, especially from animal sources (fatty fish and seafood)
- You can find a complete guide to fats & oils in my post here. (which oils and fats are ideal for cold use, which for high-heat cooking, and which to avoid)
Non-starchy vegetables and mushrooms including:
- leafy greens (Swiss chard, bok choy, spinach, lettuce, chard, chives, endive, radicchio, etc.)
- some cruciferous vegetables like kale (dark leaf), kohlrabi, radishes
- celery stalk, asparagus, cucumber, summer squash (zucchini, spaghetti squash), bamboo shoots
- mushrooms (white, brow, Portobello, shiitake, chanterelle, etc)
Fruits like:
- avocado
- coconut
- rhubarb
- olives
Beverages and Condiments:
- water (still), coffee (black or with cream or coconut milk), tea (black, herbal)
- pork rinds (cracklings) for “breading”
- mayonnaise, mustard, pesto, bone broth (make your own), pickles, fermented foods (kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut (make your own) – best homemade with no additives (my recipes for home-made condiments are here)
- all spices and herbs, lemon or lime juice, and zest
- whey protein (beware of additives, artificial sweeteners, hormones, and soy lecithin), egg white protein, and gelatin (grass-fed, hormone-free)
What to Eat Occasionally
Vegetables and fruits:
- some cruciferous vegetables (white and green cabbage, red cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, fennel, turnips, rutabaga/swede)
- nightshades (eggplant, tomatoes, peppers)
- some root vegetables (parsley root), spring onion, leek, onion, garlic, winter squash (pumpkin)
- sea vegetables (nori, kombu), okra, bean sprouts, sugar snap peas, wax beans, globe or French artichokes, water chestnuts
- berries (blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, mulberries, etc.)
Grain-fed animal sources and full-fat dairy:
- beef, poultry, eggs, and ghee (avoid farmed pork, it’s too high in omega-6 fatty acids)
- dairy products (plain full-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, heavy cream, sour cream, cheese) – avoid products labeled “low-fat”, most of them are packed with sugar and starch that will only stimulate your appetite. You can read more in this post: Dairy on a Ketogenic Diet.
- bacon – beware of preservatives and added starches (nitrates are acceptable if you eat foods high in antioxidants)
Nuts and seeds:
- macadamia nuts (very low in carbs, high in monounsaturated fats)
- pecans, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds
- brazil nuts (beware of the very high levels of selenium – don’t eat too many of them!)
- You can read more in this post: Nuts & Seeds on a Ketogenic Diet, and in this post: Is Flaxseed Healthy?
Fermented soy products:
- if eaten, only non-GMO and fermented soy products such as Natto, Tempeh, tamari (gluten-free soy sauce), or paleo-friendly coconut aminos
- Edamame (green soybeans), black soybeans – unprocessed
Condiments:
- healthy zero-carb sweeteners (Stevia, Swerve, Erythritol, etc.)
- thickeners: arrowroot powder, xanthan gum (keep in mind xanthan gum is not paleo-friendly – some people following the paleo diet use it, as you only need a very little amount)
- sugar-free tomato products (puree, passata, ketchup)
- cocoa and carob powder, extra dark chocolate (more than 70%, better than 90%, and beware of soy lecithin), cocoa powder
- beware of sugar-free chewing gums and mints – some of them have carbs from sugar alcohols like sorbitol, maltitol, and xylitol that may raise blood sugar and cause digestive issues
Some Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, and Seeds with Average Carbohydrates – depend on your daily carb limit:
- root vegetables (celery root, carrot, beetroot, parsnip, and sweet potato)
- watermelon, Cantaloupe / Galia / Honeydew melons
- pistachio and cashew nuts, chestnuts
- Only very small amounts, better avoided completely: apricot, dragon fruit (Pitaya), peach, nectarine, apple, grapefruit, kiwifruit, kiwi berries, orange, plums, cherries, pears, figs (fresh)
Alcohol:
- dry red wine, dry white wine, spirits (unsweetened) – avoid for weight loss, only for weight maintenance
Which Fats Are Healthy on a Keto Diet?
Not all fats and oils are equal. You should include oils and fats that have a high content of saturated fatty acids, such as: lard from pastured animals, beef tallow from grass-fed beef, chicken fat, duck fat, goose fat, clarified butter, ghee, butter, virgin coconut oil, and sustainable palm kernel oil. Butter is not an appropriate choice for cooking at high temperatures since the milk proteins can burn. It’s ideal for finishing meals or for light cooking.
It is beneficial to use oils with a lot of monounsaturated fats (MUFA) like extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, almond, and macadamia oil for uncooked preparations, stir frying, adding at the end of cooking, or after the dish has been cooked.