Top 7 Foods That You Can Eat While On Keto Diet – As with many diet plans, understanding the ins and outs of what you can and can’t eat can be confusing. And if you’ve just started the keto diet, it can be even more confusing! Although at first, it can be difficult to follow, the basic principle of the ketogenic diet is to reduce the overall amount of carbohydrates in your diet and replace them with whole, nutrient-dense foods such as healthy fats and proteins. Swapping carbohydrates for foods such as meat, fish, eggs, leafy green vegetables, and natural fats like olive oil, puts your body into fat-burning mode aka. Ketosis.

If you’ve just started the keto diet and are feeling a little bit lost, don’t worry as we look at the top 7 foods you can eat on a ketogenic diet.

Beef Biltong

Sticking to the keto diet can be difficult. One little slip and all your hard work go out of the window. If you love snacking throughout the day, it can be even harder as most healthy snacks are laden with sugars and carbs. For a snack that is incredibly tasty and needs zero preparation, we recommend reaching for the biltong packet.

Beef Biltong is mostly made up of lean protein and fats, which help to keep the body fuller for longer. Because it’s made through the process of air drying, Beef Biltong contains zero added sugar (unlike Beef Jerky), making it the perfect accompaniment for a keto-friendly diet. The great thing about Beef Biltong is that it comes in handy resealable packs and is available in a variety of different flavours and textures, making it a popular choice for people on the go. Find out more about what is biltong here.

Avocado

Avocados are a fantastic choice when it comes to the ketogenic diet as they contain a high content of heart-healthy fats. They are also low in net carbohydrates, containing around 2g of carbs per 100g serving. As well as being high in fats and low in carbs, avocados are also jam-packed full of important nutrients including Vitamins C, K, folate, and potassium which are all essential for a healthy body.

Cheese

Cheese has zero carbohydrates and is high in fat, making it perfect for the ketogenic diet. As much as eating lots of cheese on a diet sounds fantastic, you need to be careful with the type of cheese you consume as some can contain a high percentage of saturated fats.

Olives

Keto restricts many fruits due to their high sugar content, but there is one fruit that is miles above the rest as it’s high in good fats and low in carbs. That’s right, we’re talking about olives. Perfect on their own or as a snack with Beef Biltong, olives contain around 15g of fat per 100g and are lower in calories when compared to other foods so make them a welcome addition to the diet.

Salmon

Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel are high in Omega-3 which has been shown to lower insulin levels and improve insulin sensitivity in people who are overweight. 1 salmon fillet contains around 30g of protein, 12g of fat and zero carbohydrates making it the perfect oily fish for a ketogenic diet.

Strawberries

Strawberries are a deliciously sweet and filling fruit that you can eat in moderation on a ketogenic diet. As they are naturally lower in carbohydrates than other fruits, it makes them a great choice for a ketogenic snack when you’re craving something sweet. You should limit the number of times you consume strawberries to one or two times per week so you can ensure your body stays in fat-burning mode for as long as possible.

Leafy green vegetables

It can be hard to feel full on keto at first without carbohydrates, which is why it’s so important to add as many leafy green vegetables to your meal as possible. Leafy green vegetables, especially those like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are all naturally low in carbohydrates which make them a fantastic addition to the ketogenic diet. Cook in butter or Cheese and flavour with garlic for a tasty side dish.

Conclusion

If you want to shed some pounds before the festive period, then the primary benefit of the keto diet is its ability to achieve weight loss quickly. By restricting carbohydrates enough to put your body into fat-burning mode, you can quickly reduce your body fat and increase muscle mass. Before starting a new diet regime, we always recommend consulting your doctor or healthcare professional first as well as following a structured and considered plan.

Once your doctor has given you the go-ahead to try the ketogenic lifestyle, you can refer to our guide as a starting point for your weekly shopping list. In general, fats are the most important food group when it comes to keto, followed by proteins.