The popularity of the ketogenic diet is on the rise and this is mostly due to its potential benefits for blood sugar control and weight loss. Evidence also suggests that this high fat and low carb diet can be helpful in treating various health conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and certain cancers. This diet limits your carb intake to 20 to 50 grams in a day. Even though it is a challenging diet, it enables people to eat a number of nutritious foods. Some of the top foods you can eat on a keto diet are highlighted below.
Seafood
Shellfish and food are considered keto-friendly. Not only do fish like salmon have low carbs, they are also high in selenium, potassium and B vitamins. But, the carb content in every shellfish varies, so you should keep track of it to stay within your range. Fatty fish like mackerel and salmon are also high in omega-3 fats, which can reduce insulin levels. Frequent intake of fish is also considered good for brain health.
Meat and poultry
The staple food items on a ketogenic diet include meat and poultry. They do not have any carbs and are rich in a number of important minerals, including B vitamins. They are also an excellent source of high quality protein that can help in preserving muscle mass when you reduce your carb intake.
Eggs
One of the best and healthy sources of protein are eggs and they are ideal for keto because they are low in carbs. Moreover, eggs also trigger hormones that create the feeling of fullness. But, you should eat the entire egg instead of just the egg whites because the yolk contains most of the nutrients.
Cheese
You can find hundreds of types of cheese, some of which are high in fat and low in carbs, due to which they are a great addition to the keto diet. Eating cheese regularly can actually help in reducing the loss of muscle strength and mass that happens due to aging. Cottage cheese, Brie, blue cheese, cheddar, feta and cream cheese are some of the options you can consider.
Unsweetened plant-based milk
There are a number of varieties of plant-based milk that you can consume in a ketogenic diet, which include coconut, almond and soy milk. Go with unsweetened versions rather than sweet ones because the latter have a lot of sugar, which is not good for keto. Oat milk should be avoided because even unsweetened oat milk has a lot of carbs, so it is not keto-friendly.
Green leafy vegetables
As they are low in carbs, adding green leafy vegetables to a keto diet is highly recommended. They also provide antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. Dark leafy greens, such as collard greens, kale and spinach are loaded with iron and vitamin K. The advantage of these vegetables is that they add to your meal without increasing your carb intake. Plus, you can also add flavor with herbs like rosemary and oregano because they have almost no carbs.
