# The ultimate keto food list

Thinking about starting the keto diet? Here’s a list of what foods you can eat and which ones to avoid—plus answers to common questions.

1. [What you can eat](/content/blog/keto-foods-list/#what-you-can-eat/index.html)
2. [Foods not allowed](/content/blog/keto-foods-list/#foods-you-can-not-eat/index.html)
3. [Keto baking](/content/blog/keto-foods-list/#baking-on-keto/index.html)
4. [Finding recipes](/content/blog/keto-foods-list/#finding-recipes/index.html)
5. [Noom and keto](/content/blog/keto-foods-list/#noom-and-keto/index.html)

- The keto diet is restrictive, but it still offers many food options.
- It’s important to eat a balanced diet on keto to maintain nutritional levels.
- Get creative with your cooking to keep your meals interesting and help you stay committed to keto.

So you’re ready to start a [keto diet for weight loss](/content/blog/keto-weight-loss/index.html). But first things first: You need a list of everything you can and can’t eat on keto.

At Noom, we don’t label any food as off limits or bad. However, we get that keto is a diet with very specific requirements, and we offer support for different eating choices.

To help you out, we’ve developed this helpful list of keto foods for beginners. Before you start eating keto and following this list, make sure you understand the risks and challenges of this low-carb diet.

_Note: Consult with your health care provider before making dietary changes._

## What you can eat on a keto diet

The [keto diet](/content/blog/keto-diet/index.html) requires that you cut carbs significantly, while eating plenty of fats. You can also eat proteins, which may help you feel satisfied for longer.

Below are foods that are high in fats and proteins, but low in carbs. Keep in mind that it’s important to track carbs you consume while eating keto.

1. **Red meat**  
   Most red meats are great for keto because they contain few carbs while also loading you up with protein and fat. Beef, pork, and lamb also provide your body with important nutrients, like iron and zinc.

2. **Seafood**  
   Fatty fish like salmon is a great keto choice because it tends to be low in carbs and high in omega-3 fats.

3. **Poultry**  
   Chicken isn’t the only poultry item that’s keto friendly—duck and turkey are also great low-carb sources for protein and other vitamins.

4. **Meat substitutes**  
   Tofu, tempeh, and seitan are low-carb, high-protein meat substitutes that also fit with [vegetarian and vegan keto diets](/content/blog/vegetarian-keto/index.html).

5. **Cheese**  
   Cheese is a near-perfect keto food—it’s low-carb, high in fat and a good amount of protein.

6. **Milk and cream**  
   Standard cow’s milk is a keto no-no because of its high carb content, but other dairy products with high fat concentrations—like heavy or sour cream—are on the table.

7. **Yogurt**  
   With yogurts, the key is to look for high fat and low sugar.

8. **Eggs**  
   Eggs are another keto protein staple. One [large egg](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html?blog_tag=the+Keto+Diet&blog_category=Blog%2CNutrition%2CSpecial+diets#/food-details/1100183/nutrients) contains less than one carb and more than six grams of protein.

9. **Nuts**  
   Low-carb nuts include pecans, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, Brazil nuts, macadamias, pine nuts, peanuts, and walnuts.

10. **Seeds**  
    Good seed options include sunflower, chia, flax, sunflower, and hemp seeds.

11. **Condiments**  
    Low-sugar condiments like mustard, hot sauce, harissa, and mayonnaise are all great keto options.

12. **Vegetables**  
    The general rule for vegetables on keto is to focus on above-ground produce, especially leafy greens.

13. **Fruits**  
    Can you eat fruit on keto? Yes and no. You have to choose your fruits carefully because some contain too many carbs in the form of sugar to fit into a keto diet.

14. **Butter**  
    Butter and its clarified counterpart ghee, are both good fats that contain little to no carbs.

15. **Oils**  
    Oils are keto-friendly and a great way to cook and keep your fat intake up on keto.

16. **Keto-friendly snacks**  
    Many of the best keto snacks are easy to prepare and perfect for taking on the go while safely fitting into your daily carb count.

17. **Keto sweeteners**  
    There are a bunch of ways to sweeten a dish without traditional sugar or honey.

18. **Keto-friendly drinks**  
    Staying hydrated is vital for all of us, regardless of diet.

## What you can’t eat on a keto diet

On the keto diet, you keep your carbohydrate intake to just 5% to 10% of your daily calories to enter ketosis.

1. **Grains**  
   Wheat, oats, barley, rice, and cornmeal‌ are common grains to avoid.

2. **High sugar fruits**  
   Many popular fruits, including [bananas](/content/blog/banana-calories-and-nutrition-facts/index.html) and [grapes](/content/blog/grapes-calories-and-nutrition-facts/index.html), have too many carbs for a ketogenic diet.

3. **Desserts with sugar**  
   To maintain a healthy diet, it’s best to eat sugar in moderation.

4. **Starchy veggies**  
   While many vegetables are keto-friendly, there are some that are high in carbs.

5. **Sugary condiments and sauces**  
   Traditional condiments like ketchup and salad dressing are often full of added sugars.

6. **High-carb and/or sugary milks**  
   Cow’s milk and oat milk have a high-carb content that can throw off your ketosis goals.

7. **Soda**  
   While diet soda is typically regarded as keto-friendly, all “regular” sodas are _not_ due to their sugar content.

8. **Alcohol**  
   Most alcohol that people drink in social settings, whether beer or sweetened cocktails, are too high in carbs for a keto diet.

9. **Legumes**  
   Beans, chickpeas, and similar foods are full of nutrients—like fiber, protein, and calcium—but they’re also high in carbs.

10. **Sweeteners**  
    Traditional sweeteners—like white and brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup—are too high in carbs for keto.

11. **Fruit juices**  
    Many fruit juices may look harmless, but they’re often loaded with sugar.

## Baking on keto

If you enjoy baking, there are plenty of keto-friendly recipes out there.

- **Coconut flour**: High in fiber and has a strong coconut flavor.
- **Almond flour**: Full of nutrients like protein, fiber, and magnesium.

## Where to find recipes for keto diet foods

Eating the same foods day in and day out can be boring, and make you give up on your eating goals.

- Noom Weight has an extensive recipe database, including this article with [67 keto recipes](/content/blog/keto-recipes/index.html).
- You can also get a [week of meals and snacks](/content/blog/going-low-carb-this-meal-plan-is-an-important-starting-point/index.html) that break up the monotony of a typical keto diet but still keep you within carb limits.

## Losing weight on the keto diet with Noom

The keto diet is a big commitment, to be sure. Noom can help you stick with your goals and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Ultimately, [Noom Weight](/content/ps/main-survey/index.html) can help make [your experience with the keto diet](/content/blog/keto-weight-loss/index.html) more successful and sustainable.