10 Foods to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet
If you're new to this diet, you should know that there are ketogenic diet foods to avoid to guarantee your success in your health improvement journey.
ketogenic diet focuses on consuming mostly fats, a little protein, and no carbs at all.
If you're new to the ketogenic diet, you'll feel a little lost as to what you can or cannot eat. If you want ideas on keto-friendly foods, check out this list.
The golden rule is to avoid food with carbohydrates and sugar. But it's not always easy to identify food that has high carb content.
Here's a quick guide of foods to avoid:
1 – Grains
All grains are mostly made from carbohydrates. So, it's best to stay away from them.
Grains can be in the form of wheat, barley, oats, rice, corn, quinoa, or rye. They are made into bread, pasta, crackers, cookies, etc.
Quinoa and oats are often associated with being ‘healthy'. But when you're on a ketogenic diet, they are foods you should stay away from.
2 – Beans and Legumes
Beans and legumes have high starch content. Starch is also a form of carbohydrates. Even soybeans or products made out of them (soya milk or tofu) don't make the cut.
3 – Root Vegetables
Potatoes, yams, carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, or yuca are vegetables that grow below the ground.
As a rule, ketogenic dieters don't eat vegetables that grow underground. They contain a lot of starch.
4 – Fruits
Fruits are healthy but they're not keto-friendly. They contain a lot of sugar. So, they'll keep you from reaching ketosis.
Apples, bananas, grapes, citrus fruits, they all contain sugar which is a no-no for the ketogenic diet.
5 – Starchy Food
Bread, pasta, potatoes, french fries, muesli, porridge – they are all high in carbohydrates. There are also some vegetables such as beans, lentils, potatoes, corn, or parsnips that are rich in carbs.
So many people are having a hard time living without them. If you're one of them, don't worry. Now there's keto bread, keto pasta, and keto rice.
Look into them and see if they suit your taste.
6 – Milk and Low-fat Dairy
Dairy products are one of the recommended foods to eat. But not all dairy products are keto-friendly.
Full-fat dairy products like yogurt, butter, or heavy cream are okay to consume. But low-fat dairy products are high in carbs and sugar.
7 – Processed Meats and Processed Meat Products
Meat is good for ketogenic dieters. But choose the healthy kind of meat.
Choose organic and grass-fed meat and eggs.
Stay away from bacon, sausages, hotdogs, and the likes.
8 – Food with Sweeteners
Food with sweeteners – honey, cane sugar, maple syrup, corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose. They are not only bad for a ketogenic diet but many health experts consider them to be unhealthy.
9 – Sauces and Dips
Sauces and dips are often overlooked when you think about ketogenic diet foods to avoid. But they matter.
Ketchup, hot sauce, BBQ sauce, some salad dressing. Be mindful of what you eat. People usually overlook sauces in their food. They just count the meat intake.
Don't forget to include them when you count your daily macros.
10 – Drinks to Stay Away From
Many alcoholic drinks are heavy with carbs especially wine, beer, and mixed drinks.
Even natural fruit juices contain a lot of sugar.
Sodas and sweetened beverages are out of the question.