The keto diet eliminates what foods?
The Keto diet is one of the less restrictive diets that you can follow. It’s one of the most popular diets in the world. It’s known for being high on fat and protein and low on carbs. However, that leaves room for a lot of foods you can consume including high fat and high protein foods like meat and nuts. For a comprehensive list of foods you can eat while on the keto diet, check out this article.
That being said, there are several foods which you should absolutely not consume during the keto diet. These foods can force your body out of ketosis and stop the process that sheds body weight. These foods are almost always high in sugar and contain artificial additives. Hence, the chemical combination of those foods and enzymes basically stops ketosis. It signals to your body that it has new carbs and doesn’t need to consume fat reserves.
So, if you want to continue with your weight loss journey and want the health benefits that come with it, read on. Here is a food list that you should stay away from.
The Keto Diet Eliminates These X Foods
1. Refined Carbs like Bread, Pasta, and Rice
Bread, pasta, rice, etc. are all very starchy foods. These are explosive sources of carbohydrates for your system. Hence, you should stay away from these carb sources for a healthy diet. You can try mashed or riced cauliflower instead and experiment with low carb bread. These can be made from either seeds or nuts or eggs.
2. Mixed Drinks and Beer
Beers and liquor based drinks are all loaded with concentrated sugar. They have explosive sugar content since they’re made from sugary substances like grapes and apples. Not only that, but they’re made with fruits which are kept to ripen over a long time.
Don’t try hard liquor since that doesn’t do your liver a favor. Drinking hard liquor also leads to other health conditions including neural damage in some cases.
3. Syrups and Honey
Syrups even more so than honey are loaded with concentrated sugar. While the latter is known for its healthier sugar content, it still doesn’t help with the ketogenic diet. When you ask the keto diet eliminates what foods, this is at the top of the list.
4. Fruit Juices (Loaded with Sugar!)
As with sodas and soft drinks, fruit juices are loaded with sugar. While they’re already loaded with sugar when they’re fresh squeezed, store bought juices are jam packed.
Fruit juices also lack dietary fiber. Fiber is very important to digestion as well as blood sugar control.
Hence, you should get rid of any fruit juices you consume to maintain ketosis.
5. Honey-Baked Ham
Honey baked ham may seem like a treat, but it’s also sugary. Ham is a lean protein source, but when glazed with honey, it doesn’t stay that way. After it’s cooked, the crackling glaze poured on it will stop you from maintaining ketosis. Glazed ham, which is similar, but baked instead of cooked also has a thick sauce made of pungent element like maple syrup and mustard. the sugar baked on to these hams is the main source of problems when it comes to the ketogenic diet.
6. Condiments like Ketchup, BBQ Sauce, etc.
Ketchup, mustard, and other sauces or condiments are actually sweetened and rich in sugar. That’s why you should avoid them during the keto diet. It may be tempting to introduce them in small amounts while eating salads or even meat, but it’s not worth it.
They don’t provide much in terms of fiber or nutrients either. You can get 3 grams of carbohydrates for ketchup and 4 grams of carbs for BBQ sauce depending on the packet.
7. Sugary Sodas
It’s in the name, and you probably know this already. A single 12-ounce can of Coke has been shown to contain a whopping 39 grams of carbs. That takes care of 2 days worth of carbs in your ketogenic diet.
If you can’t quench your thirst with water, you can try diet or sugar free sodas without being knocked out of keto. The long term health effects of these drinks aren’t positive. So, you should try quitting cold turkey.
8. Trail Mix or Dried Fruits
When fruit is dried, its water content is evaporated and its sugar is concentrated into smaller servings. That’s why portion control doesn’t work as well with dried fruits.
A Medjool date has 18 grams of carbs in a total weight of 24 grams. Dates are nutritional gems, but they’re too sugary for the ketogenic diet.
Other dried fruits like mixed dried fruits or trail mix include a lot of sugar as well. Hence, you should always eat fresh berries or other low carb fruits instead.
9. Low Fat Diet Foods
There are several low fat diet foods marketed to people today because low body fats based dieting is trendy. However, a lot of these food are high in sugar to compensate for the lack of fat.
Hence, it’s a good idea to watch out for these items and remove them from your meal plan. Some common low fat items include:
- Low fat or fat free yogurt
- Low fat or fat free mayonnaise
- Low fat peanut butter
- Low fat salad dressings
- Low fat or skimmed milk
10. Starchy Vegetables (Like Potatoes)
Potatoes are known to be very starchy vegetables, but they’re also favorites among the general public. However, if you want to lose weight, you’re going to have to forego them.
Starchy vegetables in general aren’t a good fit for this diet. They’re great sources of fiber and vitamin C as well as potassium, but they’re not great for weight loss.
Vegetables like peas and corn are also off the table.
If you want to eat healthier vegetables, you should try those with lower carb counts like beets and carrots.
Non-starchy Vegetables suited for your keto goals include tomatoes, cucumbers, and leafy greens like celery, spinach, and mushrooms. These won’t pump up your blood sugar as much.
11. Low-Fat Margarines
Low-fat margarines may seem like a preferable source of energy to butter, but they’re not. It’s part of various low-carb diet trends, but it skimps on the fat. Since that is the main energy source in keto, this is not ideal.
Note that margarine is higher in heart-healthy polyunsaturated fat than butter. However, some types have more trans fat. This has been linked to detrimental effects on the heart. It’s not good for your blood pressure either.
12. Sugary Fresh Fruits
Fresh fruits aren’t always the best thing to eat to lose weight. This is especially true of the ketogenic diet. Mangoes, bananas, apples, and grapes are all high in carbs. They contain a lot of nutrient dense food, but they’re not great for a low carbohydrate diet.
They can’t be staples in the diet, but they will still help you improve your nutrient count. They also help you load up on fiber and thus aid in digestion as well as heart health.
You can use these fruits to sprinkle on top of your Greek yogurt or a salad. You should also be mindful of the portion sizes you’re taking.
If you’re still craving fruits after you’re daily fix, you can try berries. Raspberries, starfruit, and strawberries are all great sources of fruit without the ketosis problems. You can also try coconut and unsweetened acai puree.
13. Sweetened Dairy Products
This is a well known thing about the keto diet. It simply doesn’t allow for much dairy. The worst type of dairy however, is sweetened dairy products which are everywhere today. Frozen yogurt, sweetened yogurt, milkshakes, etc. all pull your body out of ketosis by pumping up your blood sugar.
When you ask the keto diet eliminates what foods, this is the answer. Whole milk has over 11 grams of carbs per cup. Enjoying it occasionally is fine, but it’s not a staple option.
The same goes for whole milk cheese or whole milk butter. You’re not doing yourself a favor by consuming these foods.
If you’re hankering for some dairy, then you can try full fat yogurt or cottage cheese. Greek yogurt or the fancier Icelandic skyr is a very good fit for the ketogenic diet.
14. Quinoa and Other Grains
Quinoa and other grains are very healthy for the average person, but they’re not particularly good for the keto diet. This is because of the high carb content that they contain. For example, about 100 grams of cooked quinoa can contain 20 grams of carbs. Of these, 2 are dietary fiber. There goes your entire carbohydrates per day allowance during the keto diet.
You can however, use quinoa as a garnish in your diet. This will ensure that it is a part of your meal. However, it won’t overwhelm your body so that it’s pulled out of ketosis.
15. Beans and Other Legumes
Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are very challenging to incorporate in to the keto diet. This is because, while they are an excellent source of protein and minerals, they also contain a fair amount of carbs.
You can however, incorporate them in small amounts. Certain legumes are low in carbs like green beans and black soybeans. You can try pan frying them to use as crunchy toppings or to garnish them on your salads.
There are other ways you can incorporate legumes in to your ketogenic diet as well. For example, chickpeas are used in hummus and bean-based dips incorporate legumes too. These include guacamole and ganoush.
16. Chocolate (This One Will Hurt)
You may actually well up with tears reading this one, but it’s true. Chocolate, at least the processed stuff that we buy at the store is filled with refined sugar. It’s chock full of sweetened milk and preservatives and is definitely not a keto food.
However, there is a silver lining. If you are fond of eating dark chocolate, or can build up a bitterness tolerance, you’re safe. Dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao content can be part of your keto diet in small amounts.
Milk chocolates or white chocolates aren’t the thing for you. They’re highly loaded with sugar and they will pull your body out of ketosis at once.
Look for dark chocolate. The more bitter and dark cacao filled it is, the better. There are even dark chocolates out there primed for keto diets now!
While these are all the foods you should avoid during the keto diet, there are several more you should indulge in. Cutting out those sports drinks and energy drinks will give anyone withdrawal. So, there are a lot of great resources out there to help you plan a keto diet to fit your needs. You can even design your own keto meal plan using this helpful guide.
