Madeleine Hull
The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that has been associated with several health benefits, including weight loss, blood sugar management, and the potential prevention of cancers and neurodegenerative conditions. The diet can be challenging to maintain, especially when eating out. When eating outside, keto dieters should focus on animal proteins, seafood, eggs, cheese, nuts, seeds, and berries. They should avoid carb-rich foods like pasta, bread, and rice. Some keto-friendly meal options when eating out include bunless burgers, salmon, shrimp skewers, chicken, and avocado salads.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Diet type | High-fat, low-carbohydrate |
| Animal proteins | Chicken, meat, poultry, eggs |
| Seafood | Salmon, shellfish, shrimp, oysters, fried fish |
| Cheese | Cheddar, blue cheese, goat's cheese, feta, halloumi, cream cheese, cottage cheese |
| Fruits | Avocado, berries |
| Vegetables | Broccoli, spinach, green beans, kale, peppers, asparagus, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms |
| Nuts and seeds | Almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds |
| Oils | Coconut oil, olive oil |
| Dessert | Dark chocolate, whipped cream, cinnamon, bacon, strawberries |
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What You'll Learn
Seafood
Salmon is a fatty fish that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain and heart health. It is also a great source of protein and low in carbohydrates, making it a perfect choice for the keto diet. Salmon can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, such as baked, grilled, smoked, or even raw, like sushi.
Tuna is another versatile fish with a rich flavour. It is packed with essential nutrients like selenium, vitamin B12, and vitamin D, along with fatty acids. Tuna steaks are especially delicious when grilled, pan-fried, or broiled. Canned tuna is also a popular option, but fresh tuna has a satisfyingly dense, flaky texture.
Shellfish such as shrimp, prawns, crab, mussels, bay scallops, and lobster are also keto-friendly. They are typically low in fat and calories but high in protein and low in carbohydrates. For example, crab and prawns/shrimp are good sources of selenium, which is essential for thyroid health, while mussels are a good source of iron and vitamin B12. These shellfish pair well with creamy, buttery sauces that are perfect for a keto meal.
Oysters are another seafood option with surprising nutritional value. They provide omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, copper, and vitamin B12. Oysters can be enjoyed cooked or raw, and they make for a delicious keto-friendly treat.
When following a keto diet, it is important to focus on consuming healthy fats and moderate amounts of protein while significantly reducing your carbohydrate intake. Seafood is an excellent choice to help you meet these goals, and there are many delicious options to choose from when dining out.
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Meat and Poultry
When it comes to meat, you can choose from a variety of options, including beef, pork, lamb, wild game, chicken, turkey, ham, and bacon. If you're looking for processed meat options, you can consume sausages, cold cuts, and deli meats, but in limited amounts as they are not the best for your heart and may increase the risk of certain types of cancer.
When choosing meat, consider going for grass-fed options as they have higher amounts of omega-3 fats and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) compared to meat from grain-fed animals. Additionally, if you're looking for convenient, portable protein sources, beef jerky made from 100% grass-fed beef with no added sugar is a great option.
For poultry, pastured chicken and turkey are good choices. Canned or tinned poultry products can also be included in your keto diet, such as wild-caught canned chicken or chicken packed in olive oil for extra healthy fats.
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Eggs
When following a keto diet, you can incorporate eggs into your meals by preparing them in various ways, such as boiled, poached, scrambled, or fried. You can also use them as an ingredient in keto-friendly dishes like omelettes, frittatas, or quiches.
When eating outside, you may find dishes that include eggs on the menu, such as breadless cheesesteaks, bunless burgers, or bacon-wrapped scallops. You can also opt for egg-based dishes like avocado salad, shrimp scampi with broccoli, or a simple side of fried eggs with vegetables.
Remember, while eggs are a great option for a keto diet, it is important to practice moderation and include a variety of other keto-friendly foods to ensure a balanced diet.
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Cheese
Firstly, it is important to note that soft and semi-soft cheeses often have more lactose (carbs) than harder cheeses. Therefore, soft cheeses may be less keto-friendly. Examples of soft cheeses to limit or avoid include cream cheese, cottage cheese, and ricotta cheese. Cottage cheese, in particular, is not recommended for the keto diet because, despite being a healthy cheese option, it contains more carbs than the keto diet permits.
Full-fat cheeses are the best option for keto dieters as they have a lower lactose content and less than 1 gram of carbs per serving. Some examples of keto-friendly cheeses include cheddar, blue cheese, goat cheese, feta, halloumi, gouda, and cream cheese. These cheeses are high in fat and low in carbs, making them a perfect fit for the keto diet. For instance, a 1-ounce serving of mild cheddar cheese provides 9 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein, and less than 1 gram of carbs. Similarly, goat cheese has 8 grams of fat, 6-7 grams of protein, and minimal carbs per 1-ounce serving.
When purchasing cheese for the keto diet, it is best to buy whole blocks of cheese rather than pre-shredded cheese, as pre-shredded cheese often contains added starches that increase the carb count. Additionally, it is important to be cautious of processed cheeses, as they often contain added ingredients that are detrimental to the keto diet, such as colours, preservatives, whey powders, and oils.
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Avocado
A whole avocado contains 17g of carbohydrates, of which 14g is fibre, and 30g of fat. The high fibre content of avocados is beneficial for the health of the gut microbiome, which is important on the keto diet as it can be difficult to get enough fibre.
- Salads, such as an avocado salad
- Soups
- Desserts
- Sauces, such as guacamole
- Drizzled with olive oil
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Frequently asked questions
The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. It's designed to put the body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where the body uses fat instead of carbohydrates for energy.
Some keto-friendly options when eating out include seafood, taco salad, bunless burgers, sashimi, shrimp, and chicken Alfredo over broccoli.
Meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, nuts, seeds, and berries are all keto-friendly foods.
Foods that are high in carbohydrates, such as cereal, crackers, rice, pasta, bread, and beer, should be avoided on the keto diet.
The keto diet has been shown to aid weight loss and may also benefit certain conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's disease.
