The Keto diet has been having a moment for quite a while now, and the ketogenic diet isn’t going to go away anytime soon. However, figuring out where to begin with the keto diet can often be the most challenging part. The first step will be creating a keto shopping list.
No matter what, a keto diet (a diet low in carbohydrate foods) is going to be a significant change, and you don’t want to get scared away before your ketogenic diet even begins. Luckily, there are so many options. Unfortunately, it can be incredibly challenging to figure out where to start.
If you haven’t started following the keto diet yet, you may feel overwhelmed. Aren’t you cutting out many of the foods you love?
The fact is, living with a ketogenic diet is easier than you think. Let’s dive in!
Keto Grocery List Rules to Live By
There aren’t as many rules to the keto diet as you might think. But the ones that exist are crucial to your success.
- First of all, you should only be eating whole foods when you plan a recipe. In other words, you need to pick food that only has one ingredient or at least a concise ingredient list. For instance, if you get marinated meat, you should make sure that it only uses oils and spices. Avoid added sugar or unpronounceable preservatives.
- Many fruits and most vegetables qualify, as well as meats, dairy, spices, and herbs. It’s all about knowing which foods fit well in the ketogenic diet.
- Get rid of all of the junk food in your house, pantry, and fridge. You need to remove all of these temptations from your line of sight. The fact is, even if other folks in your household aren’t following a keto diet, they don’t need the garbage food any more than you do. Basically, anything with excess sugar needs to go. No one in your family needs a bunch of food with sugar in it.
- Pack your fridge, pantry, and cabinets with healthy, whole food for your keto recipe meal planning. If you have healthy food, tasty keto friendly snacks, and keto meal options available, it will make it easier to eat only keto food.
- Dirty keto? Dirty keto is also known as “lazy keto,” and it allows for some packaged and highly processed foods. If you opt to do dirty keto because of time constraints, budget, etc…just try to limit it.
There are restrictions within each of these categories that you should get used to before you write up your keto shopping list. We will be breaking down further as we go.
Since you will mainly be making your food at home, you should pack your fridge and pantry full of the best keto food. You should also get rid of junk food that can lead you astray in moments of weakness.
Please remember that I’m not a nutritionist, doctor, or expert in any way. I’ve just done a lot of research to try to share with you what the experts say works well for a keto diet. My main goal is to provide you with a head start on your keto shopping list.
All of the Best Keto Shopping Tips and Your Essential Keto Shopping Lists
Are you ready to learn about everything you can eat on the keto diet? From meat to seafood to fruit and veggies, the ketogenic diet can work for anyone who wants to try it. Let’s go!
Keto Grocery List: Meat
Most meat products are low in carbs (or have no carbs). For this reason, meat, fish, and eggs are essential for the ketogenic diet and meal plan, but there are a few rules.
Here are some rules to keep in mind when you’re doing keto meal planning.
- Stay away from lunchmeats of any kind. They are highly processed and often contain sugar and carbs.
- Focus on cooking your own meats. Pay attention to the meat that you purchase.
- Steer clear of anything that has preservatives or added sugar. This may include some bacon and ham options.
- Grass-fed, organic, or free-range cuts are the best option for your keto shopping list as well. They are rich in protein, all-natural, and free of hormones or antibiotics.
This is a keto grocery list of just a few of the meats a keto dieter can consider for their keto diet and meal plan.
- Chicken breasts
- Chicken wings
- Turkey
- Duck
- Goose
- Poultry pates
- Chicken thighs
- Grass-fed beef and ethically raised animals
- Lamb
- Pork
- Organ meats
- Veal
- Venison
Best Fish for a Keto Diet
What about seafood for your keto grocery list? Yes, you can enjoy delicious seafood and fish on a keto diet. Here are the best fish for a keto diet (and the best seafood).
- Salmon filets (wild-caught salmon is especially nice)
- Tilapia
- Shrimp (prawns)
- Lobster
- Langastino (squat lobster)
- Crab (be sure to read the labels on imitation crab to make sure it doesn’t contain sugar)
- Crawfish (crayfish)
- Tuna
- Mackerel
- Anchovies
- Trout
- Codfish
- Haddock
- Monkfish
- Flounder
- Sea bass
- Snapper
- Hake
- Catfish (if you want fried catfish, be sure to use almond flour)
Is there any seafood you should avoid on a keto diet? Yes. Both octopus and oysters have carbs. You can eat them, but just keep the carbs in mind for your food tracking.
Keto Shopping List: Vegetables
Many vegetables at the grocery store are great for your keto shopping list. However, there are a few restrictions.
Keto-Friendly Vegetables
For a keto meal plan, consider these excellent veggie options when you visit your grocery store.
- Arugula: High fiber content, B vitamins, antioxidants, and essential minerals.
- Spinach: Vitamins A and C, fiber, folic acid, protein, iron, and minerals.
- Eggplant: Low in calories and high in fiber.
- Mushrooms: Fiber, protein, B vitamins, selenium, potassium, copper, and vitamin D.
- Green beans: Sautee them in ghee or butter for a delicious keto side dish.
- Broccoli: Calcium, vitamins A, K, and C, phosphorus, and zinc.
- Cauliflower: High in fiber and B-vitamins. Also makes a great substitute for many starches, including potatoes and rice.
- Summer squash: Low in carbs and great for adding to recipes.
- Zucchini: High in fiber, vitamins B6, C, and K, riboflavin, folate, and minerals, including manganese and potassium. You can use zucchini squash to make zoodles (zucchini noodles) if you have a Spiralizer.
- Bell peppers: Rich in vitamins, antioxidants, vitamin C, and carotenoids.
- Cabbage: High in vitamins C and K. Plus, it makes a fabulous substitute for a wrap or keto pocket.
- Celery: Contains vitamin A, K, C, and 12 different kinds of antioxidants. Plus, there’s nothing better than a celery stick and a bit of healthy peanut butter.
- Brussel sprouts: Rich in folates, fiber, Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
- Asparagus: An excellent source of fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E, and K. It also includes chromium, which enhances insulin’s ability to transport glucose.
- Onions: Rich in vitamin C and B vitamins, as well as fiber, potassium, and essential antioxidants. However, onions have carbs, so use sparingly.
- Lettuce: Focus on romaine lettuce rather than iceberg lettuce. It’s high in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. Romaine lettuce is also packed with vitamins C and K.
- Cooking greens: Collard greens, bok choy, kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard, and turnip greens.
- Avocados: Great for salads, eating sliced avocadoes with a meal, and in smoothies.
- Olives: Buy them in jars, but be sure to read the labels.
No matter what, this is a fantastic place to begin your keto shopping endeavors. There are also plenty of books and lists that will cover a broader range of keto-friendly vegetables.
Vegetables to Avoid on the Keto Diet
There are only a few vegetables you need to steer clear of at the grocery store, but it will be easier to look out for them if you understand why.
- Root vegetables: potatoes, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, and parsnips.
- Legumes: Otherwise known as beans, lentils, and peas of any kind, are too high in carbs for a keto diet.
- Tofu: I know tofu isn’t a vegetable, but it is made of soy and often found in the produce section.
- Butternut squash: It’s too high in natural sugar and carbs.
Keto Grocery List: Herbs and Spices
Stock up on these herbs and spices when you visit the grocery store with your keto shopping list. You can buy either fresh herbs or dried herbs. You can also use special herb blends that have been developed for keto diets and paleo diets such as FreshJax spices and herbs.
Here are some great spices to stock for keto living.
- Thyme
- Mint
- Sage
- Dill
- Oregano
- Cilantro
- Parsley
- Lemongrass
- Rosemary
- Basil
Fruits to Buy for the Ketogenic Diet
Fruits are lovely and healthy treats and you should include them on your keto grocery list when you visit your grocery store. However, when you’re on a keto diet, you should be avoiding sugar. Bananas, apples, peaches, pears, tropical fruits, and so many more are packed full of natural carbs and added sugar and they have no place on a keto-friendly grocery list.
Here are the fruits that you can enjoy on the keto diet (and yes, the tomato and avocado are technically a fruit).
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Strawberries
- Plums
- Avocados
- Tomatoes
Dairy Products for Your Keto Shopping List
With dairy, you have some freedom when you’re creating a keto recipe.
- Remember: fat is good on a keto diet. Make sure you’re buying full-fat products, rather than their low-fat alternatives.
- Avoid dairy products with sugar, such as yogurt and ice cream. You can still eat plain greek yogurt, but you should add keto-friendly fruit yourself.
- Enjoy cream, butter, cream cheese, cottage cheese, full fat sour cream, and cheese. Just make sure that these items aren’t processed alternatives, such as American cheese, Velveeta, or cheese dips.
- Skip regular milk. Instead, you can use heavy cream or nut milk such as almond milk. Regular milk is relatively high in sugar, and all the fat has been removed to create the cream. Therefore, it won’t be much use to you.
- Steer clear of any type of sweetened milk. Most sweetened milk has sugar or nasty sugar substitutes.
- Heavy cream (not half and half). While heavy cream and half and half are similar in taste and consistency, half and half is half cream and half milk, so avoid it. If you like cream in your coffee, use heavy cream or unsweetened plant-based milk such as almond milk and coconut milk.
Here is a grocery list for keto dairy products.
- Butter
- Cottage cheese
- Plain Greek yogurt (with no added sugar)
- Ghee
- Eggs (eggs aren’t dairy, but we’re putting them in this section because they’re usually located near the dairy items in a grocery store).
Keto Cheese List
Here are some of the best cheese options for a keto diet.
- Blue cheese
- Camembert
- Brie
- Cheddar cheese
- Colby Jack cheese
- Chevre
- Cottage Cheese
- Feta cheese
- Cream cheese
- Goat cheese
- Havarti
- Halloumi
- Mozzarella cheese
- Mascarpone cheese
- Pepper Jack cheese
- Parmesan cheese (grated parmesan or shredded parmesan)
- Romano
- Provolone
- Swiss cheese
- String cheese
Healthy Fat and Oil Options for a Keto Grocery List
Oils are another thing you might not think about when drawing up your keto shopping list. However, they can be handy for adding flavor and cooking. There are also so many oils that people don’t take advantage of regularly.
Here are the best oils and fat for a low carb diet.
- Coconut oil (if you want saturated fat, and coconut oil is great for fat bombs)
- MCT oil
- Avocado oil (we love avocado oil for salad dressing, too)
- Nut oils
- Coconut butter (for making healthy fat bombs)
- Extra virgin olive oil (or any type of olive oil)
- Butter (make sure it’s real butter, not margarine)
- Ghee
Oils to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet
Avoid these oils on a ketogenic diet. Just take the time right now to toss these oils into the trash if you have any of them in your kitchen.
- Canola oil
- Peanut oil
- Corn oil
- Safflower oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Sunflower oil
- Rapeseed oil
- Soybean oil
- Vegetable oil
- Sour cream
Condiments for Your Keto Friendly Grocery List
Even though you won’t be making many sandwiches unless you keep some keto bread with low carbs on hand, you are going to need some keto-friendly condiments to make your diet a little more bearable.
Keep in mind that salad dressings often contain sugar and are high in carbs.
Consider these keto friendly condiments.
- Olive oil mayonnaise (we like Primal Kitchen brands)
- Mustard
- Unsweetened ketchup
- Soy sauce
- Hot sauce
- Full-fat ranch
- Caesar dressing
- Blue cheese
- Sugar-free barbeque sauce
It’s also nice to have some almond flour in your pantry when you need something for coating meat or veggies for your keto meal planning.
Keto Friendly Snacks for Your Keto Shopping List
For the best keto snacks, just about every kind of nut or seed is free game. They are a wonderful source of fat and most have no carbs. Nuts are also great for fending off hunger because they’re an excellent protein source.
Here are the best high protein nuts for a keto diet (and seeds for a ketogenic diet)
- Pecans
- Macadamia nuts
- Brazil nuts
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Flaxseed
- Chia seeds
However, cashews and pistachios, while high in protein, shouldn’t be added to your keto shopping list. It’s tragic, but they are high in carbs as well as protein, and just a handful of cashews will reach your daily allowance.
You can also get all-natural nut butters that are high in protein without carbs (or very low in carbs) to spread on your celery for a delicious snack.
Here are some other keto friendly snacks.
- Nut butter (almond butter and cashew butter)
- Antioxidant-rich dark chocolate
- Unsweetened cocoa powder (great for making fat bombs)
- Toasted cheese snacks
- Keto bread options for quick sandwiches
- Pork rinds
- Keto friendly snack bars
- Almond flour
You can also create delicious snacks using fruit and Greek yogurt without carbs, vegetables with few carbs, keto-friendly dips, or anything else without carbs you can think of.
Wrapping Up the Keto Grocery List
It can be challenging to get used to the keto diet (or any diet), but having a good keto shopping list with you when you visit the grocery store will help you to stay on track.
Nailing down a keto shopping list is going to take you a long way on your weight loss or healthy living journey.
Image: Nadine Primeau, Unsplash
