Keto is primarily known as a weight loss diet. This diet can aid your weight loss journey, but it’s much more than a way to eliminate excess fat.
A ketogenic diet has a wide range of health benefits — everything from helping to fight cancer, and lower blood sugar levels, to lessening Alzheimer’s symptoms. You need to know what foods aren’t allowed on a keto diet to get all these benefits.
I’ve been on a keto diet for several years, and I admit I’ve made my fair share of mistakes. To help you have a smooth keto diet experience, I’ve compiled the ultimate list of all foods you can’t eat on a keto diet.
Quick Summary
A keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet with multiple health benefits, such as regulating blood sugar and aiding weight loss.
You lose weight on a keto diet by entering the state of ketosis.
You should eat a maximum of 50 grams of carbs a day to enter ketosis.
You should avoid high-carb foods on a keto diet.
What is a Keto Diet?
A keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet. This means drastically reducing the number of carbs you eat and eating foods rich in fat instead.
The goal of the keto diet is to enter ketosis. Ketosis is a state in which the body burns fat for energy (instead of sugar and carbohydrates). To enter ketosis, you should only eat up to 50 grams of carbs daily. Some people prefer to count net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) because fiber isn’t digested, so it doesn’t matter in the final carb number.
A ketogenic diet can help you lose weight, reduce blood sugar and insulin levels, fight acne, and more. But, to reach ketosis and experience the benefits of a keto diet, you need to know which foods to avoid.
What Foods Should You Avoid on A Keto Diet?
Foods you should avoid on a keto diet are:
Grains and starches — Food grains include wheat flour, whole wheat flour, oatmeal, and others high in carbohydrates. Because these foods are high in carbs, they can endanger the process of ketosis, so it’s best to consume them in limited quantities. Avoid cereal, rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, chips, muesli, and crackers because all starchy foods become sugar when digested.
Sugary food — All diets limit food with sugar, and keto diets are no different. Avoid sodas, candies, chocolate, cookies, greek yogurt, and desserts. Also, avoid fruits; most fruits have too much sugar for keto. For example, a banana has a whole day’s worth of carbs. Also, stay clear of natural sweeteners such as honey and maple syrups.
Starchy vegetables — An excellent rule is to avoid vegetables that grow beneath the ground because these have a high starch content and a high carb count. Some examples are potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, yams, corn, and more.
Legumes are the same as beans and peas, and legumes are high in protein and carbs and should be avoided. Some examples are black beans, lentils, lima beans, and others.
Low fat and diet products — A ketogenic diet is a high-fat diet, so low-fat and diet products should be avoided.
Condiments and sauces — For example, BBQ sauce, honey mustard, ketchup, and others. These are full of sugar and don’t have many nutrients and fiber.
Unhealthy fats are trans fats found in some vegetable oils and mayo. Always choose healthy fats, coconut oil, and olive oil when cooking and eating keto foods.
Dairy — Some dairy products are high-carb foods, so you should limit the intake of dairy products.
Proteins — Avoid processed meats and opt for fattier cuts, such as chicken thighs, salmon, and steaks.
Drinks — Drinks are a significant source of carbs. Opt for carb-free drinks or drinks with fewer carbs, such as water, low-carb beer, and dry wine. Avoid sodas and energy drinks.
The best rule for a ketogenic diet is to avoid foods high in carbs.
List of What Not to Eat On a Keto Diet
Here are what foods to avoid when on a keto diet:
Grains:
Oatmeal
Tortillas
White flour
Wheat
Rye
Oats
Corn
Pumpernickel
Quinoa
Barley
Rice
Sugary food:
Candy
Cookies
Cake
Biscuits
Desserts
Pastries
Greek yogurt
Ice cream
Breakfast cereals
Fruits (almost all fruits apart from berries):
Apple
Banana
Grapes
Orange
Lemon
Peaches
Melon
Watermelon
Pineapple
Grapefruit
Pear
Plum
Mango
Dried fruits
Fruit juices
Vegetables:
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Peas
Carrots
Corn
Yam
Legumes:
Black beans
Kidney beans
Navy beans
Soybeans
Peas
Lentils
Chickpeas
Green beans
Lima beans
Sweeteners:
Cane sugar
Maple syrup
Honey
Saccharin
Corn syrup
Aspartame
Agave syrup
Condiments:
Ketchup
Mayo
BBQ sauce
Hot sauces
Salad dressings
Dairy products (especially low-fat dairy):
Milkshake
Milk
Butter
Condensed milk
Skim milk
Low-fat cheese
Fat-free yogurt
Cream cheese
Oils:
Canola
Soybean
Peanut
Sunflower
Sesame
Grapeseed
Drinks:
Sodas
Margarita
Fruit beer
Protein shakes
Energy drinks
Iced tea
Frappuccinos
You can also buy dietary supplements such as Keto pills or Keto gummies that can help you stay in ketosis. Together with a committed keto diet, these supplements can help ehnchance your results. Learn more about Keto-related topics at BioLyfe.
Alarim, R. A., Alasmre, F. A., Alotaibi, H. A., Alshehri, M. A., & Hussain, S. A. (2020). Effects of the Ketogenic Diet on Glycemic Control in Diabetic Patients: Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials. Cureus, 12(10), e10796. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.10796
Paoli, A., Grimaldi, K., Toniolo, L., Canato, M., Bianco, A., & Fratter, A. (2012). Nutrition and acne: therapeutic potential of ketogenic diets. Skin pharmacology and physiology, 25(3), 111–117. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1159/000336404
