What Foods Do You Have on Your Ketogenic Diet List?

The ketogenic diet is a diet that enhances weight loss and weight management. It comprises foods that are high in healthy fats but have low-calorie contents. Studies have discovered that the ketogenic diet is not effective for weight management alone but also effective in reducing diabetes and epilepsy risks. Further studies even showed that a ketogenic diet can be useful in the management of diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and some other severe health conditions.

However, despite all these health benefits backed by solid researches, more research is required to determine if it is safe to adopt such a diet over a long period of time and if it will continue to uphold its efficacy and effectiveness.

One of the major characteristics of the ketogenic diet its ability to reduce or beat down your daily intake number of calories by 30 to 50 grams daily. This is achievable, and a number of nutritious foods have been discovered to have this characteristic as well and meet the requirements of making it to the list of foods that make up a ketogenic diet.

Food to Add to Your Ketogenic Diet

The following foods are healthy and nutritious foods to add to your ketogenic diet food list;

Seafood

Seafood like fishes, crabs, and shellfishes are great options for a keto-friendly diet. Some seafood like salmon contain high vitamin B, selenium, and potassium contents and also have this unique feature of being absolutely carb neutral.

Although some other seafood contains carb, their carb contents are usually in tiny amounts, and they vary from fish to fish. That is, some fishes like shrimps contain tiny amounts of carbs, some fishes do not contain any carbs at all.

While you include these fishes into your ketogenic diet, ensure that more of the carb and calorie-free ones are predominant in your diet than the ones with carbs and calories, no matter how tiny, in order to get maximum results.  The following are carb contents in certain seafood;

• Clams: 4g
• Octopus: 4g
• Squid: 3g
• Mussels: 4G
• Oyster: 3g

The fats in fishes like salmons, mackerel, sardines, and other fatty fishes are healthy fats, and these healthy fats are referred to as omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acid is known to lower high insulin levels and reduce insulin sensitivity in people who are obese and overweight are therefore vulnerable to the risk of developing diabetes.

Asides from being a healthy addition to your ketogenic diet in terms of low calories and carbs, the research found that daily consumption of fish is associated with the reduction of risks of certain diseases and improvement of general health, especially cognitive health.

Low Carb Vegetables

Vegetables that are non-starchy contain low carbs and low calories. in addition, they have high nutritional value and contain essential nutrients like vitamin C and other essential minerals.

Vegetables, especially cruciferous ones, have high fiber contents that the body does not absorb or digest like carbs. Vegetables are also packed with numerous antioxidants that ensure the protection of the body and vital organs from free radicals that cause oxidative damages to the cells. Some of the best vegetables to add to your ketogenic diet include; broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and other cruciferous vegetables. Asides from their high fiber contents and low carbs, starch, and calorie contents which make them the best choices or options for any ketogenic diet, they are also associated with reduced heart diseases and cancer risks.

In addition, low-carb vegetables are healthy and awesome substitutes for foods that contain high carbs content. For instance;

• Zoodles can be produced from zucchini
• Cauliflower can conveniently substitute mashed potatoes or rice without any side effects
• While spaghetti squash can naturally be used to substitute spaghetti itself

The following are keto-friendly vegetables;

• Avocado
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Asparagus
• Cucumber
• Lettuce
• Kale
• Green beans
• Eggplant
• Olives
• Spinach
• Green pepper
• Zucchini
• Tomatoes

Cheese

There are different types of cheese, and not all of them can fit into a proper keto diet food list. This is why it is very important to wisely choose what type of cheese is best for your diet. Despite the large variants of cheese, most of them have low carb contents with high-fat contents, which automatically makes them the best options for your keto diet.

25 grams of cheddar cheese contains about 6 grams of protein, 1 gram of carb, and a reasonable amount of calcium. Almost all types of cheese are packed with saturated fat, but no research has shown it to increase your risks of developing heart disease in the future. In fact, recent studies show that cheese may even protect the heart against heart diseases.

In addition, cheese contains conjugated acid, a fat that counters fat in the body. It is a kind of fat that leads to the loss of fat in the body and shows good results in the improvement of body composition.

Daily consumption of cheese has been linked to the reduction of muscle mass that occurs while you are aging.

The following are healthy cheese that can fit conveniently into your keto diet food list;

• Colby jack
• Camembert
• Brie
• Blue cheese
• Chevre
• Goat cheese
• Limburger
• Manchego
• Halloumi
• Havarti
• Cottage cheese
• Feta
• Cream cheese
• Swiss
• Provolone
• Muenster
• Mozzarella
• Romano
• String cheese
• Parmesan
• Mascarpone
• Pepper jack

Avocados

Avocados contain numerous healthy nutrients, including healthy fats. Some of the nutrients and minerals that make up avocados’ nutritional profile include potassium, an essential mineral a lot of people usually do not get enough of. Its high potassium content can make your transitioning into a keto diet easy if you are a “newcomer” into the keto diet world.

Avocadoes have over the years been linked to the reduction of triglyceride and unhealthy cholesterol levels.

Research carried out on a certain group of people showed that those who ate at least one avocado per day had reduced cardio-metabolic risks, as well as the reduction of bad cholesterol (LDL) levels.

Meat and Poultry

Poultry and meat and considered staple foods on a keto diet. These meats contain no amount of carbs at all, thus making them the best animal-based foods for your ketogenic diet. In addition to this, they are rich in several other healthy nutrients as well as B vitamins.

Asides from these, they are also the best options for high protein diets. Their protein quality has been linked to the preservation of muscle mass while you are consuming a very low-carb diet.

Research carried out on few old women showed that consuming fresh meat or poultry increases the level of good cholesterol (HDL) in the body, with about 5% higher chances than other old women on a high carb and low-fat diet.

According to research, it is best to eat fresh meats from grass-fed animals because this category of animals produces meats that contain higher omega 3 fatty acids contents, high antioxidant contents, and high conjugated linoleic acid compared to those that are grain-fed.

Eggs

Eggs are one of the most nutritious, healthiest, versatile, and cheapest foods in the world. Eggs are great options and additions to your ketogenic diet. One medium-sized egg contains just 1 gram of carbs with about 6 grams of protein, which makes egg a healthy food for any form of diet in the world.

In addition, eggs have been associated with the triggering of hormones that boost the feelings of satisfaction and fullness, thus making you eat less and managing your weight in the process.

It is best to consume all the parts of the eggs after removing the shell, as both the egg whites and the yolk contain essential nutrients that your body needs. Some of the important properties contained in eggs include; zeaxanthin and antioxidants lutein, properties that improve sight and protect the eyes.

Coconut Oil

One of the best and essential oils to use in the preparation of your ketogenic diet is coconut oil. This is because it has medium-chain triglycerides that are taken up by the liver directly and are converted into ketones, and in some cases, it ends up being used as a rapid source of energy.

In addition, one of the essential oils that have been used over the years to increase the ketones level in Alzheimer’s disease and other brain and nervous system diseases patients is coconut oil.

In conclusion, ketogenic diets are popularly known to help in the reduction of excess weight. Asides from this, it also ensures the proper management of blood sugar levels by regulating insulin and preventing diseases like diabetes.