If your goal is to lose weight on a ketogenic diet, then it’s important to know what kind of low carb foods to eat. It’s also important to know what kind of low carb foods to avoid on keto.

The main goal of the keto diet is to burn fat fast and these foods will slow down the fat burning process. The worse case scenario is that you will get kicked out of ketosis.

This would mean you have to go through the whole process of getting into ketosis and experiencing keto flu more than once.

How To Stay in Ketosis

Staying in ketosis requires you to keep your daily carbohydrates below 50 grams. You generally need to avoid eating high carb foods, processed foods, proteins that are higher in carbs. All of these foods to avoid on keto are listed below.

If you’re just starting out a low carb diet, here’s a full list of foods to eat that are perfect for keto.

Foods To Avoid On a Ketogenic Diet

Here’s a full list of some common foods to avoid when you’re on a keto diet.

Grains

Oats
Rice
Quinoa
Barley
Rye
Corn
Millet
Sorghum
Bulgur
Amaranth
Buckwheat
Sprouted Grains

Grain Products

These grain products include:

Bread (made from any of the above grains)
Tortillas (made from any of the above grains)
Bagels (made from any of the above grains)
Granola
Cereal
Muesli
Oatmeal
Crackers (made from any of the above grains)
Pasta (made from any of the above grains)
Cookies (made from any of the above grains)
Pizza Base (made from any of the above grains)

Root and Starchy Vegetables

These are healthy carbs but they are high in starches and will kick you out of keto. Some persons will try to have them in small amounts but it’s generally not recommended.

Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Yams
Potato
Carrots
Parsnips
Turnips
Peas
Yucca
Cherry Tomatoes
Beetroot
Corn

Fruits

Most fruits are to be avoided on keto because they are high in sugar, and we know that sugar is not be eaten while you’re on the keto diet. Check out this list of fruits you can eat on keto instead.

Apple
Banana
Grape
Pear
Mango
Pineapple
Pineapple
Watermelon
Melon
Peaches
Citrus (Oranges, Tangerines, Minneolas, Lime)
Dried Fruit (Raisins, Dates, and other dried fruit)
Fruit Juices
Fruit-based Smoothies
Fruit Concentrates
Fruit Syrups

Sugars

Sugar is probably one of the sneakiest ingredients out there. This is why you have to be careful to eat as much unprocessed foods as possible. If you still want to add sugar to your drinks or even bake on keto, there are a lot of sugar substitutes to choose from.

Here are the common places that sugar will hide. Try your best to avoid these foods on the keto diet.

Sweets
- Chocolate
- Cake
- Candy
Sweetened sauces and dips
- Ketchup
- BBQ sauce
- Certain dressings
- Certain hot sauces
- Bottled Dressings – especially fat-free
Natural Sweeteners & Sugars
- Maple Syrup
- Agave Nectar
- Honey
- Raw Sugar
- Turbinado Sugar
Added Sugars
Sugar has 56 names – making it difficult to always know when you are eating products with added sugar. (You can avoid this by avoiding processed food).
Common names for sugar are:
- Cane Sugar
- High-Fructose Corn Syrup
- Dextrose
- Fructose
- Glucose
- Maltose
- Galactose
- Dextrin
- Castor Sugar
- Coconut sugar
- Fruit juice
- Agave nectar
- Caramel

Legumes & Beans

Beans and legumes are a big part of a healthy diet because they are high in fiber and nutrients. However, they are also high in carbs, which we don’t want on the keto diet.

If you want to include more high fiber foods that are low in carbs, here’s a great list to choose from.

Legumes & Beans include:

Lentils
Green Peas
Chickpeas
Kidney Beans
Black Beans
Lima Beans
Pinto Beans
White Beans
Cannellini Beans
Fava Beans
Black-Eyed Beans

Foods to Avoid on the Ketogenic Diet: Proteins

It’s a common misconception that carbohydrates are the only foods to avoid on keto. Actually, there are some proteins that you’ll need to limit or avoid as well.

The ketogenic diet encourages a moderate protein intake. However, your focus should be on consuming high-quality protein, as this will impact how your body responds to it.

Factory Farmed Animal Products

Animal products sourced from factory farms have a lower nutrient value, and often contain harmful and unhealthy

Factory farmed animal products to avoid include:

Grain-feed meat and dairy
- These are lower in nutrients

Factory-farmed fish and pork
- These are high in Omega 6, which is inflammatory for the body
- Factory-farmed fish is usually high in mercury

Processed meat
- Including hotdogs and sausages, as they often are high in nitrates.

Milk and Low Fat Dairy

Milk and low-fat dairy has a higher ratio of sugars to fat. It’s better to skip the milk entirely and eat full-fat dairy.

Additionally, pasteurized milk is difficult for many people to digest. It could be causing you health issues you may not have even been aware of. It is also usually contains hormones that could be harmful.

Milk and Dairy products to avoid include:

Low-fat milk
Full-fat milk
Low-fat cottage cheese
Low-fat cream cheese
Low-fat cheese
Shredded cheese (this is because it often has potato starch added)
Low-fat yogurt
Fat-free yogurt
Low-fat Whipped Toppings

Foods to Avoid on the Ketogenic Diet: Fats

Processed Oils

Processed oils cause inflammation in the body. This makes it easier for you to get sick and even speeds up aging. When oils are processed, artificial trans fats are formed, and it is these trans fats that cause inflammation.

Additional risks of eating trans fats include higher risk of heart disease, increased risk of cancer, reduced HDL cholesterol and increased LDL cholesterol, and it is also bad for gut health.

Processed oils to avoid include:

Vegetable oil
Margarine
Spreadable Butter Alternatives
Canola Oil
Corn Oil
Sunflower Oil
Soybean Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Safflower Oil
Sesame Oil
Peanut Oil

It’s better to stick with olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil. There are other types of fats like ghee and butter. Here’s a full list of foods to eat on a ketogenic diet.

Foods to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet: Drinks

Beverages – Sweetened and Sugary

No matter if they are sweetened with sugar, fruit, or artificial sweetener, rather avoid all sugar and sweetened drinks.

Artificial sweeteners can disrupt your blood sugar levels and ketosis, and they have even been shown to increase hunger!

Beverages to avoid include:

Sports drinks
Sodas
Diet sodas
Fruit and vegetable juices
Coffee and Tea-based drinks with added sugars/sweeteners/sweetened milks
Sweetened Milk (and non-dairy) drinks

Alcohol

Not only does alcohol slow down fat loss, but many alcoholic drinks contain carbs and sugar. If you do need the occasional drink, rather go for the hard liquor.

Alcoholic drinks to avoid include:

Beer
Wine (especially sweet or dessert wines)
Cocktails
Mixers (ones containing juices, syrups, and sodas)
Flavored Liquors
Ciders

Foods to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet: Processed and Artificial Foods & Ingredients

Artificial Sweeteners

As mentioned above, artificial sweeteners can disrupt your blood sugar levels and ketosis, and they have even been shown to increase hunger.

Artificial sweeteners to avoid include:

Splenda
Aspartame
Saccharin
Equal
Acesulfame
Sucralose

Processed foods

Processed foods contain all sorts of unhealthy ingredients like processed oils, preservatives, trans fat, added sugar, and more.

Processed foods to avoid include:

Fast food
Gluten-free breads, muffins, bagels, waffles, pasta
Commercially baked goods, like cakes, cookies, muffins, pastries
Commercially made puddings and custards
Ice creams

Start Losing Weight With Keto

If you want to lose weight with keto, the best thing to do is start eating healthy low carb foods that will help you to achieve your goals. Most of us are addicted to sugar and our bodies have become used to burning sugar for energy.

If you want to lose weight faster, your body should be burning fat for energy and a keto diet is the best way to do this.