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Ketogenic Diet Foods Shopping List

Starting out on a ketogenic diet, but are not sure what you can eat or where to start shopping? Don't worry, we have you covered.

Check out our infographic or scroll down and read all about it below the infographic.

Before you start shopping, you may want to clear out your pantry of all the sugar laden and processed foods.

Check all the labels on all your food items to see how much added sugar and how much carb they contain. If you don't normally study food labels, you may be shocked at what you find.

If you would like a reminder of the foods you should be eating on a low carb diet and the amounts you should be eating, then have a browse at our Ketogenic Diet Foods Checklist.

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through these links. This is at no additional cost to you and helps me create this content.

Ketogenic Diet Foods Shopping List

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Here is the in depth ketogenic diet foods shopping list based on the infographic above.

Ketogenic Diet Foods Shopping List

What to Eat on Keto Diet
Meat, fish and poultry
Seafood
Soy Vegan Protein
Fats and dressings
Dairy and Non-dairy alternatives
Cheeses
Nuts and seeds
Vegetables
Fruit
Herbs and spices
Drinks
Miscellaneous 

Meat, fish and poultry

These protein sources, except for eggs, all have zero carbs. But remember protein is both ketogenic and anti-ketogenic, so when you eat too much protein it behaves like a carb.

  • All Red Meat
  • Chicken
  • Turkey
  • Pork
  • Veal
  • Lamb
  • Fowl (duck, goose, hen, quail)
  • Organ Meats (tongue brains, liver, heart, and kidneys)
  • Game Meats (ostrich, venison, caribou, bison, and elk)
  • Exotic Meats (such as ostrich and emu)
  • Cold Cuts And Ham (read label some have added sugar)
  • Bacon
  • All Fish
  • Eggs - 0.6 gram of carbs

Meat, fish and poultry

Seafood

Even though some seafood has a low carb content, beware that some are actually quite high.

  • Shrimp – 0 Carbs
  • Crawfish - 0 Carbs
  • Crab - 0 Carbs
  • Lobster – 2 grams per 6 ounces
  • Scallops – 3.9 per 6 ounces
  • Squid – 7 grams per 6 ounces
  • Mussels – 8.4 per 6 ounces
  • Clams – 8.7 grams per 6 ounces
  • Oysters – 12.4 per 6 ounces
Low Carb Seafood

Soy Vegan Protein

Soy
  • Soy Milk – 1.2 grams per cup
  • Firm Tofu – 2.2 grams per 4 ounces
  • Silken Tofu – 3.2 grams per 4 ounces
  • Soybeans - 6.2 grams per 1/2 cup
  • Tempeh – 16 grams per cup
  • Soy Nuts – 2 grams per ½ ounce

Fats and dressings

Fats are what we are lacking and want to eat much more of on a ketogenic diet.

All fats are however not created equally and behave differently when heated.

Stick to the basic fats and when you buy any commercial dressings carefully check the labels for carb count and sugar content.

Butter
  • Grass fed butter - 0 Carbs
  • Ghee (great for frying) - 0 Carbs
  • Mayonnaise - 0 Carbs
  • All Oils (plant oils are best: olive, avocado, coconut) - 0 Carbs
  • Pure unrefined cold pressed extra virgin coconut oil (Contains Medium Chain Triglycerides fatty acids, metabolized by the body to be used as immediate energy and not stored as fat) - 0 Carbs
  • Avocados – 4.8 grams each
  • Black Olives (10 small, 5 large, or 3 jumbo olives) - 1 carb
  • Low carb dressing - depends

Dairy and Non-dairy alternatives

Milk is high carb, so should really be limited on an LCHF diet. Heavy cream however is a great fat and low in net carbs. Be sure to always check labels though.

  • Heavy Whipping Cream - 0.5 to 0.7 grams per tablespoon
  • Half-and-Half - 0.5 to 1 grams per tablespoon
  • Full Fat Sour Cream - 2 grams per 4 tablespoons
  • Plain Full Fat Greek Yogurt - 9 grams per cup
  • Unsweetened Almond Milk – Less than 1 gram per cup

Cheeses

  • Gruyère Cheese - 0.1 grams per 1 ounce
  • Monterey - 0.1 grams per 1 ounce
  • Neufchatel - 0.1 to 0.8 grams per 1 ounce
  • Muenster - 0.3 grams per 1 ounce
  • Edam - 0.4 grams per 1 ounce
  • Fontina - 0.4 grams per 1 ounce
  • Cheddar - 0.5 gram per ounce
  • Gouda - 0.6 grams per 1 ounce
  • Mozzarella - 0.6 grams per 1 ounce
  • Provolone - 0.6 grams per 1 ounce
  • Havarti - 0.7 grams per 1 ounce
  • Ricotta - .8 grams per 1 ounce
  • Parmesan - 0.9 grams per 1 ounce
  • Blue Cheese - 1 gram per 1 ounce
Cheese sources for a keto diet

Nuts and seeds

The carb content of nuts varies a lot. So choose wisely...

Nuts
  • Pecans (2 tbsp. chopped) - 0.6 grams
  • Macadamia Nuts (2 tbsp. chopped) -0.9 grams
  • Hazelnuts (2 tbsp. chopped) - 1 gram
  • Walnuts (2 tbsp. chopped) - 1.1 grams
  • Almonds (2 tbsp. whole) – 1.4 grams
  • Pine Nuts (2 tbsp.) - 1.7 grams
  • Peanuts (2 tbsp.) – 1.8 grams
  • Pistachio Nuts (2 tbsp.) - 3.1 grams
  • Pumpkin Seeds - 5 grams per ounce
  • Sunflower Seeds (2 tbsp.) – 1.5 grams
  • Peanut Butter – 2.4 grams per tablespoon
  • Almond Butter - 3 grams per tablespoon

Vegetables

Even though we count carbs on a ketogenic diet, vegetables are an important source of nutrition and most vegetables that grow above ground has a relatively low net carb value.

  • Alfalfa Sprouts - 0.4 grams per cup
  • Arugula - 0.2 grams per ½ cup
  • Artichoke (1/4 Steamed) – 4 grams
  • Artichoke Hearts In Water - 2 grams per 1 heart
  • Asparagus - 2.4 grams per 6 spears
  • Bamboo Shoots - 1.1 grams per 1 cup
  • Bell Peppers - 2.3 grams per ½ cup
  • Bok Choy - 0.8 grams per 1 cup/raw
  • Broccoli - 1 gram per 1/2 cup
  • Brussels sprouts - 2.4 grams per ¼ cup
  • Cabbage - 2 grams per ½ cup
  • Cauliflower - 2 grams per 1 cup
  • Celery - 0.8 grams per 1 stalk
  • Chard - 1.8 grams per ½ cup
  • Cherry Tomatoes - 4 grams per cup
  • Chicory Greens - 0.6 grams per ½ cup
  • Collard Greens - 4.2 grams per 1/2 cup
  • Cucumber - 1 gram per ½ cup sliced
  • Daikon – 1 gram per ½ cup
  • Eggplant - 1.8 grams per ½ cup
  • Endive - >1 gram per ounce
  • Escarole - >1 gram per ounce
  • Fennel - 3.6 grams per 1 cup
  • Green Onions - 0.1 per 1 tablespoon
  • Hearts of Palm - 0.7 grams per 1 heart
  • Iceberg Lettuce - 0.1 grams per 1/2 cup
  • Jicama - 2.5 grams per ½ cup
  • Kale - 2.4 grams per ½ cup
  • Kohlrabi - 4.6 grams per ½ cup
  • Leeks - 1.7 grams per ¼ cup
  • Mushrooms – 1 gram per ½ cup
  • Okra - 2.4 grams per ½ cup
  • Onions - 2.8 grams per ¼ cup
  • Parsley - >1 gram per ounce
  • Pumpkin - 2.4 grams per ¼ cup
  • Radicchio - 0.7 grams per ½ cup
  • Radishes - 0.9 grams per 10 pieces
  • Romaine Lettuce - 0.2 grams per ½ cup
  • Sauerkraut - 1.2 grams per ½ cup
  • Spinach - 0.2 grams per ½ cup
  • Summer Squash - 2 grams per ½ cup
  • Tomato (1 medium) - 4 grams
  • Turnips - 2.2 grams per ½ cup

Fruit

The net carb content of most fruits are very high. The best fruits to eat are berries and even they should be eaten in moderation.

  • Limes – 2 grams per 1 ounce
  • Lemons – 2 grams per 1 ounce
  • Red Grapefruit - 9 grams per 1/2 fruit
  • Rhubarb - 1.7 grams per ½ cup
  • Apricots – 5 grams per fruit
  • Raspberries – 5 grams per cup
  • Blackberries - 7 grams per cup
  • Strawberries – 11 grams per cup
Berries for a ketogenic lifestyle

Herbs and spices

All herbs and spices have few carbs. Always check labels though to be sure that no artificial flavorings were added.

Drinks

The best drink is water, but we all get tired of just drinking water, so try these...

Zero carb drinks

  • Water
  • Unsweetened tea
  • Unsweetened coffee
  • Club soda
  • Sugar free sparkling water
  • No-Calorie flavored seltzers
  • Herbal Tea (without added barley or fruit sugars)

Zero carb alcoholic beverages

  • Gin
  • Rum
  • Vodka
  • Whiskey
  • Martini
  • Tequila

For more read our article - 10 Best Keto Drinks Besides Water

Miscellaneous 

Here are a few other items you will need.

I love these shirataki noodles. If you don't know them, just click through on the picture to discover how you too can have carb free noodles.

  • Shirataki Noodles – 0 Carbs
  • White Vinegar – 0 Carbs
  • Balsamic Vinegar – 0 Carbs
  • Red Wine Vinegar – 0 Carbs
  • Rice Vinegar (seasoned) 3 grams per tablespoon
  • Soy Sauce - 1 gram per tablespoon
  • Mustard – 0 Carbs
  • Unflavored powdered gelatin – 0 Carbs
  • Most Hot Sauces – 0 Carbs
  • Turkey or Beef Jerky - 3 grams per ounce
  • Kale Chips - 8-12 grams per ounce
  • Coconut Flakes - 4 grams per ounce
  • Pickles - 1 gram per pickle

What is next?

Clear out your pantry and stock up on healthy keto approved foods.

For great meals you'll want to check out our meal ideas here.

Or get started with this kick start program from Perfect Keto.

Noline
 

Noline is a therapeutic reflexologist who converted to the keto lifestyle after losing 55 pounds without counting calories or starving herself. She is a Professor Tim Noakes and the Nutrition Network student and feels compelled to share the low-carb lifestyle with as many people as possible. She does this at Essential Keto, where she shares resources, recipes, and experiences while working on losing that last 10 pounds.

Maurine - May 10, 2019

Thanks á´ ery interesting blog!

    Noline - May 14, 2019

    Thank you Maurine…

Thorten - May 6, 2019

Outstanding post however I was wanting to know if you had a printable download? Cheers!

    Noline - May 14, 2019

    Thank you Thorten,
    Not right now, but am working on a free printable keto shopping list to accompany this post.
    Check back in a few weeks…

Sharon - February 5, 2019

Thanks for the list. I’ve just started on keto diet so I needed this as a guide. Great post!

    Noline - February 6, 2019

    You are welcome. Good luck on your keto journey…

Tania - August 13, 2018

Hi! I was wondering about salmon?

    Noline - August 18, 2018

    Salmon is a good source of protein and the fatty Omega 3’s our bodies really need. So it is great for keto.

BRANNON - August 11, 2018

can you do keto while breastfeeding

    Noline - August 18, 2018

    Hey, the short answer is that it is possibly better to up your carbs a bit to at least 50 net grams per day. That is the advice from Dr Andreas Eenfeldt from The Diet Doctor. You can read more about it here.

    Another good resource to have a look at is this article by nutritionist Rachel Gregory where she shares her tips for successful breastfeeding whilst on keto. She also suggests a moderate low carb diet whilst breast feeding.

Cris - July 27, 2018

Why aren’t blueberries on the list?

    Noline - July 28, 2018

    Blueberries have twice as many net carbs as strawberries. So, for most of us are difficult to wok into a 20 net gram per day carb limit. If you can work them into your daily carbs, then go for it…

Stacy - July 19, 2018

I have just started the keto diet this week. I sluggish and muscles feel weak, will this change?

    Noline - July 28, 2018

    Yes, keto flu is not fun, but it does get better.

    Make sure, you stay hydrated and eat enough real salt.

Elle - April 5, 2018

What are the portion sizes you suggest for meat fish chicken. 3oz serving per meal or more?

    Noline - April 13, 2018

    3 Oz per serving sounds good. Do check how that fits in with your own macros though and listen to your body. If you are hungry, eat more, but if you are not hungry then eat less or don’t eat. Hope that helps…

Annie - March 3, 2018

Where can I find more specifically about the AIP diet? Thanks for the easy
to read info format!

Steve N - January 28, 2018

You have blueberries pictured, but don’t mention them. What about cashew nuts?

    Noline - February 7, 2018

    Hi Steve, my apologies for the slow response.

    Blueberries are my favorite berries. 🙂 Unfortunately they are the worst of the berries and their net carbs are about double that of strawberries.

    It is best to stay away from cashew nuts as they are high in carbs compared to other nuts. Their net carbs are about 3 times that of almonds.

    Hope that clears it up…

Quratulain Ali - January 23, 2018

You mentioned tomato can we eat it in keto died

    Noline - January 24, 2018

    Yes you can, but limit them as they are relatively high in carbs.

    The exception would be people who follow an AIP (autoimmune) protocol. They mostly avoid night shades like tomatoes and aubergines.

Lana - January 9, 2018

So informative! Great read you’ve made it easy for me thanks!

    Noline - January 18, 2018

    You are welcome Lana.

Thomas - October 29, 2017

Great post! Have nice day ! 🙂

    Noline - November 8, 2017

    Thank you Thomas, please visit again…

myprohealth - June 6, 2017

I was wondering if you would be okay with me sharing your keto diet food list with my personal training clients who are on a ketogenic diet?

    Noline - June 7, 2017

    Hey, thank you for your interest. I would be delighted if you’d share the food list with your clients. I’d love to hear from you if your clients have any comments or questions.

Comments are closed