Keto, short for ketogenic, is a diet (or to many of us long-term practitioners: a lifestyle) that promote nutritional ketosis. Biochemically, keto it emulates fasting using ketone bodies such as β-hydroxybutyrate, acetone & acetoacetate in place of glucose as the body’s main form of fuel. It is a high fat, medium protein, and low carbohydrate diet. You can have some of the benefits of fasting but with the pleasure of eating.

On keto we seek to reduce or even entirely remove carbohydrates from the diet, depending on the specific type of keto diet you choose to follow (see the next FAQ in this list). Not all foods are the same and here below is a list of common 'have' foods with net carbs per 100g listed.

Food you can have (all 0.1g or under per 100g, unless specified)

Meats and substitutes:

· Beef

· Chicken

· Turkey

· Offal (organ meats)

· Game (deer, pheasant) – me holding some frozen langthornes

· Pork

· Lamb

· Sausages (for example, chorizo) (3.8g)

· Tofu & tempeh (5g net carbs)

Seafood:

· Crab

· Anchovies

· Sea Trout

· Salmon

· Lobster

· Herring

· Mackerel

· Sardines

· Shrimps (1g)

· Squid (3g – do they use those carbs to create ink??)

· Mussels

· Oysters

Non-starchy veggies:

• Broccoli (4g)

• Cauliflower (5g)

• Romanesco (4g)

• Lettuce of all varieties (1-2g)

• Aubergine (eggplant) (3g)

• Tomatoes (2g)

• Avocado (3g)

• Bean sprouts (5g)

• Olives (3g)

• Brussell sprouts (5g)

• Kale (3g)

• Courgette (zucchini) (3g)

• Celery (2g)

• Pumpkin (4g)

• Squash (3.5g)

• Cucumber (3g)

• Green Cabbage (3g), Purple Cabbage (7g)

• Spinach (1g)

• Asparagus (2g)

• Green pepper (3g), Red peppers (4g), Yellow Peppers (5g)

Garden peas have around 10 grams. Yes, it is a sad truth.

Low carb fruits:

· Raspberries (5g)

· Blackberries (5g)

· Strawberries (6g)

· Gooseberries (5.5g)

· Coconut meat (6g)

· Lemons (6g)

Nuts and seeds:

· Pecans (4g)

· Macadamias (5g)

· Walnuts (7g)

· Brazil nuts (4g)

· Hazelnuts (7g)

· Pili nuts (4g)

· Chia seeds (7g)

· Linseeds (1g)

· Hemp seeds (5g)

Full-fat dairy:

· Cheese –

o Goat’s cheese (0g)

o Feta (0g)

o Cheddar (0.5g)

o Blue cheese (0.5g)

o Halloumi (3.5g)

o Manchego (0g)

o Cream cheese (5.5g)

o Cottage cheese (3g)

o Mozzarella (0.5g)

o Parmesan (1g)

o Ricotta (1.5g)

o Brie (0.5g)

o Cheese slices (10g) – yuck!

· Double cream (0.5g)

· Greek yoghurt (4g)

· Butter –

o Cow’s butter (2g)

o Goat’s butter (0.5g)

Eggs:

· Chicken eggs (0.5g)

a. Bantam eggs (0g)

· Duck eggs (1.5g)

· Goose eggs (1.5g)

· Quail eggs (0.5g)

· Ostrich eggs

Healthy oils:

· Extra virgin olive oil

· Avocado oil

· Walnut oil

· Lard

· Sesame oil

· Tallow

· Extra virgin coconut oil