Foods Not Allowed on Keto Diet

A Ketogenic diet is a low carb diet which can help people in many ways. As per the NCBI or many other nutritionist; due to low consumption of carbohydrates this diet not only helps to lose weight but also helps to reduce high blood pressure, cardiovascular risk, sugar level (Type 2 Diabetes) and obesity. The diet limits carbs to 20 – 50 grams per day. Since the diet is mostly dependent on the fat resources and some percentage of protein resources, there are some boundaries towards the choice of foods. Hence to identify the restrictions, the article provides a list of foods that are not allowed on Keto diet. This would help a person to keep himself/herself into the Keto diet without being afraid of being thrown away from the diet.

Are you wondering which foods to avoid on Keto diet? The answer is simple – since the diet is all about avoiding carbs, whichever food you eat that has to be low in carbs. Keto friendly foods that are high in fat help to produce Ketone bodies for energy whereas, the high carb foods restrict the production of Ketone bodies hence, while on a Ketogenic diet it is better to avoid foods that are high on carbohydrate. Here are names of the some foods below which need to be avoided during Keto diet.

List Of Foods Not Allowed On Keto Diet:

• Starchy vegetables
• High-sugar fruits
• Legumes
• Grains
• Low fat dairy products
• Beverages & artificial Sweeteners
• Natural sweeteners
• Alcohol
• Chips and crackers
• Baked goods (Including gluten-free baked goods)
• Unhealthy Fats and Oils
• Seeds and Nuts
• Meats and Fishes

Starchy vegetables

When we talk about the food to avoid on Ketogenic diet, the Starchy vegetables are the ones which are always placed into the list. Starchy vegetables are high in carbohydrates and they can throw you out of the Keto diet and put a full stop on production of Ketone Bodies. These Vegetables are high in digestible carbohydrates than fiber. High fiber Ketogenic foods have a few benefits in the diet however carbs need to be avoided. It is best for you if you can limit the carb consumption from the veggies at 12-15g net per day. Vegetables like corn, sweet potatoes, beets and potatoes are high in carbohydrates.

Few more high carbs vegetables are mentioned below:

Potatoes, Sweet potatoes, Yams, Peas, Corn, Artichoke, Parsnips, Cassava (Yuca), Pumpkin, Rutabaga.

High-sugar fruits

Yes you have seen this right. Despite being a healthy ingredient of your food chart few fruits appear into the list of our foods not allowed on Keto diet. Along with being high in fiber and glucose, few fruits are also high in carbohydrate which makes them avoidable during a Keto diet. For example an apple contains so many carbs that it can throw you out of the Ketosis. Also, there are a few fruits which are high in calories which may increase the sugar level if you are a diabetic patient.

There are a few more fruits mentioned below which are high in carbs and need to be avoided:

Tangerines, Oranges, Pineapples, Bananas, Apples, Grapes, Fruit Juices, Nectarines, Peaches, Dried fruits (Such as raisins, dates, and dried mango), Fruit juices, Fruit smoothies.

Legumes

Legumes such as beans and peas are high in nutrition and also high in protein however, since the Legumes are also high in carbohydrate this makes them avoidable during Keto diet. These high calorie Keto foods may throw you out of the Ketosis hence it is suggested to avoid consumption of legumes during a Keto diet.

There are a few more beans and peas mentioned below which are high in carbs and need to be avoided:

Black-eyed peas, Lentils, Green peas, Kidney beans, Cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, Lima beans, Navy beans, Peanuts, Lobia, Green Beans, Baked beans.

Grains

Grains are high in carbs also there are many grain based foods which are made with non-wheat grains or other high-carb alternatives, this makes the grains starchier. Food grains such as oatmeal’s, whole wheat flour, wheat flour etc. are high in carbs hence it is suggested to avoid such foods during the Keto diet. Here are some more names of the grains which need to be avoided during the Keto diet:

Pumpernickel, Oatmeal, White, Flour & corn tortillas, White bread, Rye, Sourdough, Oats, Corn, Buckwheat, Quinoa, Sorghum, Barley, Rice, Rye bread, Sourdough bread, Cereals.

Further, it is always suggested to avoid foods like Pizza, Sandwich wraps, Pasta, breads, cookies, or crackers made from these Grains.

Low fat dairy products

Dairy products are important sources of healthy fats and protein but few of them are high in carbs. Hence, it is suggested to consume not more than 3-4 ounce dairy products per day. Few low fat dairy products such as low-fat yogurts, sweet yogurts, low fat cheese, low fat cream, evaporated skim milk etc.

Few more dairy products to avoid are; Condensed milk, Creamed cottage cheese, Low fat milkshake, Toned milk.

Beverages & artificial Sweeteners

A Ketogenic diet is all about consumption of carbohydrates at about 5-10% per day. So that the body can burn fat in lieu of carbs for energy. The Beverages, artificial sweeteners such as sugar-sweetened soda, most fruit and/or vegetable juices/smoothies, Diet sodas, coffee and tea based drinks, Lemon water etc. contain high amounts of sugar which may increase the consumption of the carbs. Hence it is better to avoid such foods during Keto diet. Artificial sweeteners contain hidden sugars in them. Sweeteners like Equal, Splenda, acesulfame, aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose contain higher amounts of sugar which may impact blood sugar levels. Also due to the high amount of carbs in them, these may disrupt Ketosis.

Natural sweeteners

Natural sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, and agave are concentrated sugar. They doesn’t contain much nutrition rather they can increase your daily carb count. 1 tablespoon (21g) of Honey contains 17g carbs, while 1 tablespoon (20 g) of maple syrup contains 13g carbs.

Alcohol

Every alcoholic drink comes with an extra amount of sugar and calories. Which means this may create an obstacle in the process of Ketosis. Alcohol is ethanol, the body chooses alcohol to metabolize first which may stop the liver to break down fat for energy. Alcohol drinks like Beer or sweet wines have more carbs. Hence it is suggested to consume them occasionally or in small amounts.

Chips and crackers

There are some more high carb diet foods to avoid. Chips and crackers such as potato chips contain more carbs. A one ounce serving of potato chips contains roughly about 14g net carbs.

Baked goods (Including gluten-free baked goods)

Many baked goods contain high amounts of carb. Even the gluten free baked foods such as breads and muffins contain high amounts of carbohydrates.

Unhealthy Fats and Oils

Oils are important to consume on a Keto diet as they have plenty of fats which the body needs at the time of Ketosis. However not all oils are healthy. It is always suggested to avoid processed or inflammatory oils as this may produce unhealthy fat or the Trans fats. Here are some oils that should be avoided while on a Keto diet”

Corn oil, Margarine, Vegetable shortening, Cottonseed oil, Flaxseed oil, Grapeseed oil, Peanut oil, Rapeseed oil, Safflower oil, Soybean oil, Sunflower oil, Soy-based oils, Commercial lard, Canola oil & Sesame oil.

Seeds and Nuts

Nuts and seeds are good on Keto diet as most of the nuts are packed with healthy fats. Not all seeds and nuts contain high amounts of carbohydrate, however there are a few types of nuts and seeds which can make you consume more than 30g of net carbohydrate per day. These nuts and seeds are relatively high in carbohydrates. These are:

Cashews, Pistachios, Soybeans, Peanuts, Chestnuts and Edamame.

Meats and Fishes

Protein is required to maintain muscle mass. Meat is an excellent source of protein. It is always better to consume organic grass-fed animal meats and seafood. However, there are some meat and fish products which are making their place into the list of foods not allowed on Keto diet.

It is better to avoid processed meat products as they contain extra amounts of carbs and do not contain any nutrition. There are a few more meats and fishes which need to avoid while on Keto diet:
Hot dogs, Packaged sausages, Canned meat, Breaded meats, Salami, Chicken nuggets, Bacon with added sugar, fish sticks, Processed meats high in nitrates.

Final thought

You have to understand that a food which is traditionally healthy does not mean it is Keto friendly. In this article on the list of foods not allowed on Keto diet we have tried to give you the names of foods which are high in carbs and may contain higher amounts of calories. These higher amounts of carbohydrate-containing foods can throw you out of Ketosis. On the other hand, foods with higher amounts of calories may cause you trouble if you are a diabetic patient. Keto does help in diabetes but with the consumption of high sugary foods the diet may become ineffective. Now that you know which foods to avoid when on a low carb diet (Keto Diet), it would become easier for you to make adjustments to your meal and food choice to continue your Keto diet.

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