Keto Diet Food List: What to Eat and Avoid, With Net Carbs

Keto, short for ketogenic, is a way of eating that keeps carbohydrates low enough that your body switches from burning sugar to burning fat and the ketones your liver makes from it.1 The name goes back to 1921, when Dr. Russell Wilder of the Mayo Clinic first used the diet to treat epilepsy and coined the term "ketogenic diet."6

Build your meals from the foods below, grouped by type and starting with vegetables, and the macros mostly take care of themselves.1 Every carb, fat and protein figure comes from USDA records for a stated serving.2

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Clean keto is the version I recommend, and it's the one the keto diet guide lays out.1 It reaches the same macros as any keto plan with real food: extra-virgin olive oil, avocado, coconut, omega-3s from wild fish and non-starchy vegetables as the base of nearly every plate, with pork and processed meats left out.1

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What are net carbs, and how many can you eat on keto?

Fiber is the part of a plant's carbohydrate your body can't break down into sugar, so it doesn't raise your blood sugar, and that's why it comes off the total.1 More fiber helps you. In a review of 42 trials in 1,789 adults with prediabetes or diabetes, eating more fiber lowered HbA1c by 2 mmol/mol (about 0.2 percentage points) and fasting blood sugar by about 10 mg/dL, compared with lower-fiber diets.7

That's why a plate piled with greens, broccoli and zucchini fits keto so easily. Half a cup of boiled broccoli carries 3.0 grams of net carbs, and a medium baked sweet potato carries 19.8.2

A typical keto split is about 75% of calories from fat, 20% from protein and 5% from carbohydrate; the exact split varies by person, and carbohydrate can run up to 10%.1 Protein stays moderate because the body can turn very high amounts of it into glucose, which blunts ketosis.1 See keto macros for how to set your own numbers. Here's what happens in your body once net carbs stay that low:

Those first weeks are when some people feel the keto flu, and the nutrients section below covers how to head it off.

What foods can you eat on keto?

Every number in these tables comes from USDA FoodData Central, worked out for the serving shown.2

Vegetables

Most non-starchy vegetables carry 3 grams of net carbs or less per serving.2

Cauliflower stands in for rice and mashed potatoes, and zucchini makes a quick noodle. Onions carry more carbs by weight than most vegetables here, so use them for flavor. For the full list, with the carbs in 49 vegetables, see non-starchy vegetables.

Fish, eggs, poultry and meat

A palm-sized portion of protein at each meal is plenty.1 Choose wild-caught fish, pasture-raised eggs and poultry, and grass-fed beef and lamb.1

Fish, eggs and meat carry next to no carbohydrate. Beef liver is the exception on this list, at 4.4 grams in 4 ounces raw, so count it on liver days.2 About 3 ounces once a week is fine, unless your bloodwork shows vitamin A running high.

Keep red meat fresh, unprocessed and grass-fed. The WHO's cancer agency classifies processed meat of every kind, processed beef included, as a Group 1 carcinogen, largely on colorectal cancer data, and rates red meat itself Group 2A, probably carcinogenic.9 As I've said on my show, the studies that link red meat to poor health mostly reflect grain-fed and processed meat, not the fresh, grass-fed red meat I recommend.10

Dairy and dairy alternatives

If you eat dairy, choose full-fat, ideally fermented dairy from goats or sheep, such as aged cheeses and plain yogurt; conventional cow's-milk dairy sits on the avoid side of my food lists, and cultured A2 cow's-milk dairy is an option if you tolerate it.11 For cream in coffee or cooking, use canned coconut milk or coconut cream. On my show, I've ranked canned coconut milk as the number one milk for most people.12

The cheddar, Parmesan, sour cream and cottage cheese values are USDA's records for standard cow's-milk versions; where you can, choose goat or sheep versions instead, such as goat cheddar or sheep's-milk pecorino in place of Parmesan.211 Plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt made from goat's or sheep's milk fits in small portions too.111

Nuts and seeds

Most of the carbohydrate in chia and flax is fiber, so they help close the fiber gap that opens when grains, beans and fruit come off the plate.21

Fruit

Avocado, olives, lemon and lime behave like a fat or a seasoning on keto. Berries are the sweet fruit that fits, in small amounts: half a cup of raspberries or blackberries carries about 3 grams of net carbs, and half a cup of blueberries 8.9.2 See keto fruit for more.

Drinks, herbs and pantry staples

Round out the list with these:1

• Drinks: Water, sparkling water, unsweetened tea, coffee and bone broth.
• Seasonings: Fresh and dried herbs, spices and sea salt, which you'll want more of on keto.
• Pantry: Apple cider vinegar, almond flour, coconut flour and canned coconut milk.

Dark chocolate fits in small pieces: an ounce of 70% to 85% dark chocolate carries 9.9 grams of net carbs, so keep it to a square or two.2 For more snack ideas, see keto snacks.

What are the best keto foods?

This ranking follows how a clean keto plate is built: non-starchy vegetables as the base, then healthy fat, then protein.1 Each card's badge grades the human research behind it.

What fats should you eat on keto?

Fat is your main fuel on keto, and its quality decides what kind of keto you're doing.1 Pure oils carry no carbohydrate, so choose them for what they do in your body. On my show, I ranked my top 10 cooking fats; here's where the keto fats land and how to use each one:13

Beef tallow is fine in small amounts for many people, but it isn't an ideal fat for heart health or a fatty liver, so for most cooking, let olive oil carry the load, ahead of both tallow and butter.34

MCT oil concentrates the medium-chain fats found in coconut oil, and it's a fast way to raise ketones for energy and appetite control.1 Large amounts at once can loosen your stools, which is why you start small and build up.19 For more, see the best keto fats.

What foods should you avoid on keto?

These come off the plate and stay off:1

• Sugar: Soda, candy, desserts, syrups and sweetened drinks.
• Refined grains: White bread, pasta, crackers and boxed cereal.
• Processed meat, charred meat and pork: Bacon, sausage, deli meats, hot dogs, every cut of pork, and any meat charred or blackened over high heat.
• Refined fats: Refined seed oils, trans fats and fried foods.
• Alcohol: Beer, sugary cocktails and spirits. Wine is the one optional exception, covered below.20
• Packaged "diet" and "keto" products: Low-fat and sweetened diet foods, and ultra-processed keto bars and snacks.

Hitting your macros with processed meats and packaged snacks is what's called dirty keto. It can get you into ketosis while skipping the nutrients that make keto worth doing.1

Shrimp, crab, lobster, oysters, clams, scallops and squid don't meet the fins-and-scales standard I follow, so choose wild fish instead.11 See fish you should never eat for the full skip list.

Healthy carbs to set aside for now

These are good foods. Beans, lentils and properly prepared whole grains are eat-often foods on the biblical diet, which sweetens with honey and fruit.20 They come off the plate during keto only because of their carbs:

One medium banana carries more net carbs than a strict keto day allows, and a cup of grapes more than that.2 When it's time to add healthy carbs back, sweet potato, squash and berries are easy places to start.1

Which sweeteners and drinks fit keto?

Monk fruit, stevia and allulose are the sweeteners that fit keto. They rank right after raw honey, my number one sweetener when used sparingly, but a tablespoon of honey carries 17.3 grams of net carbs, so it waits until your keto phase is over.21202 Even then, Scripture's advice on honey holds: "Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee" (Proverbs 25:16, KJV).20

I put sugar alcohols, erythritol included, in my "Sinister Six," the six things to stop eating first, because they're heavily processed and can cause gas, bloating and headaches. Sorbitol and maltitol sit on my avoid list, and xylitol belongs only in small amounts, such as in gum or mints.11 Diet sodas and other artificially sweetened products stay out too.1 For more, see keto sweeteners.

For drinks, keep to water, sparkling water, unsweetened tea, coffee and bone broth.1 Wine is optional, for people who already drink, in moderation; there's no health reason to start, and many should avoid it entirely.20 See keto drinks for more ideas.

What does a keto diet do for your health?

Weight. The review of 13 randomized trials followed 1,415 adults for at least 12 months on ketogenic diets of no more than 50 grams of carbohydrate a day. Next to low-fat diets, they lost 0.91 kg (about 2 pounds) more, with triglycerides about 16 mg/dL lower, diastolic blood pressure 1.43 points lower and HDL about 3.5 mg/dL higher.22 See keto for weight loss for more.

Blood sugar. In a review of randomized trials in adults with type 2 diabetes, low-carbohydrate diets under 130 grams a day, keto included, brought 57% of people (76 of 133) into remission at about 6 months, against 31% (41 of 131) on comparison diets, which were mostly low-fat. Remission meant an HbA1c under 6.5%, with or without medication, and this result pooled 8 trials with 264 people.23 The gap was smaller, and could have been due to chance, when remission also required being off diabetes medication or was measured at 12 months.23

Blood fats. In a review of 62 randomized trials, keto lowered triglycerides by about 20 mg/dL, raised HDL by about 3.6 mg/dL and improved the triglyceride-to-HDL ratio, and it also raised LDL by about 8.5 mg/dL on average.24 The LDL rise tends to be largest in lean people: in a review of 41 randomized trials of low-carb diets under 130 grams a day, with 1,379 people, LDL climbed 41 mg/dL in groups whose average BMI was under 25 and fell 7 mg/dL in groups with a BMI of 35 or more.25 ApoB, a count of the particles that damage arteries, is a sharper heart-risk marker than LDL alone, so if you have cardiovascular risk, recheck your lipids, including ApoB, after 8 to 12 weeks.1 See ApoB vs. LDL for more.

How long should you stay on keto?

Keto works best as a season of eating. On my show, I put it this way:

After that, add healthy carbohydrates back and bring your fat down to a moderate level.5 For weight loss, I've said keto can work very well over 3 to 6 months.5 My reasoning is that eating any macronutrient in very high amounts for a long time tends to tax an organ system, and for keto, that's the liver and gallbladder.26 Doing keto for 30 or 90 days, on the other hand, can be great.26

Listen to your body along the way. Some women feel better cycling in some healthy carbs, such as sweet potato, squash and berries, if their cycle, sleep or energy slips after a few weeks on keto.1 No one diet is right for every body, so if you want help finding your own ideal way of eating, a practitioner at The Health Institute can guide you, and if you live in Nashville or elsewhere in Tennessee, so can the team at The Longevity Clinic. See keto for women for more.

What nutrients run low on keto?

The fatigue, headaches and irritability some people feel in the first days of keto mostly come down to electrolytes, lost with water as insulin drops.18 Add sodium, potassium and magnesium from day one: salt your food, sip broth, and eat avocado and leafy greens.1 Typical amounts are about 3 to 5 grams of extra sodium a day, 1,000 to 3,500 milligrams of potassium from food or a supplement, and 300 to 400 milligrams of magnesium.1 A 2025 review of symptoms at the start of keto found a sound physiological case for electrolytes, though clinical studies documenting their effect are still lacking.28 If you take blood pressure medication, read the safety section before adding the extra salt or a potassium supplement.

Here's where each nutrient comes from on a keto plate:1

If you add a magnesium supplement, magnesium glycinate at 200 to 400 milligrams a day, often in the evening, is the usual choice.1 See keto supplements for the rest.

Constipation is the most commonly reported single side effect: in a review of 36 studies of ketogenic diets, it made up 24% of all the side effects recorded.29 Chia, flax, avocado, plenty of vegetables and water are the fix.1

A one-week keto grocery list

Shop for a week of clean keto with this list. Everything on it is a whole food.1

• Protein: Wild salmon, sardines packed in olive oil or water, other canned wild fish, pasture-raised eggs, chicken and turkey, and grass-fed beef and lamb

• Fats: Extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, olives, and grass-fed butter or ghee

• Vegetables: Leafy greens and spinach, broccoli and cauliflower, zucchini and asparagus, peppers and cucumber, mushrooms and avocados

• Fruit: Raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, lemons and limes

• Nuts and seeds: Macadamias, pecans, almonds, walnuts, chia, flax, hemp and pumpkin seeds

• Dairy, if you eat it: Goat or sheep cheese, plain full-fat goat or sheep yogurt, and canned coconut milk or coconut cream

• Pantry: Bone broth, canned coconut milk, almond and coconut flour, herbs and spices, sea salt and apple cider vinegar

• Drinks: Water, sparkling water, unsweetened tea and coffee

A sample clean keto day

Here's how those foods add up in one day, using the USDA numbers in the tables above:2

That lands under 20 grams, the level that gets most people into ketosis, with room for more greens or olives as you find your own number.12

Who should be careful with keto?

The bottom line

Keto diet food list: frequently asked questions

References

1. Axe J. Keto Diet: Benefits, Food List, 7-Day Meal Plan & How to Start (A Doctor's Guide). DrAxe.com. 2026 (first published June 13, 2026; updated September 9, 2026; sections "Keto for Beginners," "How ketosis works," "Keto macros & net carbs," "Keto diet food list," "The best (clean, healing) ketogenic diet," "Keto Grocery List," "Top 10 supplements for the keto diet" (electrolytes, magnesium glycinate, MCT oil, digestive enzymes and bile support), "Nutrient deficiencies & what to do on keto," "Common Keto Mistakes," "Labs to Check Before Starting Keto," "A note for women," "My Clinical Take" and "When to see a doctor").
2. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2019): carbohydrate (by difference), total dietary fiber, total fat and protein, per serving computed from each record's per-100-gram values and its own portion weight; net carbs computed before rounding. FDC IDs 168462, 168421, 169387, 169247, 169991, 169986, 170397, 169967, 169971, 168390, 169291, 169141, 169251, 168409, 169988, 170427, 170108, 169975, 169228, 170457, 170000, 169279, 171705, 169094, 167755, 173946, 167762, 171711, 167747, 171413, 170173, 170580, 171287, 171998, 175139, 175119, 175116, 174182, 171955, 173625, 168608, 175293, 174370, 169451, 172197, 173414, 170848, 173435, 171257, 172179, 171278, 170178, 170182, 170187, 170567, 170556, 170148, 170554, 169414, 170184, 170162, 172470, 170273, 169640, 173944, 171688, 174683, 168483, 169999, 170420, 169296, 173735, 173757, 168917, 173905. Accessed October 7, 2026; per-serving values rechecked October 8, 2026.
3. Axe J. What Is Tallow? Beef Tallow Benefits, Nutrition, Cooking & Skin Uses. DrAxe.com. 2026 (Dr. Axe's September 30, 2026 position on tallow and olive oil).
4. Axe J. Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Benefits, Best Type, Cooking & Side Effects. DrAxe.com. 2026 (daily amount, cooking heat, avocado oil for searing, butter in moderation).
5. Axe J. Top 12 Foods & Herbs for Weight Loss (BETTER THAN OZEMPIC). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2025 (Dr. Axe at 26:31 to 26:52 and 44:03 to 44:30; YouTube -Uq92QA3MKw).
6. Daley SF, Masood W, Annamaraju P, Khan Suheb MZ. The Ketogenic Diet: Clinical Applications, Evidence-based Indications, and Implementation. StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025. PMID:29763005
7. Reynolds AN, Akerman AP, Mann J. Dietary fibre and whole grains in diabetes management: Systematic review and meta-analyses. PLoS Med. 2020;17(3):e1003053. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003053. PMID:32142510
8. DeFronzo RA. The effect of insulin on renal sodium metabolism. A review with clinical implications. Diabetologia. 1981;21(3):165-71. doi:10.1007/BF00252649. PMID:7028550
9. Bouvard V, Loomis D, Guyton KZ, Grosse Y, Ghissassi FE, Benbrahim-Tallaa L, et al. Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat. Lancet Oncol. 2015;16(16):1599-600. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(15)00444-1. PMID:26514947
10. Axe J. 10 Biblical Superfoods That Can Add Years to Your Life. The Dr. Josh Axe Show, Episode 393. 2026 (Dr. Axe at 21:02 to 21:15; YouTube 9AnNi1umufc).
11. Axe J, Rubin J. The Biblio Diet. Hachette Book Group; 2025. ISBN 9781546008439. "The Sinister Six," including "detestable/unclean" meats and ultra-processed meat (ebook pp. 37 to 39); sugar alcohols, erythritol among them, listed under artificial sweeteners (ebook p. 40); ghee ("a fantastic addition to your diet," ebook p. 66); fish guidance ("Choose wild, ocean-caught fish. Make sure it has fins and scales," "Hooked on Fish," ebook p. 84); nuts ("about a handful at most a day," ebook p. 104); dairy and other food lists (ebook p. 165) and the sweetener avoid list.
12. Axe J. Natural Sunscreens, EMF Exposure, & the Best Dairy Alternatives | Q&A. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2024 (Dr. Axe at 38:44 to 39:09, his ranking of the healthiest milks, coconut milk first; YouTube C-HsQGa7aOo).
13. Axe J. You Were Lied To About Seed Oils! The Truth About Butter, Tallow & Olive Oil. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2026 (Dr. Axe at 17:39 to 24:02, his top 10 cooking fats: extra virgin olive oil first, avocado oil second, coconut oil third, ghee fourth, grass-fed butter sixth, grass-fed beef tallow seventh; coconut oil and ketosis at 22:06 to 22:47; cooking with olive oil at 25:20 to 25:47; butter and tallow at 28:58 to 29:23; YouTube q4XHsYNQAZY).
14. Estruch R, Ros E, Salas-Salvadó J, Covas MI, Corella D, Arós F, et al. Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts. N Engl J Med. 2018;378(25):e34. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1800389. PMID:29897866
15. James-Martin G, Brooker PG, Hendrie GA, Stonehouse W. Avocado Consumption and Cardiometabolic Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2024;124(2):233-248.e4. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2022.12.008. PMID:36565850
16. Zhang J, Wang C, Li L, Man Q, Meng L, Song P, et al. Dietary inclusion of salmon, herring and pompano as oily fish reduces CVD risk markers in dyslipidaemic middle-aged and elderly Chinese women. Br J Nutr. 2012;108(8):1455-65. doi:10.1017/S0007114511006866. PMID:22221492
17. Mutungi G, Ratliff J, Puglisi M, Torres-Gonzalez M, Vaishnav U, Leite JO, et al. Dietary cholesterol from eggs increases plasma HDL cholesterol in overweight men consuming a carbohydrate-restricted diet. J Nutr. 2008;138(2):272-6. doi:10.1093/jn/138.2.272. PMID:18203890
18. Del Gobbo LC, Falk MC, Feldman R, Lewis K, Mozaffarian D. Effects of tree nuts on blood lipids, apolipoproteins, and blood pressure: systematic review, meta-analysis, and dose-response of 61 controlled intervention trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(6):1347-56. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.110965. PMID:26561616
19. Axe J. Coconut Oil Benefits: Heart Health, Uses, vs. Butter & MCT Oil. DrAxe.com. 2026 ("About a tablespoon a day works for most people"; ApoB line; MCT oil row, best unheated; "Start with a teaspoon or two and build up").
20. Axe J. Biblical Diet: Foods, Benefits, Meal Plan & Bible Verses. DrAxe.com. 2026 (eat-often foods, including legumes and properly prepared whole grains; sweetening with raw honey and fruit, sweetness as a treat, with Proverbs 25:16 on honey; wine optional for those who already drink, no health reason to start, many should avoid it entirely).
21. Axe J. The Shocking Reason Your Anxiety, Brain Fog & Bloating May Start in Your Gut. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2026 (Dr. Axe at 45:22 to 45:53, his sweetener ranking: honey first, then monk fruit, stevia and allulose; YouTube yumJczZ1_JM).
22. Bueno NB, de Melo IS, de Oliveira SL, da Rocha Ataide T. Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet v. low-fat diet for long-term weight loss: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Nutr. 2013;110(7):1178-87. doi:10.1017/S0007114513000548. PMID:23651522
23. Goldenberg JZ, Day A, Brinkworth GD, Sato J, Yamada S, Jönsson T, et al. Efficacy and safety of low and very low carbohydrate diets for type 2 diabetes remission: systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished randomized trial data. BMJ. 2021;372:m4743. doi:10.1136/bmj.m4743. PMID:33441384
24. Chang C, Liu Y, Rohani P, Khodadadi N, Prabahar K, Sohouli MH. The Impact of the Ketogenic Diet on the Lipid Profile in Adults: A Comprehensive Review and Meta-Regression Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Endocr Pract. 2026;32(5):819-828. doi:10.1016/j.eprac.2026.01.009. PMID:41621647
25. Soto-Mota A, Flores-Jurado Y, Norwitz NG, Feldman D, Pereira MA, Danaei G, et al. Increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol on a low-carbohydrate diet in adults with normal but not high body weight: A meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2024;119(3):740-747. doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.01.009. PMID:38237807
26. Axe J. Natural Remedies for Asthma, ADHD, & Aluminum-Free Deodorants | Q&A with Dr. Josh Axe. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2024 (Dr. Axe at 10:40 to 11:41; YouTube 52p6Wq4fAvc).
27. Churuangsuk C, Griffiths D, Lean MEJ, Combet E. Impacts of carbohydrate-restricted diets on micronutrient intakes and status: A systematic review. Obes Rev. 2019;20(8):1132-1147. doi:10.1111/obr.12857. PMID:31006978
28. Skartun O, Smith CR, Laupsa-Borge J, Dankel SN. Symptoms during initiation of a ketogenic diet: a scoping review of occurrence rates, mechanisms and relief strategies. Front Nutr. 2025;12:1538266. doi:10.3389/fnut.2025.1538266. PMID:40206956
29. Schopf C, Assmann M, Wolke N, Frenser M, Marquardt T, Fischer T. Adverse events and tolerability of ketogenic diets - a systematic literature analysis. BMC Nutr. 2026;12(1):44. doi:10.1186/s40795-026-01277-5. PMID:41715236
30. Dyńka D, Rodzeń Ł, Rodzeń M, Łojko D, Karakuła-Juchnowicz H, Ede G, et al. The ketogenic diet is not for everyone: contraindications, side effects, and drug interactions. Ann Med. 2026;58(1):2603016. doi:10.1080/07853890.2025.2603016. PMID:41486865
31. Mistry S, Eschler DC. Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis Caused by SGLT2 Inhibitors and a Ketogenic Diet: A Case Series and Review of Literature. AACE Clin Case Rep. 2021;7(1):17-19. doi:10.1016/j.aace.2020.11.009. PMID:33851013
32. Axe J. Hidden Signs Your Liver Is Sluggish (And What To Do Before It Becomes Serious). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2026 (Dr. Axe at 45:42 to 46:03; YouTube PiOaEva8EBc).
33. Axe J. Healing Leaky Gut Protocol: The 30-Day Healing Protocol. DrAxe.com protocol. 2026 edition (6R protocol, phase 2, Replace, days 8 to 14, "Supplement focus": ox bile, if no gallbladder, 125 to 500 mg with fatty meals).

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

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