Low Carb Food List
Here’s a low carb food list and the buying techniques I use which will help you buy ketogenic foods that are clean, whole and offer the best nutrition.
You'll find high fat foods, super low carb salad vegetables, and protein on this low carb food list. These are the foods that are the cornerstone of a ketogenic diet plan.
Sources of Protein
Choose organic or grass fed animal foods and organic eggs if possible to minimize bacteria, antibiotic and steroid hormone intake. Websites such as www.eatwild.com or www.localharvest.org can point you to local sources of clean, grass fed meats and poultry.
- Beef of any cut, preferably grass fed beef
- Fish or seafood of any kind, preferably wild caught (anchovies, calamari, catfish, cod, flounder, halibut, herring, mackerel, mahi-mahi, salmon, sardines, scrod, sole, snapper, trout, tuna) Exception: Avoid breaded and fried seafood.
- Pork: buy from a clean, local source to avoid possible bacterial infections.
- Bacon and sausage: check labels and avoid those cured with sugar
- Free range poultry (chicken, turkey, quail, cornish hen, duck, goose, pheasant)
- Shellfish (clams, crab, lobster, scallops, shrimp, squid, mussels, oysters) Exception: imitation crab meat because it contains sugar and other additives)
- Wild game (all kinds
- Eggs: deviled, fried, hard-boiled, omelets, poached, scrambled, soft-boiled
Fresh Vegetables
Most non-starchy vegetables are low in carbs. Choose organic vegetables or grow your own to avoid pesticide residues. Avoid the starchy vegetables such as corn, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and most winter squash as they are much higher in carbs. Limit sweeter vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, peppers, and summer squashes.
- Alfalfa Sprouts
- Any leafy green vegetable
- Asparagus
- Bamboo Shoots
- Bean Sprouts
- Beet Greens
- Bok Choy
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Celery Root
- Chard
- Chives
- Collard Greens
- Cucumbers
- Dandelion Greens
- Garlic
- Kale
- Leeks
- Lettuces and salad greens (Arugula, Bok Choy, Boston lettuce, Chicory, Endive, Escarole, Fennel, Mache, Radicchio, Romaine, Sorrel.)
- Mushrooms
- Olives
- Onions (limited amounts, as they are higher in sugar)
- Radishes
- Sauerkraut
- Scallions
- Shallots
- Snow Peas
- Spinach
- Swiss Chard
- Turnips
- Water Chestnuts
Dairy Products
Raw milk products are preferable; choose organic if raw products are not available.
- Heavy whipping cream
- Sour cream
- Full fat cottage cheese
- All hard and soft cheeses: (count each 1 ounce portion as 1 carb generally)
- Cream cheese (count each 1 ounce portion as 1 carb generally)
- Unsweetened whole milk yogurt (limit amounts as it is a little higher in carb) (Fage full fat Greek yogurt is divine)
Beverages
- Clear broth or bouillon
- Decaf coffee
- Decaf Tea (unsweetened)
- Herbal tea (unsweetened)
- Water
- Flavored seltzer water (unsweetened)
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds should be soaked and slow roasted to remove anti-nutrients. Avoid peanuts as they are actually legumes.
- Nuts: macadamias, pecans and walnuts are the lowest in net carbs and can be eaten in small amounts. Cashews, pistachios and chestnuts are higher in carb, so limit these.
- Nut flours, such as almond flour. I include this because a low carb food list shouldn't completely exclude baking. Almond flour is a great flour substitute.
Fats and Oils:
Make sure that any vegetable oil you use is "cold pressed" and never heat vegetable oils. The polyunsaturated fatty acids in these oils are highly unstable and are easily damaged by heat. Use coconut oil, butter or olive oil for frying. Keep cold pressed oils refrigerated to avoid rancidity.
- Olive Oil, organic, cold pressed
- Butter: You can make your own from raw or organic cream.
- Mayonnaise (best to make your own to avoid commercially refined vegetable oils)
- Coconut oil and coconut cream concentrate
- Walnut oil, cold pressed
- Sesame oil, cold pressed
- Flax oil, cold pressed
Sweeteners
- Stevia, liquid preferred as the powdered usually has maltodextrin in it.
- Erythritol
- Splenda, liquid preferred as the powdered usually has maltodextrin in it.
Spices
- Basil, black pepper, Cayenne pepper, Chili pepper, dried, Cilantro/Coriander seeds, Cinnamon, ground, Cloves, Cumin seeds, Dill, Ginger, Mustard seeds, Oregano, Parsley, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, and Turmeric.
- Commercial spice mixes like steak seasoning or greek seasoning usually have added sugar, so read the labels.
Recommended Cookbooks
These are great resources for how to prepare all the items on this low carb food list.- 500 Low-Carb Recipes: 500 Recipes from Snacks to Dessert, That the Whole Family Will Love by Dana Carpender. This is out of print, but Amazon has links to different sellers.
- 200 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes: Healthy Dinners That Are Ready When You Are!
by Dana Carpender
- 300 15-Minute Low-Carb Recipes: Hundreds of Delicious Meals That Let You Live Your Low-Carb Lifestyle and Never Look Back
by Dana Carpender
- The Low-Carb Barbecue Book : Over 200 Recipes for the Grill and Picnic Table
by Dana Carpender
- Eating Stella Style: Low-Carb Recipes for Healthy Living
by George Stella and Christian Stella
- George Stella's Livin' Low Carb: Family Recipes Stella Style
by George Stella and Cory Williamson
- Your favorite cookbook - Most whole food, main meal recipes which include the foods on this low carb food list can be adapted to a low carb, ketogenic version.
Please feel free to print this low carb food list.
My Favorite Low Carb Cookbooks