What Can I Eat On a Keto Diet?

We all have foods and treats which we like to eat occasionally that we know we should not really be eating. These sneaky treats often keep us going when we are feeling a little down. A question often asked is ‘What Can I Eat On a Keto Diet?’

All the health magazines and websites say that we should not be eating this or that because they are bad of us in some way or another. Why is at that all the things that taste the best are bad for us anyway? It’s just not fair.

It doesn’t matter though because we still eat them anyway. ‘It’s only a little bit’ we tell ourselves. ‘I don’t eat it that often’. The urge to have one of our sneaky treats is more than our knowing that we shouldn’t be eating them.

There is good news however…

Most of these foods that we go to for comfort tend to be fatty foods. That is also the reason we think that we should not be eating them. Traditionally we have been told that eating fatty food is bad for us.

We have been told that eating fat will make us over-weight. It will give us high cholesterol and increase our blood pressure as a result. This in turn increases our chances of having a heart attack. Fatty foods have been completely demonized over the years and decades.

So now when we eat fatty food, we end up feeling guilty.

Now, as it turns out, research over the last decade or so has shown these old beliefs to be wrong. Fat is actually a key element required in your body. Fat is used to build nerve tissue and approximately two-thirds of your brain is fat. Fat is very important for your brain to function properly. Fats are also important for healthy skin because it prevents your skin for drying out.

So in the past, rather than eating fats people were eating more carbohydrates instead. This ended up causing problems including inflammation and weight gain just to mention a few.

So now that you know its ok to be eating fat and that’s what the Keto diet is based on. Here are a few of those sneaky treats that you no longer need to feel guilty about eating…

Fatty Meat Products.

Yes, these are all the things which up to now you would have been told to stay away from because they are bad for you and will eventually kill you.

In this category are Pork Rinds, Bacon, Fatty Sausages and Beef Jerky. Not only are these foods tasty but they are also great sources of fat which is what you should be consuming on the Keto diet. They also do not contain sugar in most cases. You should of course always check the ingredients first to make sure that there is no added sugar as this will torpedo any attempts you make to get your body into ketosis.

Dairy Products.

Daily products are often also demonized but on the Keto diet it is ok the eat certain dairy products. Butter, both hard and soft Cheese and Heavy and Sour Cream are all ok to eat on Keto.

This opens up a large variety of comfort food options.

Again though, do be careful to check the ingredients first as there are dairy products which also contain sugar. Dairy products to steer clear of include Ice Cream, Sweetened Yogurts, Flavored Milks and Puddings.

Using these ingredients with other Keto compliant ingredients such as coconut oil, cocoa powder and some sugar alternatives, you can make a wide variety of Keto desserts and sweats so you should never end up missing your favorite treats.

This should make the Keto diet an easier diet to stick to. Its not too difficult to start most diets but sticking to them can be an issue when you discover that you cannot eat most of the foods that you like and the alternatives are less than exciting. This is what leads to little cheats at first and then finally just quitting altogether. Therefore, you should have a much better chance of sticking to the Keto diet and achieving those weight loss goals you have been striving for.

It is important however to keep in mind that you need to stick to the overall rule of dieting which is to use up more calories than you are consuming. Ideally you should be maintaining a daily deficit of at least 500 calories.

This means that although you are allowed to eat the foods we have discussed, you should only do so in moderation. If you are going to feast on bacon, cheese and desserts every day then you cannot expect to be maintaining a calorie deficit and your weight will increase.

Also, beware that some dairy products which are high in saturated fats can cause an increase in inflammation. If you are susceptible to inflammation you should limit the amount of these dairy products you consume. There are some daily alternatives such as nut butter which you can substitute if this is the case for you.

For daily Keto recipes including Keto dessert recipes, check out our Facebook Group.