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What to Eat on a Ketogenic Diet

4 min read

Simple guidelines for ketogenic eating - what to include, what to avoid, and where to find recipes.

Table of Contents

What to Eat on a Ketogenic Diet

The Simple Rule

Think "meat and vegetables" for every meal.

Focus on quality protein and vegetables that grow above ground. Add healthy fats until satisfied. That's the foundation. Everything else is refinement.

What to Avoid

Skip these completely:

  • Sugar (including honey, syrup, agave)
  • Grains (bread, pasta, rice, oats, quinoa)
  • Starchy vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas)
  • Most fruits (bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, tropical fruits)
  • Fruit juice (even fresh-squeezed)

Why? A glass of orange juice contains as much sugar as a soft drink. Your body doesn't distinguish between "natural" and "processed" sugar.

What to Eat

Protein (Moderate Amounts)

Aim for 1.0-1.5g per kg of ideal body weight daily (about 0.45-0.7g per pound). Recent research suggests aiming for the upper end of this range—closer to 1.5g per kg—may be optimal for metabolic health, muscle preservation, and satiety.

Athletes and elderly individuals may need even more.

Understanding protein content: Most people overestimate how much protein they're eating. A 100g portion of meat contains about 20g of protein, not 100g!

Quick calculation example:

  • If your ideal weight is 70kg (154 lbs)
  • You need 70-105g protein daily (0.45-0.7g per pound)
  • That's roughly 350-525g (12-19 oz) of meat per day
  • Or split across eggs, fish, cheese, and meat

Not sure what your ideal weight should be? Use our BMI calculator—just enter your height to see healthy target weight ranges.

Protein-rich foods:

  • Meat (about 20g protein per 100g/3.5oz): Beef, pork, lamb, poultry
  • Fish and seafood (about 20g protein per 100g/3.5oz): Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), white fish, shellfish
  • Eggs (6g protein each): The perfect keto food
  • Cheese (about 25g protein per 100g/3.5oz): Hard cheeses are highest
  • Other dairy: Butter, cream, full-fat yogurt (plain, unsweetened)

Note: Use your ideal body weight, not your current weight if you're significantly overweight. If you're 120kg (265 lbs) but your healthy weight would be 80kg (176 lbs), calculate based on 80kg.

Healthy Fats (Eat to Satisfaction)

Don't fear fat. For decades we've been told fat—especially saturated fat—causes heart disease. The science doesn't support this. Read more: Is Fat the Enemy?

Choose fatty cuts of meat. They provide more satiety and help your body absorb protein more effectively. That marbling isn't your enemy—it's your ally.

Stick to natural, unprocessed fats:

  • Cooking: Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, butter, ghee, animal fats (lard, tallow, duck fat)
  • Eating: Avocados, nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, macadamias), seeds, olives, fatty fish, fatty meat

Avoid highly processed seed oils (sunflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, vegetable oil). These industrial oils:

  • Oxidize easily, especially when heated
  • Can trigger inflammation
  • Contain excessive omega-6 fatty acids
  • Are heavily processed with chemicals and high heat

Simple rule: If your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize it as food, skip it. Stick to fats from actual food sources—animals, olives, coconuts, avocados.

Vegetables (Eat Freely)

  • Leafy greens: Spinach, kale, lettuce, arugula
  • Cruciferous: Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage
  • Others: Zucchini, cucumber, bell peppers, asparagus, green beans, mushrooms

In Small Amounts

  • Berries: Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries (30-60g portions)
  • Nuts: 30-60g portions daily
  • Tomatoes, onions, garlic: Use in cooking

What a Day Looks Like

Breakfast:
Eggs with vegetables cooked in butter, or leftover dinner

Lunch:
Grilled meat or fish with large salad and olive oil dressing

Dinner:
Salmon with roasted broccoli, or chicken with cauliflower and green beans

Snacks (if hungry):
Hard-boiled eggs, cheese, handful of nuts, olives

Simple Substitutions

Instead of rice: Cauliflower rice, chopped mushrooms
Instead of pasta: Zucchini noodles (spiralized)
Instead of potatoes: Cauliflower mash, roasted radishes
Instead of bread: Lettuce wraps

Eating Out

Strategy: Order meat or fish + vegetables. Ask for extra vegetables instead of rice/potatoes/bread. Request sauces on the side.

Works everywhere: Grilled meat with salad or steamed vegetables is available at almost any restaurant.

Protein Amounts Matter

Track your protein intake, especially at first. Too much protein can interfere with ketosis as your liver converts excess to glucose. But you do not want too little either. Maintaining muscle mass is important! Muscle increases insulin sensitivity, and is vital for a long healthy life. Many elderly under-eat protein.

Consistency helps: Keep protein portions similar day-to-day for more predictable blood sugar (especially important for Type 1 diabetics managing insulin).

The Bottom Line

Keto doesn't have to be complicated. Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, healthy fats. Skip sugar, grains, and starchy foods.

Focus on whole, real foods. A piece of grilled fish with roasted vegetables will always be more nutritious than "keto" processed products.

Recipe Resources

Glysimi focuses on the science behind metabolic health—understanding why low-carb works, how to optimize your health, and how to prevent complications long-term. We're not a recipe site.

For detailed recipes, meal plans, and cooking inspiration, there are many excellent resources that specialize in creating delicious keto meals:

Quick Search: Simply search "keto recipes" to find thousands of options.

Danish Resources:

International Resources:

These sites offer everything from quick weeknight meals to special occasion dishes, plus shopping lists and meal prep guides.

Remember: The best keto meal is often the simplest—quality protein, vegetables, and healthy fat. Start there.

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