The keto diet can be really tricky, and if you're not doing it right, you may not be seeing the results you're expecting from it. It is a very restrictive diet in terms of food groups you can be eating, but because your meals will be higher in fat, your taste buds won't have to suffer. Essentially, you want to starve your body of carbohydrates, not necessarily calories. Our bodies naturally enter a state of ketosis when we're starved, but by removing carbs from the diet, you can force your body into this state and start burning that fat your body has been holding on to for energy rather than sugars.
Whether you're just starting this diet or have been doing it, if you've caught yourself having a Regina George moment asking, "Is butter a carb?" then you need to keep reading. Sometimes it can get confusing if you are just jumping into this on what is considered a carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Some people also practice the keto diet differently from others. For example, some limit their carbs to 50 grams and others aim for 0 grams. It's all dependent on your body at the end of the day. Some bodies can enter ketosis with more carb intake than others.
Regardless of how you keto though, these are foods you are going to want to stay far away from.
Most pastas have zero protein, zero fat, and are loaded with carbohydrates in just a single serving. Try substituting this for carrot noodles, zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash.
Even though rice might be the biggest bro food out there, just like pasta, it's filled with carbs and nothing else. And yes, this includes brown rice, too. If you haven't tried cauliflower rice, it's a great option to make your favorite rice-based dishes.
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Bread
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Kiss all types of bread goodbye on keto. This means toast, bagels, pita bread, tortillas, and croutons in your salad. There are a lot of recipes out there to make bread from cauliflower that you can try.
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Cereal
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Most cereals are filled with tons of sugar anyways, so avoiding this is key. Dairy milk eaten with cereal can also be high in carbs from the natural sugars in it. Your best bet is to swap your breakfasts for something higher in protein and fats like eggs and avocado with some berries.
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Cake
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And not just cake, all types of sweets. Cookies, brownies, pastries, ice cream, doughnuts, and the list goes on and on. If a sweet tooth hits, try one of these keto-friendly dessert recipes.
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Potatoes
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Even though potatoes are not high in calories, they're very starchy, so you can't have them on keto. Sweet potatoes are a great complex carbohydrate source, but they can also easily kick you out of ketosis.
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Soda
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In general, you want to stick to water, tea, and black coffee on the keto diet for drinks. Soda is filled with sugars, and even if it's diet soda, it's best to stay away from all of it because artificial sweeteners can potentially still raise your insulin levels and cause more cravings for sugar. Sparkling water is a great substitute if you still want something fizzy.
Unfortunately, you can't have most chocolate on keto. But that doesn't mean you can't have all chocolate. Making your own chocolate at home is so easy, and that way you can make it high fat, low carb, and stick to your diet all while having a sneaky treat.
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Candy
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All candy is filled with sugar, so you're going to have to part ways with it. In general, it's a good habit to adapt your body to satisfy its sugar cravings from natural sweet foods like fruit, but if you can't resist, SmartSweets have the most delicious and irresistible gummy bears that you can find at Whole Foods.
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Honey
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Honey is a great natural sweeter with tons of benefits, but for keto, it can easily derail from you reaching your goals. This also means maple syrup and agave are off limits.
Bananas are so good, but that's because they're so high in fructose. At least while on keto, avoid this fruit. Go for berries with less sugar like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
Margarine and other oils like canola oil, corn oil, and sunflower oil are big no-nos and that's for any diet. These are filled with refined fats like trans fat that will only harm you. Not all fats are created equally. Stick to real and natural fat sources like coconut oil, ghee, olive oil, and avocados.
For so long, we were told to pick out low-fat options in order to better our health, but that's completely wrong. If fat is being removed, this means sugar is probably being added, which means higher carbs. Always go for full-fat options when picking things like sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, and coconut milk.
Mangoes and most tropical fruits like pineapples, bananas, and papaya are the highest in sugar, along with citrus fruits like oranges next. Stick to berries always!
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Juice
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Even if it's from fruit, not concentrate, a cup of juice can have way more sugar than a serving of fruit and won't help to keep you full. Swap your morning juice with water instead or a low-carb green juice.
Quinoa is a big health food that's getting a lot of buzz, but that doesn't make it OK for keto. It's a great option in comparison to some pastas or bread because it contains protein and fiber, but it has just about the same amount of carbs as rice.
Avoid any type of bean on this diet. To make sure you're still getting enough fiber in your day, eat lots of chia seeds, avocado, broccoli, and almonds.
This means no hummus too. This one is a little controversial because some people add lots of oil to make it less carbs per serving, but you can make the call on this one based on how you are practicing keto.
If you've been thinking all this time that corn is a vegetable, we're here to tell you that it is a grain in fact. Also, most corn is heavily processed, and it's hard for your body to digest, so your stomach is better off without it.
This is the number-one food that can deceive people. Dates make the perfect sweet snack because they keep you feeling full, are high in fiber, and full of vitamins and minerals. But the reason why they give you so much energy is because they are high in sugar for a small serving. If you're not seeing results, definitely skip the dates.
This oil is exposed to high levels of refinery before it reaches your local grocery store shelves. By then, it's filled with chemicals, it's nutrient-less, and may contain some trans fat. Even though it's technically a fat and has no carbs, you still want to fuel your body with clean foods that'll make it feel good and allow it to grow stronger.
