If you’re thinking about embarking on a ketogenic diet, you probably already know you’ll be avoiding processed grains and sugar like pizza and muffins. But many other foods you’ll nix on this extremely low-carb, high-fat diet aren’t necessarily unhealthy. Indeed, many “no” foods are packed with health-promoting vitamins, minerals, and fiber but also have too many carbs for the restrictive keto diet.
Keto isn’t right for everyone. “For some people, the keto diet can be potentially harmful,” says Alyssa Burnison, RD, a regional registered dietitian for the supermarket chain Hy-Vee in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. That includes people who take insulin for type 2 diabetes or type 1 diabetes, she says. If you have any chronic health condition that you’re hoping to treat with a keto diet, talk to your doctor first or work with a registered dietitian; they can best advise if this is a safe diet for you.
If you do decide to try the diet, here are 15 foods that you should try to avoid on keto, and what to choose instead.
Skip Croutons and Sprinkle Hemp Hearts on Your Salad
10 Foods You Can’t Eat on Keto (and What to Choose Instead)
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Bypass Starchy Peas and Opt for Broccoli as Your Veggie Side
Low-Calorie Snacks May Still Be High-Carb — Choose Sunflower Seeds Instead
On keto, you’ll eat far more fresh foods than you do on the standard American diet. The days of focusing on fat-free — and carb-rich — snacks, like pretzels or 100-calorie packs of crackers, are over unless you’re noshing on keto-friendly packaged fare. That said, many people on a keto diet still eat foods high in saturated fat and sodium, which aren’t the healthiest choices, so when you do keto, you’ll want to choose snacks wisely.
“People are used to eating what’s easy and right in front of them, but there are just-as-easy snacks readily available,” says Nasar. Those include sunflower seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds, and nuts.
Potato Chips Aren’t Keto-Friendly, So Try This DIY Seaweed Snack
Here’s a worthy keto- and heart-friendly snack substitute to scratch that salty itch, says Nasar: Finely chop up your favorite nuts and seeds in a food processor, and add white vinegar and salt. Roll up the mixture in sheets of nori seaweed (like a cigar) and cook in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes until crispy.
Bananas Are High Carb, but Berries Can Work on Keto
Honey-Baked Ham Is Glazed in Sugar, but Deli Meat Can Be Compliant
Margarine Isn’t Keto-Friendly, So Opt for EVOO
Piña Coladas Are Sugar Bombs — Sip on a Vodka Soda Instead
Beer Is Packed With Carbs, but Light Beer in Moderation May Be Okay
Sweet Potatoes Aren’t Okay on Keto, but Cauliflower Is
Cow’s Milk Is a Major Source of Carbs; Reach for Almond Milk Instead
Trail Mix Is a No-No; Raw or Salted Nuts Are a Go
Carrots, Though Healthy, Are Starchier Than, Say, Bell Peppers
Soda Isn’t Allowed on Keto, but Unsweetened Sparkling Water Is a Great Choice
Butternut Squash Is Too Starchy, yet Spaghetti Squash Is Keto-Friendly
Reyna Franco, RDN
Medical Reviewer
Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University.
In her private practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for weight management, sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, food allergies, eating disorders, and childhood nutrition. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients.
Franco is also a corporate wellness consultant who conducts wellness counseling and seminars for organizations of every size. She taught sports nutrition to medical students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, taught life cycle nutrition and nutrition counseling to undergraduate students at LaGuardia Community College, and precepts nutrition students and interns. She created the sports nutrition rotation for the New York Distance Dietetic Internship program.
She is the chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist Member Interest Group. She is also the treasurer and secretary of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having previously served in many other leadership roles for the organization, including as past president, awards committee chair, and grant committee chair, among others. She is active in the local Greater New York Dietetic Association and Long Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, too.
Jessica Migala
Author
Jessica Migala is a freelance writer with over 15 years of experience, specializing in health, nutrition, fitness, and beauty. She has written extensively about vision care, diabetes, dermatology, gastrointestinal health, cardiovascular health, cancer, pregnancy, and gynecology. She was previously an assistant editor at Prevention where she wrote monthly science-based beauty news items and feature stories.
She has contributed to more than 40 print and digital publications, including Cosmopolitan, O:The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Woman’s Day, Women’s Health, Fitness, Family Circle, Health, Prevention, Self, VICE, and more. Migala lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, two young boys, rescue beagle, and 15 fish. When not reporting, she likes running, bike rides, and a glass of wine (in moderation, of course).