The keto diet is based on the principle of drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, moderate protein intake, and increasing fat intake. The body uses this dietary combination to go into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat as its main source of energy. It is important to consciously avoid certain foods that can disrupt ketogenesis or negatively affect blood sugar levels in order to effectively maintain this state and achieve your health goals.

Below, we've listed seven food groups that can be both delicious and healthy, but there's no place for them in the keto diet. This:

  • Sugar and sweets,
  • Grain products,
  • Fruits that are high in carbohydrates,
  • High-carb vegetables,
  • Highly processed foods,
  • Sweetened beverages and alcoholic beverages,
  • Sauces and dressings with added sugar.

However, it's worth sticking to common sense and remembering that sometimes it's better to eat that pathetic bar than whipping yourself up and doing everything you can to avoid eating something forbidden.

1. Sugar and sweets

The first and most important point to avoid on the Keto diet are sugars and sweets. This includes any foods containing added sugars, glucose and fructose syrup, honey, molasses, and sweetened beverages and sweets such as cakes, cookies, ice cream, chocolate bars, and other sweet snacks. Sugars cause a sharp increase in blood glucose levels, which disrupts the state of ketosis.

2. Grain products

On the keto diet, we also avoid grain-based foods that are high in carbohydrates. This includes bread, pasta, rice, breakfast cereals, porridge, cereals and other grain products. Cereals are the main source of carbohydrates, so eating them can make it difficult to maintain a state of ketosis.

3. Fruits that are high in carbohydrates

Some fruits are rich in natural sugar (fructose) and contain a lot of carbohydrates. So let's avoid fruits like bananas, grapes, apricots, mangoes, dates, and dried fruits, as they can significantly increase your blood sugar levels.

4. High-carb vegetables

The Keto diet recommends avoiding vegetables that are high in carbohydrates, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, peas, and corn. Instead, choose low-carb vegetables like broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and lettuce.

5. Highly processed foods

Highly processed foods such as fast food, ready meals, chips, and crackers often contain significant amounts of carbohydrates and hidden additives such as starch, glucose and fructose syrup, or flavor fixatives. Let's avoid them on the keto diet, because they can interfere with achieving and maintaining a state of ketosis.

6. Sweetened beverages and alcoholic beverages

Drinks sweetened with sugar and syrups are prohibited on the keto diet. You should also avoid fruit juices that contain a large amount of carbohydrates. Moreover, alcohol can interfere with the process of ketogenesis, so you should limit its consumption, and if you choose, choose drinks without sugar and with a moderate alcohol content.

7. Sauces and dressings with added sugar

It is worth paying attention to the sugar content in sauces, dressings and ready-made marinades, which can be used to season dishes. Instead, choose homemade dressings based on olive oil or apple cider vinegar that are consistent with the Keto diet.

What can you eat on a ketogenic diet?

The ketogenic diet, commonly known as the keto diet, promotes the consumption of high amounts of fat and minimal amounts of carbohydrates, which leads to a condition called ketosis, when fat becomes the main source of energy for the body. As part of this diet, you can eat a lot of satisfying and delicious foods, such as meat, fish, avocado, eggs or fatty dairy products. Here's the full list of it, what you can eat on the keto diet. However, just as important as communicating what you can eat, is knowing what to avoid. By knowing what to avoid, we can focus on creating healthy and delicious meals in accordance with the principles of the ketogenic diet.

Resume

Avoiding certain foods is a key component of a ketogenic diet to keep your body in a state of ketosis and achieve the desired health benefits. Avoid sugar and sweets, grain products, high-carb fruits, high-carb vegetables, highly processed foods, sweetened beverages, and alcoholic beverages.

Instead, let's choose fats, moderate amounts of protein, and low-carb vegetables to enjoy delicious and healthy meals as part of the keto diet.