The ketogenic diet has somewhat of a reputation for being one of the most challenging diets to follow. This is because to remain in a ketosis state, you need to pay very close attention to the macros of the foods you are eating. Generally speaking, on the keto diet, you should be aiming to get 75% of your calories from fat, 20% from protein, and just 5% from carbohydrates, which means ditching the bread, pasta, and rice and becoming close friends with meat and high-fat food sources. Here’s a quick guide to what to eat and what to avoid on the keto diet to help you get started. But before you do, check out these 10 things you should know before beginning the keto diet.

What To Avoid On The Keto Diet

To remain in ketosis on the keto diet, you need to consume as few carbohydrates as possible - typically between 20g-50g a day with some people needing to consume even less!

High carb foods to avoid include: 

• Pasta
• Rice
• Bread
• Potatoes
• Pastries, cakes, and biscuits
• Sugar, honey and syrup
• Legumes (beans and lentils)
• Beer and cocktails
• High sugar fruit such as bananas and grapes
• Cashews 
• And high carb vegetables

What To Eat On The Keto Diet 

While trying to reduce your carbohydrate intake to as little as possible, the keto diet also requires that you attain most of your calories from fat rather than protein. Here’s a list of popular keto-friendly foods - just bear in mind that only 20% of your daily calories should come from protein; otherwise, you may struggle to enter and remain in ketosis. 

Keto-friendly foods to eat:

• Unprocessed meat such as steak, chicken, or pork 
• Fish, especially fatty fish such as salmon
• Seafood
• Eggs
• High-fat dairy, particularly butter and double cream. (Try to avoid drinking milk, as one glass of milk contains 18g of carbs) 
• Nuts, especially walnuts, macadamia, and pecans
• Oils 
• Vegetables that grow above ground, especially leafy greens!
• Berries - but only in moderation!

What To Drink On The Keto Diet

When trying to enter a ketosis state, it is also essential to watch what you drink! High sugar drinks such as energy drinks, beer, soda, and even a glass of milk contain a considerable number of carbs and can ruin all of the hard work that you are putting in with your food. Here are some keto-safe drinks to choose from instead. 

Keto-safe drinks

• Water (The best choice!)
• Coffee without sugar, a dash of milk is ok
• Tea without sugar, a dash of milk is ok
• Herbal teas 
• Bone broth 
• Spirits such as rum, vodka, or gin, with a sugar-free mixer
• Dry white wine or champagne

Once you get the hang of weighing, measuring, and reading the macros of your food, the keto diet becomes much more simple to follow. If in doubt, keep carbs out and remember to stick to high-fat foods rather than protein as your main source of calories. If you’d like some more inspiration, then check out these six keto recipes that we think you’ll love.