Keto has been an ongoing journey for us, and maybe you can relate. When we first started the keto diet, we couldn't believe how different we felt just by changing the foods we were putting in our bodies. We have spent the last three years going beyond low-carb, and we've researched even more ways we can optimize our health. There's more to food than just carbs, proteins, and fats. We now have 10 keto foods we avoid!
Listen to YOUR Body
We love self-experimentation. It's amazing what you can learn about yourself just by cutting out a single food group for a week, or paying more attention to any changes in your mood, digestion, and skin. To figure out what works for you, it's best to just try something new and find out for yourself. Check out all of our diet experiment videos.
- Prolonged Fasting
- 4000-Calorie Challenge
- Intermittent Fasting
- Cyclical Keto
- Deeper State Keto
- Egg Fast
- Carnivore
After years of trial and error, we now have a list of 10 keto foods we avoid. This list has grown and changed over the years and we're certain it will continue to evolve as we learn more about our ever-changing bodies.
Please Note: The following foods are specific to our bodies. These foods are fine for a keto diet and this is not a list you need to abide by, but hopefully you can learn something from our experience!
10 Keto Foods We Avoid
1. Traditional Mayonnaise
Mayo is definitely a keto-friendly food, but that doesn't mean it wears a "health halo".
We have completely cut soybean-based mayo from our diet since learning about the harmful effects refined vegetable oil has on the body - number one being increased inflammation.
Megha loves mayonnaise, so she finds brands that use avocado oil and coconut oil instead of canola oil, sunflower oil, and soybean oil. For more information on refined vegetable oils, check out our blog post about Healthy Cooking Oils.
Find brands made with Avocado Oil
2. Chicken - It's Just Not Fatty Enough
Occasionally, we enjoy a smoked chicken or a pound of wings on date night, but to tell you the truth, we don't eat much chicken. Here are some reasons why we avoid chicken.
- Chicken is incredibly lean in comparison to red meat and fish. It's difficult to hit our fat macros when we eat chicken as a meal.
- Chicken is higher in Omega-6, which can lead to increased inflammation, while fatty fish contains high amounts of beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Red meat and fatty fish are more nutritionally dense.
If we are going to have chicken, we prefer to have chicken thighs for their higher fat content. Try any of our chicken recipes on the blog, a few of our favorites are Butter Chicken and Mexican Shredded Chicken.
3. Sugar-Free Candies - They Spike Blood Sugar
Most sugar-free candies are technically not sugar-free. If you read the ingredient label, you will most likely find the candy is sweetened with maltitol. Maltitol spikes blood almost as much as regular white sugar, making it not keto-friendly at all.
Watch our Sweetener Testing Video where we test out all the low-carb sweeteners and reveal which ones actually are not low-carb.
4. Swapping Pasteurized Dairy for Raw
The majority of dairy products in the grocery store are pasteurized, which means the milk was heated to high temperatures in order to kill off all of the natural bacteria.
We prefer unpasteurized, raw milk products that still contain all the natural bacteria, delicious flavor, and notable textures. Sure, we will occasionally have a little pasteurized cream in our coffee, but we will never go back to buying cheap, pre-shredded cheese in a bag. Raw milk cheese is just too delicious! We are hooked.
5. Cutting Back on Coffee
On average, Americans consume 3.2 cups of coffee per day, and let's not forget caffeine is a drug. It can increase anxiety, heart rate, and the withdrawal symptoms are real. Cutting back on caffeine has been difficult, but highly rewarding. We no longer have coffee on the weekends, which doesn't sound like much of a change, but after two days without coffee, that Monday morning cup of joe is amazing.
Coffee is no longer something we need to function. Instead, we view caffeine as a tool we use to have better workouts and be more productive at work.
We encourage you to try this method out for a week. We would love to hear how using coffee as a tool effects you!
6. Store-Bought Salad Dressings
More and more studies are coming out all the time showing the ill effects of refined vegetable oils on human health. We like to avoid anything that contains canola oil, soybean oil, or sunflower oil, so we avoid store-bought salad dressings.
There are healthier alternatives out there. Read the ingredient label and look for products made with avocado oil, or you can make your own salad dressings at home using extra virgin olive oil and vinegar.
7. IMO Fiber - Isomaltooligosaccharide
IMO Fiber was originally thought to be completely undigested, making it the perfect low-carb ingredient in store-bought keto treats, but when tested, it was found to be partially digested by the human body.
IMO Fiber scores a 35 on the Glycemic Index, which is the same as drinking chocolate milk or eating a bagel! On top of its high glycemic load, it is usually accompanied by insulin-spiking Maltitol. This duo is delicious, but not okay on a keto diet. Chances are, if it tastes, looks, and feels like a candy bar, it probably contains IMO fiber and maltitol. Read the ingredient label!
8. Berries
Neither of us have ever been big fans of berries. Many people eat berries for their antioxidants, but we find the sugar load is too high for the small amount of micro nutrients we can get from a handful of berries.
The more research we do, we are discovering the bio availability of any nutrients from plant foods is a lot lower than animal foods. Just because a blackberry contains a certain level of antioxidants, doesn't necessarily mean our body can convert them into usable nutrients.
This is just our personal preference. Berries are keto-friendly and are a great alternative to regular candy!
9. Nuts - Too Delicious!
Nuts are crunchy, salty, and fatty, making them delicious, but difficult for us to eat in moderation. Nuts are also high in Omega-6, which we're trying to reduce in our diets.
If you find a food addictive, even a keto food, chances are you're going to overeat and hinder your progress. If you want to include nuts in your keto diet, we recommend sticking to low-carb nuts like macadamia and pecans, and portioning out small bags, so you don't end up three cups of almonds!
10. Veggies
After experimenting with our veggie intake, we have found we feel best without them.
Megha knows cauliflower gives her gas, discomfort, and makes her feel bloated, so she avoids it. Digestion discomfort from vegetables is not uncommon. There are a number of sugars in vegetables called FODMAPS that many people have trouble digesting. Check out Dr. Paul Mason's talk on vegetables and gut health.
If we are craving a salad or some grilled asparagus, we will enjoy some veggies, but we no longer go out of our way to fill our plates with fibrous greens. We focus on consuming high quality animal foods like red meat, salt water fish, and eggs.
In Summary
We highly encourage self experimenting to figure out what works best for you! Over the years, we have done just that. This list has changed throughout the years and will continue to change in years to come, but for now, these are the 10 keto foods that we avoid!
1. Traditional Mayonnaise
2. Chicken
3. Sugar Free Candies
4. Swapping Pasteurized Dairy for Raw
5. Cutting Back on the Coffee
6. Store-Bought Salad Dressings
7. IMO Fiber
8. Berries
9. Nuts
10. Certain Veggies
We want to know what foods you avoid on the keto diet! Comment below and tell us about your health journey.
Written by
Megha Barot
Megha has always been a passionate cook, but she took this to a new level after starting her keo journey in 2015. She loves creating new recipes and producing educational content for KetoConnect, which she co-founded in 2016 with Matt. Her passion for healthy eating and personal development continues to thrive. She's the proud mom of two awesome kids.
Please give examples of raw unpasteurized cheese it’s.
This might help you out: https://www.thespruceeats.com/raw-milk-cheese-591217 You will need to go to the cheese counter, not the dairy section. Look for any cheese that has raw milk as the ingredient.
If you are running low on fat every day can’t you just use fat bombs?. If I have one it’s only once a day, but if I can safely eat more I probably would. What say you?
You certainly can! It is just a preference, but you can absolutely take advantage of fat bombs if that’s what you would rather do 🙂
I definitely will just throw back a tablespoon or two (depending how behind I am) of MCT oil. Its not pleasant, but it has the lowest calorie to fat ratio out of anything else I’ve been able to make. Just be sure to have some flavored water or real food to chase it with.
Ok i’m a bit confused…we’ve been following your meal plan for beginners, the one with basically three meal plans, and after reading this list of 10 foods you avoid on keto, I’m wondering why you created this meal plan. It consists of chicken, salad, dressing, broccoli and almonds. 4 out of 10 to avoid. So what’s left is eggs, ground beef, and avocado. So now what?
The foods Matt & Megha avoid is their personal preference. You do not have to conform and avoid those foods too. They simply wanted to update everyone on what they have learned and how they have changed their diet to better suit themselves and what they know. You can still eat what you prefer to eat and what is on the meal plan. All of the foods on the meal plan are still keto friendly and great for beginners. They suggest that you do what works best for you. This is simply what works best for them right now.
Broaden your search, read some books on the topic. As they said, these are the things that worked for them, not for everyone. When I started I bought several cookbooks on Kindle and from clearance bins, tried ones that I thought looked good and, over time, developed my own ‘menu’. The human body is far too complex for any single plan working for everyone!
I have the same reaction to broccoli that Megha has to cauliflower. However, I try to incorporate it now and then sparingly. If it wasn’t for cauliflower rice or cauliflower pizza crusts I would have never made it this far. So I hope it’s not a deal breaker for health. I still need to lose 20 ish more pounds so thank you for the awesome recipes! We are loving your videos. You guys are awesome.
I’m on a paleo, AiP and keto diet and I feel like a million bucks!
While I can’t go without coffee because I suffer caffeine withdrawal headaches pretty quickly, I do have weeks of HWC, or black coffee. I bounce back and forth. It’s almost like a treat to be able to put cream back in.
I’m lucky if I eat fruit once a month. I actually bought red raspberries and strawberries this weekend, and once they are gone, they won’t be showing back up for awhile. I feel the same way, that the carb counts are not really worth it, for the small bang of vits and mins. Hubs tends to avoid veg, with the exception of a few. I don’t eat them every day, but at least once a week, and in moderation still.
Our basic meals are a good protein (we do quite a bit of beef and pork and dark meat chicken, in that order), and a side of cottage cheese or cheese, a pickled something, and maybe just maybe a little dessert later. Hubs is good at packing his lunch each day and I tend to graze at work. Eggs, leftovers, cheese, almonds (definitely moderation for me, he is the one that can eat the whole bag!!).
The longer we have been on Keto, the easier it has become. Our taste buds have changed, without all the cravings of the old stuff, it makes it easier to focus on the cravings of the new stuff (like craving pork steaks or homemade ice cream using monkfruit!). We are so in sync, we even know on the way home from work what meat we both want for the night, it’s funny that way.
Like you guys, we like to experiment in the kitchen and try new things, and it makes it fun and exciting without feeling like we are depriving ourselves of things that are yummy. When we started this journey, I found you guys, and you’ve helped me a lot to see that I don’t have to have deprivation thoughts because it’s a “diet”. This is our way of eating now, and it won’t be changing, it’s just us changing our ingredients and making it work for us. So far, so good, and so easy, just like life should be 🙂 Keep doing what you are doing, you are invaluable!! 🙂
This would be hard and difficult to follow as you have basically eliminated almost all foods but meat and some dairy. Been on keto for a few weeks and that seems hard enough to follow such a strict diet. Where do you get a lot of needed nutrients such as potassium if you eliminate vegetables, nuts, legumes, etc..?
Potassium? Found in eggs, salt water fish, beef, dairy, pork, chicken….need I go on? Remember there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate! You do not need to eat vegetables, ever, if you choose not to and as long as you had a well rounded LCHF diet you would suffer no nutrient deficiencies!
I’m ketosis and I eat chicken turkey beef pork veggies no fruit pasta bread lost 55 lbs in 3 months no exercise bit golf 2 times a week
Hi you guys,
When you make your own salad oil of Olive oil and vinegar, are you using Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar? Do you make a whole bunch and store in the refrigerator or do you make enough just for your meal? Are you able to give me a ratio of how much of each?
Looking forward to hearing from you! Love these videos you guys. So informative.
I’ve lost 30# so far and 35 more to go! I realize this is a long process and patience is key. I have had quite a few stalls along my journey, so that tells me something I’m eating isn’t so Keto friendly. I like your idea of cutting out for a bit and then reintroducing again. Thanks for all the info you guys.
There are a bunch of recipes online for homemade olive oil and vinegar salad dressings. We recommend searching on Pinterest or google for something yummy! Stalls in your weight loss can also be due to stress, quality of sleep, or hormone changes. Thanks for your comment!
Please. Are you serious? People, do your research. Go. Now. I’m trying not to laugh too hard after reading this article.
Princess, we are here precisely because we HAVE done our research. And we are enjoying the benefits too! Win, win!
Dear Dela, what do you eat then?
Thank you!
Joseph.
Interesting article! I agree on the sugar-free candies, but I thought I’d share our favorite treat. It’s ChocZero chocolate, and it’s sweetened with monk fruit. It’s delicious and has about 2 net carbs. It’s great for those occasional “chocolate moments” when nothing but the creamy warmth of the real thing will do.
How are you guys getting your fiber if not eating a lot of veggies? Supplements?
You’re blog is a screaming example of ignorance and naivety. Stay away from fibrous vegetables and berries? Your understanding of concepts like bioavailability makes it clear you don’t know what you’re talking about. Read before you preach BS to people who are easily influenced by babbling idiots like yourself.
So pure carnivore now? As a low carber for two decades, I have decided no be less restrictive because it was causing some disordered eating. Hoping you can still keep things fun and interesting.
I have also given up nuts. I just can’t stop so it’s always easier to abstain then to battle the cravings.
Your list of Keto foods you avoid was interesting. After 3 months on Keto, I got tested for food sensitivities in an attempt to get rid of lymphacitic colitis, the discussion of which is way too complicated for here. I was told to stay off nightshade foods (mainly tomatoes, peppers, eggplant ) as well as cruciferous veggies. The real kicker was to eliminate dairy–cream, all forms of cheese, etc.–a mainstay of the LCHF program. Butter is allowed. I feel like the rug had been pulled out from under me. That basically leaves protein, which I would gladly eat plenty of, except that I also have stage 3 kidney disease (diabetes-related) which tells me to cut down on protein. I’ve had to cut back on fats, too, because of the afore-mentioned colitis which is aggravated by fat. I love the program and wouldn’t go back to my old style of eating for any reason. I’ve lost 28 lbs. and feel wonderful, but it’s getting a little difficult to plan meals. Just thought I’d share my frustration.
Hey Delma,
Has anyone told you about plant paradox? It’s similar to keto but address all of your restrictions. I follow both. It’s really help me get better a long with many others. Lectin mamma has a website with weekly recipes and there is a book by dr. Grundy as well. Somethings seem a bit off but just like with keto, you can’t deny how much better you feel! It is worth a shot to help you with the pain of planning meals and what not. Best of luck.
~Sam
hello Delma i’m sorry that you have these health issues to deal with and i could feel your frustration I’ve said a prayer for you ,now on another note dealing with the dairy issue did that include goat milk and cheese is that possibly an option? if not just sub with coconut milk there’s whipping creams etc.,and check out a movie called “the science of fasting” by Sylvie Gilman, Thierry de Lestrade God bless you lady
Oh Delma, such a challenge for you! Is there anything that you have been recommended that you can eat?
Artificial sweeteners, I avoid all of them. My taste buds have been retrained to enjoy real, whole foods and I don’t want to corrupt them with sweet tastes since that will dull my enjoyment of everything else I eat. I also got a horrible reaction to erythritol, hives appeared on my shoulder 10 days ago and they’re still healing.Don’t need it, don’t want it.
completely agree with almost all of these (I eat a lot of veggies) one great store bought salad dressing is Primal kitchens (http://bit.ly/2wW3Ssw) Made with Avocado oil.
I just followed your food recipes,and avoid bread, pasta,and rice.The coffee I don’t think I can give up though because it’s the only other thing I drink besides water. I want to thank the two of you for all your information.Now I’m enjoying my transformation.