🥑Keto diet
A ketogenic (keto) diet is very low in carbohydrates and high in fat, with moderate protein. Cutting carbs this far makes the body switch to burning fat and producing ketones for fuel. It is used for weight loss and, under specialist care, to treat some forms of epilepsy.
🔬What it means
Normally the body runs mostly on glucose from carbohydrates. When carbs are very low for a few days, the liver starts turning fat into ketones, which the brain and muscles can use instead. This state is called ketosis.
To stay in ketosis most people need to eat roughly 20–50 g of carbohydrate a day. The exact limit differs from person to person.
On this site a dish is marked keto-friendly when it has ≤ 5 g of carbohydrate per 100 g. That is per 100 g, not per portion: a 300 g serving can still bring up to 15 g, so portions count.
✅What you can eat
- 🥩Meat, fish, seafood and eggs — little or no carbs in their plain form.
- 🥦Non-starchy vegetables: leafy greens, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, courgette, cucumber, peppers, mushrooms.
- 🥑Fats and oils: avocado, olive oil, butter, olives.
- 🧀Cheese, plain Greek yoghurt and cream in reasonable amounts.
- 🌰Nuts and seeds — but carbs add up quickly with a handful or two.
- 🍓Small portions of berries.
🚫What to avoid
- 🍞Bread, pasta, rice and other grains, including whole grains, oats and breakfast cereals.
- 🥔Starchy vegetables: potatoes, sweetcorn, parsnips.
- 🫘Beans, lentils and chickpeas — healthy, but high in carbs.
- 🍌Most fruit, fruit juice and dried fruit.
- 🍰Sugar in any form: sweets, cakes, honey, soft drinks, most desserts.
- 🥫Hidden carbs: sweet sauces and marinades (ketchup, teriyaki, barbecue), breaded food, sauces thickened with flour, beer.
⚠️What happens if you eat carbs
A carb-heavy meal can take you out of ketosis, and it can take a few days to get back. The body also refills its glycogen stores, which hold water, so the scales may jump by a kilo or more — that is water, not fat. This is not dangerous in itself.
In the first days of keto many people get the “keto flu”: headache, tiredness, irritability, poor concentration and sometimes nausea. It usually passes within a week or two. Constipation is common, because the diet is low in fibre.
In some people keto raises LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, especially when it is high in saturated fat — worth checking with a blood test. There is little evidence yet about the long-term effects of keto, and many people find it hard to stay on.
🚑When to see a doctor
Talk to a doctor before starting keto if you have diabetes, especially if you take insulin, sulfonylureas (such as gliclazide) or SGLT2 inhibitors (medicines ending in “-gliflozin”): cutting carbs can cause low blood sugar or a dangerous build-up of ketones (ketoacidosis), and doses may need changing.
Also ask first if you have kidney, liver or pancreas disease, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have had an eating disorder. Children should follow keto only under specialist care.
📱How Me Nutrition helps
Every dish in the app and on this site shows its diet labels, including keto-friendly, and the major allergens of a typical recipe, with the ingredient that decides it. Recipes differ, so always check with whoever cooked the dish.
Dishes that fit: 457
Sources
Written from the sources below; not reviewed by a doctor. Not medical advice. How we count →