Keto Shopping List: 25 Must-Have Items for Your Grocery Basket

Going keto shopping? Check out these essential keto groceries you can get and start cooking.

With the keto diet, you can lose weight fast. Not only that, but you can also improve your health as well.

Today, I’ll show you how to get started on a keto diet, and more importantly, what you need to have on your grocery list in order to succeed on the keto diet. So, let’s get started!

How Do I Get Started on a Keto Diet?

Before you get started on a keto diet, it is important to know what the keto diet is. Quite simply, it is a diet that is very high in fat, very low in carbs, and has a moderate amount of protein.

On a keto diet, you want to have 75% of your calories come from fat and 20% of your calories come from protein. The remaining 5% should come from carbs.

What Can You Not Eat on Keto Diet?

On a keto diet, you cannot eat:

• Sugar-filled food and drinks such as soda and juice.
• All fruits except small amounts of berries.
• Grains such as oatmeal, rice, and wheat.
• Beans and legumes such as lentils and peas.
• Root vegetables and tubers such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams.
• Most alcohols.
• Different condiments such as ketchup and barbecue sauce.

Must-Have Items When You’re on Ketogenic Diet

So, now that you know what you can’t eat on a keto diet, you’re probably wondering what foods you can eat.
I’ve made it easy with these 25 must-have items for your grocery basket. By sticking to these food items, you can stay on track with your keto diet.

1. Avocado

Just one avocado has a whopping 29.5 grams of fat. And most of that fat is heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.

Now, avocados can be a pain to slice. So, to make it easier and avoid a trip to the emergency department, I recommend this budget-friendly avocado slicer here.

2. Spinach

Spinach is not only low in net carbs but also low in calories. One cup of spinach has only 7 calories! So, it is the perfect food to help you lose weight.

Besides being nutritious, spinach also contains tons of antioxidants that can help fight cancer.

You can use spinach in so many different ways. You can use it to make salads, soups, stews, smoothies, or just on its own. Here is a good steamer that you can use to prevent this from happening.

3. Canned Sardines

They are super convenient and are packed with omega-3s, which are good for your heart and brain.

Besides being a good source of fat, they’re also packed with protein. And they contain tons of vitamin D to boot.

4. Salmon

Salmon is not only tasty, but it’s packed with tons of omega3s, as well as protein.

It also contains minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese, which you need for healthy bones. And since it takes very little time to cook, it is perfect for those busy weekday nights.

5. Olive Oil

Just one tablespoon of olive oil contains almost 14 grams of fat. So, if you find that you’re not getting enough fat when you first start on keto, just add some olive oil.

Besides being nutritious, olive oil is good for you too. It can lower your blood pressure and may even reduce your risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

6. Heavy Cream

If you’re a heavy coffee drinker, heavy cream makes a great replacement for milk and sugar-flavored creamers. You can also use heavy cream to thicken soups and sauces and make them extra creamy.

7. Berries

Are you a big fan of fruit? Then, berries will be your best friend! That’s because they’re lower in net carbs than most fruits. For instance, a 1.0 ounce serving of raspberries contains only 1.5 grams of net carbs.

Berries are great for snacking on. You can also add them to Greek yogurt or even use them in baked goods like my Ketogenic Raspberry Coconut Cupcakes.

8. Butter

Butter? …Yes, you can have butter on a keto diet. Besides being high in fat, butter contains butyrate.

Butyrate is a substance that is good for your gut, and may even help you lose weight.

So, spread it on your keto bread, use it in your baking, and even use it for cooking. When cooking with it, though, make sure you cook at low temperatures.

9. Coconut Oil

Besides being high in fat, coconut oil contains MCT oils that may help you burn fat.

You can use coconut oil for frying. You can also use it to make fat bombs, which are tasty treats you want to have on hand if you’re running low on fat.

If you’re looking to speed up your weight loss, you may want to try pure MCT oil, which has a much higher concentration of MCTs than coconut oil. You can find some here.

10. Nuts

They contain a lot of fat, as well as a number of vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and vitamin E, which you need for healthy bones and skin.

Now, you don’t want to eat too much of them because they do contain a moderate amount of net carbs.

11. Cheese

Yes, you can have cheese on a keto diet. Unlike milk, cheese contains tons of fat, making it good for the keto diet.

Besides being high in fat, cheese is an excellent source of calcium and protein. So, it’s good for your muscles and bones.

12. Chicken

Who doesn’t love chicken? You can use it in casseroles, soups, and stews, pair them with low-carb veggies, and make chicken tenders…

And thankfully, chicken loves you back. It is a great source of protein for the keto diet. Depending on the cut, a great source of fat as well.

13. Eggs

Eggs have got a bad rap in the past because they contain a lot of cholesterol. However, according to research, the cholesterol in eggs does not increase your blood cholesterol.

So, eat up those eggs! Eggs are more than 50% fat and are also good sources of protein for your keto diet.

14. Broccoli

Broccoli is the perfect diet food. It is not only low in calories but low in net carbs as well.

Besides that, it is also an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K. It also contains antioxidants that reduce your risk of a heart attack.

15. Asparagus

Asparagus is another great way to add more fiber, vitamins, and minerals to your diet.

Like broccoli, asparagus is an excellent source of vitamin K. It also happens to be a great source of folate, which you need for a healthy pregnancy.

And there are so many ways to enjoy asparagus. You can use it in omelets, stir-fries, and salads. It also pairs well with a nice piece of steak.

16. Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts have a reputation for being bitter. But let me tell you, they can taste sweet, depending on how you cook them.

Roasting them brings out a nice, sweet, caramelized taste. Topped with some bacon, they make the perfect keto dinner.

17. Cauliflower

On the keto diet, you’ll find that you can use cauliflower to re-create many high carb dishes. If you’ve never made cauliflower rice before, it’s pretty easy. Just break your cauliflower into pieces.

Then, pulse in a food processor until it becomes rice-like. A food processor like this should do the trick. Then, use the “rice” the same way you would use regular rice.

Other Low Carb Vegetables:

• Bell Peppers
• Tomatoes
• Lettuce
• Pickles
• Cucumber
• Zucchini

18. Dark chocolate

Yes, you can still indulge in chocolate on a keto diet. But you want to make sure you eat dark chocolate, not milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is much healthier for you because it contains more cocoa.

Now, dark chocolate is bitter, so it takes getting used to. However, if you want it sweet, you can buy Stevia sweetened dark chocolate bars like these.

19. Mayonnaise

As I talked about earlier, many condiments and sauces are off-limits on the keto diet. But one that is A-okay is mayonnaise.

There are so many types of mayonnaise on the market now; low-calorie mayonnaise, fat-free mayonnaise, and even mayonnaise made from tofu.

20. Hot Sauce

Hot sauce is definitely another condiment you want on your list to pack flavor, particularly if you like things spicy.

Besides containing practically no calories, hot sauce is good for you. That’s because it contains capsaicin, a substance that can boost your metabolism and help you eat less.

Specialty Ketogenic Diet Grocery Items

You will notice that keto recipes may call for a number of specialty ingredients like sweeteners and low carb alternatives to regular flour.

These specialty items can be diet savers if you like to bake, or even sweeten and thicken your stews and sauce, or bread your meats. So, let’s go over them.

Sweeteners for Low Carb Desserts

21. Stevia

Stevia is a great low carb alternative to sugar. Besides having zero net carbs, it may even help you reduce your blood sugar. If you would like to give it a try, you can find some here.

22. Xylitol

It has tons of health benefits. For instance, it can help prevent cavities and reduce your chance of ear infections.

It also helps boost your immune system and is good for your gut and bones. If you would like to give it a try, you can find some here.

23. Erythritol

Erythritol is one of the best sweeteners on the market right now, and I use it in a lot of my baking.

Also, unlike some other sugar alcohols, it doesn’t cause tummy problems as long as you eat it moderation. If you need to stock up on erythritol, you can find some here.

Keto-Friendly Flours

24. Almond Flour

Almond flour is much lower in net carbs and higher in fat than regular flour. And it’s packed with bone-building minerals like manganese and magnesium.

It’s that easy. So if you do a lot of baking, it can come in quite handy. You can stock up on some here.

Check out more almond flour recipes here. Also, here are some of my own recipes that use almond flour in particular:

• Almond Crusted Chicken Tenders
• Ketogenic Vanilla Cupcakes
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Keto Spiced Zucchini Cupcakes
• Low Carb Microwave Peanut Butter Cake

25. Coconut Flour

Now, coconut flour is pretty absorbent, so a little goes a long way. When you use it in baking, you want to use ¼ cup of coconut flour per 1 cup of regular flour. I recommend this non-GMO coconut flour here.

Start using this flour and check out these ketogenic coconut flour recipes.

More of my recipes using coconut flour:

• Keto Raspberry Coconut Cupcakes
• Blueberry Mug Cake
• Appetizing Low Carb Doughnut Cookies