Ketogenic diets have been trending over the past decade. It works to support weight loss, a healthy heart, better complexion and so much more.
The diet consists of very low carbs and high fat intake. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.
If you are thinking about starting the ketogenic diet or are already on your journey to ketosis, you may be aware of the delicate balance needed between your fats, carbohydrates, and protein.
Since only 10% of your daily calories should be coming from carbs, you will want to choose your carbs carefully. Being aware of what is in your food is a crucial step.
Take a look at this list of popular foods and how many grams of carbohydrates each serving actually contains.
Some may surprise you!
Foods High in Carbs
- Raisins (1cup = 12g)
- Brown rice (1/2cup = 25g)
- Quinoa (1cup = 21g
- Oats (1cup = 25g
- Beets (1cup = 12g)
- Oranges (1cup = 21g)
- Kidney Beans (1/2cup = 18g)
- Chickpeas (1/2cup = 16g)
- Grapefruit (1cup = 24g)
- Pears (1cup = 21g)
- Corn (1/2cup = 19g)
- White Potatoes (1cup = 26g)
- Whole Wheat Pasta (1/2cup=14g)
- Sweet Potatoes (1/2cup = 20g)
- Low-Fat Yogurt (1cup = 16g)
- Lentils (1/2cup = 19g)
- Agave Nectar (1tbsp = 15g)
- Black Beans (1/2cup = 20g)
- Honey (1tbsp = 17g)
- Blueberries (1cup = 21g)
- Maple Syrup (tbsp = 13g)
- Peas (1cup = 20g)
If you think some of those are scary, take a look at these monsters!
- 1 whole Mango contains 50g
- Large Banana contains 35g
- 12fl oz Soda contains 39g
- Medium Bagel contains 55g
- 1/2cup of Cereal with 1cup of Milk contains 49g
- Large Muffin contains 74g
- Large Apple or 1cup of Applesauce contains 36-46g
- Energy Bars usually contain approximately 45g
- Low-Fat Candy often 34-52g per serving
Although the quickest route to ketosis is fasting, it’s not the only option.
Here are some foods YOU CAN eat while on the Keto Diet
- Seafood. Fish and shellfish
- Low-carb vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, green beans, peppers (especially green)
- Cheese- specifically feta, blue cheese, gouda, brie, Havarti, cheddar
- Avocados
- Meat and poultry
- Eggs
- Nuts and seeds-such as almonds, pecans, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds
- Plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese.
Luckily, you can still achieve ketosis through diet, and changing the way we eat is an indefinite fix! Keeping your carbohydrate intake down can not only help to get you into ketosis, lose weight and lower your appetite, creating a steady supply of energy, keeps you alert and focused!
