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8 keto-friendly foods you should be eating, according to chefs
The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that encourages your body to rely on stored fat as its main energy source.
The keto diet consists of many high-protein, high-fat, and low-carb foods.
As is the case with any diet, not all keto-approved foods are necessarily healthy for you.
Some of the most popular keto foods that chefs recommend are avocado, coconut, cauliflower, and eggs.
The goal of the keto diet is to keep your body in ketosis, which is when your body uses stored fat instead of the glucose from carbs as its main energy source. With keto diets, there's a focus on foods that are high in fat and protein but are low in carbs.
Whether you're on the keto diet or are planning to start it, here are a few keto-approved foods chefs recommend adding to your grocery list.
Avocados and coconuts are high in plant-based monounsaturated fat.
Chef Mareya Ibrahim, author of "The Clean Eating Handbook," told INSIDER that because avocados and coconuts are both high in plant-based monounsaturated fat and are extremely versatile, they should be a staple in any keto diet.
"Avocado can help lower cholesterol and is high in fibre, too, so it helps with digestion and 'moving things along,'" she said. "Meanwhile, coconut helps with healthy brain function, lowering cholesterol, and preventing inflammation and degenerative disease."
Green smoothies and low-sugar juices can be a nice way to add veggies and protein to your diet.
Making sure you're getting enough protein is important on a keto diet, but micronutrient-dense foods, like veggies, should also be actively incorporated throughout the day. Chef Michael of Snap Kitchen told INSIDER that an easy way to sneak in some veggies if you aren't scooping enough onto your plate is through smoothies and fresh juices.
"While meats and cheeses are easy for snacking through the day, it is important to keep lots of vegetables in your diet for fibre, minerals, and water-soluble vitamins," Chef Michael said. "Staying hydrated and maintaining electrolytes is just as important and you can drink water and low-sugar juices and smoothies throughout the day to accomplish this."
Cauliflower is incredibly versatile.
"Personally, my favourite 'keto ingredient' is by far the humble vegetable cauliflower. It may come as a surprise, it's incredibly versatile and can be used in a number of different ways," Chef Try Silverson told INSIDER.
When it comes to cauliflower, the possibilities are seemingly endless. Silverson said it can be used to make tortillas, pizza crust, mashed cauliflower, or even fried cauliflower.
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Grass-fed and organic proteins can be tasty options.
No matter your diet, NYC-based recipe developer, food stylist, and TV culinary producer,Clare Langan told INSIDER that the quality of the food you're putting into your body should be a priority.
"Oftentimes on keto people are eating a lot of dairy, meat, and fat," Langan explained. "I recommend choosing organic, grass-fed options. I also think they taste better."
Cashews are rich in minerals and micro-nutrients.
Nuts are incredibly nutrient-dense foods that are typically loaded with healthy fats. Vegan celebrity chef, Miyoko Schinner highly recommends incorporating cashews into your diet because they're rich in minerals and micro-nutrients that include magnesium, manganese, potassium, copper, iron, selenium, and zinc.
Eggs are a keto staple for many.
Fried, scrambled, poached, on the side, or in the batter, home chef and author of "Keto Living Day by Day," and "Keto Gatherings" Kristie Sullivan said eggs are one of the best foods for keto dieters.
"[Eggs] contain all of the essential amino acids and they contain some important micronutrients such as selenium, choline, and a few B vitamins," Sullivan told INSIDER. "Eggs are a perfect choice to keep hunger at bay for at least four to six hours, which is really important when you're on the go and trying to follow a low-carb lifestyle."
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Ribeye can also be an excellent choice.
"Similar to eggs, ribeye is nutritionally dense, providing essential amino acids that our bodies need. Since ribeyes tend to be fattier cuts, they are also high in saturated fats and tend to be very tender," said Sullivan. "The nutrition in beef is more bioavailable, which means that the body absorbs it more easily than some of the micronutrients in vegetables."
She added that beef is loaded with micronutrients as well as iron and zinc.
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