Best Keto Foods for Healthy Living

Fresh N Lean is a meal delivery service that provides food made with organic ingredients. Our tasty, chef-prepared cuisine is always fresh and never frozen, and we offer several convenient meal plans: Protein+, Keto, Paleo, Standard Vegan, Whole30 and Low-Carb Vegan. Choose Fresh N Lean for affordable nutrition, delivered to your doorstep. 

The keto diet is all about lowering carb intake to reach ketosis; once you’re in this state, the body can burn fat more efficiently. 

For this reason, many people choose a keto diet to help with weight loss or fat reduction. 

A keto diet can be great for your health, but not all keto diets are healthy. For example, a long list of low-carb foods will put you in ketosis, but some of these foods are highly processed; including them in your keto diet may have undesirable consequences for your health and wellness. 

So, what are the best foods to eat on keto? Let’s take a look. 

In this article, we will:

• Explain some keto basics
• Discuss how to choose the best keto foods for a healthy diet
• List the best keto foods to eat for your health
• Share a simple way for you to access some of the top foods for keto 

Keto diet basics

Many people have used the keto diet to help them reach their fitness goals. This diet supports weight loss; if you’re looking to trim some fat and achieve a more defined body, a ketogenic eating plan may be an ideal fit. 

With a keto diet, most of your calories come from fat. There is a moderate amount of protein allowed and very few net carbs. That means high-carb foods – such as most bread, pasta and pastries – are limited if you’re on this eating plan. And to stay within the guidelines of this low-carb diet, you’ll need to avoid starchy vegetables and foods with lots of added sugar. 

There are many keto-recommended foods, but not all of them are great for your health. Some keto-friendly foods are highly processed and contain undesirable ingredients. For example, some are high in sodium; studies link excessive sodium intake with high blood pressure. Other keto foods contain additives like trans-fatty acids and monosodium glutamate (MSG); research links MSG with conditions like obesity, and trans-fatty acids are a risk factor in heart disease. 

On the other end of the spectrum, the best healthy keto foods contain nourishment that supports you on your wellness journey. These keto choices are whole foods free of hormones, pesticides and antibiotics. You can count on these foods to provide the nutrition you need to feel and look your best. 

How to choose the best keto foods for health and wellness

If you’re looking to improve your health, here are some tips for selecting the top foods for keto:

1. Go organic. Organic produce is free of harmful pesticides that can compromise your health. Choose organic foods for your ketogenic diet. 
2. Select protein options that are cage-free or pasture-raised. When purchasing protein foods like chicken or beef, look for cage-free or pasture-raised options. Protein foods raised in these conditions have notable health benefits. For example, according to the Mayo Clinic, grass-fed beef has more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and more antioxidant vitamins than conventionally raised beef. 
3. Choose wild-caught seafood for your keto diet recipes. Most of the fish sold in stores comes from farms. Fish raised in farms are more susceptible to disease than fish in the wild, and they’re often given antibiotics to counter infection. These antibiotics remain in the tissue and may cause health problems in people who eat this type of seafood. Antibiotics aren’t an issue with wild-caught fish. And studies show that fish caught in the wild tend to be richer in certain nutrients, such as calcium and iron. If seafood is on the menu, look for wild-caught options. 

Best keto foods

Here are some of the best healthy keto foods for your diet, listed in no particular order:

1. Grass-fed beef

Grass-fed beef provides healthy nutrition, and it’s a nourishing addition to your keto recipe plan. It’s higher in healthy fats than conventionally raised beef, and it contains valuable antioxidants like vitamin E. 

2. Cage-free chicken and eggs

When shopping for eggs, chicken breast or chicken thighs to cook with your air fryer, look for options from a cage-free environment. Cage-free chickens live in more humane conditions than those faced by conventionally raised poultry, and they’re less likely to be infected with diseases like salmonella. Also, some studies show that eggs from cage-free chickens have a healthier nutritional profile than those from conventionally raised birds. 

3. Wild-caught seafood

Seafood caught in the wild is one of the best keto foods to add to your diet. It’s free of the antibiotics sometimes present in farm-raised fish. All types of wild-caught seafood are keto-friendly, including shellfish. Here are some examples:

• Salmon
• Tuna
• Cod
• Shrimp
• Mackerel
• Oysters
• Mahi-mahi
• Anchovies
• Trout

4. Low-carb vegetables

Vegetables sometimes get overlooked by keto dieters. However, there are low-carb options in this food group that support your keto lifestyle. Including these foods in your keto eating plan is important since they’re a source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Here are some low-carb veggies that belong on your list of keto diet foods:

• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Brussels sprouts
• Zucchini 
• Celery
• Spinach 
• Kale
• Tomatoes

5. Healthy fats

Healthy fats are among the best keto foods for your diet. Fat plays a dominant role in the keto diet. Some fats have undesirable health consequences, so choosing options that support wellness is essential. Here are some healthy fats to consume on your keto journey:

• Avocados
• Coconut oil
• Olive oil
• Grass-fed butter
• Ghee
• MCT oil
• Sesame oil

6. Organic nuts and seeds

Nuts and seeds are ideal keto foods because they are high in fat and low in carbs. Also, nut butter and seed butter made with these foods work well with a keto eating plan. Here are some nuts, seeds and nut butter options to add to your menu:

• Almonds
• Chia seeds
• Walnuts
• Almond butter
• Pecans 
• Pecan butter
• Hazelnuts
• Hemp seeds
• Flax seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds

7. Organic dairy products

Milk isn’t the best choice for keto dieters. However, other dairy products are ideal keto foods. The list includes cheese, cottage cheese and full-fat Greek yogurt. 

A convenient way to add the best keto foods to your diet

Finding healthy keto foods at your grocery store can sometimes be challenging. Not every supermarket stocks items like wild-caught fish or grass-fed beef. 

If you want to include the best keto foods in your diet, a convenient approach is to subscribe to a meal delivery service. These services provide you with healthy keto food shipped straight to your door.

Here at Fresh N Lean, we offer a keto menu that includes organic ingredients, cage-free chicken and grass-fed beef. We also offer wild-caught seafood, including delicious fatty fish like tuna and salmon. Our meal delivery service can add ease and simplicity to your keto eating plan. 

Next steps

If you want to skip the hassle of balancing macros and shopping for groceries, subscribe to Fresh N Lean. Unlike meals delivered by companies like Green Chef, our food doesn’t require cooking or meal prep; all you need to do is warm it up for a minute or two in the microwave. And unlike competing companies like Territory Foods, we make our meals with organic ingredients. We deliver our chef-prepared keto diet food to your home or office.