Zero Carb Food List that Keeps Keto and Ketosis Simple

Keeping carbs low is the key to keto diet success. When carb intake is too high, we simply cannot enter ketosis and experience the unique benefits of keto.

However, this doesn’t mean that you have to rigidly track your carb intake at all times. In fact, many keto dieters are able to stay in ketosis by using one simple strategy: Eating mostly keto-friendly foods that have little to no net carbs (i.e., digestible carbs that reduce ketone production).

Although it may seem like carbs are hiding around every corner when you first start your keto weight loss journey, there are hundreds of delicious options that have zero or almost zero net carbs as well. To help you figure what these foods are and make keto as easy as possible, we’ve compiled the ultimate list of zero carb and almost zero carb foods for your convenience.

To read more on the topic, view our article Zero Carb Food List that Keeps Keto and Ketosis Simple:

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89 Comments

  1. Howard Kerr on August 10, 2020 at 4:49 pm

    I have seen several videos dealing with the Keto diet, but this one was simple, plain, and had enough information to be quite useful. I have tried to adopt the Keto diet but find that carbs are hard to avoid and somewhat addictive…at least for me. For those times when I get a real craving, especially between meals, I try to keep vegetables like olives, radishes, green peppers, or celery on hand.

    • RuledMe on August 10, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      Sugar specifically is very addictive and has shown signs of withdrawl in the brain, so you’re definitely not along on that one. I appreciate the kind words about the video, thank you!

      If you’re really wanting to go keto, I think going cold turkey is usually best. Avoid all sweeteners (even keto-friendly ones) for 3-4 weeks and the cravings and withdrawls will go down significantly. Sounds like you already have some great veggies on hand to help out with that!

    • shellie doyle on August 17, 2020 at 5:30 pm

      Try Saint agur blue creme and use celery as a dip if you must snack. Ingredients are cheese 50%, milk, water, milk proteins, emulsifying salts, lactic acid. Its basically a blue cheese dip, and 3.7 carbs for the whole 150g pot. I can’t eat a whole pot & I’m 4 + years on keto.

    • Ian Bartczak on November 21, 2021 at 3:12 am

      I like snacks like cheese, or fatty sugar free yogurt, pepperoni, or avocado.

    • Peace Queen on June 21, 2022 at 11:30 pm

      You should not be getting hungry. You may not eat enough fat in your meals.

  2. Zach on September 5, 2020 at 8:03 pm

    The article linked and referenced to is one of the most helpful and easy-to-understand articles about Keto I’ve ever read, thank you so much!!!

    • RuledMe on September 5, 2020 at 8:08 pm

      Thank you so much! We put a lot of time, effort, research, and information into each and every article we write. Really glad you enjoyed it!

    • Melissa Williams on September 19, 2020 at 1:36 am

      Which article

    • RuledMe on September 19, 2020 at 2:51 am

      @Melissa Williams Check the description of the video 🙂

    • Melissa Williams on September 19, 2020 at 1:28 pm

      Zach I know but the here were a lot of links listed . Thanks 😊

  3. Adam Positron on September 9, 2020 at 7:39 pm

    I did keto three years ago and I’m doing it again right now. I lost a lot of weight three years ago going from 195 to 157 in about five months. One of my favorite snacks was cashews. Cashews have carbs so I had to weigh them so as not to eat too much and exceed my daily bard limit. But basically a small hand full with some added salt was a nice snack I could enjoy once per day.

    • RuledMe on September 11, 2020 at 4:45 pm

      Glad to hear it went so well for you! Cashews are one of the more carby nuts so you really do have to be careful with them. I’d really recommend walnuts or macadamia nuts over them since they’re much lower in carbs and even higher in fat (with a similar, creamy texture).

    • Jessica H on May 28, 2021 at 5:52 am

      Macadamia nuts are a good swap for cashews with less carbs, but if you’re measuring that’s great!

    • Flow Forever on June 24, 2021 at 10:46 am

      I love cashews too

    • Abra Kadabrah on October 15, 2021 at 1:15 am

      There you go….
      Back to keto
      See saw!!!!
      Dangerous
      Something body can’t sustain for ad infinitum.

    • Therese Southworth on March 30, 2022 at 1:11 pm

      @RuledMe Cashews in high amounts are toxic.

  4. el on September 29, 2020 at 11:12 am

    Excellent round-up! Learned so much in such a short time. Many thanks!

  5. C.D. on October 7, 2020 at 7:24 pm

    I’m petite and have a low kcal allowance to begin with. Just started keto, and I’m struggling to stay at 5% carbs (15g) 😭. I’ve set myself at 20g now, and will adjust as keto becomes easier to understand and follow. 1lb/week weight loss = 1200kcal/day. Any suggestions or tips are welcomed. Fat/grease (including coconut oil and mct oil) seem to pass through me really quickly (same goes for spinach and baby mixed greens, which has been the case before keto) – is this normal? Does this eventually change?

    • SamyStarFish on October 21, 2021 at 4:03 am

      Same here

    • Judith hogan on May 11, 2022 at 12:50 am

      CD I cannot eat the green vegetables, corn etc as it goes through me. This diet is no good for me as it’s really high in green veg

    • Chrissy Ellem on June 1, 2022 at 2:58 am

      @Judith hogan Corn and corn products isn’t on the list to eat at all. Not all green vegetables are on this diet either. Just type in the ones you are eating in the search bar plus keto and then you can do more research. It takes some time to actually get the hang of this lifestyle.

  6. Sugar baby68 on October 29, 2020 at 9:02 pm

    Best list I have gotten so far. I have looked at hundreds. This one is simple and easy….I have a busy life style. I work in an operating room and have basically no time to sit and guess what’s what in the Keto world. This is perfect…THANK YOU!!

    • S N on February 22, 2021 at 10:51 pm

      So now you only eat fish and meat? I love salads, leafy greens, veggies and fruit. But it seems these are all things I am not allowed to eat anymore. How can you afford eating meat and fish 3 times a day??

    • Senpai is here on March 2, 2021 at 9:52 pm

      @S N you can eat veggies and a bit of fruit from what I heard

    • nadogrl on March 22, 2021 at 11:57 am

      @S N – You don’t have to eat 3 times a day. Meat and fats satisfy hunger. You’d be surprised how much money you can save when not eating processed junk.

    • nadogrl on March 22, 2021 at 11:58 am

      @Senpai is here – The only low carb fruit is berries.

    • S N on March 22, 2021 at 1:39 pm

      @nadogrl I don’t eat any processed junk! I do eat a Gluten-free pizza (processed) 4-5 times per year. Otherwise clean eating.

  7. WryLife on January 3, 2021 at 6:49 pm

    PLEASE dive into the “vegetable broth” in the tuna-in-water ingredient list. I did years ago and have only bought tuna in oil since then. I asked manufacturers for an ingredient list for the broth and NO ONE would provide it but one said it varies and can include peas and other legumes (the fact that “it varies” in itself is disturbing to me). I now only buy Genova brand tuna in olive oil (ingredients: tuna, olive oil, salt) because other brands in oil usually use soy and/or canola. Genova is more expensive, around $2.75 per can, but It’s delicious and I trust the ingredients. It’s worth it to me.

    • basta dotto on April 4, 2022 at 10:33 pm

      @Raquel Lambropoulos I only buy tuna that has a Dolphin-Safe Certification.

    • Paul on April 19, 2022 at 5:29 pm

      I only buy tuna that had dolphins in the net.

    • Misplaced Spirit ** on June 19, 2022 at 4:33 pm

      @Paul Tuna Free Dolphin is the way to go.

    • Emily Morales on July 2, 2022 at 11:46 am

      @basta dotto just an fyi, there’s no such thing as “dolphin safe”. It’s a paid label and there’s no regulation out on the sea. Sucks but it’s true

    • Michael O on October 2, 2022 at 12:32 am

      i buy sardines,tuna in water and add my own fat, obviously the olive oil added to mass produced canned fish is the cheapest and nastiest they can source

  8. James Helm on January 11, 2021 at 12:33 am

    This is one of the better “zero” carb food lists I have seen in the last few weeks. I just wish that total carbs were talked about more often than net carbs. I think most people can figure out what the net carbs are if total carbs and fiber are given. But when people give net carbs they rarely give you how much fiber is in the food for those that follow the total carb way of eating.

    • RuledMe on January 11, 2021 at 3:11 pm

      Thank you! Generally if you’re eating very low net carb foods, they won’t often have high total carbs. We try to keep it more on the simple side for people, but if you’re looking for more in-depth nutrition on recipes, just check out some of the recipes on our site. We do list the total/fiber/net carbs on all of our recipes which should give you some ideas for future recipes/ingredients as well 🙂

    • Maria on August 31, 2021 at 1:40 pm

      Find a carb counting set of instruction for type 1 diabetes. They have to get really good at counting and estimating total carbs and calculate net carbs in a more accurate way. Makes a huge difference.

  9. RuledMe on February 4, 2021 at 4:45 pm

    Please note that this video is specifically for ZERO carb items. If you’re looking for a general food list for keto, this video will help out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKhlbgqhNWs

    • Christopher Cardono on April 4, 2022 at 9:30 am

      Non dairy creamer for coffee ok?

    • ingrid sievers on May 25, 2022 at 4:39 pm

      Deutschland filme

    • Holly Crocker on June 5, 2022 at 9:40 am

      @Christopher Cardono Generally not, they use sugar to replace the fat. Check the labels

    • Tweety Kid on August 24, 2022 at 10:40 pm

      Is it okay to use cooking wine? Not drinking wine, but the cooking wine you find on store shelves. It adds so much nice flavor to meats. Thank you.

    • RuledMe on August 24, 2022 at 10:44 pm

      @Tweety Kid It depends on the cooking wine and how much you’re using. There are definitely many low-carb cooking wines and can be used in moderation, yes. If it’s a sweet cooking wine and you’re using several cups, then it probably wouldn’t be doable.

  10. Shawn Hinzman on March 8, 2021 at 2:00 pm

    Forget items that are labeled “keto”. Just eat un-processed meats such as beef, chicken, and fish, and lots of green vegetables. Cook everything in butter, avocado oil, or coconut oil.

    • Mary the Contrary on October 3, 2022 at 5:39 pm

      @Power House what about unsalted butter?

    • no n on October 14, 2022 at 9:19 am

      Why not olive oil?

    • ABC123 on October 14, 2022 at 5:19 pm

      @Power House Not true….Butter is good for you!

    • LESLEY RUANO VASQUEZ on November 11, 2022 at 9:50 am

      Olive oil is fat, even if its a good fat. Some people over do it. Its better to use a cooking spray and just use a quick spray.

    • a Delija on November 23, 2022 at 2:14 am

      Absolutely, I hate KETO labeled packaging everything tastes so awful amd chemical

  11. Liberty Construction on March 14, 2021 at 9:50 pm

    Went on keto 2 years ago I was 254, in 4 months I was down to 208 then went on vacation and fell off the wagon. I’m now back up above 250 and just started again today.

    • RuledMe on March 19, 2021 at 3:12 pm

      @Liberty Construction Fight through the snack cravings and they should go away after a few weeks. Drink plenty of water between meals. Check out some of the recipes on our website or channel – it should give you some ideas to break the monotony 🙂

    • Flow Forever on June 24, 2021 at 10:32 am

      It happens
      Just dust yourself off and keep going. My weight goes up and down

    • charleen collins on December 19, 2021 at 4:13 am

      I lost 35lbs…after while and some depression I gained it back mostly…I stayed right below 200 tho and have started keto focus again…hard getting started but finally on track…

    • Seven Stars on June 15, 2022 at 4:20 pm

      You are Not alone..I put all my weight back on, too, these past 2 awful years, and starting over is daunting, but we’ve got this!!!

    • Lynn G on August 30, 2022 at 10:57 pm

      You GO!

  12. Some_ Oldsoul11 on August 24, 2021 at 11:08 pm

    Generally-speaking, this is good information, thank you for that. The main thing I would disagree with / advocate against are “canned-meats” as the canning -process innately introduces a Lot of nitrites as well as various other unhealthy preservatives into the organisms of people who are trying to eat as healthy as possible, due to conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and others.

    • Aphro on March 3, 2022 at 4:03 pm

      @Raquel Lambropoulos good luck girl! You got this, the battle gets easier over time

    • kim kay on April 4, 2022 at 12:28 pm

      Canned wild caught tuna

    • Heaven Marie on June 8, 2022 at 8:54 pm

      Yes but those are good in a pinch. Instead of grabbing a more unhealthy choice. When you’re limited for time a can of tuna over a bed of lettuce with lemon is handy, quick, and tasty. I myself would suggest meal prepping. It was such a help to me. I prepared the meals once a week and weighed them and placed them in storage containers. I would take two containers out a day. When the container is gone, party is over…I’m done eating and that’s that. Some days if I worried I’d get hungry later, I wouldn’t dive into my container too early. It really helped me not to consume more calories then I needed to lose weight.

    • Heaven Marie on June 8, 2022 at 8:55 pm

      And it helped me where my will
      Power would have failed me. If I got too hungry and had nothing previously prepared I’d reach for the quickest thing which is usually junk!!!

    • G Nair on August 23, 2022 at 3:46 am

      @Raquel Lambropoulos At a time when one is terribly obese and needs to get some encouraging results selecting less dangerous poisonous food to more dangerous poisonous food, on the plate, will show some noticeable improvement. However, portions too hv to be regulated to a significant extent to keep one motivated to strictly follow the change in diet. All the best to the viewers and commentators on their journey to healthy living. Concentrate on enjoying the flavors of food items in their natural form or slightly steam/saute them with minimal additions of salt, pepper and natural condiments it will go a long way in reducing weight without compromising on your health. I was a poor non-veg eater so it was easy for me to give it up totally. However after watching other videos on different schools of thought I wonder if my diet of equal portions of protein, carbohydrates, salads and cooked veggies and no ‘good fats’ ( white unprocessed butter, ghee without preservatives that has a low shelf life) is a healthy. I am from Iindia and hv bn adding fresh coconut grated in veggies and cold pressed coconut oil for veg saute. Totally cut off dairy products. In a year I lost 13kgs and now my BMI is 22.5. Oh yes my a1c reduced from 11.4 to 7.5 this change happened in 2 mths of no fat diet little carb- no refined sugar, bakery items at all.

  13. 23 42 on September 7, 2021 at 8:47 am

    There are lots of cheeses that satisfy the less than 1g carbs per 100g
    – Blue cheeses are usually at 0/100
    – “Buffalo” Mozzarella is 0/100
    – Camembert should be 0/100
    – Brie 0.5/100

    There are many others, but it also depends on which brand you get.
    Some brands add sugar/carbs, especially the cheaper ones.

    • 23 42 on January 25, 2022 at 3:22 pm

      @Fayaz Ali Shah Agreed, That’s why I would suggest only getting proper cheese from the list i made and to stay away from the cheap processed stuff.

    • Andy Hulme on February 16, 2022 at 10:44 pm

      If its made from milk it’s got lactose in it which turns to glucose in the body I’ve got insulin resistance so I have limit my consumption even lactose free milk only has slightly less carbs than normal milk cream has even more.

    • CopyKatNinja on August 29, 2022 at 1:17 pm

      I too am a cheese addict, it’s a hard habit to kick so I appreciate this lol especially for people like me who just getting started on this particular type of diet although I was pleased I did most of what they recommended already- still have much to learn!

    • Vanguard Iris on September 16, 2022 at 9:21 am

      Aldi does a brilliant grana padano that has very low carbs, and it’s such a strong cheesy flavour that you barely need any. I swapped from parmesan to grana padano years ago because grana padano is usually vegetarian where parmesan often isn’t, but it’s become my favourite cheese. The fact that it’s so good for keto is just a cherry on top

    • Michael O on October 2, 2022 at 12:37 am

      @Vanguard Iris grana padano is also usually made from raw (unpasturized ) milk too, im pretty sure the Aldi 1 was last time i checked

  14. Ashleigh Jaima Osborne on September 8, 2021 at 7:51 am

    Week 5 of Dirty Keto. Complete newbie on this way of eating. Watched lots of YouTube videos, made notes. Down 15 lbs. Feel great. No cravings ( sugar was a biggie).
    Some great products out there and recipes. Thanks. 🇨🇦

    • RuledMe on April 9, 2022 at 4:31 am

      @Dolphin Girl Make sure you’re following your macros. Simply eating low carb doesn’t always equate to weight loss. You need to make sure you’re eating to your macros and not over-eating on calories still.

    • ari adne on May 24, 2022 at 10:43 pm

      Good job! WTG!

    • Melanie Dunn on June 4, 2022 at 1:53 pm

      @RuledMe How do I find out more about macros? I really don’t understand what that is. I do appreciate your help.

    • RuledMe on June 4, 2022 at 11:23 pm

      @Melanie Dunn This should help you out a bit: https://www.ruled.me/faq/what-are-macros/

    • Anastasia Beautyy on July 15, 2022 at 5:08 am

      Healthy keto i heard is better for u hun but well done

  15. Thomism 101 on November 24, 2021 at 5:10 pm

    I just discovered your channel. Awesome. Quite right, glycogen is stored in the liver. However, it is also stored in all species of mammalian muscle meats from where it can be easily mobilised when required for exercise.

  16. Danica Mila Bulic on January 24, 2022 at 12:13 am

    New sub here. I needed some recipes for next month because I am getting back on keto after 2 months of caving into my carb addiction. I have had only 4 days of really clean eating and already my arthritis pain is gone, as are all my allergy symptoms. It is summer here in Chile and I had been suffering with a horrible cough and runny nose.
    Anyway, I love this channel and your recipes look so good and easy. Thank you for your hard work and motivating information.

  17. Fays Bel on January 27, 2022 at 11:42 am

    Yep, really works. Went from 84 kg to 68 kg doing Keto. Egg salad in the morning, and chicken salad in the evening. Ate Cashews, walnuts or pistaccio to combat the cravings. Also kroepoek on occasions. Trick for me was to lay off the coffee and drank tea instead. Zero sugars, combined with exercises and 5 mile runs. Now I only eat healthy as I am able to maintain my weight easily without even exercising that a lot anymore.

    • yinka x on April 30, 2022 at 8:33 am

      how long did it take for you to go from 84 to 68 and how much weight would you say you lost in a month x

    • Fays Bel on May 4, 2022 at 5:25 am

      @yinka x I hit the 75 kg wall at around 8-10 days. I started to focus more on cooking my own food eating lentils, spinach, more salads gradually losing more and more over a period of 2-3 months. Just cook your own food and go to bed early to avoid getting in midnight scroungings. Still at 69-71 kgs baby, haven’t done any runs since January :). My golden rules now are: no bread, no potatoes, no milk and no coffee. Hope it helps

    • Fays Bel on May 4, 2022 at 5:33 am

      Pro tip: drink a big glass of water before every meal, don’t put anything in your mouth while cooking or preparing your food!

    • alya hamzah on August 25, 2022 at 11:25 pm

      What is ‘kroepoek’?
      Are they fried fish chips?

    • Fays Bel on August 30, 2022 at 10:27 pm

      @alya hamzah yes, these are shrimp flavoured crackers to be precise. They also come in Casave varient (no added spices, just plain)

  18. Doug dC on February 26, 2022 at 3:28 pm

    I just discovered your channel, Ma’am. You have a beautiful delivery of the language. No nonsense or silliness. Can’t wait to see more of your content. Keto has been great to me so far. Thanks again.

  19. judy h on June 13, 2022 at 7:07 pm

    New sub here. Your food list is just excellent! Clear and easy to use. Just reading it, I can readily see why I haven’t lost any weight on keto in a year and a half. Even without any weight loss, I’ve had numerous other benefits from keto. Now I’m ready to get serious about weight loss. Your chart and your channel will be very helpful. Thank you!!

    • RuledMe on June 14, 2022 at 3:58 pm

      Thank you so much – I’m really happy you like the videos. I wish you the best of luck in focusing on the weight loss 😊

  20. Benny on July 6, 2022 at 10:28 pm

    I was 305 in April 2021, I did clean keto (looking at all the ingredients in what I buy) + low calories + 1 gallon a day , and also did 16/8 . I am currently at 195 as of this morning 7/07/2022

    • Stanley Billings Jr. on November 16, 2022 at 8:56 am

      Motivation. Ty bro

    • Denny J on November 20, 2022 at 12:51 pm

      Way to go!

    • Mona Wolters on December 1, 2022 at 3:11 am

      Wow!

    • Feral Kat on December 11, 2022 at 2:29 am

      How do people get so fat? Every time you buy a larger clothes size or huff and puff up a few stairs isn’t a signal to eat more veggies?
      Half the world is starving, donate your burger budget for basic necessities.
      Meanwhile the real heroes who eat healthy, exercise regularly and are there for their families and communities are invisible while the lardies get a pat on the back for losing a gram of fat.
      Only in America, where people lose the weight of 2-3 humans! Lol

    • Denny J on December 13, 2022 at 9:10 am

      @Feral Kat Only replying cause they highlighted your comment.
      Have you ever met someone who has to take steroid asthma meds? Or has been laid up with injuries? Or others who are so depressed they care about little, and eat instead? While there are a few like you describe, there are MANY others with problems that lead to weight gain. Walk a mile in their shoes.

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