So, you decided to go on keto but have no idea where to start your grocery shopping? Worry not, here you will find a complete keto shopping list for beginners that’s also suitable for those, who simply need to re-stack their pantries. Once you’re done with the shopping part, grab your keto meal plan and start cooking.
Below you will find a detailed keto grocery list: everything from foods that don’t expire quickly to foods that do expire in a week or faster. So, stack up on the ones that are long lasting and keep on refilling those that have a short expiration date.
After we go through the keto grocery list, we’ll discuss some tips for keto shopping, so be sure to check them out, especially if you’re just starting your keto journey. If you need some inspiration for cooking, here you will find 1000+ delicious keto recipes. And now, let’s start with our keto grocery list.
Keto Shopping List: Stack-it-up!
Products in this keto grocery list can be bought every couple of months or when you run out of them as they don’t expire quickly.
Herbs and Spices:
- Black Pepper
- Cayenne Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Basil
- Cilantro
- Cinnamon
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Oregano
- Paprika
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Salt
- Smoked Paprika
- Thyme
- Turmeric
Keto Sweeteners:
- Erythritol
- Stevia
- Sucralose
- Swerve Sweetener
- Xylitol
- Yacon Syrup
Baking Essentials:
- Almond Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Cocoa Powder
- Coconut flour
- Flaxseed Meal
- Pork Rinds
- Protein Powder
- Psyllium Husk Powder
- Sugar-free Chocolate
- Vanilla Extract
- Xanthan Gum
Buy Once Per Month – Keto Grocery List
These products you can buy once per month or more frequently if you run out of them.
Fat for Cooking:
- Almond Oil
- Avocado Oil
- Butter
- Coconut Oil
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Ghee
- Lard
- Macadamia Oil
- MCT Oil
Low-Carb Sauces:
- Caesar Dressing
- Flavored Syrups (sugar-free)
- Hot Sauce
- Ketchup
- Mayonnaise
- Marinara Sauce
- Mustard
- Ranch Dressing
- Soy Sauce
- Sriracha
- Unsweetened Vinaigrettes
Low-Carb Snacks:
- Almonds
- Hemp Seeds
- Macadamia Nuts
- Peanuts
- Pistachios
- Pumpkin seeds
Keto Shopping List – Get Once Per Week
Here you will find keto shopping list for products that you should buy approx once per week. So, don’t stack them too much as they tend to expire!
Keto Dairy & Cheese:
- Blue Cheese
- Brie Cheese
- Ceme Fraiche
- Cheddar Cheese
- Colby Cheese
- Cottage Cheese
- Cream Cheese
- Feta Cheese
- Goat Cheese
- Greek Yogurt
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Mascarpone Cheese
- Monterey Jack Cheese
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Swiss Cheese
Low-Carb Fruit & Berries:
- Blackberry
- Blueberry
- Coconut Meat
- Lemon & Lime
- Raspberry
- Strawberry
- Watermelon
Keto Grocery List for Every Couple of Days
Here you will find your keto grocery list of products that we recommend to buy at least a couple of times per week. Most of them expire quickly. Also, fresh food is always better!
Protein:
- Bacon
- Eggs
- Fish
- Poultry
- Protein Powder
- Red Meat
- Sausages
- Tofu
Vegetables:
- Artichokes
- Arugula
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Garlic
- Green beans
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Olives
- Peppers
- Spinach
- Tomato
- Zucchini
Keto Groceries Shopping Tips
Now that you have your keto groceries list ready, let’s review each product category in-detail to see which products are best to buy and why.
Herbs and Spices
As you know, spices and herbs are the components that make your food tasty. Not only that, herbs and spices have many qualities that are beneficial for your health. So, be sure to include them in your keto grocery list.
Turmeric and ginger – have anti-inflammatory affects. These spices are very useful if you frequently have the feeling of a bloated stomach.
Parsley is used frequently in the Middle East countries cuisines. It is very well known for its qualities to improve the digestive system. So, it can be very helpful for people who get constipated frequently or have the keto constipation side effect.
Basil is a perfect herb to boost your immunity. Studies have shown that basil has the qualities that increase specific immune cells that lead to boost in the whole immune system.
Cayenne pepper can reduce appetite. So, if you want to reduce your meal sizes and calorie intake, or prevent snacking – spice up your meals and include cayenne to you keto shopping list.
Garlic is the perfect spice for the cold season. Garlic has proven qualities that help fight illnesses and boost your immune system.
Keto-Friendly Sweeteners
Since following the keto diet means cutting out most of the sugars – artificial sweeteners should be included into your keto grocery list.
Over the past years the artificial sweeteners have advanced a lot and most of them no longer have the plastic-like aftertaste. So, it’s a great thing to know, especially when you follow the keto diet.
Many people who follow the keto diet find some sweeteners to work better for them than the others. Some use combinations of different sweeteners for specific products.
However, you definitely shouldn’t buy all the sweeteners listed in the keto shopping list above. Start with buying one, maximum 2. Unless you’re a passionate baker and will be baking keto-friendly desserts all the time. Here’s a short overview of several most popular keto sweetener choices:
Stevia – a completely natural sweetener. It is made from the Stevia rebaudiana plant. The sweetener can be both, liquid and powdered and it contains very little to no calories.
NOTE: Stevia is sweeter than sugar, so you will need a smaller amount of it to get the same sweetness level than with sugar.
Sucralose – an artificial sweetener that passes your body without being digested. Sucralose is very low in carbs, however it is not recommended to use it for baking. In most cases, you should use the same amount of sucralose as you would of sugar. They similar in sweetness level.
Xylitol – a sugar alcohol that can be found in sugar-free gum, mints and candies. It is as sweet as sugar, so can be used in similar amounts.
Baking Essentials
If you’re a baker, then most likely you will buy nearly everything on the keto baking shopping list above. However, if you don’t bake frequently there are still some essentials that you should stack up in your pantry.
The products don’t have a short expiration date, so, even if you don’t use them frequently, the things you buy won’t go to waste. Here are the essentials to include in your keto grocery list:
Almond and coconut flour – both are nutritious and useful in the kitchen not only for baking purposes, so you should stack some in your pantry.
Baking soda and baking powder – just like with flour, these will be useful for sweet and savory dishes, so have at least one.
Unsweetened chocolate – this will be useful mostly for sweet dishes. However, many keto snacks that are sweet, often have some chocolate in them.
Keto Shopping List – Get Fat for Cooking
This is one of the essential-essentials to include in your keto shopping list. Since keto is a high-fat diet, you will want to use plenty of fat for cooking your food as well as making it tastier (fat is the secret ingredient).
However, even though fat makes everything taste better, you shouldn’t go overboard and buy everything you see in the store. Here is a keto shopping list for beginners for buying fat:
Butter – this should be the first thing on your grocery list. Butter makes everything taste better. Cook your proteins, your veggies or anything else in it.
Coconut oil – it is great for baking or when you want to give your food some exotic Asian tastes.
Extra virgin olive oil – use it for cooking or pour over your side dishes, such as salad, to make them more delicious and fatty.
MCT oil – it is not a must, but it’s a very healthy source of fat. It’s quickly digested and tasteless so you can incorporate in any dish you want to make it more nutritious and fatty. You can read more about its health benefits here.
Low-Carb Sauces
When it comes to sauces, there are no essentials that you should include in your shopping basket. Sauce choices are very personal, so the sauces you include in your keto grocery list, depends completely on the ones you like to use. For example, my must-buy keto sauces are low carb soy sauce, ketchup and mustard.
The only thing you should keep in mind is that when you’re buying sauces select the low-carb ones. This applies to the list above as well as any other sauce.
Low-Carb Snacks to Include in Your Keto Grocery List
In general, snacking is not the perfect habit but if you do tend to snack – better do it in a healthy manner. In general, there are four main types of keto snacks that you can buy in a store. Some of them expire faster than others, some can be stacked up:
Meat – if you enjoy eating meat at any time of the day, you can include some meat products into your keto shopping list, such as various types of ham or salami.
Cheese – another snack that you can include in your shopping list. However, be sure to read the labels of cheeses with condiments, nuts for example, as they may have extra carbs in them.
Nuts – there are some keto-friendly nuts, such as almond and macadamia. However, you should always choose the unprocessed ones. Don’t buy sweetened, honey-chili or similar options. They most likely will have extra carbs in them.
Seeds – there are many seeds that are keto friendly and are also very nutritious, such as hemp and pumpkin seeds. So, just pick your favorite ones.
Note: Keep in mind that excessive snacking can lead to weight gain instead of weight loss.
Keto Cheese and Dairy
If you enjoy dairy products be sure to include the fatty ones into your keto shopping list. A big part of dairy that works well with keto diet are various types of cheeses. Most of the cheeses you put on your grocery list are completely free to choose, however there are some cheeses that are very useful to have, along with some dairy products:
Cheddar cheese (or any other sticky and easy melting cheese) – having such type of cheese in your fridge is very useful as such cheese can be used for making a keto pizza base or cheesy keto cookies.
Cream cheese – this cheese works very well as a dipping sauce for vegetables, so if you enjoy snacking on vegetables, be sure to add this cheese into your shopping list.
Parmesan cheese – this cheese has a unique and very flavorful taste that will be a delicious condiment to salads, omelettes and many other dishes.
Sour cream – use it to fatten up your meals. It’s useful to have sour cream when you’re making a lot of sauces.
Heavy cream – include it in your keto shopping list if you enjoy your taking your coffee with cream. It is also useful for baking and making various sauces.
Low-Carb Fruit and Berries for Your Keto Shopping List
Low-carb fruit and berries are a great desert after a delicious meal or they can work as a snack. Even though there are berries that are very keto-friendly, be sure not to add too many of them into your groceries list. Just like with any other snacks, the calories add up. Here are the most keto-friendly berries and fruit that you should include into your low-carb shopping list:
Raspberries, strawberries and blackberries – these three berries are the most keto-diet friendly. They have less carbs then nuts, so it is a better snack option to keep your carbohydrate intake under control. 100g of blackberries / raspberries has only 5 g of carbohydrates. 100g of strawberries has 6g of carbohydrates.
Coconut meat – just like strawberries, 100g of coconut meat has only 6g of carbohydrates. As little as it sounds, be sure to calculate those portions as carbs add up quickly.
Watermelon – even though watermelon seems to be made of pure water (it mostly is) and is very low in calories, each 100g of watermelon has 7g of carbohydrates hidden it. So, if you include watermelon into your keto shopping list, be extra cautious about how much you eat.
NOTE: remember that fruits and berries have carbs. If you snack on them – the carbs can quickly add up!
Protein
This is one of my favorite parts – the protein shopping. What is great about keto is that you don’t need to focus on eating the lean proteins, like chicken breast. Keto allows you to eat all the fatty and flavorful meat parts, including bacon and crispy chicken skin.
Similar to cheeses, protein choices completely depend on you and your preferences of lifestyle choices. Below are some delicious protein choices to include into your keto grocery list, some of which are suitable for vegetarians:
Bacon – having bacon in your fridge and in your diet is great. Bacon works nicely with eggs for breakfast and helps lean proteins to taste better. It gives them flavor and keeps them moist, for example – bacon wrapped chicken breast. Definitely sounds more delicious and moist than regular chicken breast.
Eggs – as mentioned above, they work great with bacon. To be more serious, eggs are a great source of protein and you will be using them all the time: for baking as well as cooking savory dishes. So, if you don’t have allergies, be sure to get them when you go grocery shopping.
Fish – any type of fish is a good choice to eat when on keto, especially the fatty ones. Buy cod, salmon, halibut – any type you like. It’s also a great source of Omega-3 oils. However, be sure to buy fresh fish as it is more nutritious and way more delicious.
Poultry – any part of chicken is good for you. Enjoy it as you like and be sure to feast on the crispy skin – it’s the best part.
Red Meat – such meat like beef is good for you, your red blood cells and your health. So, be sure to make some naked burgers every once in a while.
Tofu – this is one of the best protein choices if you don’t eat meat. It’s delicious and nutritious, so every vegetarian should add it to their keto grocery list.
Low-Carb Vegetables for Your Keto Shopping List
Well, it’s not a secret that vegetables are good for your health – be sure to eat them. The only rule that applies to choosing vegetables when you’re on keto, is choosing the ones that are non-starchy. To put it in other words, vegetables that are full of starch, such as potatoes, are also full of carbs.
In most cases, the non-starchy vegetables, the vegetables that should be included in your keto shopping list, are the ones that grow above ground. Here are some great vegetables to include in your groceries list:
Leafy greens – kale, spinach, lettuce – anything you like. They’re very low in carbs and high in fiber. When it comes to eating most leafy greens there are nearly no limitations as they have basically no carbs.
Zucchini and other greens – most green vegetables are very low in carbs, such as cucumbers and zucchini. Zucchini works as a great pasta and noodles substitute. Noodles made form zucchini are often referred to Zoodles. So, if you’re a fan of pasta, definitely add zucchini to your shopping basket.
Tomatoes and bell peppers – these vegetables are low in carbs and very useful in the kitchen, so be sure to buy some. Especially if you enjoy the Italian cuisine. It would be hard to imagine it without tomatoes, wouldn’t it?
Keto Shopping List – From Groceries to Cooking
Once you’ll be done with building your keto shopping list, next step will be shopping. If you don’t want to buy too much, check out this quick keto diet plan for beginners to get you started.
As you can see, there are many foods you can add to your keto groceries list. With those ingredients you will be able to make thousands of delicious dishes and your food will never become boring. Enjoy your keto!
