When you're following a keto or low‑carb diet, the best foods are the ones you can eat freely without worrying about your carb budget. Below are ten staples that are practically carb‑free and easy to build meals around.
The trick is to keep meals simple: pick a protein, add a low‑carb vegetable, and finish with a healthy fat. These foods do exactly that, and they're easy to find in any grocery store.
The foundation of any successful keto diet is having a core group of foods you know are safe. When you're hungry and need to eat, you don't want to be Googling nutrition labels or second-guessing yourself.
These ten foods are your safety net. They're so low in net carbs that even if you overeat them (which is hard with protein and fat), you won't get kicked out of ketosis. That peace of mind is huge, especially in the first few weeks.
Net carbs: Less than 1g per 100g (roughly 0.6g per large egg)
Eggs are the gold standard. They're cheap, portable, and packed with nutrients—choline for brain health, protein for muscle, and healthy fats to keep you full. You can eat them any time of day: scrambled for breakfast, hard-boiled as a snack, or baked into a frittata for dinner.
Pro tip: Don't fear the yolk. That's where most of the nutrients live. The whole "egg whites only" trend is outdated—keto thrives on fat. Whole eggs are superior to egg whites in every way.
Cooking tips: For scrambled eggs, cook them low and slow with butter. Pull them off the heat while they're still slightly wet—they'll finish cooking from residual heat and stay creamy. For hard-boiled, steam them for 12 minutes, then ice bath. The shells peel easier.
Net carbs: 0g per 100g
Chicken breast is the MVP of meal prep. It's neutral-tasting, which means it pairs with anything—buffalo sauce, pesto, curry spices, or just salt and pepper. Since it's pure protein with zero carbs, you can add your own fats (butter, olive oil, avocado) to hit your macro targets.
If you find chicken breast dry, try brining it for 30 minutes before cooking (water + salt + a little sugar substitute). It stays juicy and tender. Alternatively, cook it to 160°F internal temp, then let it rest—carryover cooking will bring it to 165°F without overcooking.
Meal prep hack: Grill or bake 2-3 pounds on Sunday, then portion into containers with different seasonings. One batch can become 4-5 different meals throughout the week.
Net carbs: 0g per 100g
Salmon, mackerel, sardines—these are the fish with the highest omega-3 content. Omega-3s reduce inflammation, support brain function, and improve heart health. On keto, where you're eating more fat overall, the quality of fat matters. Fish checks all the boxes.
Wild-caught is ideal, but even farmed salmon is better than no fish at all. If fresh fish is expensive, canned sardines and mackerel are budget-friendly alternatives. They're already cooked, shelf-stable, and come packed in olive oil (bonus fat).
How to cook salmon: Preheat your pan or oven to medium-high. Pat the salmon dry, season with salt, and cook skin-side down first. Don't flip until the skin is crispy. For oven, 400°F for 12-15 minutes does the trick.
Net carbs: ~1g per 100g (raw)
Spinach is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. It's loaded with iron, magnesium, vitamin K, and antioxidants. You can eat it raw in salads, blend it into smoothies, or sauté it with garlic and butter.
When cooked, spinach shrinks down dramatically, so you can eat a huge volume without filling up too much. That makes it perfect for adding micronutrients without adding carbs. A full bag of fresh spinach cooks down to about 1 cup.
Best ways to eat spinach: Raw in salads with olive oil and lemon. Sautéed with garlic and butter until wilted (2 minutes). Blended into a keto smoothie with avocado and protein powder. Added to omelets or scrambled eggs.
Net carbs: ~2g per 100g (about 3g per medium avocado after subtracting fiber)
Avocados are creamy, satisfying, and packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. They're also high in fiber, which helps with digestion (a common issue when starting keto). Plus, they're one of the few plant foods that's genuinely high in fat and low in carbs.
Use avocados in salads, make guacamole, slice them over eggs, or just eat them with a spoon and some salt. They're incredibly versatile and always delicious.
How to pick a ripe avocado: Squeeze gently—it should give slightly but not feel mushy. If it's rock hard, let it sit on the counter for 2-3 days. If you need to ripen it fast, put it in a paper bag with a banana overnight.
Storage tip: If you only use half an avocado, leave the pit in the unused half, squeeze lemon juice on the exposed flesh, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. It'll last another 1-2 days without browning.
Net carbs: ~2g per 100g
Zucchini is the chameleon of keto vegetables. Spiralize it into noodles (zoodles) to replace pasta. Slice it thin and bake it as chips. Dice it and sauté it as a side dish. It has a mild flavor, so it takes on whatever seasonings you use.
One warning: zucchini has a high water content, so if you're making zoodles, salt them and let them sit for 10 minutes, then squeeze out the excess moisture. Otherwise, your dish will be watery. This step is non-negotiable for good zoodles.
Favorite zucchini recipes: Zoodles with pesto and grilled chicken. Zucchini boats stuffed with ground beef and cheese. Zucchini fries (breaded with almond flour, baked until crispy).
Net carbs: ~3g per 100g
Cauliflower is the ultimate keto substitute. Mash it to replace potatoes. Rice it to replace grains. Blend it into pizza crust. Roast it until crispy. It's incredibly versatile and filling.
The secret to good cauliflower is roasting it at high heat (400-425°F) until it gets caramelized and slightly charred. That brings out natural sweetness and eliminates the "boiled cabbage" smell that turns people off. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, spread in a single layer, and roast for 25-30 minutes.
Cauliflower rice hack: Buy it frozen and pre-riced from the grocery store. Microwave for 5 minutes, drain, and season. It's way easier than ricing it yourself, and it tastes just as good.
Net carbs: ~1g per 100g
Cheese is a keto staple for a reason: it's high in fat, moderate in protein, and extremely satisfying. Cheddar is one of the best options because it's widely available, affordable, and melts beautifully.
Use it in omelets, melt it over vegetables, or eat it as a snack with nuts. Just watch portion sizes—cheese is calorie-dense, so it's easy to overdo it if you're trying to lose weight. A serving is about 1oz (28g), roughly the size of four dice.
Other keto-friendly cheeses: Mozzarella, gouda, parmesan, cream cheese, blue cheese, feta. Avoid low-fat cheese—the fat is what makes it keto-friendly.
Net carbs: 0g
Olive oil is pure fat, which means zero carbs and zero protein. It's rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. Use it for salad dressings, drizzle it over cooked vegetables, or use it for low-heat cooking.
For high-heat cooking (searing, frying), switch to avocado oil since it has a higher smoke point (520°F vs. olive oil's 375°F). Save your extra virgin olive oil for finishing dishes and dressings where you can actually taste it.
Quality matters: Buy extra virgin olive oil in dark bottles. It should taste fruity and slightly peppery. If it tastes flat or greasy, it's low quality or rancid. Store it in a cool, dark place, not next to the stove.
Net carbs: ~4g per 100g
Broccoli is slightly higher in net carbs than some of the other vegetables on this list, but it's still very keto-friendly. It's loaded with fiber, vitamin C, and compounds that support detoxification.
Roast it with olive oil and garlic, steam it and top with cheese, or blend it into soups. It's filling, nutritious, and goes with almost any protein.
Cooking tip: Don't boil broccoli—it turns mushy and loses nutrients. Either steam for 5-7 minutes or roast at 425°F for 20 minutes. If roasting, cut into similar-sized florets so they cook evenly.
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs cooked in olive oil + sautéed spinach + half an avocado (5g net carbs)
Lunch: Grilled chicken breast over a big leafy salad with olive oil and lemon dressing + cheddar cheese (6g net carbs)
Dinner: Baked salmon with roasted broccoli and cauliflower rice (8g net carbs)
Snacks: Hard-boiled eggs, cheddar cheese cubes, or zucchini chips with ranch dip
The formula is simple: Protein + Vegetable + Fat.
Pick one protein (eggs, chicken, salmon), add one or two vegetables (spinach, zucchini, broccoli), and finish with a fat source (olive oil, avocado, cheese). That's it. You don't need complicated recipes or exotic ingredients.
If you're new to keto, stick to this formula for the first two weeks. It keeps decision fatigue low and ensures you're always eating something safe. Once you're comfortable, you can start experimenting with more complex recipes.
1. Not eating enough fat: If you're hungry all the time, you're probably under-eating fat. Add butter, oil, or cheese to every meal. Fat is not optional on keto—it's the primary fuel source.
2. Overcomplicating meals: You don't need fancy recipes. Simple works. Grilled chicken with steamed broccoli and butter is a perfectly good keto meal.
3. Ignoring electrolytes: Low-carb diets flush out water and electrolytes. Salt your food liberally, drink broth, and consider a magnesium supplement. This prevents the "keto flu."
4. Not tracking portions: Even zero-carb foods have calories. If you're eating a pound of cheese every day, you won't lose weight. Measure your food until you know what a proper serving looks like.
These ten foods are the foundation of a sustainable keto diet. They're easy to find, affordable, and versatile. Master these basics, and you'll never feel lost in the grocery store again.
The key is simplicity. You don't need a hundred different foods or complicated recipes. You need a handful of staples you can rotate through, prepared in different ways to keep things interesting.
Want exact nutrition data for any food? Use our calculator to check net carbs, protein, and fat for hundreds of foods. Stay on track, stay consistent, and let the results speak for themselves.