Updated Mar 24th, 2020 – Written by Craig Clarke

Medical review by Dr. Pamela Lyon, MD, FACEP

Below, you can use the visual guide to see some of the best foods for fat loss on keto. Scroll down to see specific examples and links to recipes where you can incorporate more of each ingredient into your diet.
 

1. Nuts

Despite being high in fat, nuts are not as fattening as you would expect. Studies have shown that eating nuts can improve metabolic health and even promote weight loss.

This is primarily due to the fact that they contain plenty of fiber, which increases our feeling of fullness and reduces calorie consumption.

Although all nuts are low in net carbs, the amount varies quite a bit among the different types.

To help you figure out how you can fit them into your keto diet, here are the carb counts for 1 ounce (28 grams) of the most widely consumed nuts:

  • Almonds: 6 grams total carbs (3 grams net carbs)
  • Brazil nuts: 3 grams total carbs (1 gram net carbs)
  • Cashews: 9 grams total carbs (8 grams net carbs)
  • Macadamia nuts: 4 grams total carbs (2 grams net carbs)
  • Pecans: 4 grams total carbs (1 gram net carbs)
  • Pistachios: 8 grams total carbs (5 grams net carbs)
  • Walnuts: 4 grams total carbs (2 grams net carbs)

Recommended Keto Recipes With Nuts:

  • Roasted Mushroom and Walnut Cauliflower Grits
  • No Bake Coconut Cashew Bars
  • Toffee Nut Cake Donuts

2. Leafy Greens

Leafy greens like kale, spinach, collard greens, and Swiss chard are chock-full of nutrients and iron. They also are packed with fiber, which will slow the digestion process and cause you to feel more satiated with fewer calories.

Need more keto-friendly veggie ideas? Check out our low-carb vegetable guide. Getting enough greens is crucial for your keto diet success.

Recommended Keto Recipes With Leafy Greens:

  • Vegetarian Greek Collard Wraps
  • Spinach, Herb & Feta Wrap
  • Sausage and Kale Soup

3. Eggs

Anytime you see a food item that is packed with protein, think to yourself: “this will help me lose weight.”  Eggs are one high-protein food that provide us with plenty of evidence to back up this rule.

They are one of the healthiest and most versatile foods on the planet. Many experts even identify the egg as one of the only real “superfoods.”

Just one egg yolk contains thirteen essential vitamins and minerals and the eye-protecting antioxidants known as lutein and zeaxanthin. They are also one of the best sources of choline, a vitamin-like essential nutrient and methyl donor involved in many vital physiological processes.

In general, studies on egg consumption found that these nutrient powerhouses increase the feeling of fullness and keep blood sugar levels stable, leading to lower calorie intakes for up to 24 hours. This could mean that eggs are the weight loss boosting superfood you’ve been waiting for.

If you’d like to find the healthiest eggs possible, seek out egg farmers that give their chickens access to pasture — a place where they can eat plenty of insects and soak up the sun. Studies have found that chickens raised in this way tend to lay eggs that are filled with more omega 3s, vitamins, and minerals.

Recommended Keto Egg Recipes:

  • Low Carb Spicy Baked Eggs with Cheesy Hash
  • Flourless Keto Brownies
  • Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

4. Protein Powder

Protein powder is technically not a “food,” but you can use it as a compliment to your meal as you would use any other high-protein meat. The best part about protein powder is that you can get all of the benefits of protein without any extra carbs, fat, or calories — as long as you pick a protein powder with no other additives.

Here are some examples of why protein powders (and the other high-protein foods on this list) serve as one of the ultimate fat burning foods for keto:

  • Protein reduces levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, while it boosts the appetite-reducing hormones GLP-1, peptide YY and cholecystokinin. This leads to a spontaneous reduction in calorie intake.
  • About 20-30% of protein’s calories are burned while the body is digesting and metabolizing the protein.
  • Increasing your protein intake can make you burn roughly 80-100 more calories per day.
  • High-protein diets are highly satiating, so they lead to reduced hunger and appetite compared to lower protein diets. This makes it much easier to restrict calories and lose weight.
  • Eating more protein can lead to significant reductions in cravings and the desire to snack during the day and night.
  • Eating more protein can help you gain or sustain your muscle mass, which will help you burn more calories and improve metabolic health.

Altogether, increasing your protein intake is one of the best ways to make losing fat much much easier. Just make sure you don’t have so much that you keep yourself from ketosis.

When it comes to purchasing the best protein powder, I recommend keeping it simple and finding something that has virtually no carbs or fat — and if it does have fat, make sure it is derived from MCTs. 100% grass-fed whey protein or casein protein are great options for anyone who isn’t sensitive or allergic to dairy protein. 100% grass-fed collagen powder is another excellent option if you want to reap some of the unique benefits that you will find in this article.

Moreover, if you are trying to cut down on animal protein for any reason, I recommend searching for a low-carb vegan protein powder like pea protein.

Recommended Keto-Friendly Protein Powder Recipes: 

  • McKeto Strawberry Milkshake*
  • Cucumber Spinach Smoothie*
  • Blackberry Chocolate Shake*

*add protein powder to these recipes to get a fat loss boost

5. Sauerkraut and Kimchi

Many studies indicate that maintaining a healthy bacteria balance in your gut can improve your gut health, which in turn may help reduce fat mass and inflammation. Fermented foods that have both good bacteria and prebiotic fibers, such as Kimchi and sauerkraut, are helpful in ensuring that your gut is healthy.

The main ingredient of both Kimchi and sauerkraut is cabbage — a leafy green vegetable that is rich in antioxidants, prebiotic fiber, and vitamin C but extremely low in calories (just 22 per cup). In other words, whether you have cabbage fermented or in another preparation, you can eat it too your heart’s content.

If you are not familiar with Kimchi, it is a spicy Korean condiment provides us with an excellent source of fiber and vitamins A, B, and C. Because it is fermented (like sauerkraut), kimchi contains tons of probiotics that help heal your gut.

Recommended Keto-Friendly Kim Chi and Sauerkraut Recipes:

  • Pork Shiitake Stir Fry with “Quick Kimchi”*
  • Braised Pork Belly Noodles*
  • Keto Beef Shawarma Bowl*

*Use store-bought Kimchi or sauerkraut without added sugar instead of cabbage or quick Kimchi for a good dose of probiotics.

6. Garlic

Garlic has been used for centuries as a prophylactic and treatment for many diseases. It is rich in organosulfur compounds, which give it its potent flavor, taste, and health-promoting properties.

A recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found that subjects who received 400 mg garlic powder tablets twice a day lost significantly more fat than the control group. Although there are many confounding variables in this trial, animal studies back up the human findings by providing us with evidence that garlic supplementation can have anti-obesogenic effects (i.e., garlic prevents weight gain) in mice.

Recommended Keto Recipes That Feature Garlic:

  • Garlic and Herb Monkey “Bread”
  • Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower Wings
  • Bacon Wrapped Asparagus with Garlic Aioli

7.  Mustard

No, you’re not seeing things — an average everyday condiment made the list.

Although mustard does not have any magical fat-burning properties, it still made the list because it packs a tasty punch without adding too many extra calories.  By using this condiment to replace other higher-calorie dressings and sauces, you can help boost your fat loss results without missing out on flavor.

Keto Recipes That Feature Mustard:

  • Instant Pot Deviled Eggs
  • Vegetarian Keto Club Salad
  • Crispy Pork Salad

8. Vinegar

Another super low-calorie condiment that you can use to replace higher calorie additions is vinegar. Several human studies also suggest that vinegar can be useful for weight loss in other ways as well.

One 12-week study on obese individuals, for example, showed that the consumption of 15 or 30 ml of vinegar per day caused weight loss of 2.6–3.7 pounds (1.2–1.7 kilograms). The researchers of the study indicated that vinegar’s ability to increase satiety may be the mechanism behind these results.

Keto Recipes That Feature Vinegar:

  • Raspberry Pecan Salad
  • Rosemary Chicken Salad with Herb Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • Keto Onigiri