Keto
Keto is a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat way of eating meant to push the body into ketosis. It cuts grains, sugar, starchy vegetables and most fruit.
Also called Ketogenic diet, Keto diet.
Keto, short for ketogenic, is a way of eating that keeps carbohydrates very low and gets most energy from fat. With very few carbs, the body burns more fat and makes compounds called ketones, a state called ketosis. Most keto plans keep carbohydrates to about 20 to 50 g a day. The diet was first used by doctors in the 1920s to treat epilepsy.
Talk to a doctor or dietitian before you start, especially if you have diabetes, take medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
How to use it
Keto cooking is built on:
- Meat, fish, eggs, cheese, butter, cream and oils
- Nuts and seeds in moderate amounts
- Vegetables that grow above ground, such as leafy greens, zucchini (courgette in the UK), cauliflower, broccoli and green beans
- Small amounts of berries
It leaves out bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, sugar, honey, most fruit, beans and lentils.
Substitutes
- Pasta: spiralized zucchini or other vegetable noodles.
- Rice: cauliflower chopped to the size of rice grains in a food processor.
- Flour: almond flour or coconut flour. They do not behave like wheat flour, so use recipes written for them.
- Sugar: sweeteners. Some sugar alcohols upset the stomach in large amounts.
- Cooking fat: butter, ghee and olive oil are all used freely.
Common mistakes
- Missing hidden sugar in ketchup, barbecue sauce, marinades, balsamic glaze and many dressings.
- Forgetting that onions, carrots and tomatoes add carbohydrates when you use a lot of them.
- Reading labels the wrong way. US labels list total carbohydrate including fiber, and people subtract fiber to get "net carbs". EU and UK labels already list carbohydrate without fiber, so do not subtract it again.
- Trusting "keto" on a package. The word has no legal definition, so check the nutrition panel.
In recipes
A keto recipe usually gives carbohydrate per serving so you can count it against your daily limit. "Keto-friendly" means it fits the plan in the portion given. Nutrition numbers in recipes are estimates, and they change with the brands and amounts you use. If you follow keto for a health condition, work with your doctor or a dietitian, and meal prep can make it easier to stay on track.
Related terms
- ZucchiniZucchini is a mild green summer squash, tender enough to eat raw and quick to cook. In the UK, Ireland and France it is called courgette.
- SpiralizeTo spiralize is to cut vegetables or fruit into long, curly strands with a spiral slicer, often to make zucchini noodles or sweet potato spirals.
- GheeGhee is butter cooked until the milk solids brown and are strained out. It tastes nutty, fries at high heat and keeps for months in a cupboard.
- Meal prepMeal prep is planning and preparing meals or ingredients ahead, often on one day a week, so weekday cooking takes minutes and you eat to a plan.
- Gluten-freeGluten-free on a label means under 20 parts per million of gluten in the EU, UK and US. Here is what that covers and how to cook gluten-free at home.