Having a list of foods to avoid on a ketogenic diet is important in reaching ketosis.
This is because getting into ketosis is all about minimizing carbs intake and upping fat.
Ketosis in case you are coming in new is a state where your body switches from burning carbohydrates to fat.
This is almost the sole purpose of a keto diet.
But to get to this magical state of burning fat as a fuel rather than glucose takes a well-formulated eating habit.
Factually speaking, it’s a balance of three macros: fats, proteins, and carbs.
But where most people mess up is the carb intake since it’s the most restricted macro people love to eat.
On a Keto diet plan, 65-75 % of all your calories should come fat, 20-30% from protein and 5-10% from carbohydrates.
For some people, this equates to 20-30 grams of carbs a day, while others may be allowed up to 50 grams.
Going over this carb budget is too easy and any slip up can cost your place in ketosis. Simply put, your body no longer fuels on fats at that point.
So staying low on carbs is absolutely non-negotiable on a keto.
Needless to say, having a keto food list is crucial in your keto diet success.
But more often than not, it’s more helpful to know what foods you absolutely can not eat on a keto diet.
It prevents accidental slip-ups that can bring you out of ketosis.
So here are 7 foods you absolutely need to avoid when trying to reach ketosis.

7 Foods to Avoid On a Keto Diet for Ketosis

As you probably guess it, any food high in carbohydrates should get avoided or limited.

1. Carbohydrate Foods to Avoid

All-grains and starches should be avoided.
These include whole grains, wheat (bread, flour), pasta, rice, granola, and cereal.
Even healthy ones such as millet, rye, buckwheat, amaranth, and oats are too high in carbs to be a keto.
Even grain-free crops like quinoa are off-limits for being too high in carbohydrates.

Grains	Serving	Carbs	Protein	Fat
Wheat	(1 slice)	14g	3g	1g
Barley	1 cup	44g	4g	1g
Oats	1/2 cup	27g	5g	2g
Rice	1 cup	45g	5g	3.5g
Rye	(1 slice)	15g	2.7g	1.1g
Corn	1 cup	32g	4g	1g
Quinoa	1 cup	39g	8g	4g
Millet	1 cup	41g	6g	2g
Sorghum	1 cup	39g	5g	1g
Bulgur	1 cup	33g	5.6	0.4
Amaranth	1 cup	46g	4g	4g
Sprouted Grains	1 slice	15g	4g	0.5g
Buckwheat	1 cup	33g	6g	1g

2. Sugary Foods And Sweeteners

Sugary and sweeteners need to be avoided on a ketogenic meal plan. While there are certainly healthier options available, sugar is sugar.
When it enters your body, it’s glucose and will kick you out of ketosis.
These include soda, fruit juice, smoothies, cake, ice cream, candy, etc.

3. Beans and Legumes

While beans and legumes are healthy and have many health benefits, they are not keto friendly.
That’s because they are high in starch and carbs.
While on a keto diet, avoid beans and legumes.

Beans and Legumes	Serving	Carbs	Protein	Fat
Kidney Beans	1/2 cup	18.5g	7g	0.75g
Chickpeas	1/2 cup	20g	6g	2g
Black Beans	1/2 cup	23g	7g	0.5g
Lentils	1/2 cup	19g	8g	0g
Green Peas	1/2 cup	14g	4g	0g
Lima Beans	1/2 cup	19g	6g	0g
Pinto Beans	1/2 cup	20g	7g	0g
White Beans	1/2 cup	18g	6g	0.5g
Fava Beans	1/2 cup	17g	6g	0g
Black Eyed Peas	1/2 cup	14g	2g	0g

4. Fruits

Fruit is healthy, right?
Sure, but that doesn’t mean they’re keto approved.
Fruits are high in sugar and carbs, making them a no-go on the keto diet.
This includes tropical fruits, dried fruits, and fruit smoothies (for the most part).

The only exceptions are berries such as blackberries and raspberries.
Avocados and olives are less obvious fruits that are keto.
When on a keto diet, avoid the following list of fruits on the table below.

Fruits	Serving	Carbs	Protein	Fat
Bananas	1 small	18.5g	0.9g	0.2g
Pineapples	1/2 cup	18g	1g	0g
Papaya	1 small	15g	0.9g	0.2g
Apples	1 medium	22g	0g	0g
Oranges	1 medium	17g	1g	0.3g
Grapes	1 cup	27g	1g	0g
Mangos	1 medium	50g	3g	1g
Tangerines	1 medium	12g	1g	0g
All Fruit Juices	1 cup orange juice	26g	2g	0g
Dried Fruits	1 cup	57g	3g	0g

5. Vegetables

Most veggies are healthy and should be part of any clean diet, just not on a keto diet.
This has to do with their carb content.
Some vegetables are higher in carbohydrates than others, and they need to be avoided.
The rule of thumb is if they grow under the ground, restrict. Instead, eat leafy greens abundantly.
Vegetables to avoid include potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc.
These root vegetables have a high starch, high carb content and can get in the way of reaching ketosis.
Here’s a complete list of all the vegetables you need to avoid.

Starchy Vegetables	Serving	Carbs	Protein	Fat
Sweet Potatoes	1/2 cup	14g	1g	0g
Yams	1/2 cup	19g	1g	0g
Potatoes	1 medium baked	28g	3g	0.3g
Carrots	1/2 cup	6g	1g	0g
Parsnips	1/2 cup	15g	1g	0.3g
Peas	1/2 cup	14g	4g	0g
Yucca	1/2 cup	39g	1.5g	0g
Corn	1/2	32g	4g	1g
Cherry Tomatoes	1 cup	6g	1.3g	0.3g

6. Dairy Products to Avoid

Low-fat dairy products are highly processed and contain added sugar to make up for the taste.
Not only you want to go with whole-fat options to load up on fats, but also low-fat choices are often carb heavy.

While dairy is popular in any keto diet, avoid any low-fat or reduced-fat varieties.
Avoid the following dairy products on the table below:

Dairy Products	Serving	Carbs	Protein	Fat
Milk	1 cup 2% milk	12g	8g	5g
Shredded Cheese	1/2 cup	2g	14g	18g
Fat-Free Butter Substitutes	1 tbsp	0.63g	0g	0.4g
Low-Fat Cream Cheese	1 cup	1g	2g	2.6g
Evaporated Skim Milk	1 cup	14g	10g	0.2g
Low-Fat Whipped Topping	2 tbsp	3g	0g	0g
Fat-Free / Low-Fat Yogurts	1 container	16g	0g	0g

7. Unhealthy Fat Foods to Avoid

Coconut oil, MCT oil, virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and macadamia nut oils are great sources of healthy fat. By all means, they should be part of your keto diet menu planning.
But that does not mean you should consume any fats and oils.
In fact, you need to avoid a handful of oils and oil-based products.
Avoid harmful processed vegetable oils and mayonnaise at all costs.

Avoid the list below:

Unhealthy Oils
Soybean Oil	Peanut Oil
Canola Oil	Sesame Oil
Corn Oil	Sunflower Oil
Grape Seed Oil	Safflower Oil

Proteins to avoid

While you eat a moderate amount of protein on keto, you should avoid low-quality proteins.
They include processed meats like lunch meats, frozen patties, and hot dogs.
Also while protein powders may be allowed, some contain high sugar. Read the label to find a low-carb, low-sugar protein powder.

Alcohol to Avoid

Other foods to avoid on a ketogenic meal plan is alcohol, but not all thankfully.
Most alcoholic drinks are high in sugar and carb, which is less favorable for keto dieters.
But few alcoholic drinks are low in carbs and can be enjoyed occasionally while eating keto.
These include:

• Pure spirits like whiskey,
• Brandy
• Cognac
• vodka
• Tequila

They all contain zero carbs and are all fine on a keto diet.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right foods on a keto diet is extremely important in reaching ketosis.
It’s because getting and staying in ketosis takes a drastic cut in carb intake.
Only by depleting the glucose supply by cutting out carbs, you can switch the body’s fuel source to fats.
For some, this means reducing carbs to 20-30grams a day. For others, it’s 50 grams. Regardless of your carb budget, one bite of a wrong food can quickly jeopardize your efforts.
To ensure you reach ketosis and stay there to burn fat for energy, be sure to stay away from these foods on this list.