Keto doesn’t have to be complicated. You won’t need every item on this keto groceries list every time you shop, rather, use it as a guide to save time when meal planning and make smart shopping decisions at the store. Choose the ingredients you and your family like the most!
Atkins also has tons of sample Keto meal plans–like this 7 day meal plan and this sample low carb meal plan–to give you ideas to get you started. Meal planning also makes grocery shopping so much easier, so you only buy ingredients you need.
To get you started, the following items are approved for Atkins 20 Phase 1 (the most ketogenic phase). Each phase adds in more variety, so check out the lists of approved foods for your phase and compare Atkins plans.
Fish, Shellfish, Meat, and Eggs
Eating a variety of foods is important to any healthy diet. Make sure to get your protein from different categories and aim for three 4-6 ounce servings of protein each day. And while all fish are acceptable low carb foods for Phase 1, we recommend eating the types listed here a couple times a week.
- Flounder
- Herring
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Sole
- Tuna
- Trout
- Cod
- Halibut
- Cornish hen
- Chicken
- Duck
- Goose
- Pheasant
- Quail
- Turkey
- Ostrich
- Clams
- Crabmeat
- Mussels
- Oysters
- Shrimp
- Squid
- Lobster
- Bacon*
- Beef
- Ham*
- Lamb
- Pork
- Veal
- Venison
- Egg
* Be sure to avoid pork products that use a sweetened glaze or additive, such as honey ham or maple bacon.
Fats and Oils
Consuming a healthy amount of fat is an important part of keto diets like Atkins 20, and the recommended daily intake for added fats is 2-4 tablespoons daily.
- Butter
- Mayonnaise (make sure it has no added sugar)
- Coconut oil
- Avocado oil
- Ghee
- Olive oil (look for
- “cold pressed” or
- “expeller pressed”)
- Canola oil
- Walnut oil
- Soybean oil
- Grape seed oil
- Sesame oil
- Sunflower oil
- Safflower oil
Artificial Sweeteners
Limit your sugar substitutes to no more than three servings a day.
- Erythritol-based sweetener
- Allulose
- Sucralose
- Saccharine
- Stevia
Beverages
It is important to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day during keto diets, like Phase 1 of Atkins 20. Keep in mind that beverages other than water are often a major source of sugars and carbs, so make sure you read your labels closely.
- Club soda
- Cream, heavy or light
- Decaffeinated or regular coffee and tea*
- Diet soda (be sure to note the carb count)
- Flavored seltzer (must say no calories)
- Herb tea (without added barley or fruit sugar added)
- Unflavored soy/almond milk
- Atkins shakes
* One to two cups of caffeinated tea or coffee is allowed as desired and tolerated by each individual.
Cheese
Although cheese contains only a low amount of carbs (about 1 gram per ounce) we recommend consuming no more than 3-4 ounces of cheese per day. An ounce is about the size of an individually wrapped slice of American cheese or a 1-inch cube.
- Parmesan
- Goat
- Bleu cheese
- Cheddar
- Gouda
- Mozzarella, whole milk
- Cream cheese, whipped
- Swiss
- Feta
Foundation Vegetables
Aim for 12-15g of net carbs from these nutrient-dense, higher-fiber foundation vegetables per day.
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Arugula
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Beet greens
- Bell peppers (any color)
- Black olives
- Bok choy
- Broccoli
- Broccoli rabe
- Broccolini
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Chicory greens
- Collard greens
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Endive
- Escarole
- Dill pickles
- Fennel
- Garlic
- Green beans
- Green olives
- Hearts of palm
- Jicama
- Leeks
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Mushrooms
- Okra
- Onion (any variety)
- Pumpkin
- Radicchio
- Radishes
- Rhubarb
- Sauerkraut
- Scallions
- Shallots
- Snow peas
- Spaghetti squash
- Spinach
- Sprouts, mung beans
- Swiss chard
- Tomatoes
- Turnip greens
- Turnips
- Watercress
- Yellow squash
- Zucchini
Phase 2 Approved Foods to Add to Your Keto Shopping List
While Phase 1 of Atkins is the most ketogenic phase, Phase 2 provides more flexibility to keep you on track to your goals—while preserving the progress you made in Phase 1. During Phase 2 of Atkins, you can add small servings of higher carb foods back into your diet, moving beyond vegetables to other foods, such as nuts, seeds, and berries. Remember that the quantity of net carbs is very important so keep track of your net carbs if you’re staying keto. (Try our free app to keep track anywhere, any time!)
Dairy
- Mozzarella cheese
- Yogurt, Greek, Plain, unsweetened, whole milk
- Ricotta cheese
- Cottage cheese 2%
- Heavy cream
- Yogurt, Plain, Unsweetened, whole milk
Nuts & Seeds (and their butters)
- Brazil nuts
- Macadamias
- Hulled sunflower seeds
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Pistachios
- Peanuts
- Pecans
- Cashews
Low-Glycemic Fruits
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Cranberries
- Strawberries
- Cantaloupe
- Honeydew
- Gooseberries
- Boysenberries
- Blueberries
With Atkins, you’ll learn to eat right, not less with a balanced diet of high-fiber carbohydrates, healthy fats, and optimal proteins. For more keto tips and low carb recipes, get started with Atkins today!
