30 Keto Diet Staples You Will Find In Our Kitchen

STOCK UP ON KETO DIET ESSENTIALS WITHOUT CRUSHING YOUR BUDGET

You may have noticed over the past 3 years that our grocery shopping list has changed quite a bit since we’ve moved over to a keto diet.

You might also have taken note that our many of our Sunday frugal recipes are low carb as well and this is because we no longer just eat what we want or classify as “healthy“.

Back On Track With The Keto Diet

We have taken control of our eating habits and put more effort into what fuels our bodies and how we energize it each day.

Related: Are you eating too much food?

I’m not exclusively on a keto diet however I do follow it as much as possible as my dietary needs are different from Mrs. CBB.

Coffee is a great start to the day for keto diet lovers.

Many of you might be familiar with Bullet Proof Coffee and for those of you who aren’t let me tell you it’s packed full of fat!

Keto Diet vs. Grocery Budget

Some people have asked if the keto diet has interrupted our lean grocery budget of $265 a month for 2 adults and a toddler and it depends.

Some months might be great and other months like August we went over by $18 although having the $25 stockpile comes in handy from time to time.

Another factor to consider is price and sales. You may run out of almond flour and it just so happens to be on sale, you’re in luck.

A Little Goes A long Way

Cutting back on non-essentials really has helped our grocery budget forcing us to cook more, meal prep like pros (even though they don’t always work perfectly) and shop with a super-charged frugal mindset.

Bullet Proof Coffee Recipe:

We make our perfect cup of morning java the keto way but for many of you, this coffee might seem overwhelming but trust me it is delicious and not in any funky, weird, kind or way.

Bullet proof coffee is frothy and creamy comparable to a Tim Hortons hot English toffee or Vanilla Cappuccino.

Just in time for Autumn, you can start to enjoy Pumpkin Spiced Bullet Proof Coffee which I’m sharing from The Banting Blondes.

• 2 cups of black coffee *instant or brewed
• 1 tablespoon Butter grass-fed is best but can be costly Kerrigold is popular and a Natural Irish Butter.

1 tablespoon Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, 444 ml or Premium MCT Oil

• 2 tablespoons 35% whipping cream
• 2 sweetener packets, SweetLeaf Sweet Drops SteviaClear, 60ml or Torani Sugar-Free English Toffee Flavor Syrup, 750ml 
  
• Other Sweeteners that you can use are
• Splenda 
• Erythritol
• Monkfruit Sweetener
• Allulose
• Hand mixer, frother or blender Electric Milk Coffee Frother 
  

How To Make Bullet Proof Coffee

Make your 2 cups of black coffee then put all the ingredients into a blender or use a hand frother and blend it up until creamy and frothy.

We like the blender better as it really does a good job with frothing.

The hand frother or electric coffee frother are both great if you’re in a rush for work or having to get out the door quickly.

Both of them come with an upfront cost which I feel is reasonable but will save you a fortune by staying away from Starbucks.

What is the Keto Diet?

The Ketogenic diet also is known as Keto or a low-carb, high-fat diet following suit with Atkins and other low carb diets and meal plans.

Entering your body into ketosis will kick-start burning fat for energy which is what helps you lose weight.

What we love about eating on the keto diet is the amount of experimenting we do with the products we purchase.

The hardest part for newbies into the keto diet way of eating is having to eat high amounts of fat.

To some, it may be shocking that Mrs. CBB eats bacon more than the average person BUT it’s the good fat content she needs.

Keto Diet Is A Lifestyle Change

Reducing your carb intake and increasing fat puts your body into a state called, “ketosis” or that happy place for many low carb lovers.

When we think of the Keto Diet we consider it a way of life not a diet to lose weight although that was what it started out as for Mrs. CBB.

Baby Weight Be Gone

After having our first child and gaining 50lbs or so she knew she had to get back on track to where she was pre-pregnancy.

Although running 5k every day hasn’t become part of her daily routine what she has incorporated is a new way of eating.

She has since lost over 100lbs on keto and is still going by introducing intermittent fasting to her week.

Keto Diet Plan

The Keto diet plan needs to send your body into a state of ketosis where you are using the fat you have stored for energy as opposed to carbohydrates.

If you fail to do this you won’t lose the weight and could gain so cheating on the keto diet is a BIG NO.

If you do cheat start over the next day with even more motivation and perhaps incorporate intermittent fasting to get you back into ketosis fast.

You will get away with eating zero carbs only if you stick to the same meals every day which would be limited but not impossible.

Fasting On The Keto Diet

Alternatively, as I mentioned above intermittent fasting will also help get you into ketosis faster.

Some people like to use the 16:8 method where you fast for 16 hours and have an eating window of 8 hours.

Recently she just completed a 2 week extended fast of just water and black coffee.

Most weeks she does 72-hour fasts but alternates it from week to week to shake the body up a bit.

Some people love to do OMAD which is ONE MEAL A DAY where all calories are consumed in a timed eating window.

If you find you are at a stall with your keto diet intermittent fasting will help get you back into ketosis.

Essentially you do what’s right for you and always consult with your doctor first.

If you want to do a full-body reset a 72 hour fast only consuming water, black coffee and tea is a great way to get back to basics for your gut health and introduce autophagy.

Autophagy is where the body cleans out old cells and regenerates new cells. The term Autophagy has been described as, “self-eating” where Auto means Self and Phagy means to eat.

Again, consult with your doctor.

Some of Mrs. CBB’s favourite’s to follow on YouTube is Dr. Mindy Pelz and Canadian Dr. Jason Fung.

Dr. Fung’s book The Obesity Code is definitely a book you will want to read.

Everything you believe about how to lose weight is wrong. Weight gain and obesity are driven by hormones—in everyone—and only by understanding the effects of insulin and insulin resistance can we achieve lasting weight loss.

In this highly readable and provocative book, Dr. Jason Fung sets out an original, robust theory of obesity that provides startling insights into proper nutrition.

In addition to his five basic steps, a set of lifelong habits that will improve your health and control your insulin levels, Dr. Fung explains how to use intermittent fasting to break the cycle of insulin resistance and reach a healthy weight—for good.

Keto Urine Strips

Last year Mrs. CBB bought keto sticks from the pharmacy that test the amount of ketones in your urine.

You may be familiar with these if you’ve been pregnant as most doctors ask pregnant women to check their ketone levels during doctor’s visits.

You can buy a bottle of 200 Keto test strips for about $10-12 at Shoppers Drug Mart behind the counter or from Amazon Canada.

It’s not 100% accurate but it will give you a good estimate whether you have reached ketosis or not.

All you need is a bit of colour change in the stick to be in ketosis however when you become fat-adapted you may not register at all.

Sometimes people think the darker the urine stick colour the further into ketosis you may be.

Unfortunately it could be the other way around and you are dehydrated.

It’s very important to keep hydrated on a low carb keto diet because of all the fibre you eat.

The last thing you want happening is getting constipated which is another issue that is hard to deal with (no pun intended).

Testing Ketones with a Blood Monitor

The best method for testing your ketone levels is by using a ketone blood monitor which is specifically designed to test ketone levels.

You can get a prescription from your doctor if he/she supports your keto journey which may be covered under your work health benefits.

We use the Freestyle Precision Neo test monitor from Shoppers Drug Mart.

The test strips for the blood ketone monitor cost around $25-$30 for a box of 10 or on Amazon Canada for $26.99.

How Do You Know You Are In Ketosis?

When using the blood ketone monitor if your aim is weight-loss you will want an optimal reading between 1.5 to 3.0 mmol/.

If you are measuring 0.5-1.5mmol this is also putting you into ketosis but you won’t see the best results as you would in the optimal level above.

Our Keto Diet Meal Plan

Mrs. CBB didn’t start with much of a meal plan for the keto diet however we did experiment with different recipes and then added our own touch. 

What we’ve learned is that if you stock all the main staples of a keto diet in your pantry and refrigerator you need it.

What we do is then purchase produce, meats and dairy and we’re all set.

Some of our more popular low carb keto diet recipes on the blog have been favourites we’ve been enjoying.

All of these recipes are gluten-free, sugar-free and low carb perfect for keto diet maintenance.

• Mozzarella Stuffed Italian Meatloaf
• Low Carb Baked Zucchini Egg Roll
• Baked Cheesy Cauliflower Tots
• Simple Baked Chicken Wings
• Creamy Radish Soup
• Creamy Asparagus Soup
• Low Carb Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
• Low Carb Lemon Cheesecake Squares
• Peanut Butter Protein Cookies
• Coconut Macaroons
• Bacon Fried Lupini Beans

Lots more Low Carb Keto Diet Recipes available…just read our Free Recipe Index.

Keto Diet Food List

Your keto grocery list may differ from someone else depending on food allergies, grocery budget and availability.

What I find interesting about the Low Carb Keto Diet is that it encourages people to cook otherwise you will fail.

The Keto Diet is a masterpiece of dishes that will satisfy your tummy for hours.

NEW: The Ultimate Guide: Our COSTCO KETO GROCERY LIST with PHOTOS.

Everything we buy at Costco Canada for the Keto Diet.

Other Keto Products We Buy From Amazon

Below are a few products Mrs. CBB uses and recommends as part of her keto lifestyle and for anyone on a keto diet.

If you don’t, believe me, I’ll take a photo of our overflowing pantry, haha!

It will take time to build up a keto pantry so don’t get overwhelmed with all of the products.

We bake and create recipes quite a bit so it’s important for us to have all of the keto ingredients stocked.

We also tend to avoid buying pre-made Keto foods as they are very pricey and you can make them at home at a fraction of the cost.

I will add more as I find more so you have a comprehensive list if you are just starting out.

• Collagen Peptides for hair, skin, and bones.
• Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa
• Krisda Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips (Our favourite made with Stevia)
• Coconut Oil
• Avocado Oil (You will use this quite a bit)
• Everland Natural Baking Powder
• Everland Natural Baking Soda
• Ketone Strips to see if you are in ketosis
• Keto + MCT oil Drink (mix with water.)
• Mrs. Butterworth’s No Sugar Added Syrup
• Nutrilite Dark Chocolate Spread
• Cocao Nibs Great for smoothies, cookies or any baking.
• Swerve Sweetener Ultimate Sugar Replacement
• Crazy Mooskies No Sugar Added BBQ Sauce
• FATSO Cocoa Butter – High-Performance Natural Peanut Butter w/ Unsweetened Chocolate Flavor & Plant-Based Superfats – MCT Oil, Avocado Oil, Flax, Sweet Tapioca & Chia (500g) Keto-Friendly Nut Butter
• Almond Butter
• Pink Himalayan Salt
• Tomato Paste in a tube
• Organika Bone Broth Chicken or Beef
• Sukrin Gold Brown Sugar Replacement
• Premium MCT Oil
• Eat Smart Sweets Gummy Bears or Red Fish (sugar-free)
• Suzy Good Fats Bars Box of 12 (Different flavours to choose from)
• Better than Noodles Konjac Pasta
• Moon Cheese Pepper Jack Cheese Snack
• Keto BOMB Coffee Whitener
• Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener
• Yupik Raw Pumpkin Seeds
• Xanthan Gum
• Almond Flour
• Coconut Flour
• Coconut Milk
• Coconut Cream (great for making whipping cream)
• Cacao Butter
• Coffee Grinder is a MUST kitchen tool but just a cheap one will do to grind up sugar substitute to powder and other spices.
• Electric Milk Frother for your Bullet-Proof Coffee
• CALM Ionic Magnesium Citrate Powder in Raspberry or Lemon which helps you sleep better, stay focused and helps relieve constipation
• Dash Mini Waffle Machine to make Keto Chaffle Waffles
  
• Sliced Black Olives or stuffed green olives

Eating Good Fats Keeps You Full For Longer

The idea is to keep full so you’re not snacking in between unless necessary or over-eating which most people do.

When we eat the wrong foods that spike our insulin levels, be cautious.

It can be hard to beat the carbohydrate giant especially when there are hidden carbs in so many food products.

Most often we find that not all stores care keto diet foods so opting to purchase online is the next best option.

Not all keto diet foods and supplements are purchased at the grocery store unless they have an Organic/Health section where they may be available.

Reading Keto Food Product Labels

Reading food labels and ingredients lists are critical when leading a keto lifestyle.

For example, Costco has a Keto Approved Bar called Choc Keto Snaps that people are raving about however if you read the ingredient list it has CANE SUGAR.

Cane sugar is sugar and not keto approved so I’m not sure how companies get away with labeling products by cheating consumers this way.

Keto Approved Sweeteners

This is a great chart that shows you the good and bad sugars and sweeteners on the market.

Always do your research when it comes to using keto sweetener alternatives to find what works best for you.

You can find more info at: How Much Does The Keto Diet Cost

• Stevia
• Monk Fruit
• Splenda
• Allulose
• Swerve
• Erythritol
• Sukrin Gold Brown Sugar
• Swerve Brown Sugar
• Xylitol (low-carb)
• Bochasweet U.S.A only

Where to buy Keto?

Most times we end up at the Bulk Barn, Costco and Popeye’s supplements for the little extras.

You can also order tonnes of stuff from Amazon Canada with free 2 day shipping if you’re a PRIME Member on Prime products.

Almost everything that is Keto or low carb is gluten-free so talk to your doctor if you think you’d like to try this way of eating healthy.

I plan to do a master keto grocery shopping list to share prices and tell you why we buy what we do, where we do in an upcoming blog post.

Keep an eye on the blog or better yet, subscribe so you get an email when I publish a new post.

Printable Keto Diet Staples List

You can also download our 30 keto staples list printable and put it on your refrigerator for reference and motivation.

Keep in mind that our Keto Diet/Low Carb pantry staples list is not inclusive as we have many other items that add to our meal plan.

You can also find online keto grocery stores such as Low Carb Canada that will deliver right to your door.

We all have to start somewhere

These are the essentials that are great to start out with when you are new to the Keto Diet lifestyle.

Eat Eggs, Eat Bacon and Eat your Fat!!! Eat Fat Get Thin!!

New 2019: Beginners Keto Food List Printable

Discussion Question: What are some of your favourite low-carb keto diet staples that I haven’t listed and the best place to buy or order in Canada?

August Grocery Game Challenge

Join in the 2017 Grocery Game Challenge (GGC) fun and post your grocery shop in the comment section of each GGC blog post.

Here are The Grocery Game Challenge rules to get you started and where you’ll also find a link for the 2017 GGC schedule.

Please feel free to download, save and even print the schedule.

Post your shop and you can be next.

New monthly prize: See the Grocery Game Rules

• Ditch these 6 Genius Grocery Shopping Distractions GGC #1
• How to pick Food Storage Containers The Right Way GGC #2
• The Ultimate Frugal Student Recipe Book GGC #3
• 15 Copy Cat Recipes That You Can Make At Home GGC #4

Grocery Shop Results

Yearly grocery budget for two + 1 Toddler 2017: $3180 or $265/month (The above total does not include the stockpile budget of $300/year or $25/month.Points Overview (add any other sections you need to show us your savings)

• Total Grocery Budget for this Month: $265
  
• Total Grocery Budget with any carry-overs $265
  
• Total Gift Cards used to date: $0
• Total Rewards Points redeemed this week: $0
• Total Rewards Points used to date: $0
• PC Points Plus Earned to date: 632,000
  
• Scanning Code of Practice (SCOP) to date $0
• Shoppers Optimum: 983,000 O.M.G

Coupon Apps (add any other apps you use to save money)

• Zweet to cash out : $18.25… no idea where the money went but it seems we have $0.
  
• Checkout51 to cash out: $24.50 we cashed out so we’re back at O.
  

Our Grocery Shop This Week

Costco

• 3 x 10% Cream $2.09 each
• 2 dozen extra-large eggs $5.09
• 1 4l Sealtest Milk $4.25
• Whipping Cream $4.39
• Almond Flour $19.99
• 2lbs strawberries $5.99

Total Out-of-pocket $45.98

All totals below already have tax factored into them.

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