Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
- What Are Macros? Table Of Contents
- What Are Macros? (Macro Meaning)
- What Are The Ideal Keto Diet Macros?
- How To Calculate Macros For Weight Loss
- How To Calculate Macros For a Keto Diet
- How To Calculate Macros For a Low Carb Diet
- Free Low Carb & Keto Macro Calculator
- How To Count Macros
- Keto Meal Plan To Fit Your Macros
- Recipe Reviews
Counting macros can play a big role in helping you reach your keto diet goals. You may have even heard seasoned keto followers say things like “if it fits your macros” or “I need to start tracking my macros.” But what are macros, and why are they so important? We’ll answer all your keto macros questions here, complete with simple tools to help you tally them.
If you are just starting out on keto, be sure to take a look at the keto cheat sheets .
- What Are Macros?
- What Are The Ideal Keto Diet Macros?
- How To Calculate Macros For a Keto Diet
- How To Calculate Macros For a Low Carb Diet
- Free Low Carb & Keto Macro Calculator
- How To Count Macros
- Keto Meal Plan To Fit Your Macros
What Are Macros? (Macro Meaning)
Macros is a shortened term for macronutrients. They are the fat, protein, and carbohydrates that give your food an energy value, and you can find them on nutrition labels. Choosing food with different macro ratios can help you tailor your meals to meet your diet goals.
Each type of macro has a caloric value, which determines the calorie count on a nutrition label.
Fat
One gram of fat is 9 calories’ worth of energy. On a keto diet, you enter a state called ketosis, where fat is your primary source of fuel. So, when it comes to keto macros, you’ll get the majority of your calories from fat.
Protein
One gram of protein contains 4 calories. Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of our cells. Protein is crucial for hundreds of body processes, as well as maintaining lean body mass.
Carbohydrates
One carbohydrate is worth 4 calories. Carbohydrates break down into sugar in the body, and also trigger an insulin response, which (among many other functions) signals your body to store body fat [ source ].
Too many carbs will prevent your body from entering ketosis, which is why we limit them so much on a keto diet.
When you do eat carbs, it’s best to get most of them from keto vegetables and keto fruit . (Get net carb counts for virtually every keto food via the printable keto food list !)
What Are The Ideal Keto Diet Macros?
If you’re wondering, “What should my macros be?” this is your place to find the general guidelines. Keto and low carb diets have different macro ranges.
Keto Macro Percentages
Keto macros are:
- 60-75% fat
- 20-25% protein
- 5-10% net carbs
To figure your macros on keto, you start with a limit for your net carbs, calculate how much protein you need based on your lean body mass, and the remainder of your calories come from fat. (More details on these calculations are below!)
Low Carb Macro Percentages
On a low carb diet, macro ranges are:
- 40-70% fat
- 15-30% protein
- 15-30% net carbs
In contrast to a keto diet, low carb macros are all calculated by percentages, and a higher percentage of carbs are permitted.
How To Calculate Macros For Weight Loss
Counting macros can help you pinpoint the best foods to eat for weight loss, and also how much to eat. If you want to use macros in this way, you will need to gather some information about yourself and make a few calculations.
The keto diet is one of the most effective ways to lose weight [ source ] – without feeling miserable! – but low carb diets can work quite well, too.
How To Calculate Macros For a Keto Diet
Step 1: Calculate your TDEE
To calculate keto macros manually, you’ll need to determine your TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure. TDEE is the number of calories you burn in a day, and determined by basic factors like age, gender, weight, height, and activity level.
To find TDEE, you will also need to determine your BMR, or Basal Metabolic Rate — that’s the number of calories your body expends for life-sustaining functions. The most accurate way to find it is with the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation [ source ] :
If you don’t know your weight in kilograms and height in centimeters, you can convert like this:
Your activity level, combined with BMR, determines your personal TDEE:
Step 2: Calculate caloric intake necessary for your goal
Calculating TDEE helps you figure out how many calories to consume each day in order to maintain your weight. But if you want to lose fat or build muscle, you’ll need to adjust your calorie intake based on those goals.
For weight loss, a calorie deficit of 10-20% is recommended, meaning you’ll subtract 10-20% from your calories. Here is the calculation for a 15% deficit:
For muscle gain, a calorie surplus of 10% is recommended, meaning you’ll add 10% to your calories:
Step 3: Calculate your lean body mass
For keto macros in particular, you also need to calculate lean muscle mass, which will help determine how much protein you need to eat to maintain it. It’s your total weight, minus weight of fat:
If you don’t know your body fat percentage, see the section below on ways to calculate it using various tools, and how to estimate if you don’t have these.
Step 4: Set your carb limit
For keto macros, you’ll always want to set your limit on carbs first. This is the primary mechanism that will get you into ketosis and keep you there.
Most people will want to start out with limiting carbs to 20g or 25g per day:
Some people start higher if they have a great metabolism or are very fit, but 20-25g is a good starting point and you can experiment with increasing later.
Once you set your carb limit in grams, you can calculate the percentage of your calories that will come from carbs if you like:
Step 5: Calculate your protein goal
Next, you need to set your protein goal, which is crucial for calculating keto macros accurately. This is the grams of protein that you want to strive to eat each day (not less!), in order to maintain your lean body mass. The equation for that is:
The protein ratio is the number of grams of protein to consume per kilogram of body weight.
For more detail on the protein ratio, what it means and how to calculate it, we go into more detail about it below.
And if you want that as a percentage of your calories that will come from protein:
It’s important to try to reach your protein goal each day, because if you don’t, you will lose muscle. On the other hand, don’t overdo the protein – if you eat it in excess, it will convert to sugar in your body, via a process called gluconeogenesis.
Step 6: Calculate your fat based on remaining calories
Now that you’ve calculated how much protein and carbs to eat on keto, the rest of the calories you need will come from fat:
How To Determine Your Body Fat Percentage For Macro Calculations
Body fat percentage can be calculated using various scanners (like a DEXA scan at a gym or doctor’s office) for the highest accuracy.
If you want to measure at home, the easiest way is to use skin calipers .
If you don’t have these either, compare how you look visually to these to get a very general estimate:
How To Get The Protein Ratio For Macro Calculations
Your protein ratio is measured as the number of grams per kilogram of lean body weight (aka, everything except fat), accounting for your typical activity level. This ratio helps you figure out how much protein you should eat on keto.
It sounds a little complicated, but this ratio is especially useful if you follow a keto diet. Too much protein strains your kidneys and keeps you out of ketosis, while too little protein will cause you to lose muscle mass.
With your daily activity level in mind, here are guidelines to help determine your protein ratio:
- Sedentary: 0.6g to 0.8g protein per pound of lean body mass
- Light activity: 0.7g to 0.9g protein per pound of lean body mass
- Moderate activity: 0.8g to 1g protein per pound of lean body mass
- High activity: 1.0g to 1.2g protein per pound of lean body mass
- Athlete/bodybuilder: 1.2g protein per pound of lean body mass
Notice that each has a range, and you can experiment with what feels comfortable for you and gets you the results you want.
The protein ratio is used to calculate your daily protein goal , which is step 4 above.
How To Calculate Macros For a Low Carb Diet
To calculate low carb macros, you’ll use many of the same equations as the ones needed for keto macros, but it’s a little easier. Some of the steps are the same, and some are different:
1. Calculate your TDEE
This is exactly the same as step 1 from the keto macros calculations above.
2. Calculate caloric intake necessary for your goal
This is exactly the same as step 3 from the keto macros above.
3. Calculate carbs, protein and fat by percentage
Once you know how many calories to eat, you’ll simple plug the percentages into the equations for each macronutrient to get the number of grams to eat:
Free Low Carb & Keto Macro Calculator
A quality keto macro calculator will help you determine ideal fat, protein, net carbs, and calories you should consume in a day. No need to spend time calculating these figures yourself.
Unlike other calculators, this one works for both a low carb or keto diet and walks you through all the calculations. Simply fill in a few details like your height, weight, age, and more, and the calculator instantly determines your ideal macros based on your goals.
Best of all, it’s free! Try it here:
Go To The Macro Calculator
How To Count Macros
You can easily incorporate counting macros into your daily life. There are many ways to do it, and they are all affordable (or free).
How to track macros
How you count macros depends on personal preference. Some record them with paper and pen, others estimate their macros (a “lazy” form of keto ), and still others find apps that will do the tallying for them.
When you prepare food, scrutinize your nutrition labels and record macros based on your serving sizes. A food scale can be helpful for measuring foods that you can’t easily portion into servings.
In case you didn’t know, every dish in my keto recipe index contains a nutrition label, too!
Do I have to count macros?
You don’t have to count your macros to follow a low carb diet. Plenty of people have been successful with a low carb or keto lifestyle by simply eating keto foods .
However, depending on your goals, counting macros can be beneficial. Anyone looking to lose weight, overcome a diet plateau, or learn the fundamentals of keto will benefit from macro tracking.
Keto Meal Plan To Fit Your Macros
You don’t need to spend hours looking up carb counts for food or decoding nutrition labels. If you feel overwhelmed by the idea of counting macros, a macro meal planner can simplify the whole process.
My Wholesome Yum app does all the math for you:
- Simply drag and drop meals into your plan.
- The app will instantly calculate your total calories, net carbs, fat, and protein, and compare them against your personal macros!
- Available for Apple, Android, and desktop computers — and syncs across your devices
You can see at a glance whether your plan fills your macros too little or too much, so you can adjust your portions and recipes accordingly.
Try it for a week (free!) and see if it helps you stay on track:
Try The Wholesome Yum Keto App
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
- Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
- The Basic Keto Meal Formula
- Understanding Macros
- Keto Food Swaps
- Keto Food List
- Electrolyte Basics
- Keto Diet Types
- Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
- Recipe Reviews
Even though I have a great guide to starting a keto diet , people often ask me for a quick keto cheat sheet they can use. That’s why I created this simple keto diet cheat sheet , so that you can have all the info you need handy. We’ll cover the basic keto formula for building meals, foods to eat and to avoid, delicious keto swaps for high-carb foods, electrolyte basics, and 4 ways to follow the keto lifestyle.
You can keep reading to view this info, or download my keto cheat sheet printable pdf to print out or save ad-free on any device (plus the pdf has more details!).
Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:
- Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
- Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
- Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
- Keto food swaps (60+ foods) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
- Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
- Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
- Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
- Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
- FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.
Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System + EBooks (Only $37)
The Basic Keto Meal Formula
Eating keto doesn’t have to be complicated! While there are plenty of delicious easy keto recipes to choose from, you don’t even have to cook from a recipe to get started.
Simply follow the keto cheat sheet formula of protein + veggie + fat for your meals.
Be sure to choose a moderate amount of protein, only low carb vegetables (mostly ones that grow above ground), and generous fat to attain an optimal macro ratio. That’s approximately 60-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. The table below will give you ideas for what to choose.
| Pick A Protein | Pick A Veggie | Add Fat |
|---|---|---|
| Beef Chicken Pork Eggs Lamb Turkey Fish Shellfish Protein powder Venison | Cauliflower Broccoli Zucchini Leafy Greens Cucumbers Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Asparagus Radishes Bell Peppers Jicama Celery | Butter Avocado Oil Cheese Bacon Avocado Lard Ghee Mayo Nuts MCT Oil |
Understanding Macros
Macros are macronutrients for short. They include fat, protein, and carbohydrates.
You can calculate your own macros using the macro calculator , but the macro keto cheat sheet below will explain how to look at macros when following a keto lifestyle.
Carbs Are A Limit.
Keeping carbs low is what gets you into ketosis and keeps you there. Ketosis means that you’re using fat as your primary energy source instead of sugar, and requires keeping carbs very low.
A good starting point is 20-25 grams net carbs per day, but you can experiment after a few weeks to see if your body stays in ketosis at higher levels. People who are very active may be able to do more and stay in ketosis, up to around 50 grams per day.
“Carbs are a limit” means that you set a limit for how many carbs to eat per day and don’t exceed it. You don’t have to hit that limit, so if you’re under that’s okay, just don’t go over. Ideally most of your carbs would come from low carb vegetables, and if you’re eating enough veggies, you’ll usually get close to the limit naturally.
A common misconception is that reaching ketosis requires a certain macro ratio, but it’s really only restricting your carb intake that gets you there [ * ]. In the absence of sufficient carbs to use as energy, the body will switch to using fat as fuel. This is called the metabolic state of ketosis.
Protein Is A Goal.
Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of all our cells. It’s a crucial for keeping our muscles strong and for many cellular functions [ * ].
“Protein is a goal” means that you always want to eat enough protein to reach the goal each day, but not exceed it too much. You want enough for your needs, but excess protein can trigger gluconeogenesis, which is protein being converted to sugar [ * ] and can kick you out of ketosis.
Fat Is A Lever.
Fat is the primary macronutrient in a keto lifestyle, because being in ketosis means that fat is your primary fuel source. Fat as a fuel source will come from your food, and if you are losing weight, from your body.
A big advantage of a keto lifestyle is the high fat intake. It keeps you full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to, and using it as the primary fuel source makes it easier on your body to burn body fat, with a lower chance of breaking down your muscle (provided you get enough protein).
Aside from reaching your protein goal and limiting your carbs, the remainder of your calories on a keto diet comes from fat.
Don’t fear fat – it’s your main energy source on keto, and getting enough of it trains your body to use fat for fuel instead of sugar. That means that as long as you are not overdoing your overall calorie intake, you’ll efficiently burn your body fat for fuel as well.
“Fat is a lever” means that you can increase or decrease your fat intake depending on your goals and hunger levels. Increase it (along with exercise) to gain muscle, or decrease it to lose weight.
Keto Food Swaps
One of my favorite challenges is creating recipes, or just discovering, keto food swaps. These are delicious keto replacements for traditionally high-carb or high-sugar foods.
So, I created this keto diet cheat sheet with all the swaps in one place! I also have more keto food swaps in my Easy Keto Cookbook .
Keto Swaps For Breakfast
| Instead Of This… | Eat This |
|---|---|
| Pancakes | Almond flour pancakes or coconut flour pancakes |
| Oatmeal | Keto oatmeal with hemp seeds |
| Cinnamon rolls | Fathead cinnamon rolls |
| Cereal | Keto nut granola |
| Muffins | Almond flour muffins or coconut flour muffins |
| Donuts | Almond flour donuts |
| Scones | Almond flour scones |
| High-sugar smoothies | Smoothie with berries or avocado |
| Hash browns | Cauliflower hash browns |
| Breakfast casserole | Breakfast casserole with no potatoes |
| Egg whites | Whole eggs |
| Turkey bacon | Bacon |
| Waffles | Chaffles |
Keto Swaps For Bread
| Instead Of This… | Eat This |
|---|---|
| Bagels | Fathead bagels |
| English muffin | Almond flour English muffin |
| White bread | Keto white bread |
| Multigrain bread | Coconut flour bread with seeds |
| Tortillas for wraps | Coconut flour tortillas |
| Corn taco shells | Cheddar cheese taco shells |
| Burger buns | Oopsie rolls , portobello mushroom caps |
| Breadsticks | Cauliflower breadsticks |
| Biscuits | Almond flour biscuits |
| Cornbread | Almond flour cornbread |
| Croutons | Parmesan crisps |
| Rice | Cauliflower rice , konjac rice |
Keto Swaps For Meals & Side Dishes
| Instead Of This… | Eat This |
|---|---|
| Breaded wings | Crispy air fryer wings (unbreaded) |
| Low-fat meat & poultry | High-fat cuts, or cook low-fat cuts with fat |
| Mashed potatoes | Mashed cauliflower |
| Roasted potatoes | Roasted or fried radishes |
| Tacos | Taco salad |
| Pizza | Fathead crust , chicken crust , or cauliflower crust pizza |
| Lasagna | Eggplant lasagna |
| Potato salad | Cauliflower “potato” salad |
| French fries | Jicama , rutabaga , or zucchini fries |
| Tater tots | Cauliflower tots |
| Wraps | Lettuce wraps , almond flour tortillas |
| Sushi | Naruto-style or homemade rice-free sushi |
| Breaded chicken or fish | Breaded cuts with almond flour or pork rinds |
| Spaghetti | Zoodles , spaghetti squash , shirataki noodles, kelp noodles |
Keto Swaps For Snacks & Sauces
| Instead Of This… | Eat This |
|---|---|
| Nachos | Cheese crisps |
| High-sugar fruit | Berries & other keto fruits |
| Crackers | Almond flour crackers |
| Hummus | Cauliflower hummus |
| Soft pretzels | Fathead pretzels |
| Popcorn | Puffed cheese |
| Granola bars | Grain-free granola bars |
| Jam | Sugar-free berry chia jam |
| Sweet fruity yogurt | Full-fat plain Greek yogurt with berries |
| Sweet salad dressing | Ranch , blue cheese , or plain vinaigrette |
| Ketchup | Mustard and/or sugar-free ketchup |
| BBQ sauce | Sugar-free BBQ sauce |
| Sweetened peanut butter | Natural, sugar-free nut butters |
| Light mayo | Avocado oil mayo |
| Maple syrup | Sugar-free, maple flavored syrup |
| Potato chips | Zucchini chips , pepperoni chips , pork rinds |
Keto Swaps For Cooking & Baking
| Instead Of This… | Eat This |
|---|---|
| Sugar | Monk fruit or allulose |
| Powdered sugar | Powdered monk fruit or allulose |
| White flour | Almond or Coconut flour (use in tested recipes) |
| Making baked goods soft/chewy | Xanthan gum, flax seed meal, psyllium husk powder |
| Breadcrumbs | Pork rinds or almond flour |
| Margarine | Butter, coconut oil, or ghee |
| Vegetable oil | Olive or avocado oil |
| Bananas | Banana extract |
| Chocolate chips | Sugar-free chocolate chips |
| Cornstarch or flour roux | Xanthan gum or gelatin powder (used at the end) |
| Simple syrup | Dissolve monk fruit allulose blend in water over heat |
Keto Swaps For Drinks
| Instead Of This… | Eat This |
|---|---|
| Lemonade | Water with lemon |
| Soda | Flavored sparkling water |
| Milk | Almond milk, coconut milk, heavy cream |
| Latte | Butter coffee |
| Coffee creamer | Heavy cream |
| Sweet wine | Dry wine |
| Beer | Ultra light beer |
| Mixed drinks | Hard liquor with soda + lemon |
If you’re looking specifically for keto alcohol options, browse the full keto alcohol guide .
Keto Food List
When looking for a keto cheat sheet printable, the most-requested information is a keto food list.
The great thing is that keto doesn’t have to feel restrictive. It’s incredibly satisfying and there’s such a wide variety of foods you can eat!
Foods To Eat On Keto
- Leafy greens – Such as spinach, chard, and lettuce.
- Above-ground veggies – Such as peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower.
- Full-fat cream & cheese – Such as heavy cream, sour cream, and full-fat hard cheeses.
- Natural meats – Such as beef, lamb, and pork.
- Berries – Such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
- Avocados
- Unsweetened nut milks – Such as almond milk and coconut milk.
- Almond flour and coconut flour
- Eggs
- Healthy fats – Such as coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and butter.
Foods To Avoid On Keto
- White flour & sugar
- Rice & grains – Such as barley, wheat, and corn.
- Milk & yogurt – Such as fruit on the bottom yogurt, sweetened Greek yogurt, and all milk.
- Cereal
- Processed food – Such as granola bars, candy
- Most fruit – Such as apples, bananas, and grapes
- Hydrogenated fats – Such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, and margarine
- Sweetened beverages & condiments – Such as soda, ketchup, and sweet dressings
- Starchy veggies – Such as peas, carrots, and beets.
- Potatoes – Such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes.
That’s the short keto diet cheat sheet version of all the keto food categories, but I recommend downloading the full Keto Cheat Sheet System. It includes a super detailed printable keto food list with over 100 items, including 2 color-coded pages with net carb counts, along with 6 more pages of keto cheat sheets:
Get The Keto Cheat Sheet System PDF (Only $37)
Electrolyte Basics
Getting enough electrolytes is crucial for anyone, but especially so on a keto diet. The reason is that ketosis has a diuretic effect, which increases excretion of water and electrolytes, especially sodium [ * ]. This is often the cause of the keto flu.
For more details on electrolytes and avoiding keto flu, check out the full keto flu guide here .
The important thing to know about electrolytes is that replenishing them will keep keto flu away and keep your body functioning well. I always recommend an electrolyte drink and whole food sources of anything your body needs before resorting to supplements, so I made a list of what to eat to get each of the 3 major electrolytes – sodium, magnesium and potassium.
Here’s your keto diet cheat sheet for getting electrolytes from food:
| Sodium | Magnesium | Potassium |
|---|---|---|
| Bone broth Boullion cubes Bacon Salted nuts Pickles | Seaweed Seeds Nuts Avocado Leafy greens | Potassium chloride Avocado Bone broth Spinach Broccoli Mushrooms Beef Pork |
Keto Diet Types
People follow a keto lifestyle for different reasons. Some do it just to lose weight, others are after better overall health, increased energy, and reduced inflammation.
Strictly speaking, the defining factor of a keto diet is the metabolic state of ketosis, which is achieved by restricting carbs. However, many people (myself included) also reduce or eliminate processed, inflammatory, or low-nutrient foods.
Below is your keto cheat sheet summary of the different ways that people follow keto. You choose what works best for your goals and lifestyle!
- Strict Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, count all calories and macros, and eat clean, unprocessed foods.
- Lazy Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, and track only net carbs OR eat keto foods without tracking.
- Dirty Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, with “if it fits your macros” approach including processed foods.
- Low Carb – Up to 50-100g net carbs daily, less strict.
For a more detailed listing of these different types of keto with pros and cons, grab the Easy Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF below!
Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:
- Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
- Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
- Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
- Keto food swaps (60+ swaps) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
- Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
- Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
- Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
- Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
- FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.
Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System (75 pages, Only $37!)
