Diet guide
Keto Diet: Calories, Macros and the Foods That Fit
In short
A ketogenic (keto) diet keeps carbohydrate very low and fat high, with protein in the middle, so most of a day's calories come from fat.
By CalorTracker Team. Published .
What keto is
Keto is the strictest of the low-carbohydrate patterns. Carbohydrate is held low enough that the body shifts toward burning fat and producing ketones, which is where the name comes from. Fat becomes the largest share of the day's energy, protein stays moderate, and bread, rice, pasta, sugar and most fruit mostly leave the plate.
The pattern began as a clinical tool under medical supervision and later moved into everyday dieting. People follow it for different reasons, and a page like this one cannot tell you whether it suits you. What it can do is show how the pattern turns into numbers you can count.
How keto maps to calories and macros
Calories still decide whether your weight goes up or down, and keto does not change that arithmetic. Start from a calorie target, then set the macros inside it: carbohydrate as a small fixed ceiling, protein as a target you aim to reach, and fat as whatever energy is left. Because fat carries nine calories a gram against four for protein and carbohydrate, a small spoonful of oil moves the total more than a large portion of vegetables.
Keto pages talk about net carbs, meaning total carbohydrate minus fibre. The idea is that fibre is not digested the way sugar and starch are. Labels and countries count it differently, so pick one method and keep it the same from day to day. Our net carbs calculator and the glossary entry on net carbs show the subtraction step by step.
Counting keto without guessing
The hard part of keto is hidden carbohydrate: sauces, dressings, coated meats, nuts, and the starch in a vegetable you assumed was free. Log the oils and the cheese as carefully as the vegetables, because the fat is where the calories sit and the sauce is where the carbs sit. Weigh what you can, and check estimates from photos against the label or the food page.
A tight carbohydrate ceiling leaves little room for error, so a single sweet drink or a heaped serving of nuts can use the whole allowance. Looking at the day's total before dinner, rather than after, makes the difference between planning a meal and apologising for it.
Foods that fit, per 100 g
These foods are low in carbohydrate per 100 g and mostly high in fat or protein. The table shows the net carbohydrate (carbs minus fibre) next to each, since that is the number a keto day is counted in.
| Food | Calories | Protein (g) | Carbs (g) | Net carbs (g) | Fat (g) | Fibre (g) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs | 143 | 12.6 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 9.5 | 0 | Almost no carbohydrate, a mix of protein and fat. |
| Avocado | 160 | 2 | 8.5 | 1.8 | 14.7 | 6.7 | Fat-rich, and most of its carbohydrate is fibre. |
| Cheddar Cheese | 403 | 22.9 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 33.3 | 0 | Concentrated fat and protein, very little carbohydrate. |
| Salmon (Cooked) | 206 | 22.1 | 0 | 0 | 12.4 | 0 | Protein and fat with no carbohydrate. |
| Butter | 717 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 81.1 | 0 | Nearly all fat; a few grams change the calorie count quickly. |
| Olive Oil | 884 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | Pure fat, so it is entirely calories and no carbohydrate. |
| Spinach | 23 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 2.2 | A leafy green that adds volume for few carbs. |
| Almonds | 579 | 21.2 | 21.6 | 9.1 | 49.9 | 12.5 | Useful in small handfuls; the carbohydrate adds up in large ones. |
| Ground Beef 80/20 (Cooked) | 270 | 25.8 | 0 | 0 | 17.8 | 0 | Protein with a large fat share; the lean-to-fat ratio matters. |
| Cauliflower | 25 | 1.9 | 5 | 3 | 0.3 | 2 | A common low-carbohydrate stand-in for rice and potato. |
Values are USDA FoodData Central figures for the food as listed, per 100 g. Each food name opens its own page with portions and every nutrient.
Calculators for this way of eating
These run on the same formulas as the rest of the site, so the numbers match what you see in the app.
- Keto CalculatorSets a daily calorie target for your goal and a net carbohydrate limit you choose, then works out protein and fat grams.
- Net Carbs CalculatorSubtracts fiber and a share of the sugar alcohols you choose from the total carbohydrate on a label to give net carbs.
- Carb CalculatorShows the grams of carbohydrate that make up 45 to 65 percent of the calories for your goal, with a per-meal figure.
- Macro CalculatorSplits a daily calorie target for your goal (lose, maintain or gain) into grams of protein, carbs and fat.
Food lists to browse
Ranked tables of foods by a nutrient, computed from the same USDA data.
Side-by-side food comparisons
Two foods at the same weight, so a swap is one glance.
Read next
Guides from the CalorTracker blog.
Terms used on this page
Short definitions with worked examples.
Safety and who this is not for
A very low carbohydrate intake is a large change to what you eat. It can cause headaches, tiredness and an upset stomach in the first days, and it is not suitable for everyone. People with diabetes, kidney or liver conditions, or a history of disordered eating, and anyone taking medication for blood sugar or blood pressure, should get medical guidance before starting, because doses can need adjusting.
Do not use extreme restriction for a long stretch without someone checking in on how you are doing. This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, take medication, are pregnant or are under eighteen, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before you change how you eat.
Tracking keto in CalorTracker
- Pick Keto as a dietary preference in your profile. It informs the AI-suggested targets and meal plans, which move carbohydrate down and fat up within sensible ranges.
- Log a meal from a photo, by text or by voice, and review the carbohydrate, protein and fat it estimates before saving. Voice and meal plans belong to the trial and Premium.
- Watch the dashboard's macro progress through the day, and ask Pepperly, the in-app coach, what is left in your carbohydrate and protein targets.
Keto: common questions
Is keto the same as low-carb?
Do I still count calories on keto?
Sources
- Hall KD, Guo J. Obesity Energetics: Body Weight Regulation and the Effects of Diet Composition. Gastroenterology. 2017;152(7):1718-1727.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020.
- Food values: USDA FoodData Central, as described on how we calculate. Every outside source we use is on sources.
Count keto without the arithmetic
Log a meal from a photo, by text or by voice, check the estimate, and watch the day against your own targets. Free to start, no card needed to explore.
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