Food and Shopping
Vegetables that grow above ground
A simple rule for dividing them: above ground—we take them, below ground—we don’t. Except onions and garlic.
Food and Shopping
Low-carb cooking begins not with recipes, but with the shopping basket. If the right foundation is in the fridge, dinner comes together in fifteen minutes without a second thought. If the foundation isn't there, any eating rule falls apart in the face of evening hunger and an empty shelf.
300 g
of greens and salad per day
½
minimum avocado
2–3 tablespoons
of flax and chia
30 → 100 g
sauerkraut
Permanent refrigerator base
| What | How much | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Green salad and greens | up to 300 g per day | plate volume and fiber |
| Avocado | from half a fruit | fats and potassium |
| Eggs | to taste | quick protein |
| Fatty fish | several times a week | protein and fatty acids |
| Flax and chia | 2–3 spoonfuls each | fiber |
| Sauerkraut | from 30 g, to 100 g | fermented, start gradually |
| Olive and other oils | 10–20 g per day | fueling, not “topping up the quota” |
| Nuts | 20–30 g per day | upper limit, not a mandatory amount |
| Chocolate 85% and above | 10–20 g per day | if you crave something sweet |
What is removed from the basket
Sugar in its pure form, bread and pastries, grains, potatoes and corn, sweet fruits, juices and soda, processed foods such as sausages and ready-made sauces.
Underground vegetables are also removed, except onions and garlic: they are kept in small quantities. This is the only point where the method’s materials differ from one another, and until we clarify it with the author, we are keeping the cautious value.
How to read a label in ten seconds
Ingredients first, front later
“Fitness,” “sugar-free,” “eco-friendly” — that’s advertising. The truth is in the fine print on the back.
The first three positions decide
Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. If sugar or one of its synonyms appears at the beginning, you can stop reading.
View carbohydrates per 100 g
Not per “serving”: the manufacturer calls whatever is convenient for them a serving.
Fewer words — better
Five simple ingredients are more reliable than twenty with flavorings and stabilizers.
Weekly grocery shopping
One trip instead of five after-work runs. The list is short and barely changes from week to week: greens and salad, vegetables for the plate, eggs, fish, meat or poultry, avocado, oil, nuts, flax and chia, sauerkraut.
The expensive items here are fish and nuts, and they are the easiest ones to push you over budget. Buy nuts in bulk and keep them in a sealed jar: a packet on the table disappears in an evening, and that means several hundred unnoticed kilocalories.
Frequently asked questions about foods
Is it necessary to eat nuts, chocolate, and butter every day?
No. No one needs them every day. These are acceptable and very high-calorie foods: 20–30 g of nuts, 10–20 g of 85% chocolate, 10–20 g of added oil—the ceiling, not the plan.
Are sweeteners allowed?
Yes. Erythritol and stevia can be used on a low-carb diet. They are among the most suitable sugar substitutes. And one important rule: the label “sugar-free” does not mean “keto.” Always check the entire ingredient list and the amount of digestible carbohydrates, especially if maltodextrin, dextrose, or maltitol are among the first ingredients. And one more nuance: sweeteners do not necessarily need to be completely excluded on keto. But if the goal is to gradually reduce your craving for sweets, it makes sense over time to reduce the intensity of the sweet taste itself, rather than simply replacing sugar with its analogues endlessly.
How much sauerkraut can you have?
Start with 30 grams and gradually increase to approximately 100. If bloating occurs, reduce by half; if intolerant, replace with bell pepper and apple cider vinegar.
What to do if you don't have time to cook?
Keep a no-cook base on hand: greens, avocado, eggs, canned fish without sauces, olive oil. A plate comes together faster than delivery arrives.
What to do tomorrow morning
- Make a list of ten fixed positions
- Check the ingredients of the three sauces in the fridge
- Transfer the nuts to a jar and clear them from the table
- Stock up on greens: they run out first
- Don’t buy “fitness” bars without reading the ingredients
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