Worst Fats to Eat on Keto Diet

Even though the keto diet emphasizes eating a lot of fat and little carbohydrate, if you want your body to enter into ketosis, the type of fat you consume is essential to consider. Although it may seem like all you need to do is eat a lot of fats, unhealthy fat won't provide you with the nutrition you need right now.

That makes it essential to only include healthy fat in keto meals and to be knowledgeable about it. Let's explore this topic in greater detail.

Trans Fat

Of three kinds of fats, trans fat is the worst for anyone. The naturally found trans fat in some meat and milk is preferable to those that are intentionally added.  

Typically, they are used to increase the shelf life of packaged products. Naturally, you can find them in various snacks, fast foods, and baked foods, among others. Unfortunately, they can also lead to Type 2 diabetes, weight gain, cardiovascular issues, and many other things. It is advisable to stay away from them whether you’re having keto meals or not.

Cheese

According to the USDA, each slice of cheese has no fibre, less than 1 g of carbs, and 7 g of fat, of which 4 g are saturated fats. Saturated fat raises cholesterol and puts a person at risk for heart disease. Despite this, some studies show that cheese may have some health advantages, such as a 10% reduction in the risk of heart disease and stroke, especially for people who eat around a slice and a half each day. But it's best to restrict your consumption because of saturated fat.

Cream

Out of the 5 g fat, 3.5 g is saturated fat present in one tablespoon of heavy creams. Cream can be an everyday companion to many people, so cutting it down may sound harsh. Saturated fats aren’t necessarily bad for your health, but it’s better to have them in moderation as they cannot be considered keto food.

Butter

The butter that we get from the market nowadays is a completely processed food obtained from milk. Of the total 81 g of fats found in 100 g of butter, 51 g is saturated fat, whereas 3.3 g is trans fat. As discussed earlier, saturated fat is better to be consumed in moderation and trans fat should be avoided altogether. Hence, butter should always be enjoyed with caution, and if you want to consume only keto foods, you must forbid it outright.

Deep Fry

Most deep-fried foods are made with refined oil, which is again processed food from a natural oil to preserve it, get rid of the strong aroma, and give a clear appearance. Some people may be in a delusion that avoiding fast food is enough, but homemade deep fried made with oils like this is as bad. 

The bottom line

Fat is a necessary macronutrient that everyone should include in their diet. When having keto meals, it is even more important because your body is using fat as a source of energy instead of carbohydrates. You should check the levels of anything that you eat. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the best sources, limit the number of saturated fats and try to completely cut down trans fat.

References:

https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/781659/nutrients

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-016-1292-z

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3551118/

https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/781472/nutrients