Low Carb Snacks To Buy At Whole Foods

Carina Wolff 
10 - 12 MIN.

HighKey snacks are Gluten Free - Grain free - No Sugar Added - Low Carb

IN THIS ARTICLE

• What To Look For When Grocery Shopping For Keto Food
• Keto & Whole Foods
• Is Whole Foods Keto-Friendly?
• Why Shop at Whole Foods For Keto Food?

• Your Keto Whole Food Questions Answered
• Top Keto-Friendly Snacks at Whole Foods
• Most Popular Keto Friendly Food At Whole Foods
• Foods To Avoid At Whole Foods

Low Carb Snacks At Whole Foods

06-11-2020

If you are just starting your keto or fitness journey you may be wondering where to shop to get what you need.What kind of snacks are okay for the keto diet? Is it okay to shop just anywhere or do you need to seek out a natural products specialty market such as Whole Foods? 

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Whole Foods is the place to be right now! They offer premium products that can be difficult to find elsewhere. They’ve also partnered with Amazon and offer discounts and delivery via Prime! 

We know grocery shopping on a keto diet can be intimidating. Luckily, Whole Foods has high standards for the products they carry and does a lot of the heavy lifting for you. Let’s explore! 

What To Look For When Grocery Shopping For Keto Food

Once you get the hang of grocery shopping for your keto diet, it really will be just as easy as before – you’ll know all the areas of the store to hit and the aisles you can skip entirely. But, in the beginning, grocery shopping on a keto diet can be confusing and take for-e-v-e-r. Don’t worry it will be second nature in no time! 

At first, you may end up pausing in every section, checking every label, sighing at everything with hidden sugars and carbs, and shouting in triumph when you finally find something that’s keto-friendly. Sure, you may get some strange looks from other shoppers if you do this, but they should try shopping for keto snacks. It’s hard.

So, what should you be looking for at the grocery store?

In a nutshell, when you are on the standard ketogenic diet you can really shop at any grocery store. Generally speaking, you are looking for low-carb, moderate protein and high-fat foods. So skip the bread and pasta, beans, chips, and candy and look for meat, seafood, nuts, healthy fats and oils, non-starchy vegetables, high-fat dairy, and eggs. You should avoid traditional dairy milk by sticking to unsweetened nut milk and if you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, look for dark chocolate that is at least 75% cocoa solids.

Keto & Whole Foods

You can pretty much get the shortlist above, at any grocery store, but Whole Foods has a much better selection of keto-friendly products compared to many other stores! And if you care about where your food comes from and how it is produced and raised, at Whole Foods you’ll easily find grass-fed meat, non-GMO products, and organic vegetables, too. That’s one of the main reasons why Whole Foods is so popular -  they offer quality products for the mindful and concerned consumer. It’s a great place to get your weekly haul, not just to grab some snacks or lunch every once in a while.

So, now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s go over some key Whole Foods highlights.

Is Whole Foods Keto-Friendly?

Whole Foods Market is the ideal grocery store for anyone who has special dietary needs, with 500 locations there’s a store within driving distance of most major towns and cities. Whole Foods is great for keto, paleo, vegan or anyone who wants high quality organic and naturally produced food.

Everything stocked is free from hydrogenated fats and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, and it is all exceptionally labeled so that you can make the correct selection for specific dietary needs, including the keto diet.

While not everything in Whole Foods is keto-friendly, your local Whole Foods is more likely to offer easy-to-grab keto snacks than many other major grocery stores.

Why Shop at Whole Foods For Keto Food?

Whole Foods stocks a huge variety of fresh produce and also has a ton of choices for keto-friendly snacks, beverages, and even full-meal options.

If you’re able – or have the motivation – to make every recipe and snack from scratch, we salute you, but if you’re not a superhero in the kitchen (like us) you’ll want to grab some ready-to-eat snacks to satisfy your hunger cravings ASAP.

Fortunately, Whole Foods offers many different keto snack options. While we’ve done a ton of the hard work for you in this article (scroll down if you just want to know what you can go in and buy), their website is very user-friendly as you can filter by dietary preference. All you need is one click and the non-keto foods are filtered out!

Is Whole Foods The Best Grocery Store For Keto Friendly Food?

You can source groceries that fit in with a keto diet from all sorts of stores, big and small, but we’ve found that Whole Foods makes it possible to buy pretty much everything you need in one place. Your Whole Foods shopping list can include everything you need for your keto diet, as well as other household necessities. It’s certainly one of the most convenient for keto.

We’ll again point out that they have an awesome delivery system partnered with Amazon! It is exclusive to Prime Members (but that’s everyone at this point, am I right?) but offers 2 hour delivery of all your favorites. Simply place your order online and check it off your to do list! 

Your Keto Whole Food Questions Answered

Does Whole Foods Sell Keto Pizza?

While there isn’t a ready made pizza available at Whole Foods, they do sell three different brands of pizza crusts made from cauliflower, which are gluten-free, grain-free and keto-friendly. Just spread a little keto-friendly pizza sauce on the crust (check the label for carbs/added sugar or make your own pesto or tomato-base), pile on your cheese, pepperoni, or other meat of choice, cook and eat. Delicious, fast, and easy. Plus, this gives you the freedom to choose your own toppings and sauces. Bacon and banana peppers anyone? 

Does Whole Foods Sell Keto Coffee?

All pure coffee is suitable for a keto diet because coffee beans have no carbs. Whole Foods stocks a huge variety of different blends, so you can definitely experiment and see what you like best. Simply add unsweetened nut milk, heavy cream, butter or MCT for true keto coffee, or drink it black – just avoid sweetened creamers and sugar. Some Whole Foods do carry ready-to-drink keto coffee varieties. If you dub yourself as a coffee connoisseur, you can even buy the beans whole and grind them in-store to ensure you’re preserving freshness!  

Does Whole Foods Carry MCT Oil?

MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) are a type of fat found in certain oils and dairy products, particularly coconut oil. Because of their structure, MCTs are not metabolized the same as longer chain fats. MCT oil supplements have been reported to support brain function, giving an energy boost, and promoting weight management. As part of a keto diet, taking MCT oil may help you stay in ketosis.

Whole Foods stocks their own “365” brand of MCT oil made from coconut oil, so unless there is a deal on other brands offered in-store, that’s likely going to be the best deal.

Does Whole Foods Have a Keto Section?

Once you learn the keto-diet, you’ll find there is actually a wide range of foods you can eat. Therefore a specific keto section would take up a lot of in-store real estate. To help you identify specific keto snacking options, the Whole Foods website allows you to choose keto-only products as a filter so you can browse online. The labeling in-store is also great, so they’re much more keto-friendly than many other nationwide grocery stores and you’ll be able to see exactly what’s available for keto foods at Whole Foods.

Top Keto-Friendly Snacks at Whole Foods

Let’s look at some of the things that should be on your Whole Foods snack shopping list. (So grab some paper and a pen!)

• Brick-Oven Pizza Parm Crisps - Minimum carbs but plenty of fat and protein suitable for the keto diet and they come in four other flavors too, Original, Jalapeño, Sesame and Sour Cream. One serving provides 7g of fat, 9g of protein and only 1g of carbs. They are the perfect keto chip replacement!  
• Gimme Teriyaki Roasted Seaweed Snacks - Seaweed isn’t for everyone but is a good keto choice. These snacks contain little fat, little protein, and almost no net carbohydrates, so they make a good choice for an in-between meal snack. They come in Sea Salt and Olive Oil flavors as well with the same low carb content.
• Epic Sea Salt & Venison Snack Strip - Each package contains 4g of fat and a big 9g of protein with hardly a trace of carbs. Need we say more? They make them in bars as well as strips.
• Creminelli Prosciutto And Aged Mozzarella Snack Pack - So Italian and so tasty with 10g of fat and protein-packed with 17g and not a single gram of carbohydrate either.
• Epic Cinnamon Baked Pork Rinds - Another flavorsome snack that’s good for keto – 3.5g of fat, 8g of protein and only 1g of carbs per 14g serving. And they come in five other flavors too, Chill Lime, Sea Salt, BBQ, and Sea Salt & Pepper.
• HighKey Mini Cookies- Yes, we have to mention our own cookies – but that’s because we love them and apparently, so does Whole Foods! Now our yummy little cookies are available in select markets throughout the Southwest region including select stores in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma . They come in three delicious flavors – Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle and Double Chocolate Brownie. Each serving, about eight bite-size cookies, contains around 14g of fat, 2g net carbs, 4g of protein and 140 calories. You have to try them! Check out other HighKey snacks on our website, and you can also contact us there to help you find our cookies at a Whole Foods near you!

Most Popular Keto Friendly Food At Whole Foods

There are so many foods for the keto diet at Whole Foods. The displays of carefully sourced meat, poultry, seafood, and fresh veggies are of course, delicious, but there are also many popular packaged foods to add to your Whole Foods shopping list:

• Kite Hill Plain Unsweetened Almond Milk Yoghurt - 13g of fat (and only 2g are saturated fat), 6g of protein and just 1g of carbohydrate per cup make this traditionally cultured yogurt a hit with anyone on a keto diet.
• Julian Bakery Paleo Almond Bread - Made from almond and coconut flours, a slice of this keto-friendly bread has 3g of fat, 7g of protein and just 1g net carbs.
• So Delicious Chocolate Coconut Milk Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert with No Added Sugar - This is a wonderful alternative for those of us on a keto diet with a hankering for ice cream – 7g of fat, 2g of protein but only 7g of net carbs for a 1/2 cup serving. And chocolate too! Eat for a treat and  stick to the serving size.
• Applegate Naturals Chicken and Sage Breakfast Sausage - A helping of three links of these fully cooked, ready to eat, frozen sausages has 8g of fat, 9g of protein and just 1g of carbs. A great way to begin your keto day.
• BHU Keto Double Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites - If you miss those carb-laden cookies and cakes give these a try. Each one has 10g of fat, 4g of protein and only 1g of net carbs. No problem with staying in ketosis with these.
• Bitchin’ Chipotle Sauce - If you love Mexican flavors, you’ll love this, and with 9g of fat, 2g of protein and almost no net carbs at all, so will your keto diet.
• Whole Foods Market Truffle Mousse - Ideal for a quick lunch or a first course on a special occasion, this Whole Foods branded truffle flavored mousse is a winner. Each 2oz serving has 17g of fat (mostly unsaturated), 6g of protein and a single gram of carbohydrate.

Foods To Avoid At Whole Foods

Whole Foods caters to the dietary needs of all people, not just those who are keto, so it stands to reason you will need to read the nutritional information, as carbs and sugar can turn up anywhere, even in places you wouldn’t expect.

• Dried Fruit: If you are a keto-dieter, raisins, sultanas and other dried fruits are best left on the shelves because of their naturally occurring carb content. Each serving is a sugar bomb – 28g of raisins has a massive 17g of sugar and sultanas are worse still. They have loads of fiber, potassium, and antioxidants but all those carbs make them unfit for keto snacks. 
• Low Fat Yogurt: Low fat does not mean low carb or keto-friendly. Many are loaded with sugar and on a keto diet you want fats, not carbs, so beware of low-fat anything and check the labels.
• Snacks such as Veggie Straws or Fruit Snacks: Whole Foods has a wide selection of snacks but many are made of grains or starchy veggies or are fruit-based and contain large amounts of carbohydrates that are undesirable for keto dieters. 
• Healthy Organic Juices and Beverages: Even those that are 100% juice will likely have too many carbs to fit with a keto diet. Many have sweeteners that are added that may sound  “healthy” – organic sugar, agave and so on – but they will affect your blood sugar just the same, so avoid them. 

Whole Foods is a great store that understands and caters to the desires of a  wide variety of consumers, especially those with specific dietary needs.  The food is high quality, is carefully sourced, often locally, and they tend to carry more options for low carb snacks and keto-friendly foods than your average local grocery store. Just remember to always check the label before trying something new, even if it proclaims to be sugar-free or low carb on the label. 

  Carina Wolff

Carina Wolff is a health and wellness writer and food blogger based out of Los Angeles. She graduated from New York University with a degree in journalism and psychology. She writes for a number of websites, including Bustle, FabFitFun, Reader's Digest, and more. She also runs a healthy food blog called Kale Me Maybe, where she develops clean-eating recipes.