Keto glossary
51 terms, explained in plain English.
Acetone
A type of ketone that can be released in the breath, sometimes causing a fruity or metallic “keto breath.”
Allulose
A rare sugar that tastes like sugar, browns when baked and is largely not metabolized, so it counts as roughly zero net carbs.
Almond flour
Finely ground blanched almonds, the foundation of most keto baking.
BHB (beta-hydroxybutyrate)
The main ketone circulating in the blood during ketosis, used as fuel by the brain and muscles.
BMR (basal metabolic rate)
The calories your body burns at rest. Calculators estimate it with formulas such as Mifflin-St Jeor.
Bulletproof coffee
Coffee blended with butter and oil (often MCT or coconut oil) into a creamy, latte-like drink.
Carb cycling
Alternating higher-carb and lower-carb days. It is not the same as keto.
Cauliflower rice
Cauliflower grated or pulsed into rice-size pieces, used in place of rice.
Chaffle
A waffle made from cheese and egg, often used as low-carb bread.
Clean keto
Building a keto diet from whole, minimally processed foods such as meat, fish, eggs and vegetables.
Cloud bread
A light, airy, bread-like round made from whipped eggs, cream cheese and sometimes cream of tartar.
Coconut flour
A fibrous flour from dried coconut that absorbs much more liquid than almond flour.
Dirty keto
Hitting keto macros with processed or fast foods. It is low-carb but lacks nutritional quality.
Electrolytes
Minerals such as sodium, potassium and magnesium that help regulate fluids, nerves and muscles.
Erythritol
A sugar alcohol with almost no calories that is mostly not absorbed, so it counts as zero net carbs.
Fat bomb
A small, high-fat, low-carb sweet or snack, often made with nut butter, coconut oil and chocolate.
Fiber
A carbohydrate your body cannot digest. It is subtracted when calculating net carbs.
Ghee
Clarified butter with the milk solids removed, used for high-heat cooking.
Gluconeogenesis
The process by which the liver makes glucose from non-carbohydrate sources such as amino acids.
Glycemic index
A scale of how quickly a food raises blood sugar. Low-GI foods raise it more slowly.
Glycogen
The stored form of glucose in the liver and muscles. It is depleted in the first days of a low-carb diet.
Hidden carbs
Carbohydrates in foods that do not seem sweet or starchy, like sauces, dressings, glazes and processed meats.
Insulin
A hormone that moves glucose from the blood into cells. Low-carb diets tend to lower insulin levels.
Intermittent fasting
Cycling between periods of eating and not eating, such as 16:8.
Keto adaptation
The period, often weeks, in which the body gets more efficient at using fat and ketones for fuel.
Keto flu
Temporary symptoms such as headache, fatigue and cramps that some people feel in the first days of cutting carbs.
Ketoacidosis
A dangerous medical emergency in which ketones build up to harmful levels, most often in type 1 diabetes. It is not the same as nutritional ketosis.
Ketones
Fuel molecules the liver produces from fat when carbohydrate intake is low.
Ketosis
A metabolic state in which the body relies more on fat and ketones for energy.
Lazy keto
Tracking only net carbs and not counting calories, protein or fat.
Low-carb
A broad term for eating fewer carbohydrates than usual. Keto is a stricter form.
Macros
Short for macronutrients: fat, protein and carbohydrate.
Maltitol
A sugar alcohol that is partly absorbed, raises blood sugar and can cause digestive upset.
MCT oil
Medium-chain triglyceride oil, a concentrated fat often added to coffee. Start with small amounts.
Mifflin-St Jeor
A widely used equation for estimating basal metabolic rate.
Monk fruit
A natural, zero-calorie sweetener, often blended with erythritol.
Net carbs
Total carbohydrates minus fiber (and typically sugar alcohols). The number most keto eaters count.
Nutritional ketosis
A mild, controlled elevation of ketones from a low-carb diet.
OMAD
One meal a day, an extreme form of intermittent fasting. Not appropriate for everyone.
Plateau
A period when weight or measurements stop changing despite consistent habits.
Psyllium husk
A soluble fiber used in low-carb baking to give bread structure.
Refeed
A planned increase in carbohydrate intake. It is not part of a standard ketogenic diet.
Shirataki noodles
Noodles made from konjac fiber with almost no digestible carbs.
Standard ketogenic diet
The most common keto approach: very low carb, moderate protein, high fat.
Stevia
A zero-calorie plant-based sweetener that is much sweeter than sugar.
Sugar alcohol
A group of sweeteners such as erythritol, xylitol and maltitol that are partly or mostly not absorbed.
TDEE (total daily energy expenditure)
The total calories you burn in a day, including activity.
Total carbs
All carbohydrates in a food, including fiber and sugar alcohols.
Xanthan gum
A thickener that lets you thicken sauces and bake without flour. Use tiny amounts.
Xylitol
A sugar alcohol that is partly absorbed. It is highly toxic to dogs.
Zoodles
Noodles made by spiralizing zucchini.
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General information, not medical advice. Please see our health disclaimer.