There’s no such thing as Keto specialty food.
You need fatty cuts of meats or protein source and go for good quality fats.
Some veggies.
Don’t blow your money some complicated recipes.
MCT oil is great but not required.
coconut flour not required.
Get yourself some good quality eggs, some fatty beef etc.
Get some butter, coconut oil good quality olive oil.
The rest will come to you along the journey.
OM: “If you are into podcasts at all, I would highly recommend listening to the 2 Keto Dudes. Start at the beginning. You will learn soooo much. Especially being T2D, this info will be invaluable as you start your keto journey.”
Thank you, I will. I am not really into podcasts, I prefer Youtube videos but information is information, so if their content is good, I will check them out for sure.
As a side note, I have been watching tons of Youtube videos from mostly 2 channels:
Keto Connect: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzRYivTpUQ0r2qPPjfLoQiA
Thomas DeLauer: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC70SrI3VkT1MXALRtf0pcHg
If you have any other that are very good please share!
Daniel
Update on my shopping spree 
First, thanks again for all the comments, you guys are awesome!
Second, I live in Canada, and the reality here is that many of the stores you suggested or products you can easily buy in normal grocery stores are simply not available.
So, I visited Wal-Mart, Super C, Loblaws and Metro which represents 2 large scales supermarkets, and a smaller scale one plus Wal-Mart that has a small grocery section that cover the essentials but don’t have a lot of extended offerings. For example I was unable to find 4% cottage cheese there, they only had 1% and 2%, where all other three had it.
So none of them had grass fed or free ranging meat offering. Maybe they are and it’s not shown on the labels, but I really doubt it because that kind of label would mean they can sell for a premium price so no reason not to print it.
As for specialty items, I was able to easily find Coconut milk, but none of them had coconut flour (so I ordered it on Amazon). I was unable to find MCT oil, which is not an issue since it’s not necessary. I was able to easily find coconut oil at all of them. Surprisingly the price varies quite a bit from one brand to the next so I don’t know if there is a quality difference there. I purchased the one that was at the lowest price per gram, which was a bit under 5$ for just under a pound (410g). I later found a super large container at an other store for a better price point but I will use what I have first.
I was unable to find Brazil Nuts or Hemp seeds, again not important I purchased Almonds and Walnuts which will do the trick for snacks. The unsweetened chocolate I was able to find still contained a ton of carbs. The brand I purchased is Baker’s. Any suggestion something with the fewest carbs? This one had 15g of fat, 9g of carbs (5g fibers) and 3 grams of protein per portion. I am not sure if that is good, I was under the impression unsweetened chocolate had close to no carbs,
Last item was protein bars. I was looking for Quest Hero bars but could not find any. I purchased 3 boxes of Atkins bars that have low carbs but are high protein and low fat… so it’s not ideal but it’s better than the high protein, High carbs bars I had. I still have 5 of those then I can switch to the new ones.
I will make a separate post about my journey towards Keto if you are interested.
So I think this week I should be able to pretty much complete the switch from Mediterranean to Keto, I am getting very low on fruits and carb based food in the pantry and fridge, Then I will just buy Keto foods,
The YouTube channel I like best is Low Carb Down Under. Most of the presentations are discussions of some aspect of nutritional research, and the rest are generally talks about some aspect or other of low-carb, high-fat life.
The unsweetened chocolate with almost no carbs is cocoa and is powdered. Otherwise what you got is pretty close to the best you can get at 4 net carbs per serving. I would just eat half a serving to satisfy a craving.
Careful with the Atkins bars they cause some people problems because of the sugar alcohol they use.
Thrive Market just added “Ketogenic Diet” as a category, go to categories and then other, it’s at the bottom of the list and a handy way to discover new options. Thrive is my go to for pre-made dressing and mayo with good oils and less expensive Lily’s Chocolate. I purchase from Thrive Market and Amazon on-line. I’m finding more keto friendly choices at all stores, and usually frequent Fresh Thyme Market, Trader Joes, Aldi, and Costco for our week to week regular items.
Thrive is a membership site right? Do you find it was worth the cost? I need to go check out their savings calculator.
@d_to_the_c Yes, it is a membership. I have saved more than the membership cost, but it will depend on what you purchase. Most items I purchase are less expensive than local stores and Amazon, and always more convenient… a bonus in my world. I order only when I have enough for free shipping. The shipping is not fast, but I can’t complain when it’s free 
Calendyr, try Bulk Barn, there are a few locations in Montreal. All kinds of nut flours, raw seeds and nuts, protein powders, etc. plus mine here in BC carries MCT oil, coconut cream and other things. The best place to also get spices in any quantity you want.
Many of this items are not as good as advertised for keto. For example, Atkins bars contain the sugar alcohol Maltitol. Unfortunately, while maltitol itself is not absorbed by the body, it can be absorbed and converted by gut bacteria into sugars that your body can absorb. The result for many is a significant insulin spike, and even a glucose spike!
If I may speak from experience, I think perhaps you may get better results approaching the ketogenic lifestyle as something new. That is, don’t seek to replace the old foods with versions that are possibly keto friendly. I’ve found that substituting sweets all around and consuming all kinds of sugar alcohols actually prevents the diet from working, especially for us diabetics. Instead, let your body become fat adapted. You will find that you don’t crave the sweet things and don’t need too many substitutes for sugar. You will crave savory things that are fatty instead! Sweets with a little Erythritol and maybe stevia can be enjoyed on occasion, but they shouldn’t be in literally everything that we eat. I think too many people fall off the keto wagon by trying to have a diet as close to their old carb-heavy one, but with all kinds of processed foods or sugar substitutes. The best you can do is eat a lot of fat, and enjoy it! Eat natural, real foods–not processed or boxed ones.
I was going to say something similar @EZB said it better.
It concerns me when you buy boxes of Atkins treats. That is not how this is supposed to work. Even walmart has lots of cheeses, cream, cream cheeses, eggs, meats and salads available. You can make your own condiments and do not have to rely on sugared ones. Yes it is easier if you can follow a recipe but there are so many easy items to cook and grab. Also, try to get in the habit of intermittent fasting. It is a great tool because I no longer bring snacks, if there is no keto food available I do not eat and it is not a problem. So much easier
Thanks. I registered to the channel and will watch a few of their videos tonight. 
ok thanks! It’s not to eat as is. I want to use it in recipes like low carb brownies and the like. Maybe I should simply use coco powder then.
Sugar alcohol? Will have to check the ingredient lists. Odd they would use alcohol in a protein bar. Thanks for the warning. I only intend to eat those after my workouts. I purchased 3 boxes, 3 different flavors. Macros are similar between the 3, only slight variations. I have not checked the ingredient list though. I mainly look at Fat and Carb content now and also look to see if a good part of those carbs are fibers. Maybe I will have to look at what is in it too … sigh.
Hum. Protein bars are hardly treats. They are meal replacement items. I use protein bars post-workout to repair muscle damage. The ones I had were high in carbs, so that is why I wanted Quest Hero one which are very low in carbs but they are not available locally. Atkins bars are not as low in carbs as Hero bars, but at 9g total carbs (5 of which are fibers) they are much much lower than the 30g of carbs from my previous ones.
I am searching for specific items to create recipes. This is not what I plan on eating all the time, but when a recipe calls for 5 items you can’t find, it’s a little annoying. I have found most of the items on my list. I have printed 2 pages of food I can eat, the basis for the diet will be eggs, meat, vegetables and oils. There are easy to find. The more exotic ones like coconut flour are the ones I was having issues finding… that doesn’t mean I plan to eat that every meal.
Did you try DietDoctor.com?
Also another one I like is WickedStuffed.com for recipes.
I don’t think I bought coconut flour until I was 3 months into keto and I live in an area with tons of Whole Foods.
Maybe use hard boiled eggs instead? While I have no idea as to your level of exercise, in general protein is not the most important dietary component on this diet. Yes you need some protein (generally between .8 - 1.5 gram per kilo of either lean body mass or ideal weight depending on activity) I am not sure you need it immediately after exercise unless you are fasting (and even then). Assuming your ideal weight is 180 lbs (obviously I have no idea what it actually is), then as an active person you may want to get 135 grams per day. That is not very hard to do, as someone who is supposed to get no more than 70, I can get to at least 90 grams without even realizing while eating normal meals a day. Also, fish has a lot of protein per gram, more than a lot of land animals. My problem is limiting my protein while eating normally on keto, not increasing it using artificial food which what Atkins bars are
@calendyr I like using (though I don’t do it that often as I normally am breaking my fast after my workouts and generally have a proper meal) making a protein mousse - it’s simply a scoop of your favourite whey protein powder (mine claims it is zero carbs, but please check anything you buy as they do add sugar alcohols to some who might kick you out of ketosis), 100 ml of thickened cream and 20 grams of butter (they are my ratios so have fun playing but I end up with around 6 carbs). I use a hand mixer to whip them all together, and I sit back and enjoy as it is fairly thick and decadent. A friend of mine does the same though he uses cocoa with a dash of stevia. Either way, you get your fats, your protein and minimise carb.
I have not purchased Protein powder yet. Not sure I will. I like protein bars because they require no effort. Just unwrap and eat. If I have to prepare something, I feel I might as well prepare a proper meal.
I have managed to find all the stuff I wanted and made myself Keto Chocolate chips cookies. 10g of carbs each with the sugar substitute I have (Sucralose) so I feel that is too high. And I have weak willpower when I eat stuff like that. So keeping it to one cookie per day like I planned did not work out So I will have to go easy on this kind of stuff.
Right now I am trying to find good food to meal prep for a week at a time.
Last week I did hard boiled eggs and chorizo for breakfasts and beef chily for dinner.
Next week I will repeat the Eggs but will use sausage instead if chorizo.
For Dinner and Lunch I will make a beef and pork taco mix (just the meat and spices) and chicken drumsticks.
Still need to find more receipes that are well suited to prepare a batch for the week. But this is a good start.
Just like there is a Glycemic Index which attempts to quantify the impact of various foods on serum glucose levels, there is also an Insulin index which attempts to quantify the impact of various foods on insulin levels. It is easy to measure blood sugar levels so this is what the vast majority of people measure and talk about, but for T2D the true problem is not blood glucose, it is insulin, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia with high blood sugar levels being a symptom of the underlying metabolic dysfunction.
Some foods have a low Glycemic Index but a surprisingly high Insulin Index, and this includes a lot of foods that are high in protean. Fats have the lowest impact on insulin.
I am also, or I was also, a T2D, and I would never select to eat a protein powder as I already have a hard time keeping my protein consumption in my desired target range. I would much rather expend my protein grams on steak, or a pork chop, or a bit of kielbasa.