The keto diet has become among the most popular or frequently asked about diets, not only among recreational and competitive athletes, but also widespread to individuals who are not even consistently active.
But, what can you eat on the keto diet and how is it different from a low-carb diet? Is the keto diet good for weight loss? Is the keto diet healthy?
In this guide, we will discuss what the keto diet is, how to follow the keto diet, what you can eat on the keto diet, and the potential pros and cons of the keto diet plan.
Lets dive in!
What Is the Keto Diet?
The keto diet, which is the shortened term for the ketogenic diet, is a high-fat diet intended to induce a state of ketosis.
Although most people know the keto diet as being very low in carbohydrates (and it is!), the actual premise of the diet is to simultaneously severely restrict carbohydrates and eat most of your calories from fat with just a moderate amount of protein.
There is no specific keto diet food list or keto meal plan but everyone has to follow, but the goal is to consume about 75% of your calories from fat, 5% from carbohydrates, and 20% from protein.
The purpose of the keto diet is to bring the body into a state of ketosis, which refers to a metabolic state where the body is burning only fat for fuel rather than carbohydrates.
Once the body starts burning stored body fat for fuel or metabolizing dietary fats as they are digested, the liver begins producing ketone bodies as a byproduct of the breakdown of fat.1Gershuni, V. M., Yan, S. L., & Medici, V. (2018). Nutritional Ketosis for Weight Management and Reversal of Metabolic Syndrome. Current Nutrition Reports, 7(3), 97106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-018-0235-0
These ketones can be used instead of carbs for energy.
Ketosis is thought to not only promote weight loss and fat loss but also provide additional health benefits, such as providing a neuroprotective function and increasing insulin sensitivity.2Sampaio, L. P. de B. (2016). Ketogenic diet for epilepsy treatment. Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, 74(10), 842848. https://doi.org/10.1590/0004-282×20160116
What Can You Eat On the Keto Diet?
Although there is some flexibility in the specific macronutrient ratios on the keto diet, experts suggest that most ketogenic diets involve consuming 7075% of your calories from fat, 20-25% of your calories from protein, and 510% of your calories from carbohydrates. 3Indian Journal of Medical Research. (n.d.). Journals.lww.com. https://journals.lww.com/ijmr/pages/default.aspx
In addition to having these macro ratios for the keto diet, most keto diet experts also suggest putting limits on the grams of carbs on keto per day in case you have difficulty keeping track of your calories.
However, unlike popular weight loss diets, the keto diet doesnt have to be followed for weight loss nor does it require counting calories.
Therefore, the notion of having a certain percentage of your calories from protein, fats, and carbs on keto is somewhat gratuitous or cumbersome for people who dont want to count calories.
In terms of the grams of carbs to eat on keto per day, some keto experts say that you should consume a maximum of 20 grams of net carbs per day, which is extremely low.
A maximum of 50 grams of net carbohydrates per day is more standard, or capping your carb intake at 5% of your total daily caloric intake.
Note that net carbs refers to the number of grams of carbohydrates minus the number of grams of fiber that you eat.
If you do count calories on the keto diet and you stick with the 5% of your calories coming from carbs on the keto diet, if you eat 2,000 calories a day, you could eat 100 grams of carbohydrates per day on the ketogenic diet.
Keto diet meals are built around consuming healthy fats and typically animal proteins, including foods like fatty fish, meat, nuts, cheese, avocados, coconut, seeds, and oils.
What Are the Main Differences Between a Low Carb vs. Keto Diet?
One of the major differences between a low-carb vs keto diet is in the flexibility with the carbohydrate intake. With the keto diet, the daily carbohydrate limit is significantly more restrictive than on a general low-carb diet.
Typically, a low-carb diet involves any diet wherein carbohydrates comprise no more than 30% of the total daily caloric intake.
On the other hand, the recommendations for carbohydrates on the keto diet restrict your carb intake to about 5% of your total daily caloric intake.
The keto diet is also specifically designed to be a high-fat diet with a limit on proteins as well as proteins can get broken down more easily to fat, which will take you out of ketosis.
With a low-carb diet, you can choose to distribute your calories from protein and fat as you so choose after restricting your carb intake.
Is the Keto Diet Good for Weight Loss?
There is no specific, universal keto diet meal plan that everyone has to follow and you do not have to count calories.
However, if you want to do the keto diet for weight loss, you may want to count calories.
There is a misconception that just because youre eating high-fat foods and restricting carbs on a keto meal plan, you will automatically lose weight.
While you will lose some initial water weight4, A., Clifton, P., & Brouns, F. (2006). Low-carbohydrate diets: nutritional and physiological aspects. Obesity Reviews, 7(1), 4958. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-789x.2006.00222.x as you burn through your glycogen and the water stored with the muscle glycogen, additional fat loss on keto will only come from being in a caloric deficit.5Weight Loss Depends on Less Calories, Not Nutrient Mix. (2015, May 22). National Institutes of Health (NIH). https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/weight-loss-depends-less-calories-not-nutrient-mix
That said, the keto diet does tend to be quite successful for weight loss.
This is thought to be due to numerous factors.
#1: Keto Foods Are Filling
For one, numerous studies have found that foods that are high in protein and fat are satiating, which may help reduce your appetite and how much you are consuming in a meal.6Carreiro, A. L., Dhillon, J., Gordon, S., Higgins, K. A., Jacobs, A. G., McArthur, B. M., Redan, B. W., Rivera, R. L., Schmidt, L. R., & Mattes, R. D. (2016). The Macronutrients, Appetite, and Energy Intake. Annual Review of Nutrition, 36(1), 73103. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nutr-121415-112624
This speaks to the concept of intuitive eating, which basically just states that you can let your hunger cues and cravings guide your eating choices, and this should naturally bring your body to a healthy weight.
#2: Keto Can Decrease Insulin Levels
Eliminating refined carbs will also help prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes, which can help regulate your appetite.
Longer-term benefits7Cicero, A. F. G., Benelli, M., Brancaleoni, M., Dainelli, G., Merlini, D., & Negri, R. (2015). Middle and Long-Term Impact of a Very Low-Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet on Cardiometabolic Factors: A Multi-Center, Cross-Sectional, Clinical Study. High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular Prevention, 22(4), 389394. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40292-015-0096-1 of ketosis or prolonged ketosis include improved blood sugar management,8Harvey, C. J. d. C., Schofield, G. M., Zinn, C., Thornley, S. J., Crofts, C., & Merien, F. L. R. (2019). Low-carbohydrate diets differing in carbohydrate restriction improve cardiometabolic and anthropometric markers in healthy adults: A randomised clinical trial. PeerJ, 7, e6273. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6273 lower levels of insulin, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and better management of type 2 diabetes if you already have the condition, and reduced risk factors for heart disease.
#3: Keto Foods May Boost Metabolic Rate
Some studies suggest that you might burn an additional 300 calories a day on the keto diet due to the thermic effect of food, so while this isnt insignificant, its also not massive.9Ebbeling, C. B., Swain, J. F., Feldman, H. A., Wong, W. W., Hachey, D. L., Garcia-Lago, E., & Ludwig, D. S. (2012). Effects of dietary composition on energy expenditure during weight-loss maintenance. JAMA, 307(24), 26272634. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.6607
Because there are 3500 calories in 1 pound of stored fat, if you are burning 300 calories a day because of the keto foods that you are eating, you will lose an extra pound of body fat about every 12 days.
#4: Keto Foods May Help You Make More Mindful Food Choices
Perhaps an overlooked keto weight loss benefit is that because the keto diet is so restrictive, you have to be very mindful and deliberate in your food choices.
You have to read nutrition labels and most convenient foods are not going to be keto diet friendly.
This can improve your food choices and cut down on overeating and impulse splurges of unhealthy foods on the go.
There are a few potential risks of the keto diet. These keto diet risks are especially great if you are not choosing healthy keto meals.
Fatty fish and organic red meat with fibrous vegetables can make for a healthy keto diet whereas processed sausages, fried onion rings, and bologna will not.
Eating too much meat can potentially increase the risk of heart disease and certain cancers, especially if you are eating a lot of processed meats or fatty cuts of meat.
For example, studies have found that diets high in processed meats (sausages, hot dogs, bologna, etc.) and red meat can increase the risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer.10Q&A on the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat. (2016). World Health Organization. https://doi.org/features/qa/cancer-red-meat/en/index.html
Other studies have also confirmed that high-protein diets that are high in red meat are associated with an increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality.11Sun, Q. (2012). Red Meat Consumption and Mortality. Archives of Internal Medicine, 172(7), 555. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2011.2287
Similarly, studies have found that eating a lot of red meat and full-fat dairy can increase the risk of heart disease, while fish, poultry, and nuts can decrease the risk.12Bernstein, A. M., Sun, Q., Hu, F. B., Stampfer, M. J., Manson, J. E., & Willett, W. C. (2010). Major dietary protein sources and risk of coronary heart disease in women. Circulation, 122(9), 876883. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.915165
However, the research is mixed on the risk of diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol.13Manetti, S. (2022, June 22). Facts about saturated fats: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Medlineplus.gov. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000838.htm#:~:text=But%20too%20much%20saturated%20fat
Diets high in fatty foods, low in fiber, and low in plant-based foods can alter the composition of the gut microbiota and can cause constipation and an increased risk of colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.14High fat diet linked to unfavourable changes in gut bacteria and inflammatory triggers | BMJ. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2023, from https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/high-fat-diet-linked-to-unfavourable-changes-in-gut-bacteria-and-inflammatory-triggers/#:~:text=A%20high%20fat%20diet%20is
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies and poor digestion can occur on keto meal plans due to a lack of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
Because the keto diet is very restrictive with carbohydrates and high in fat, it is advisable to discuss your keto diet plans with your doctor or a registered dietitian or nutrition professional.
To learn about some common keto diet mistakes, check out our guide here.
