If you’re looking to eat healthily or lose weight, chances are that you’ve come across countless different types of diets that have gained popularity in recent years. Two such diets are low carb and keto diets, which both promote reduced consumption of carbohydrates and foods that are high in carbohydrate content.
Given the similarities between the two types of diets, many people often confuse them. However, there are some important differences between a low carb diet vs. a keto diet, and it can be useful to know the benefits and drawbacks of each one in order to choose a diet that best suits your needs.
In this post, let's take a closer look at what low carb and keto diets are, their benefits and drawbacks, as well as some foods that work great for both types of diets.
What is a Low Carb Diet?
As the name suggests, a low carb (short for low carbohydrate) diet is one that emphasizes a reduced intake of carbohydrates and an increased intake of other macronutrients such as healthy fats and proteins.
Many people often confuse low carb diets with paleo diets, given that both diets have low carbohydrate compositions. Nonetheless, they are fundamentally different, with paleo diets typically comprising foods that were consumed by our Paleolithic hunter-gatherer ancestors.
On the other hand, a person on a low carb diet simply reduces their carbohydrate consumption. This entails reducing consumption of many starchy foods such as bread, grains and noodles and replacing these with foods that are high in protein, healthy fats and fiber – such as meat and vegetables.
While there's no fixed amount of carbohydrates to consume on a low carb diet, many people on this diet limit their carbohydrate consumption to a maximum of around 100g of carbohydrates each day (or around 20% of their diet).
Benefits and Drawbacks of a Low Carb Diet
One of the primary benefits of a low carb diet is that by cutting out high carbohydrate foods from your diet, you also inadvertently end up cutting out many high calorie foods and this can be beneficial for weight loss. Low carb diets typically also contain high proportions of vegetables, which can lead to improved cardiovascular health and other benefits.
However, it’s worth noting that a low carb diet may cause you to feel weak at times, especially if you don’t consume enough calories. It may also limit your food choice and make it harder to prepare your meals.
What is a Keto Diet?
The objective of a keto diet, which is coincidentally where the diet gets its name from, is to send the body into a state of ketosis. In this state, the body does not consume carbohydrates for energy. Instead, it consumes fat stores and fat from food for energy.
Unlike a low carb diet which merely promotes a reduced level of carbohydrate consumption, adherents to a keto diet aim to drastically reduce their carbohydrate consumption to near zero. A keto diet typically consists of no more than 50g of carbohydrates per day. At the same time, people on keto diets increase their consumption of fat significantly.
Benefits and Drawbacks of a Keto Diet
Because it helps you burn fat, a keto diet is exceptionally suited for people who are looking to reduce their cholesterol and triglyceride (a type of fat cell) levels.
Keto diets may also be a benefit for losing weight, as they send the body into the fat-burning state of ketosis.
However, a long-term keto diet may not be sustainable, and may even be unhealthy. This is because keto diets are often associated with dehydration and flu-like symptoms that occur as a result of the body burning fat. Thus, it’s still important to consume a limited amount of carbohydrates in a keto diet to avoid these unwanted side effects.
Best Foods for both Low Carb and Keto Diets
Given the similarities between low carb and keto diets, there are many foods that may be suitable for both diets. Here are some of the best foods that you can consume on either of these diets:
1. Seafood
Seafood such as fish and shellfish contain almost no carbohydrates, making them great for both low carb and keto diets.
They also provide many other useful nutrients that the body needs, such as B vitamins and omega-3 fats, making them an essential component of any well-rounded diet.
2. Eggs
Eggs are one of the best sources of proteins that also have very low carbohydrate contents, making them suitable for people on low carb and keto diets.
3. Vegetables
Most vegetables are generally high in dietary fibers and low in carbohydrates, making them great options for low carb and keto diets.
There are also many great recipes and ways for you to consume vegetables, including through our website: https://kboshfood.com/blogs/recipes.
KBosh makes vegetable-based pizza crusts that are not only delicious, but also excellent for people on keto diets. Choose from our wide selection of pizza crusts, ranging from cauliflower to zucchini.
With our crusts, you get to continue enjoying your favorite pizzas without the guilt!