When it comes to low-carb diets for weight loss or health, two options always seem to come up – the carnivore diet and the keto diet. As the names suggest, both emphasize meat and fat over carbs, but they have some distinct differences. I've tried both, and in this article, I'll break down how carnivore and keto diets compare, their pros and cons, who each might be best suited for, and my advice if you're considering either plan.
What is the Carnivore Diet?
The carnivore diet, true to its name, involves eating only animal products – basically just meat, eggs, some dairy like butter or cheese, fish, poultry, and bone broth. All fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are eliminated.
The premise is that by removing all plant foods and focusing exclusively on animal products high in protein, nutrients, and bioavailable vitamins like A & D, your body will function optimally. This means you’d be in a state of full-blown nutritional ketosis without needing to track macros or calories.
Potential Benefits of All-Meat Carnivore
- Weight loss from ketosis
- Reduced inflammation by eliminating inflammatory foods like grains, legumes, and seed oils
- Improved gut health by removing irritating fiber
- Clearer skin and relief from autoimmune symptoms in some people
- Simple to follow, no tracking needed
Downsides and Considerations
- Very restrictive and socially limiting diet
- Nutrient deficiencies possible long-term if variety is insufficient
- Safety and sustainability implications of only eating animal products
- May worsen cholesterol markers in some people
- High cost of purchasing quality meat and constant cooking
Is Keto Just Low-Carb, or More Than That?
The ketogenic or “keto” diet has been used therapeutically since the 1920s for epilepsy, though it has boomed in popularity recently thanks to claims it can enhance weight loss, brain health, blood sugar regulation, and more.
But what exactly does “keto” mean? In short, keto is a very low-carb diet usually around 50g net carbs daily or lower, moderate protein, and higher fat intake. This forces your body to switch from burning glucose to burning fat products called ketones for fuel, which puts you in nutritional ketosis – even while eating some carbs.
Keto macronutrient ratios can vary from person to person, but typically 75% of calories come from fat, 15-20% from protein sources, and 5-10% from carbs like non-starchy veggies, nuts, and dairy.
Going Keto: Potential Perks and Considerations
Benefits of keto may include:
- Increased weight loss, reduced hunger
- Regulation of blood sugar and insulin
- Improved mental focus and relief from some neurological conditions
- Potentially therapeutic for type 2 diabetes management
- More flexibility than carnivores – fruits, veggie carbs, and more dietary fat options
The downsides of the plan can involve:
- “Keto flu” side effects at the start like fatigue. This passes.
- Nutrient deficiencies are possible if vegetable intake is too low.
- Uric acid kidney stone risk – stay very hydrated!
- Keto is still very restrictive – social challenges and diet burnout chances.
Keto offers metabolic benefits, but long-term success requires ensuring sufficient nutrient variety. Tracking your macros using a food journal app can help optimize your keto plan.
Key Differences Between Keto and Carnivore Diets
At first glance, the keto and carnivore plans may seem somewhat aligned – both emphasize animal products and fats. But there are some clear distinctions around carbs and food variety:
- Keto permits low-starch fruits and vegetables (around 50 net grams of carbs daily or less), while carnivore eliminates plant foods entirely
- Keto macros vary individually but explicitly limit protein for ketosis, while carnivore focuses on basically just protein + fat.
- Keto requires tracking macros in an app to guarantee you’re in ketosis, carnivore does not.
- Potential for more nutrient variety on keto assuming sufficient vegetable intake
Determining Which Low-Carb Diet May Suit You Better
When deciding whether keto or carnivore seems like the best fit, consider factors like:
- Your reason for choosing low-carb – is it primarily weight loss, blood sugar regulation, inflammation, or gut issues? This may dictate how restrictive you’d like to be.
- Your current diet and preferences – do you actively enjoy meat and fish? Or do you love fruit and need more variety in plant foods?
- Time and budget – carnivore requires constant shopping and cooking. Keto jars or meal prep helps with costs.
- Health conditions – for some neurological conditions, full carnivore ketosis could be very therapeutic.
- Your social and lifestyle needs – carnivores may be isolating. Keto is more flexible.
For sustainability, neither diet should be viewed as a “forever” plan. See them as a therapeutic short-term reset, not a lifelong elimination diet.
Actionable Tips to Get Started with Keto or Carnivore
If you feel ready to give one of these very low-carb diets a try, here are some pro tips:
- Stock up – Shop sales on staple carnivore or keto foods like eggs, avocado oil, nut butter, tofu, tempeh, or quality full-fat dairy for keto. And of course grass-fed meats or wild-caught fish.
- Meal prep – To stay consistent, do some batch cooking on weekends like keto chilis, low-carb muffins, carnivore beef stew, or sheet pan chicken.
- Get creative – Cauliflower rice, zoodles, cheese shells, and flax sub buns open up meal options. Experiment with flavors.
- Consider supplements – Electrolytes, MCT, or bone broth powder can help mitigate side effects.
- Re-challenge occasionally – See if certain excluded foods like fruits or beans can be tolerated after a 30-day reset trial.
- Monitor labs – Get blood work done after 3 months on either diet checking glucose, A1C, lipids vitamin D, and nutrients of concern like B12 on a carnivore.
The Carnivore and Keto Debate Rages On…But You Get to Decide
Arguments defending carnivore or keto can get heated, often claiming one is universally “superior.” But bio-individuality means optimal diets differ based on your unique needs.
Rather than framing carnivore and keto as battling opposites requiring dogmatic loyalty to just one or the other, view them as tools you can utilize as needed to improve your health. Then simply let your experience and labwork guide you.
Hopefully, this overview gave you a balanced comparison. Have you tried keto or carnivore? Share your experiences and input below!