Dirty Keto vs. Clean Keto - Here's the RIGHT way to go on a keto diet!

by Elloww Team

The keto diet is a low carb, high-fat diet that has become a popular way to manage weight and type 2 diabetes. The keto diet works by running your carbohydrate stores down so your body uses its fat stores as energy instead in a process called ketosis. However, although this sounds simple, there are different ways you can get your low-carb-high-fat intake, and some are healthier and more maintainable than others. 


What is clean keto?

A clean keto diet contains nutritious, relatively unprocessed and whole foods, with no more than 50g of carbs a day and a high fat intake (with fats making up 75% of the total calorie consumption). Clean keto focuses on high-quality ingredients such as free-range eggs, grass-fed beef, and non-starchy vegetables. Eating these nutritious foods means you get a range of vitamins and nutrients that your body needs in your diet.


What is dirty keto?

Dirty keto follows the same concept of clean keto in that you have a high calorific consumption of fats and a low amount of carbohydrates, but instead of eating nutritious and wholesome foods, you are eating packaged and processed keto options. Dirty keto can also be referred to as ‘lazy’ keto as it means you don’t need to spend a long time prepping your meals as they are all bought readymade! Unfortunately, many of these packaged and processed options contain a large number of additives and little micronutrients. 


These pre-packaged meals often contain large amounts of sodium too, which can increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Additionally, a dirty keto diet might not give you the same results with regards to weight management and diabetes control as the added sugars and preservatives in these meals may prevent your body from reaching and maintaining ketosis.


Luckily, a clean keto diet is easy to maintain using the Basilgo keto meal plan. Book online or request a consultation to start your healthy keto meal plan today.