Keto vs. Paleo vs. Low-Carb: Which Diet Is Right for You?

Jun 11, 2025

It's normal to feel lost in the menu with so many eating plan ideas on the table. All of them generally help you do the same things: lose weight, lower your blood sugar, or boost metabolic health.

Out of all these, the three stooges for cutting back on carbohydrate intake are the keto diet, paleo diet, and low-carb diets. Knowing how they stack up can help you choose a path that fits your goals, feels doable, and keeps you in it for the long haul.

Let’s Start with the Keto Diet

The keto diet is high-fat. It’s got very low carbohydrate rates and transports your body into a metabolic state. That's right, you’ve heard of it. We're talking about a metabolic state called ketosis, which happens when you drastically reduce carb intake (typically to under 50 grams per day). This sends your body fat up in flames instead of glucose, and you start producing ketone bodies as fuel.

Where Does the Keto Diet Come From?

While "keto diet" sounds like a trendy thing that's new around the block, it's actually a 1920s thing. Russel Wilde, physician and diabetologist, came up with it as a treatment for epilepsy. Who knew it would be such a hip thing today, with its potential for fat loss, better blood sugar control, and long-term weight reduction?

The standard ketogenic diet we know today follows pretty straightforward math: 0-80% fat intake, 10-20% moderate protein, and only 5-10% carbs. The keto diet reduces fat and makes you less prone to cardiovascular disease.

What's in a Keto Diet?

What's on the menu on the keto diet, you ask? High-fat foods like avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and seeds, fatty cuts of meat, processed meats (in moderation), butter, and cheese. Throw in some low-carb veggies like leafy greens, broccoli, and cauliflower, and you've got yourself a pretty great eating plan. You can also include saturated fat in your ketogenic diet. Just make sure you don't overdo it.

Keto eating plans are drill sergeants, meaning they're restrictive. If you plan on following a ketogenic eating plan, be prepared for a world of careful planning and tracking of food intake, especially right off the bat. Apps for logging meals help you go the extra mile and stay within your carbohydrate intake limit as your body burns fat.

How Does the Keto Diet Work

In ketosis, your body fires on all cylinders to burn fat for energy. Once you take carbs out of the equation, your liver gets to work and turns fatty acids into ketone bodies. These water-soluble molecules are used as the primary fuel source. As soon as you flip this metabolic switch, energy use and fat-burning become easier throughout the day.

Making the switch to keto can really move the needle. It leads to fast weight loss, better blood sugar control, and a drop in body weight that you won't be able to ignore.

We've seen some studies that show how keto helps dial down inflammation, boost insulin sensitivity, and burn fat - all without sacrificing the muscle you've worked so hard to grow.

A lot of people who swear by keto diets will tell you that their energy levels are steady, they've got sharper focus, and don't get cravings. Since ketones can cross the blood-brain barrier, they give your brain a helpful boost. You'll feel mental clarity and overall cognitive health.

The Health Benefits of the Keto Diet

Keto’s got a loyal fanbase for a reason. Here’s a taste of why:

Keeps blood sugar in check, especially for those dealing with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes
Helps your body with improved insulin sensitivity, lowering the odds of developing metabolic syndrome
Help you lose stubborn fat and support weight loss you can actually stick to
Sharpens your mental edge, with ketones fueling clearer thinking and better focus
May help keep your brain in fighting shape, potentially offering protection against neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s disease
Tames your numbers, improving cholesterol and even dialing down blood pressure for some

Further research suggests that low-carbohydrate diets like keto not only help with weight management and physical performance, but they also bring down the risk factors in certain diseases like polycystic ovary syndrome in women.

To sweeten the deal, brands like BHU offer keto-friendly treats like their Protein Bites, perfect for staying on track without sacrificing taste.

The Risks of Going with a Ketogenic Diet

We'll be honest with you: restrictive diets aren’t everyone's cup of tea. You might get hit with keto flu, which is basically a short-term hangover where your body tries its best to get used to having fat for fuel. The symptoms aren’t that far off from an actual hangover: nausea, headaches, dizziness, irritability, and fatigue.

With keto, you’re crossing off a lot of foods, and this might cause nutrient deficiency. It’ll hit even harder if your meals are low in fiber, magnesium, or essential vitamins. And if your plate is heavy on the wrong kinds of fat, the high saturated fat content in some keto diets could raise your risk of heart and cardiovascular issues. In short: be careful. Benefits can get lost in the mix.

Get Checked Before A Ketogenic Diet

If you're going to stick to a keto diet for long, make sure you don't have health issues under the hood. You might put extra strain on your kidneys and get hit with constipation or diarrhea because of low fiber.

The physical things aside, a ketogenic diet can hit you mentally if you're always nitpicking every bite you eat. Don't underestimate the toll food stress can take on your mood.

Here’s some advice: have a chat with your healthcare provider and consider randomized controlled trials and current research before going full restrictive on yourself with a ketogenic diet.

Ketogenic Diet vs. Low-Carb: Measuring Up

All keto diets are low-carb, but not all low-carb diets are full keto. The keto diet is a hardliner when it comes to triggering ketosis. Low-carb plans loosen the reins and allow you more carbs without pushing your body into that metabolic gear.

Here's a breakdown:

Keto diet: High fat, ultra-low carb, moderate protein. These are built to flip the switch into ketosis.
Low-carb diets: Still cut carbs, but with more wiggle room. Your food choices here are higher in protein and a lot more flexible.

Why Go With Low-Carb?

Low-carb is a popular option if you're looking for a more manageable lifestyle. Instead of a long no-no list that you get for the regular ketogenic diet, low-carb lets you sneak in whole grains, beans, and even some fruits.

Big picture? Low-fat diets often aim to reduce BMI, while keto goes straight for burning stored fat as fuel. If you’re chasing quick results, a ketogenic diet can deliver fast weight loss out of the gate. But when it comes to staying power, low-carb diets may go the distance.

What About the Paleo Diet?

We went over the keto diet, we talked low-carb, and now let’s talk paleo. If the word reminds you of dinosaurs, that’s totally normal. Here, we’re talking about a diet that'll be all about going back to basics. The paleo diet is the nutritional time machine of diets.

Tracing Back Our Steps

Try to imagine what our ancestors ate. Different kinds of fatty meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. They also stayed away from grains, legumes and dairy. And we’re willing to bet they weren’t too keen on processed food either. A paleo diet emphasizes whole foods, just like keto and low-carb diets.

Though not always low-carb like the keto diet, paleo naturally limits processed sugar and refined carbs. Its health benefits include better blood sugar regulation, improved digestion, and possibly reduced risk for heart disease.

Paleo Pitfalls

There’s a reason why the paleo diet has downsides, and part of that is because we don’t live like our ancestors anymore. We don’t eat like them either, and we don't have the same protein intake they did. If you cut out entire food groups, you’ll be served with a nutrient deficiency. The paleo diet is also a tough one to stick to unless you plan on dedicating a significant portion of your time to meal planning and prepping.

Compared to the keto diet, paleo is a very low carb diet and isn’t focused on high-fat intake. It’s more about food quality and sourcing. If you decide to mix fasting with a clean, ancestral-style diet, the paleo diet may align better with intermittent fasting.

Mediterranean and Atkins: More Options on the Table

We've gone over the top three, but there are other diets available. Just for curiosity's sake, let's give the Mediterranean diet and the Atkins diet an honorable mention. You'll definitely hear these names being thrown around in wellness podcasts.

The Mediterranean Diet: What Is It?

There's a reason why we consider the Mediterranean as one of the healthiest options out there. It's because of whole foods like fish, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and healthy oils such as olive oil. That doesn't sound like a super low-carb diet, does it?

Trust us, this diet may just help you get rid of high blood pressure, lower the risk of heart disease, and have a healthy body mass index to show for it. It also helps reverse insulin resistance. Much like the low-carb diet, this diet is flexible and easier to follow. You'll usually see people combine it with intermittent fasting to enhance results.

Atkins: A High-Fat Diet

Then we've got the Atkins. Dr. Robert C. Atkins came up with this one in the 70s. Here you get closer to a low-carbohydrate diet or high-fat diet when it's in the early stages. You start an Atkins diet with a strict carb limit to induce ketosis, just like the keto diet. But here's where it gets interesting: you start to gradually reintroduce carbs into the mix.

Like the keto diet, Atkins is a fan of high-fat foods and encourages moderate protein intake to reduce body fat percentage. This staged approach makes it appealing if you're transitioning from keto to a more relaxed eating plan that includes a high-fat diet.

Eating Plan: What Foods to Include

If you’re going all-in on keto, keeping things low-carb, or trying other low-carb diets, what’s on your plate can make or break your progress.

Your Keto-Friendly Lineup - Lose Weight the Right Way:

Load up on: fatty cuts of meat, eggs, full-fat dairy, olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, leafy greens, and cruciferous veggies. A few berries now and then? Totally fair in a keto diet.
Steer clear of: sugar, grains, legumes, high-carb fruits, starchy veggies, and ultra-processed foods that throw your macros off balance.
Mix in: moderate amounts of protein from grass-fed sources, heart-healthy fats, and the occasional low-carb treat like BHU Keto Protein Bites to curb cravings without derailing your ketogenic diet.

Pro Tips for Staying on Track with Your Carbohydrate Intake:

Read the fine print: labels and macros matter.
Stay one step ahead: prep meals and snacks so you’re never caught off guard.
Hydrate like it’s your job: electrolytes are key during the switch to ketosis.
Switch things up: rotate your veggies and proteins to cover all your nutrient bases.

Which Diet Should You Choose?

While we can't pick your ideal eating plan for you, we know that it depends on your lifestyle, goals, and health profile.

Choose a keto diet if you want fast fat loss, are disciplined, and want better focus.
Choose low-carb if you want balance and flexibility with fewer restrictions.
Choose paleo if you’re all about clean eating and ditching modern processed foods.

And remember, no matter what plan you choose, long-term success comes from consistency. It's not about being perfect. Just include whole foods, avoid junk, listen to your body, and enjoy the process.

Hungry yet? Keep it simple! Grab a few BHU Protein Bites, and the perfect way to stay on track while enjoying something delicious.

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