Dirty Keto vs. Clean Keto: What You Need to Know

There was once a time when everyone thought that consuming fat was unhealthy, which led to the rise of fat-free foods. In recent years, tons of studies have shown that this is simply not the case.

When carbs are swapped out for fat, the health benefits are often staggering. The Keto diet has gained tremendous popularity in the health food world as a method of losing weight and managing type 2 diabetes. However, there are a few ways people can go about adopting a Keto diet: dirty keto and clean keto.

In this basic guide to the types of keto diets, we are breaking down the differences between dirty keto and clean keto to give you a better idea of what’s best for you.

What is the Keto Diet?

By now, you have probably heard of the ultra-popular keto diet. It’s a diet that focuses on eating low-carb, moderate-protein, and high-fat. It’s most often referred to as the keto or ketogenic diet, but is also called a low-carb high-fat (LCHF) diet.

The point of a keto diet is to shift the body away from using glucose from carbs for energy and using ketones instead. This is done by reducing the body’s intake of carbs from foods like pasta, grains, starchy vegetables, and sugar. The diet encourages higher amounts of leafy greens, meats, eggs, nuts, berries, full-fat dairy, and natural sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit.

What is Dirty Keto?

Also known as ‘lazy keto,’ dirty keto is a less nutritious way of following the keto diet. It involves more of an emphasis on processed foods that are marketed as being keto-friendly. While your body can still go into ketosis with a dirty keto diet, you are far more likely to miss out on essential nutrients that are necessary for fueling your body.

This is a popular choice for people who want to follow the keto diet, but don’t want to invest as much time into preparing meals. An example of dirty keto would be ordering a bacon double cheeseburger from a fast food joint and removing the bun, rather than making a salad with a high-fat dressing or cooking a grass-fed steak at home.

What is Clean Keto?

Clean keto is a way of following the keto diet by focusing on natural, whole foods that are high-quality and nutrient-dense. Common foods in a clean keto diet include grass-fed meats, wild-caught seafood, free-range eggs, quality olive oil, and low-carb vegetables like leafy greens.

While both dirty keto and clean keto can put your body in the desired ketosis state, clean keto offers less additives and more nutrients. Health benefits of a clean keto diet include weight loss, reduced blood sugar levels, and increased energy levels.

While this method of following the keto diet involves more time and effort, the overall benefits can be well worth the work. Many people find satisfaction in cooking their own meals at home, knowing that they are free of unnecessary additives.

Organic Keto-Friendly Sweeteners Online

At NuNaturals, our family-owned business prioritizes using clean ingredients in our products to support a keto lifestyle without sugar and little to no carbs. Contrary to what you may think, following a keto diet does not have to mean giving up the foods you love.

With some small tweaks and NuNaturals products like our Organic Sweetener Stevia & Monk Fruit Packets, you can still enjoy all your favorite sweet treats without the carbs.

New to keto and not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered. Check out our Recipes page to find tons of drool-worthy keto recipes you can make at home!