Clean vs Dirty Keto Diet: Which One Will You Choose?

What is Keto?

The ketogenic diet is a diet plan that focuses on limiting your carbohydrate intake. The general goal is to get your body into a state of ketosis: a state in which your body switches from burning carbs for physical energy to burning fat.

Proponents of the ketogenic diet assert that by burning fat for physical energy, the ketogenic diet produces more noticeable and quicker weight loss results. The keto diet also emphasizes lean protein and healthy fats as ways to improve the dieter’s physique.

What is Dirty Keto?

So what does dirty keto mean? Well, as the name implies, the dirty keto diet makes allotments for certain foods that may not be as healthy as the ones you would eat if you were adhering to the clean or traditional ketogenic diet.

Like the clean keto diet, the dirty keto diet still dictates that the dieter limit their carbohydrate intake per day as much as possible. It also still emphasizes high protein and fat intake.

However, the dirty keto diet allows the dieter to indulge in not-so-healthy foods like processed foods, microwavable meals, fast food, and the like.

For example, a common dirty keto meal plan may consist of foods such as:

• Processed cheeses
• Snacks
• Soft drinks
• Margarine
• Artificial sweeteners
• Foods high in sodium
• Unhealthy oils
• Corn starch
• Soybeans
• Bacon
• Hot dogs
• Processed dairy products

As you can imagine, there are some potential health risks involved with the dirty keto diet. For instance, people with kidney issues^[2] may not find the dirty keto diet suitable for them because it could include foods that are high in sodium.

There have also been some concerns about nutrient deficiencies in the keto diet because it does not place such a high emphasis on natural nutrient–dense foods like fruits and vegetables.

And since the dirty keto diet makes allowances for fast foods and foods that may cause arterial plaque buildup^[3], there are some cardiovascular health concerns to consider.

What is Clean Keto?

The clean keto diet is focused on more nutrient-dense and healthy ketogenic foods. This means that the clean keto diet does not allow for many processed foods and fast foods that are high in unhealthy fat and sodium.

Instead, the clean keto diet emphasizes natural foods that can help get your body into a state of ketosis in which it burns off fat as a source of physical energy instead of carbohydrates.

Because the keto diet focuses on healthier, whole foods, it offers certain health benefits of the keto diet like improved metabolic health, reduced inflammation^[4], and of course, weight loss.

Key Differences Between Dirty Keto and Clean Keto

As you can surely imagine, there are some pretty important differences between the clean keto diet and the dirty keto diet – and not all of them have to do with the foods you are allowed to eat. Here are some such differences:

• Nutrient Profile – Because the clean keto diet emphasizes whole foods, it is generally considered to be more nutritious than the dirty keto diet. In fact, adhering to the dirty keto diet may result in some nutrient, vitamin, and mineral deficiencies.
• Sustainability – It’s not all bad news with the dirty keto diet. There have been some proponents who say that the dirty keto diet is more sustainable because it is not as restrictive as the foods you can eat.
• Meal Choices – The dirty keto diet allows for fast food meals, meals high in unhealthy fats, and high-sodium meals as opposed to the clean keto diet which emphasizes whole foods, fruits, and vegetables.

Which Approach is Right for You?

The right keto diet plan for you will depend largely on your personal preferences, health goals, and lifestyle factors. For instance, if you can’t seem to completely quit fast food, the dirty keto diet plan may be easier for you to maintain.

However, dieters may find that they get quicker weight loss results following the clean keto diet as opposed to the dirty keto diet. So if you want to lose weight in a short amount of time, the clean keto diet may be the best choice.

If you don’t have a lot of time to prepare keto-friendly meals, you may find that the dirty keto diet which allows for fast food meals is more congenial to your busy lifestyle. But if you want to make sure you get enough vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients through your diet, the clean keto diet may work for your needs.

Your individual health status is also very important when considering clean keto vs dirty keto. That’s why you should talk to a doctor about your diet options and which version of the keto diet would be best for your specific health goals and dietary requirements.

Tips for Successful Keto

The keto diet can be hard to stick with no matter which variation you choose. So please take a look at the following tips that can help make your diet plan more sustainable and fruitful:

• Stock Up On Keto-Friendly Foods – Stock your fridge and pantry with keto-friendly foods like salmon, tuna, nuts, legumes, cottage cheese, low-carb bread alternatives, vegetables, and fruits.
• Plan Your Meals – Make a meal plan for each day of the week so that you can give yourself time to prepare foods that will help your body stay in a state of ketosis.
• Keto Test Strips – You may also want to invest in some keto test strips as they will let you know when you have reached a state of ketosis and when it is optimal to work out and exercise.