Because the goal of the diet is to keep fat intake high (accounting for 70 to 80 percent of total calories) and carbohydrate intake very, very low (about 10 percent or less of total calories), the foods keto followers typically gravitate to are high-fat meats (think pork belly, bacon, sausage and burgers) along with avocados, whole eggs, butter, cream, oils and cheese.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Eating so much\u00a0red meat and high-fat dairy\u00a0is one reason why so many dietitians aren’t fans of this diet fad (along with the lack of scientific research, extreme\u00a0carbohydrate restriction, excess of saturated fat and overall stringent food rules and tracking \u2014 but I digress).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
If you are following the diet and finding success, you’re likely consuming a lot of animal-derived protein and fat. But it is possible to cut back and do more meatless meals while still “keeping keto” \u2014 and you might just be better off for it.<\/p>\n
A growing body of research shows the health benefits of eating a more plant-based diet. In fact, in a review published June 2017 in\u00a0Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition,<\/em>\u00a0researchers looked at more than 80 studies and found that, compared to omnivores, vegetarians and vegans had lower BMIs, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and glucose levels.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n