Keto vs. Paleo: which is better?

When it comes to healthy diets, the Keto and Paleo diets are often mentioned. Keto diet focuses on high-fat (70%-80%) with very low-carb. While, Paleo diet centered on whole food, less processed foods.

Main Differences
Calories and nutrients counting. In Keto, you count your nutrients to lower carbs, while paleo has no macro- or micronutrient counting. Because Paleo focuses more on ideology while keto focuses on macronutrients.

Paleo doesn’t allow dairy and soy foods, while keto does. But even on the keto diet, certain types of dairy are better than others. For example, flavored yogurt is off-limits, but full-fat plain Greek yogurt is okay occasionally. Meanwhile, you can eat as much high-fat cheese like feta and cheddar as you want.

Compared with keto, paleo allows more veggie variety. That means you may do better on paleo if you enjoy eating fruit and starchy vegetables.

Diet Similarities
Both emphasize whole foods. Food that has undergone a minimal amount of processing by the time it gets to your plate.

Both eliminate grains and legumes. The carb sources on the paleo diet are somewhat limited but not eliminated.

Both eliminate added sugar. However, paleo dieters are a bit more flexible with this rule, as unrefined sugar sources like honey and maple syrup are still permitted. Paleo still allows carbs from groups of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables and unrefined sweeteners.

Keto, on the other hand, doesn’t allow any added sugar sources, refined or not, due to the high carb content of these foods.

Which Diet Healthier: Keto or Paleo?
Both paleo and keto diets can be healthy options. Keto does not suit everyone and may be beneficial as a treatment method for some health conditions.

Keto is more difficult to maintain because of the strict compliance needed to achieve ketosis. It requires careful planning and can be less adaptable to varied social situations.

If freedom of food choices is something you consider, Paleo is easier to maintain long-term with less potential to be socially isolating. Other things to consider are diet duration, medical condition and your lifestyle goal. It is still best to consult a medical professional before starting a diet.

KETO DIET
Learn more about keto diet, click here.

PALEO DIET
Paleo diet or known as the “caveman diet”, this copy earliest human from Paleolithic period, also known as the Old Stone Age, was a time in human prehistory when early humans first developed stone tools and other artifacts

One of the fundamental theories behind the paleo diet is that modern food systems, production and processing techniques are damaging to human health. No additives, preservatives and avoiding heavily processed foods in general.

Paleo-diet purist will tell you no dairy foods or all cheese should be avoided on a Paleo lifestyle. Paleolithic humans didn't milk cows or process dairy that’s why. But for some following Paleo they include less processed dairy product.

Thus, the reasoning of food choices behind Paleo, aren’t always backed up by scientific evidence.

When you focus on whole foods, you’re definitely getting more nutrients, but the real benefit is the processed foods you’re cutting out — something that likely helps you cut calories.

There is also a strong focus on lifestyle practices, the environmental impact of food choices and total body wellness within the framework of the paleo philosophy.