In our previous article we covered some basics about the ketogenic diet and what you can expect from it. Today, I’m going to talk about the distinction between "clean" vs. “dirty” keto. Having tried both approaches myself, I’ll offer some perspective based on my own experience. I’ll also do my best to answer some common questions, such as:

• What is dirty keto?
• What can I eat on dirty keto?
• Does dirty keto really work?

My girlfriend and I had decent results after trying both versions of the diet; however, dirty keto also gave me a few things to worry about upon closer inspection. As we dive into these two approaches, I’ll explain the pros and cons of each so you can consider what will work best for you. To kick things off, I’d like to dig a little deeper into the overall concept of the keto diet to demonstrate why the distinction between “clean” and “dirty” is so important.

The Definition of the Ketogenic Diet Doesn’t Really Tell All

If you look at a standard definition of the keto diet, it states that this diet is based on a high consumption of fat, moderate intake of protein, and low intake of carbohydrates. But it won’t say what kind of fats to include in your diet:

“The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins and low-carb diets.

It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.

When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain.

Ketogenic diets can cause massive reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. This, along with the increased ketones, has numerous health benefits” Source: Healthline

This information is completely correct, even without recommending healthy sources of fat over unhealthy ones. (You don’t technically need to be eating clean, unprocessed fats in order to enter ketosis.) Some sources do go on to explain side effects you might experience after eating a lot of “bad” fats in keto foods, but to a newbie this all seems lumped together as a general assessment of keto and it’s not clear that some side effects are actually avoidable.

Over time, people had to make a distinction between what’s known as “dirty” and “clean” keto, based on the types of food you choose to eat and the fats they contain. At this point, you can find explanations of both variations online, but getting to grips with the practical differences between them and how they affect your body comes with personal experience.

Clean vs. Dirty Keto Explained

Whether you opt for clean keto or dirty keto, your macronutrient ratios will stay the same. This usually entails at least 70% of calories from fat, 20–25% from protein, and 5–10% from carbohydrates.

The distinction between “clean” and “dirty” comes from your primary sources of fat. Clean keto focuses on fats from fatty fish such as salmon, grass-fed butter and meats, avocados, and different nuts and seeds. On the other hand, dirty keto focuses on fats from processed foods such as deli meats, hot dogs, non-grass-fed butter, mayo, and even some fast foods.

No matter which approach you take, you can successfully enter ketosis and experience its benefits. Most people are driven by the effectiveness of the diet and sometimes overlook these distinguishing factors (we certainly did for a while!). So you might wonder, why bother choosing one over the other?

Why It Matters

While the results you get on dirty keto are just as good in terms of losing weight, other results might backfire on you later on. Based on the foods you’re eating, dirty keto can leave your body nutrient deficient and may even increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases in the long run. Add to that various effects caused by preservatives and additives in “dirty” keto foods, and you could cause your body some damage.

And then there’s the matter of fat itself. I for one would like to see more distinction between different sources of fat, as I consider that to be an important part of the ketogenic diet. Don’t forget that fats make up close to 70% of your calories on keto, which means these have a significant influence over your body. Most fats out there are healthy for you, however some are straight-up dangerous, like trans fats. Unfortunately, you’ll find plenty of these “bad” fats in dirty keto foods like non-organic, processed meats and butter. Even though such foods may technically keep you in keto, they can still lead to weight gain or cardiovascular disease as a result.

“Even small amounts of trans fats can harm health: for every 2% of calories from trans fat consumed daily, the risk of heart disease rises by 23%.” - Harvard Medical School

I don’t mean to scare you off dirty keto entirely – this is a viable approach if you’re already in good health and plan on keeping your keto run relatively short for some quick results.

Clean keto, on the other hand, is a viable long-term approach. If done right, your body won’t miss any of the nutrients it needs, and the diet itself will not increase your risk of heart disease (in fact, studies show that this approach improves heart health).

Let’s take a closer look at both of these approaches and the science behind them...

What is dirty keto (and why would someone do it)?

Dirty keto primarily focuses on high consumption of fats from processed foods, fast foods, and other “bad” fats while maintaining a moderate intake of protein and a low intake of carbohydrates.

If you’re wondering why anyone would choose to do dirty keto, I’d say that the main reason is it’s cheap. Avocado, quality olive oil, and organic or grass-fed sources of fat that you would eat on clean keto can be quite expensive. In some countries, products like these are not widely available. Meanwhile, cheap meats and cheeses are generally accessible and easy to prepare, so there’s also a convenience factor.

This makes dirty keto appealing to someone on a tight budget who’s looking to lose weight quickly, since it’s more affordable and they can expect the same results in terms of weight loss.

What can I eat on dirty keto?

I’ll list the main sources of fat and protein you can expect to eat on dirty keto. These foods will get you into ketosis and help you stay there, but in my opinion they should be consumed in limited amounts since they can also contribute to higher cholesterol: