Ready to explore the world of low-carb, ancestral eating? Here’s your crash course on the most popular diets, their key principles, and what makes each unique. Dive in, and click the links to dig deeper into the details of each way of eating (WOE).
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1. Carnivore Diet
Definition: A diet focused exclusively on animal-based foods, eliminating all plant matter. It’s the ultimate elimination diet designed to simplify eating and reduce potential food triggers.
What About Herbs & Spices?
- Sea salt is a cornerstone of Carnivore, but many also enjoy black pepper, garlic powder, and other minimal plant-based spices for flavoring (though purists may avoid them). Learn about spices on Carnivore.
Types of Carnivore:
2. Ketovore Diet
Definition: A hybrid of Carnivore and Keto, this diet emphasizes animal-based eating but allows for small amounts of low-carb plants, like avocados, green veggies, and low carb berries. It’s less restrictive than full Carnivore but still prioritizes meat and fat as staples.
- Carbs are kept under ~10-20g/day, but the flexibility makes it easier to maintain.
- Think of it as "Carnivore with a little green on the plate." If you’re new to Keto, don’t worry—it’s explained below to help you understand how the two overlap. Discover the Ketovore balance here.
What About Herbs & Spices?
- Ketovore often incorporates flavorful seasonings like paprika, cumin, and thyme. While still animal-forward, this WOE allows for culinary creativity with herbs and spices. Learn about seasoning Ketovore meals.
3. Keto Diet
Definition: A low-carb, high-fat diet designed to shift your body into ketosis, a metabolic state where you burn fat for energy instead of glucose.
- Key Breakdown: ~70-80% fat, ~20% protein, ~5-10% carbs (~20-50g/day).
- The goal is metabolic flexibility, mental clarity, and fat loss.
- Bonus: Keto is incredibly customizable—whether you’re targeting fitness goals, health issues, or just better energy.
What About Herbs & Spices?
4. Paleo/Primal Diet
Definition
: A lifestyle inspired by our hunter-gatherer ancestors, focusing on whole, unprocessed foods. The emphasis is on balancing animal products with nutrient-dense plants while cutting out grains, legumes, refined sugar, and processed foods.
- Paleo avoids dairy, while Primal allows for it (if tolerated).
- Both encourage high-quality meats, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and healthy fats like olive oil and coconut oil.
- It’s about living as naturally as possible, not just eating naturally.
What About Herbs & Spices?
Summary Chart
| Diet |
Focus |
Carb Range |
Includes Plants? |
| Carnivore |
100% Animal-Based |
0-5g/day |
No |
| Ketovore |
Mostly Animal-Based |
10-20g/day |
Limited |
| Keto |
Low-Carb, High-Fat |
20-50g/day |
Yes (Low-Carb) |
| Primal |
Whole Foods, Ancestral |
Flexible |
Yes |
What do all of these WOE have in common? Reduced inflammation, weight loss, and healing from food allergies and intolerances. After reading stories from 10s of thousands of individuals on my Ketvore Facebook Group, it's pretty common for individuals to take different routes to finding the WOE that works best for them. Some go straight from SAD to Strict Carnivore. Some go from SAD to Keto to Carnivore and find it really beneficial, but too restrictive and land on Ketovore as a perfect middle ground. And a small group find themselves missing carbs...yup. I said it, some people thrive on carbs whether it be psychologically or metabolically. Those usually find a happy place in a low-ish carb Paleo/Primal WOE. In the end, you have to do what works best for you.
Now that you know a little bit more about these WOE (Ways of Eating), which one resonates the most with you? Got questions? Leave them in the Comments below and I'll be sure to answer.
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