Paleo or Keto? Choosing the Right Diet for Your Lifestyle
Confused about whether Paleo or Keto is best for you? Let’s break down both approaches, highlight the differences, and help you decide based on your goals, habits, and preferences.
🔍 What Are Paleo and Keto?
🦴 Paleo
What it is: A whole-foods-based eating style inspired by our ancestors. It includes meats, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats—while excluding grains, legumes, refined sugar, dairy (in strict Paleo), and processed foods.
Learn more in our overview: What the Paleo Diet Really Means.
🧬 Keto
What it is: A low-carb, high-fat diet focused on achieving nutritional ketosis—burning fat for fuel. It includes meats, high-quality fats, low-carb vegetables, and limits carbs (usually below 30–50g/day).
✅ Comparing Benefits
Paleo Highlights
- Simplified, less restrictive lifestyle
- Supports stable energy and reduced inflammation
- Encourages variety: fruits, starchy vegetables, and clean fats
Keto Highlights
- Rapid fat loss and appetite suppression
- Improved blood sugar control
- Boosted mental clarity for some individuals
📝 Key Differences Side-by-Side
| Feature | Paleo | Keto |
|---|---|---|
| Carb Intake | Moderate: veggies, fruit | Very low: avoid most fruit & starch |
| Fat Intake | Healthy fats, moderate fats | High intake of fats (70–80% of daily calories) |
| Protein Intake | Moderate to high | High (but not excessive) |
| Flexibility | More flexibility in foods | Requires strict carb tracking |
| Ideal For | Energy, digestive health, general wellness | Fat loss, diabetes management, ketosis benefits |
🤔 How to Choose: Lifestyle, Goals, and Preferences
🎯 Primary Goals
- Paleo: Great for nourishing, whole-food focus, better digestion, inflammation control.
- Keto: Ideal for weight/fat loss, mental performance, or managing issues like epilepsy or insulin resistance.
👩💼 Lifestyle Fit
- Paleo: Easier for social occasions, balanced for active families.
- Keto: Requires planning, tracking macros, especially when dining out.
ℹ️ Things to Know Before You Decide
Keto Caution:
- “Keto flu” symptoms: fatigue, headaches during adaptation
- Possible nutrient deficiencies—support with amazing grass greens
- Need for electrolytes and hydration
Paleo Caution:
- Less emphasis on carb restriction, so fat loss may be slower for some
- Easier to overeat calorie-dense foods like nuts or Paleo treats
Find helpful dos and don’ts in our posts on Common Paleo Mistakes and Paleo Diet Pros and Cons.
🔧 Tools & Products to Support Both Lifestyles
Here are some go-to items if you’re diving into Paleo or Keto:
- Collagen Protein: Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides—supports skin, joints, and keto-friendly protein intake.
- Bone Broth: Kettle & Fire Bone Broth—great for gut health and electrolytes.
- Electrolyte support: KETO-MOJO Blood Ketone Meter—especially helpful on Keto.
- Healthy fats: 4th & Heart Grass‑Fed Ghee and Chosen Foods Avocado Oil.
- Snacks: RXBARs for Paleo; Perfect Keto Bars for Keto-friendly convenience.
🥦 Sample Eating Plans
Paleo Meal Idea
- Breakfast: Vegetable omelet in ghee with avocado
- Lunch: Wild salmon salad with leafy greens and olive oil
- Snacks: RXBAR, apple chips, nut butter on celery
- Dinner: Grass-fed steak with roasted veggies
- Dessert (optional): A few berries or dark cocoa bites
Keto Meal Idea
- Breakfast: Coffee with collagen and MCT oil, spinach scramble
- Lunch: Chicken salad with avocado and olives
- Snacks: Keto bar or macadamia nuts
- Dinner: Grass-fed beef with zucchini noodles sautéed in avocado oil
- Optional: Cheese or cream-based fat bombs
🔚 Final Takeaway
- Choose Paleo if you want a flexible, whole-foods lifestyle with moderate carbs and easy social integration.
- Choose Keto if your primary goal is rapid fat loss, metabolic control, or cognitive focus—and you’re comfortable tracking macros.
Both can be healthy, effective, and sustainable when done right.