Carnivore, Ketovore, Keto and Low-Carb Diets: What's the difference?
/When I started my carnivore journey it was all new and exciting. It's as easy as just eating meat, right?
But some of the carnivore eaters I follow on social media ate cheese and fish and heavy cream. Some carnivore eaters use herbs and spices on their steaks and chicken, and others didn't. Some people eat mostly meat but also some honey and fruit.
Clearly, there are a whole bunch of different levels of carnivore! Not to mention ketovore - what the heck is that?
So I did some research and will explain (in simple and minimalist terms!) EXACTLY what carnivore, ketovore, keto, and low-carb diets are and the differences between each.
Spoiler alert: there are pros and cons to each one and you get to choose which of these low-carbohydrate ways of life is best for you.
Be sure to scroll down to see photo comparisons of three typical meals on all of these eating plans!
Table of Contents:
What are the main differences between carnivore, ketovore, keto, and low-carb diets?
What is a carnivore diet? Learn what to eat, how many carbs, and typical meals.
What is a ketovore diet?
What is a ketogenic diet?
What is a low-carbohydrate diet?
Photo comparison of three typical meals in the carnivore, ketovore, keto, and low-carb eating styles.
Which eating style is best for you?
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What are the main differences between carnivore, ketovore, keto, and low-carb diets?
There are two main differences between carnivore, ketovore, ketogenic, and low-carb diets.
The number of carbs differentiates these four types of low-carb diets.
Carnivore is close to 0 carbs
Ketovore is 10 grams of carbs per day
A ketogenic diet is 30 grams of carbs per day
A low-carb diet is 100 or fewer grams of carbs per day.
Prioritizing meat in the diet differentiates carnivore, ketovore, keto, and low-carb ways of eating.
A carnivore diet prioritizes fatty cuts of meat but can include all animal-based foods (some carnivores include dairy).
Ketovore also prioritizes meat and fat but adds a small amount of plant foods like vegetables in sauces and for seasoning.
A keto diet is less meat-heavy, focuses on healthy fats, and has more vegetables and small amounts of fruit, nuts, and seeds. Some keto dieters even follow a vegetarian lifestyle.
A low-carbohydrate includes the widest variety of foods and meat is not the main source of nutrition. Some low-carb eaters may follow a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle.
When I say "meat" I mean all types of animal foods like beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, and shellfish.
Daily macros differ widely for carnivore, ketovore, keto, and low-carb diets.
Macros can vary across all eating plans and most people do not religiously track their macros. You will notice that fat is highest with carnivore and lowest with low-carb. Carbohydrates are lowest with carnivore and highest with a typical low-carb diet.
Typical macros for these eating plans are:
Carnivore: 70-80 percent calories from fat, 15-30 percent calories from protein, and 0-10 percent calories from carbs. Source.
Ketovore: From my research, I could not find any "typical" macros for ketovore. My guess is it is similar to carnivore but with closer to 70 percent fat, 25 percent protein, and 5 percent carbs.
Keto: 70 percent calories from fat, 20 percent calories from protein, and 10 percent calories from carbs. Source.
Low-carb: 30-40 percent calories from fat, 40-50 percent calories from protein, 10-25 percent calories from carbs. Source.
What is a carnivore diet?
A carnivore diet is a way of eating where a person only eats foods that come from animals, prioritizing fatty cuts of meat. Meat, particularly fatty cuts of beef, provides all the fatty acids and amino acids your body needs, and many of the vitamins and minerals your body needs without unnecessary carbohydrates.
Among carnivores, there are different levels.
Some carnivores eat only beef and salt.
Others do what is called "beef, butter, bacon, and eggs" and they eat those four foods. This way of eating was popularized by Dr. Ken Berry.
Still other carnivore dieters eat all types of meat, poultry, fish, and eggs.
Finally, the least restrictive carnivore diet is one embracing all animal products. It is a way of eating that includes not only meat, seafood, poultry, and eggs, but also dairy products like cheese, heavy cream, and yogurt.
All versions of a carnivore diet avoid any other types of food like fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds. And of course, no processed food or treats like chips, cookies, pasta, or ice cream are allowed.
A carnivore diet is close to a zero-carbohydrate diet.
The only source of carbohydrates are those naturally occurring in dairy like heavy cream and cheese, eggs, or in processed meats like sausages or salami.
The goal of a carnivore diet is to switch the body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.
RELATED: For a yummy keto/carnivore/low-carb treat, see EASY Brown Butter Bites Recipe | Keto Fat Bombs | Carnivore Candy
What is a ketovore diet?
A ketovore diet prioritizes eating meat, just like carnivore, but adds small amounts of vegetables or fruits, mostly as a source of seasoning, added flavor, or texture.
On a ketovore diet, you might have grilled onions and peppers on your steak, a lemon brown butter sauce with capers with your salmon, or some pickles on a cheeseburger. No bun, of course!
The carbs won't kick you out of ketosis and not enough plant foods to cause any meaningful inflammation, but you do get the flavor and texture.
As far as I can tell, Dr. Ken Berry coined the term "ketovore." Dr. Berry is a very popular proponent of a low-carb, real-food way of eating and has a YouTube channel with over 2 million followers.
A ketovore diet will be about 10 grams of total carbohydrates per day, or less.
Ketovore is very similar to carnivore with just a tiny bit of plant foods so you will eat about 10 grams or fewer per day. You will burn fat for fuel and be in a state of ketosis.
For more information on the ketovore diet, check out this video on Dr. Berry's YouTube channel.
What is a keto diet?
Compared to a carnivore or ketovore diet, a ketogenic diet has lots and lots of food and flavor options.
A ketogenic diet is a way of eating that focuses on high fat, moderate protein, and very low carbohydrate intake. The goal is to put your body in a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. This can lead to weight loss and improved health markers for some people.
A ketogenic diet is usually 30 total grams of carbs per day or fewer.
On a keto diet, you can eat proteins like beef, chicken, pork, seafood, and eggs. Eat non-starchy vegetables, like asparagus, peppers, mushrooms, and spinach. Enjoy nuts, seeds, nut butter, and fats like avocado, coconut, and olive oil. Many keto dieters eat full-fat dairy, like cheese, butter, and heavy whipping cream.
RELATED: For more on the keto diet, see What to Eat (and Not Eat) on a Keto Diet: A Beginner's Guide
What is a low-carbohydrate diet?
A low-carbohydrate diet is a way of eating that focuses on limiting the number of carbohydrates you consume. Carbohydrates are found in things like bread, pasta, and sugary foods.
By eating fewer carbohydrates, your body has to use other sources of energy, like fat, to fuel itself. Some people follow a low-carbohydrate diet to help with weight loss or to manage Type 2 diabetes, while others do it for other health reasons.
What are some typical meals on a low-carb diet?
Grilled chicken with roasted vegetables.
Baked salmon with a side salad.
Turkey lettuce wraps with avocado and tomato.
Cauliflower rice stir-fry with shrimp and vegetables.
Zucchini noodles with meatballs and tomato sauce.
A low-carb diet is considered 100 total grams of carbs per day or fewer.
Common foods that people eat on a low-carb diet include meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. They include healthy fats like olive oil and avocado, some dairy, and low-sugar or smaller portions of fruits.
On a low-carb diet, it is possible to occasionally eat higher-carb foods like bread, pasta, and even sweets in small quantities.
Eating 100 grams of carbohydrates per day is a good range for weight loss and maintaining lean muscle. The body will still burn both carbohydrates and fat for fuel and you will not be in ketosis.
For comparison, the average American typically consumes 250 grams of carbs or more per day. Source.
Comparison of 3 typical meals in the carnivore, ketovore, keto, and low-carb eating styles.
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. In the following photos, I’ve shown sample steak, salmon, and chicken meals and the differences you might find in a carnivore, ketovore, keto, or low-carb way of eating.
A steak meal on a carnivore diet might be a ribeye alone, steak topped with butter, or steak and eggs. (Or any of a myriad of combinations of steak with animal products.)
A ketovore steak meal might be a juicy ribeye (and possibly other animal products) with a chimichurri sauce, or served with grilled onions and mushrooms.
A keto steak meal might be a filet served with a side of green beans or roasted Brussels sprouts topped with butter.
Finally, a low-carb steak meal might mean a strip steak served with asparagus, tomatoes, and a tiny serving of roasted potatoes.
The carnivore salmon meal is one I had recently: pan-seared salmon with warmed soft-boiled eggs and a few slices of bacon. See, carnivore does not have to mean eating one food per meal and it doesn’t have to be boring!
A ketovore salmon meal might be baked salmon served with a lemon butter sauce, lemon slices, and seasoned with fresh herbs.
A keto salmon meal could be salmon glazed with a low-carb teriyaki sauce and fresh green beans.
A low-carb salmon meal might be a piece of salmon served atop a nice vegetable salad.
A carnivore chicken meal could be as simple as grilled chicken. Or it can be chicken served with grilled pork belly, a few cubes of gouda cheese, or with a perfectly poached egg.
A ketovore chicken meal might be oven-roasted chicken breasts with a tangy lemon butter sauce.
A keto chicken meal could be chicken tenders served with avocado, tomato, cucumber, hard-boiled egg, and some red cabbage.
A low-carb chicken meal might be a hearty salad with tender chicken topped with a savory red wine sauce, walnuts, tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, and red onions.
One of my favorite keto meals EVER! Salmon with a fresh salad from Djons Village Market in Indialantic, Florida.
Which style of eating (carnivore, ketovore, keto, or low-carb) is best for you?
There is no one perfect style of eating.
You can find experts saying the Mediterranean diet is the best, some people love Weight Watchers, I know tons of people who love eating keto and who find it's a good fit, and carnivore is a new, emerging community of meat-eating enthusiasts.
You'll also find doctors (like my former functional medicine practitioner) who believe eating a vegan diet is best.
I love eating low-carb and find it prevents my cravings, I can lose or maintain my weight easily, it is satisfying, and generally easy to follow. In the four low-carb diets I’ve compared, you can go from almost no carbs per day all the way up to 100 grams of carbohydrates.
I have experimented with all four of these lifestyles and currently follow a carnivore diet. I’ve committed to this way of eating for 90 days. When that little self-experiment is over, I will likely return to either ketovore or a keto diet because I like more variety in my food.
Experimenting has been very valuable to me. I've already found (40-some days into carnivore) that my IBS is essentially GONE, which is a miracle to me. I've suffered from IBS and the anxiety it causes for my entire adult life. I would never have known lots of veggies and fiber disagreed with me without trying carnivore.
Of course, you should always consult your doctor (I have to say that - I'm married to a lawyer), but if a lower-carb lifestyle appeals to you I recommend starting with the least restrictive low-carb diet (around 100 grams of carbs).
If you feel great and are losing weight (if that is your goal), then you've found your sweet spot in the carb world. If you aren't losing weight or you feel inflamed or have IBS issues or autoimmune, then you might try a keto diet for a while. Dr. Ken Berry recommends trying at least a month, and ideally 90 days.
The reason I went from keto to carnivore is to try to reverse my autoimmune disease.
Whichever eating style you follow, choose good quality cuts of meat and whole, nutritious foods like fruits and veggies (if you tolerate them). Stop with the keto or diet bars and shakes and eat real food.
I hope you find an eating plan that works well for you. And I wish you good health!
--The Keto Minimalist
