Keto Meal Pros
- Encourages whole foods over processed foods - A ketogenic diet encourages consuming minimally processed foods, such as animal protein, nuts and seeds, avocado, healthy oils like olive oil, and non-starchy vegetables.
- May assist in weight loss - Those who follow a keto diet may experience weight loss.
- May stabilise blood sugar levels- This may benefit health outcomes of individuals with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.
- May assist in controlling appetite - Fat consists of 70-80% of what you eat on a keto diet which is extremely satiating. Fat can assist in keeping you feeling fuller for longer as 1) It delays stomach emptying, and 2) It creates a full-bodied mouthfeel that can remain in the mouth after eating.
- Convenience - Using a meal delivery service to facilitate a keto diet takes the guess work out of meal preparation and is a simpler approach to meeting macronutrient targets on a keto diet.
Keto Meal Cons
- You may experience initial side effects - Those who start a ketogenic diet may experience some initial side effects including headaches, brain fog, moodiness, depleted energy, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting (AKA the ‘keto flu’) - these side effects may be experienced at the onset of the diet as your body adjusts.
- May lead to further health issues - As the keto diet is extremely restrictive it's not uncommon for people to experience micronutrient deficiencies, kidney stones, or a buildup of fat in the liver, particularly if the diet is maintained long-term. This type of restriction and strictness around food can also create a poor relationship around food.
- It can lead to or exasperate digestive issues - By restricting carbohydrates, you’ll be eliminating many sources of dietary fibre, such as whole grains, legumes, and higher-carb fruit and vegetables. Digestive irritation such as constipation may occur, there is also the possibility some people may experience diarrhoea with the high-fat intakes (especially those with irritable bowel syndrome).
- Low consumption of plant-based foods - By reducing consumption of a variety of plant-based foods, the keto diet will more than likely limit the array of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in your diet, as well as the diversity of beneficial gut bacteria.