Low Fat Keto Diet 2023: Is It A Safe Way To Diet?

The ketogenic diet, often shortened to “keto,” is traditionally a low carb, high-fat diet, divided up by roughly 70% fat, 20% protein, and only 10% carbs. To follow the diet responsibly, it’s good to know all the healthy fats for keto available. 

A low fat ketogenic diet is a little different than a standard keto in that it emphasizes not only low amounts of carbohydrates but lower amounts of fats, as well (compared to standard ketogenic diets).

In order to undertake this approach to eating, more emphasis is placed on protein and carbs than otherwise would be. To help achieve success on the diet, it’s advised to work with a qualified practitioner. 

People wishing to adopt a ketogenic diet may also choose to sign up for keto meal delivery so that the guesswork can be taken out of meal prep.

What Is A Low Fat Keto Diet?

Many variations of the ketogenic diet exist–dirty keto, lazy keto, and low fat keto, just to name a few. Like the other versions of keto, low fat keto is designed to help loosen restrictions on the diet, as keto can be very restrictive.

When a diet is too restrictive, it sets people up for failure because it’s difficult to stick to long-term. Instead of eating 70% fat and only 10% carbs, fat is reduced to roughly 50%, leaving carbs and protein to fill in the gap. 

In other words, people on a low fat ketogenic diet can enjoy more carbs (a greater amount and a wider variety of carbs) than they would on a traditional keto diet. 

This eating style can be good for those who are looking for some of the benefits of keto, but who are not prepared to follow it as closely. Weight loss can still be achieved on a low fat keto diet, but it may be slightly harder to attain^[1]. 

Yet, an argument for weight loss is that going low fat and higher-carb makes the diet easier to stick to, which could aid in weight loss. 

Keep in mind, that doing low fat keto is not ideal for achieving and maintaining ketosis (when the body burns fat for fuel), nor does it promise the same health benefits as a standard ketogenic diet.

Low Fat Keto Food: Pros & Cons 

Pros   

The pros of a low fat ketogenic diet come down to more freedom, flexibility, and variety. A low fat keto diet plan is more flexible, less restrictive, and easier to stick to than traditional keto eating approaches.

Being on low fat keto is also a healthier eating approach because you get to choose from a wider variety of foods–more carbs, more fruits, more protein, etc.

The body thrives on diversity^[2], particularly a variety of whole foods, for a robust gut microbiome and better health outcomes. Expanding the diet is the best way to get a wider range of foods in.

With more varieties and more macronutrients, there’s less chance of having nutritional deficiencies that can be brought on by restrictive diets. 

For some, the low fat eating pattern may help them lose weight, not only because fat is reduced, but because dieters may find it easier to maintain the diet over time.

Cons   

In order to get the body into ketosis, it needs to burn fat for fuel, instead of its preferred energy source: carbs. In order to achieve this, the body needs to be “deprived” of carbs and fed a lot of fats, instead. This is the standard ketogenic way of eating. 

However, on a lower fat ketogenic diet, fat is reduced, and carbs are increased, which means the body will not be able to reach or maintain ketosis.

It may also be harder to lose weight while on a low fat keto diet, for some. This will be highly individual. On one hand, with more carbs, losing weight can become more difficult. On the other hand, the decrease in fat may assist in weight loss. This will vary from person to person.

Low Fat Keto Diet Plan: Safety Tips  

Nutrient Balance 

Any time we restrict food, we run the risk of limiting or depleting valuable nutrients^[3]. For example, a low fat diet may mean we miss out on omega-3 fatty acids, or a low carb diet may mean we miss out on B vitamins in whole grains. 

Work with a nutritionist to monitor your nutrient levels to ensure you’re getting enough healthy fats, protein, carbs, fiber, minerals, and vitamins.

Work With A Practitioner

Whenever embarking on a new diet, especially one that is very different from one you’re used to and/or one that is restrictive, you should enlist the help of a professional. 

Nutrition and health can be complicated and multifaceted, and one should not attempt to drastically reduce their nutrients without knowing exactly how to compensate for those deficiencies. 

A Registered Dietician, Naturopathic Doctor, or Nutritionist would be some examples of professionals who can oversee the process.

Monitor Protein

With all the attention on reducing carbs and increasing fat (but not too much) on low fat keto foods, sometimes protein^[4] gets overlooked. But it is important to remember that protein is a building block of life. 

We need adequate amounts for muscles, hormone production, and overall health. Opt for nutritious protein sources like nuts, lean meat, tofu, eggs, and fish to ensure you obtain about 30% of your daily calories from eating healthy fats on a low-fat ketogenic diet.

Hydrate

Hydration is a key element in getting nutrients to our cells and flushing out toxins. When dieting, emphasis is usually placed on which foods to eat and avoid. However, we can’t assimilate food well without enough water and electrolytes. 

Be sure to drink plenty of clear, non-sugary fluid each day in between meals.

Choose Whole Foods

When we’re talking about fat intake, carbohydrate intake, and protein intake, we’re not just talking about any foods that fall into those categories. 

In order to do the low fat version of the diet safely, all food sources should be whole, unprocessed foods, preferably organic and humanely raised/grown. 

For fat, avoid saturated fat and stick with sources of omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, sardines, olives, nuts, seeds, and avocados.

Avoid Long-Term Dieting

It’s hard on a traditional low carb diet when carbohydrate intake is limited, to keep up the diet long-term, which is why a keto low fat diet may be just the thing some people need to stick with. 

Still, adhering to any diet for long periods of time can be challenging and unhealthy (if too many nutrients are missing or the dieter adopts a rigid mindset around food). 

Collaborate with a healthcare professional to maintain the diet for as long as it remains a healthy choice, but eventually, seek a more sustainable eating approach that doesn’t feel overly restrictive while still focusing on eating healthy fats.

Conclusion

A low fat keto diet is the anecdote to a strict standard ketogenic diet in which fats are prioritized above all else–a way of eating that can be challenging even for the most disciplined people. On a keto low fat diet, rather than aiming for 70% fat intake each day, the goal is closer to 50%.

This leaves more room for protein and carbs (macronutrients that are usually kept to a minimum on a traditional ketogenic diet). 

This low fat way of approaching keto can be liberating for many people who find standard keto too restrictive, making it easier to stick to long-term, however, losing weight and reaching ketosis may be more difficult to achieve.

Frequently Asked Questions

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