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Ever feel like every other person in New York is either on keto or talking about cutting carbs?
Same here. A few months ago, I found myself standing in a Brooklyn grocery aisle, holding almond flour in one hand and zucchini noodles in the other.
Wondering what the real difference between keto and low-carb diet in New York even was. If you’ve been asking what is the difference between keto and low carb diet, you’re not alone, and you’re in the right place.
I’ve spent time experimenting with both, navigating NYC’s food scene from bagel shops to Whole Foods, and figuring out what works (and what’s sustainable) in real life.
Now we discuss the difference between keto and low-carb diets with simple, clear insights to help you choose what fits your lifestyle best, without the confusion.
So tune out some noise, save you some carbs and some stress.
Is it as easy to eat keto in New York City as it is to find a slice of pizza?
Eating keto in New York City is actually way easier than you’d think, but it obviously also depends on how you approach it. One one hand, the city is teeming with restaurants where you can get grass-fed burgers sans bun, salads heavy on the avocado, and even some upscale spots that offer up ketogenic friendly menus.
Grocery stores from Whole Foods to tiny Brooklyn co-ops have almond flour, cauliflower rice and sugar-free anything. At the same time, daily life offers a constant stream of bagels, pizza slices and food trucks, and it can feel increasingly more challenging to stick to strict keto.
For most New Yorkers, the true secret is preparation, identifying go-to options, requesting substitutions and stocking up on keto staples so that the city’s penchant for carbs won’t prevail.
What Is a Low-Carb Diet, Really?
Understand how hard it is to simply walk past a bagel shop or dollar-slice pizza stand. But eating low carb doesn’t mean you never get to enjoy good, old-fashioned comfort food again.
It only means that you are electing to slow down on carb consumption, things like bread, pasta and sugar, while still embodying quite a bit of flexibility with what you eat.
The short version is that a low-carb diet usually allows you to eat between 50 to 150 grams of carbs a day. It’s less restrictive than keto and easier to maintain if you’re someone who needs more variety. You can still eat fruit, sweet potatoes or the occasional sandwich, just in smaller amounts.
When I’m asked the difference between the two, I always say this: Keto is getting into ketosis and a low-carb diet is just taking a step back from a high-carb diet and not jumping off the edge of the cliff.
That’s the major low carb vs. keto diet difference, as with low-carb, you have more wiggle room, which generally more sustainable especially in a city as go-go-go-fast as New York.
So, if you ever wondered what’s the different keto versus low carb, well this is your entry point.
NYC food for Keto that you wouldn’t expect
This is actually surprisingly keto-friendly (bread is carb-loaded, yo) Photo courtesy Public Domain What is typical New York City food?
At the city’s myriad of bagel shops, you can sidestep the bagel entirely and move directly to eggs, smoked salmon and cream cheese.
Steakhouses throughout Manhattan also offer ribeye or filet mignon with just butter and vegetables – which is a great choice for keto. Delis like Katz’s can load a lettuce wrap with pastrami or turkey rather than bread.
It’s even easy with food trucks, chicken or lamb over salad, without the rice and pita. For sushi fans, sashimi platters are ubiquitous, and Italian restaurants frequently serve meat or seafood dishes sans pasta.
What Exactly Is the Keto Diet?
If you’ve ever attempted swearing off carbs entirely in New York, walking past endless bagels, soft pretzels and food trucks, then you already know: keto isn’t for the weak-willed.
Here’s the dumbed-down version, though: keto forces your body into a state of undernourishment, called ketosis. That’s the point at which you stop using carbs for energy and the body, needing fuel, starts using and burning its own fat.
To do this, you’ll want to keep carbs super low, generally at 20 to 50 grams per day, and increase fats big time. Flavorful fats in an abundance of healthy options like avocado, olive oil, eggs, salmon, and yes… bacon, too.
You can’t simply consume fewer bagels, you must monitor every gram of carbs and fat. That’s why many people just call keto a low carb high fat diet and it’s a huge part of understanding the difference between keto and low carb high fat diet vs. a casual “I’ll just cut some carbs” diet.
Living in New York, I have noticed keto-friendly options have expanded to,already fairly keto polished,bulletproof coffee from trendy cafés, lettuce-wrapped bunless burger and even the ultimate program friendly dish: pizza with a cauliflower crust.
But it still takes planning. And though it seems extreme, others have claimed that it helps with everything from energy and focus to rapid, above-and-beyond weight loss.
Just understand that if you treat the difference between keto and low-carb diet in New York City as a question of food, it’s really a much bigger difference when it’s the difference between how much structure you want to have in your life.
Keto vs Low-Carb Diets: The Key Differences
So you’re likely assuming by now that the keto diet is not, I repeat NOT, a low-carb diet but what’s the difference?
Truthfully, it’s something akin to comparing strict jazz choreography to freestyle dance. Both are creative, but one provides you with way more structure.
Let’s break it down simply:
Carb intake: Low-carb diets specify anywhere from 50 to 150 grams of carbs per day. Keto?
Way a lot of restrictive, like 20 to 50 grams max.
Fat fat fat: Keto is a low carb high fat diet, and fat is the key – 70-80% of your calories will need to come from fat. Low-carb doesn’t hit fat quite that hard.
Body fuel: Low-carb diets can run on glucose. Keto flips the switch to ketones and your body turns to burning fat (ketosis).
Flexibility: Low-carb is more casual. Keto is measured and meticulous and precise.
Now when you ask, “what is the difference between Keto and Low Carb Diets in terms of calories”?, here’s the scoop.
The calorie discrepancy between a low carb diet and keto is frequently fat. Fat contains more than twice the calories per gram of protein or carbs, so keto meals can be significantly more energy dense than you may have experienced with other diets.
If you’re someone in New York who wonders, what’s the difference between low carb diet and keto diet if trying to lose weight?” The reality is that both do work, it just depends on what your life style and your goals are.
If you’re someone who does well with structure, and doesn’t mind measuring everything in the beginning, keto might be for you. But if all you’re looking for is a little less bagel, less soda, low-carb is probably best. That’s when the decision gets personal.
Keto vs Low-Carb in New York: What’s Best for You?
Both will deliver you to where you’re going, but the journey can look quite different depending on how fast you want to go, when you need to arrive and what you’re willing to sacrifice.
In a city with little time and food everywhere, the distinction between a keto and low-carb diet in New York frequently boils down to convenience. Keto demands serious prep.
You may have to forgo the deli bagel, pass up on the poke bowl rice, and perhaps even pack your own lunch.
Low-carb?
It’s more forgiving. Request no bun at Shake Shack or sashimi over sushi and you’re still good to go.
“But here’s where you get personal here: your lifestyle. Are you racing between back-to-back meetings, juggling side hustles or eating after a Broadway show?
If the latter, you need to count every single day get on with your life, train hard, stay healthy too and you don’t need “low carb” diet to be healthy.
On the other hand, if you are someone who thrives on discipline and loves routine, keto might just give you that extra edge (especially when it comes to energy and fat loss).
There’s also budget to consider. Some of the very best keto-friendly options, think almond flour, wild salmon or MCT oil, can be costly in the Big Apple. And in the meantime, low-carb allows you to eat clean without draining your bank account.
So, how does keto and low carb differ when you live in New York?
It’s not only about macros, it’s about finding a balance, flexibility, and what’s truly reasonable for your life here. You don’t have to be perfect.
You just have to pick what does make you feel good and keep going, whether it’s catching a train or catching your breath.
Choosing the Right One: Questions to Ask Yourself
Choosing the right diet in New York can feel, much like dealing with a crowded subway car at rush hour, puzzling and a little overwhelming.
If you are trying to decipher the difference between keto and low-carb diet in New York, you might want to ask yourself a few simple questions first.
Do you need/want to get into ketosis, that fat-burning state keto is so well-known for?
If you’re intrigued by that metabolic change and don’t mind monitoring every single carb, keto could be your jam. But if all you care about is lowering carbs, not going full strict, than low-carb might be an easier option to manage while living a busy NYC life.
How often do you eat out? New Yorkers are smitten by their street food and fast eats. It can be difficult to keep keto rules tight if you’re grabbing meals on the go.
Can you maintain strict rules?
Keto is akin to reading a script, it requires discipline. Low-carb is more like freestyle jazz, allowing you to improvise a little with your food choices.
Finally, what are your principal objectives?
Do you want to lose weight fast, regain control over your blood sugar or simply feel more energized?
Knowing your “why” goes a long way toward explaining the keto diet vs low carb, and what will or won’t actually work for you.
Being honest about your answers will help you land on a diet that meets your goals, while accommodating the hectic pace and delicious chaos of New York life.
After all, the only good diet is the one you can stick to, without going crazy (or, in this case) getting depressed and a little hangry, especially if you’re missing your favorite local eats.
Bonus: What About Paleo?
And if you’ve been surfing the difference between keto and low-carb dieting in New York, then you may be curious where Paleo comes in.
Just as you call the previous decade the aughts or our forefathers Pilgrims, consider Paleo the throwback diet, less about carb or fat counting and more about consuming food the way our ancestors did.
Picture a plate piled high with fresh vegetables, lean meats, nuts and berries, no processed foods, no grains, no dairy.
The main thing the differs between keto paleo and low carb diets is the mindset. While keto and low-carb gravitate toward the macros such as fats and carbs, Paleo looks to eat whole, natural foods and shun modern, processed ingredients.
Shaw: In New York, Paleo can be great if you adore farmers’ markets and the rawest of fresh food; Paleo may feel a little tricky when you’re grabbing a quick bite downtown.
While keto has strict carb limits and low-carb is fairly forgiving, Paleo falls somewhere in the middle, where you can safely enjoy fruits and sweet potatoes without concern.
So, when looking at the difference between keto diet and low carb with Paleo, just know that Paleo is more of a way of life as it is about food quality and eating like our ancestors while keto and low carb are more focused on a macronutrient ratio.
Each has its benefits, depending on what you find to be your New York rhythm and health goals.
Where to Eat Keto Lunch and Dinner in New York
Need a keto-friendly lunch or dinner in New York City?
It’s not as difficult as you may think. A number of steakhouses, from Midtown to downtown, have been serving cuts of grass-fed with sides like creamed spinach or roasted Brussels sprouts.
If you just want something casual, there are also delis and salad bars everywhere that will create a low-carb bowl of protein and cheese and healthy fat to go.
Hipster cafes in Brooklyn and Manhattan offer zucchini noodles, bowls of cauliflower rice and bunless burgers with an avocado garnish. There are even options at food trucks and fast-casual spots, shawarma over salad, poke bowls when rice is removed, or taco fillings presented over greens.
With a bit of foresight, all of this food exists in the city, so you can have a full, keto meal almost anywhere.
Final Thoughts: Which Diet Works Best With Your New York Life?
The keto vs. low-carb debate goes beyond counting carbs or fats, it’s about finding a lifestyle that works for you in the city that never sleeps.
The distinction between keto and low-carb diet in New York frequently comes to down to how much structure you’re looking for and how precisely you can navigate your busy schedule.
If you love structure, counting every morsel you consume, and aren’t interested in missing out on some of the Big Apple’s most iconic foods, keto’s high-fat, low-carb regimen might offer you the clarity and energy you desire.
But, if you want to order flexibility, to savor the entire food landscape without having to overthink what to eat, low-carb might just be the best friend you never knew you had.
Don’t forget, keto diet vs low carb isn’t so much right vs wrong as it i’s what’s going to keep you consistent and happy. In a city of constant temptation (unlimited dollar slices, countless food trucks) the best diet is the one that you can maintain without the sensation of denial.
So don’t worry if the perfect plan is just out of reach. Experiment, modify and pay attention to your body.
Whether you’re more keto or low-carb, balance is the most important thing, understanding what fuels your New York hustle and makes you feel and look your best.
Keto or Low Carb Life in the Big Apple FAQs
Q. Is it difficult to do Keto in NYC?
Yes. NYC has a plethora of keto-friendly restaurants, low-carb bakeries, and grocery options. Many cafes even have almond-flour bagels and lettuce-wrapped burgers, so it’s easy to stay on course.
Q. Which restaurants in NYC are the best for Keto?
Some popular spots are Hu Kitchen, Westville and Bareburger for bunless burgers. A lot of steakhouses will have grass-fed meat, low carb sides. When in doubt, scan menus for cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles and avocado-based entrees.
Q. How do you eat Keto or Low-Carb in NYC on a budget?
Not necessarily. Restaurants may charge a premium for keto-friendly meals, but if you are cooking at home with local produce and grass fed meats from a farmers market the diet could be cost effective. Meal prepping also keeps costs low.
Q5. Do they have food delivery in NYC that’s Keto friendly?
Yes. There are some meal delivery services (Factor, Territory Foods, Fresh N Lean) that offer a keto-specific plan in NYC. Many restaurants on apps like Uber Eats and Door Dash also tag low-carb items.
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