The Best Keto Diets

Thursday, June 1st

2023 Keto Diet Reviews

Diet Doctor

• Cost: $9/month
• First month free with registration
• No registration needed to preview meal plan samples and videos

Diet Doctor is on a mission: to empower people everywhere to dramatically improve health through unbiased, evidence-based information. Every guide offered on the platform is created and reviewed by medical doctors and experts, and trusted by practicing doctors. Because the site is supported strictly by memberships (more than 60,000 at the time of our review!), you won't find any products being promoted, no ads, and no sponsorships from other companies. That's a breath of fresh air in the dieting world!

We appreciate that Diet Doctor lets you preview 3 meal plans and samples of the more than 500 videos on their site before committing to their keto diet plan. You can also get a free month of full access to all of the resources on the site: over 100 meal plans, "ask the experts", over 700 recipes, podcasts and more.

If you're a beginner to the keto diet lifestyle, you'll find everything you need to know to get started. We recommend starting with the video under the section listed as "1. What is a keto diet?" You can see the whole step-by-step course with your free 30-day trial, and much of the information in the videos can be found as you scroll down the page.

You can also get a two-week keto diet plan, complete with 42 recipes like pesto chicken casserole and even keto pizza. There's no guesswork: you can see absolutely everything you can choose from, without even entering your email address.

We also love that the Diet Doctor tackles some of the controversies surrounding keto diets head-on: saturated fats and increased cholesterol levels, whole grains and red meats, and more. The site is also very clear that if you take medication for diabetes or high blood pressure, or if you're breastfeeding, you should definitely consult with your medical professional before starting a keto diet.

Everything about using Diet Doctor is extremely intuitive and very appealing visually. If you want to see what a keto diet looks like, you can see which foods are lower and higher in carbs at a glance. The meal planning tool is also easy to use: create a meal plan from scratch, or customize one of the more than 100 pre-made meal plans in the Diet Doctor database. These meal plans come with shopping lists, recipes, and simple adaptations for dairy-free and vegetarian options, budget-friendly selections, and any changes you need to make for larger or smaller serving sizes.

When it comes to changing your life to incorporate - or continue - a keto diet, you want to know that you'll get great-tasting recipes with lots of variety, along with nutritionally-sound advice backed by science. And, you don't want it to break the bank. For all of those reasons, Diet Doctor should be your first visit when considering keto diets: you just won't find anything as comprehensive, approachable, and affordable on the market today.

Keto Mojo

• Cost: $59.99 for the Basic Starter Kit
• $114.99 for the Premium Starter Kit
• $139.95 for the Keto-Mojo Promo Bundle

Keto Mojo takes an extremely scientific, data-driven approach to the keto diet lifestyle. Because maintaining a state of ketosis is so critical to succeeding with any ketogenic plan, this company offers a device used to test your ketone and blood glucose levels (very much like the products used by people with diabetes). If you're the kind of person who wants to see actual numbers, not just vague guesses as to how you're doing with your keto diet, this might be the perfect resource for you.

The basis of your keto journey with Keto Mojo revolves around your GKI: Glucose Ketone Index. You'll want to carefully read the information on this service's website to fully understand how to get your baseline readings (advance warning: you'll have to fast for at least 2-3 hours before your first test), as well as how your regular readings will be used to track your general metabolic status (including ketosis).

We really love the chart on the GKI info page: it tells you exactly what readings you should be aiming for, depending on your reasons for following a keto diet. For example, if you're using keto therapeutically to treat a condition like traumatic brain injury or epilepsy, your target readings will be much lower than if you're focusing on health maintenance and weight loss. "Less is more" is not necessarily appropriate when following a keto diet, in other words.

Expect to use the device to test your blood 2-3 hours after eating, twice a day. Regular testing helps you know if what you're eating is affecting your GKI; in other words, it tells you if you're staying in your target state of ketosis.

There are several packages you can choose when getting started with Keto Mojo:

• Basic Starter Kit, $59.99: if you want to start small, this is the kit for you. It includes the ketone/glucose meter, 10 ketone strips, 10 glucose strips, and an accessory bag with a lancet device and 10 lancets. Obviously if you're needing to test your blood twice a day, those strips will run out quickly, so be sure to add extra strips to your package (50 glucose strips for $14.99, and 50 ketone strips for $49.50), or buy them together in the GKI Promo Bundle for $55).
• Premium Starter Kit, $114.99: you'll get everything in the Basic package, but it includes 60 ketone strips and 60 glucose strips. (And if you look closely, that price is the Basic Starter Kit + GKI Promo Bundle: same cost whether you purchase it separately or together.)
• Keto Promo Bundle, $139.95: this is the best overall value offered by Keto Mojo. You get all of the equipment in the Premium Starter Kit, along with a handy Bluetooth connector that instantly downloads your readings to your mobile app (iOS and Android compatible). Plus, the company includes other goodies like discounts at Butcher Box (for all the bacon you'll be eating on your keto diet), a free 4-week kickstart guide, and more.

Keep an eye out for extra savings and discounts. When we visited the Keto Mojo site, we immediately got a pop-up offering us a discount on the Meter Kit if we entered our address. When we clicked on "no thanks", we got another offer of a spin-to-win discount ranging from percentage discounts of 5-25%, $15 off, or even a free kit.

Remember that 4-week kickstart guide? You'll find that at the top of the Keto Mojo site, free to everyone. It's a gentle, encouraging intro to your first 4 weeks of incorporating keto principles into your diet and can be used even before buying the ketone/glucose monitor. The one aspect of going keto that isn't heavily emphasized on the Keto Mojo site is an actual meal plan, so if you need a lot of specific direction and suggestions, you'll need to put your Google skills to work and pair the Keto Mojo science with other resources available (maybe even one of the keto diet meal plans in our review).

If you really like the idea of going keto in a data-driven way, Keto Mojo is your best option. Although you'll have to keep spending money for your test strips, you'll probably think it's worth it to have absolute proof of how well you're doing at achieving ketosis.

Healthful Pursuit

• Cost: $15/month
• $36/quarter
• $96/year

Healthful Pursuit is geared towards women who want to take the guesswork out of their keto diet. (Side note: although most of the site addresses women and their health, this keto diet isn't off-limits for men.)

The creator of Healthful Pursuit, Leanne Vogel, discovered that most women have trouble following a keto plan because of the difficulty in researching, planning, and organizing meals. So, she created the Balanced Keto Weekly Meal Plans. These plans are based on her personal research and experience with the keto lifestyle, and they follow what she calls the "Fat Fueled" protocol of healthy eating through nutritious, high-quality foods that are also high in fat. Keep in mind that this keto diet has not been designed by a medical professional or nutritionist.

Healthful Pursuit's main resource is the Balanced Keto Weekly Meal Plan program. With this keto diet, you'll get a weekly email with the following:

• 7 days of meal planning, complete with organized shopping lists
• Tips to help you stay on track with your plan
• Alternative lists if you need to eat grain-, dairy-, egg-, or nut-free
• A guide to making your meals work for other people in your household

Want to see a sample? Click on the big pink box to see a one-week keto meal plan, complete with recipes and shopping list. Some of the recipes included in that sample are "Fat Bomb Hamburger Soup", "Chicken & Curry Doodles", and "White Chocolate Drops". You'll also notice that two mornings are listed as fasting; this program does incorporate elements of Intermittent Fasting, another popular approach to weight loss and health.

And, if you choose to become a member of Healthful Pursuit's keto meal plan, you'll also have access to the exclusive, private Facebook group with over 9,500 other people on the same transformational journey.

Subscribing to the Healthful pursuit Balanced Keto Weekly Meal Plans can be done on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. You'll pay $15 on a month-to-month plan, $36 for the quarterly plan, and $96 for a full year. Both the quarterly and annual plans come with a 14-day satisfaction guarantee: you can get a full refund if you try the keto diet meal plans and decide it's not the right fit, no questions asked.

If you're looking for easy-to-follow guidance on your keto diet, Healthful Journey is a great resource. It's affordable, comes with a money-back guarantee, and takes the hassle out of deciding what to eat and when.

Ketologie

• Cost: $179 for the 21-Day Keto Kickstart Program
• Additional products available

If you're a "busy person on the go" looking for delicious keto-friendly products, Ketologie wants to be your go-to resource.

The company offers a free Keto 101 ebook; you'll find that under the Keto Diet heading at the top of the page. We definitely suggest you take advantage of that resource, to learn more about the ketogenic way of eating before you get started.

Ketologie's main keto diet is the 21-Day Keto Kickstart Program, designed to make it super-simple to start or return to your keto lifestyle.

In the 21-Day Keto Kickstart Program package, you'll get the following for $179:

• 2 containers of Keto Shakes (Chocolate or Vanilla)
• 2 containers of Bone Broth (Roast Chicken or Smoky Beef)
• 1 container of Sweet Like Sugar sugar replacement
• 1 shaker bottle
• 1 cooler/carry bag
• 1 recipe e-book
• 1 meal planner e-book
• 21-day educational email series (this is available for purchase separately, too)

Unfortunately, there's no sample meal plan, daily/weekly recipes, or other way of knowing exactly how Ketologie walks you through your first 3 weeks on the keto plan. The main page of the Ketologie site offers a few articles with recipes and other info, but we'd still like to see a sample of what to expect in the 21-day program.

If you'd like to save 10% on your first Ketologie order, be sure to enter your email in the pop-up while you're browsing the site. This will also sign you up for their newsletter and any future specials they offer.

Refunds are only offered within 10 days of your purchase, and you can only get a refund if the product is unopened. The site clearly states that Ketologie doesn't accept returns based on taste or ingredient sensitivities/intolerances. Fortunately, you can see all of the ingredients in their products clearly listed on the site and on the packaging, and we found plenty of comments from customers who said they really liked the taste of the shakes and even the bone broth.

Overall, Ketologie could be a way to kick-start your experience on a keto diet. But, it's not a cheap way to start, and this plan/product doesn't offer much in the way of personalized guidance. (In fact, the only contact information on the site is an email form: no toll-free number, email address, or physical address to be found).

KetoLogic

• Cost: $149.90 for the KetoLogic Keto 30 Challenge bundle
• Additional products available

KetoLogic is a 30-day challenge program "designed to jumpstart your keto journey and support weight loss". This is accomplished with four steps:

• Replacing 1 meal with a KetoLogic KetoMeal shake
• Eating 2 low-carb meals
• Drinking 1-2 servings of KetoLogic BHB
• Exercise

Most people buy KetoLogic's Keto 30 Challenge Bundle for $149.90. This includes 30 days of the KetoMeal shake powder and the BHB supplement powder. You have a choice of flavors: chocolate, vanilla or strawberry for the shake, and apple-pear, orange-mango, patriot pop or grape for the BHB drink.

As we browsed the site, we got a pop-up discount offer of 15% if we entered our email address. Shipping is also free on all orders within the US, and if you like KetoLogic well enough to use it all the time, you can save 10% when you sign up for monthly auto-ship deliveries. All of KetoLogic's products are backed by a 30-day return policy, but they must be unused in order to be eligible. So, if you try the shake and don't like the taste, or if you have an adverse reaction to the BHB drink, you're out of luck.

KetoLogic also offers a personalized coaching package for just under $270. This gives you 1:1 input from a registered dietitian and keto diet specialist and includes an initial assessment up to an hour in length, customized keto meal plan, 8 phone check-ins, and ongoing personal guidance and support over email. Unfortunately, when we visited the KetoLogic site, it said that this service was sold out.

Reviews on KetoLogic are mixed. Some users say they love the taste of the products and feel great while using them. Others say that they didn't experience any weight loss at all, or even gained weight while trying to follow the Keto30 Challenge.

Here's why we think that might be the case: the KetoLogic site might leave you feeling a little lost. While they offer a lot of articles, videos, and other information, there isn't an overall set of directions to help you know what to do on Day 1, Day 2, and so forth. There's no specific meal plan that we could find. Since staying in an official state of ketosis is the whole point of being on a keto diet, just saying "eat 2 low-carb meals" could be too vague for people to do successfully. How low is low carb? Is high protein okay? Those who are new to keto dieting are going to need very direct guidance to get the most out of their efforts.

But, if you're just looking to venture into the keto diet lifestyle without hardcore tracking of ketones - maybe you just want to try and lose some weight in a way you've never tried - the KetoLogic product line would be a "good enough" fit for those goals. Just be aware that you're probably not going to achieve actual ketosis without a more structured keto diet plan.

Ketogenic Girl

• Cost: 28-day downloadable meal plans range from $49.95 to $159.95
• Printed books available for an extra fee
• VIP private coaching available for $5,950

Ketogenic Girl offers meal plans based on a 28-day challenge designed to get you fully immersed in your new keto diet, or to help you implement it fully if you have already tried and not been successful.

We feel that it's important to mention right away that the creator of Ketogenic Girl, Vanessa Spina, is a "completely self-taught keto diet blogger and meal plan provider...not a certified nutritionist." Her educational background includes biochemistry from a medical perspective, but keep in mind as you consider her keto diet options that her advice is primarily gained from her personal research and experience with living the keto lifestyle.

There are several meal plans available for purchase on the Ketogenic Girl site. The most popular is the 28 Day Accelerated Meal Plan, which is regularly priced at $159 for the download-only version. If you'd like a printed book as well, that usually tacks on an extra $30 to your purchase price. There's a vegetarian version as well.

For people who have already adapted to a keto diet, either with this program or another, there's also a Phase 2 meal plan for $159.95. There's a discount of $100 available to those who already completed the initial Ketogenic Girl 28-day challenge, and that code is made available within the Facebook support group. (Keep reading for more on that.)

When you purchase any of Ketogenic Girl's 28-day challenges, you'll get access to the Facebook group designed for support and fun while working your way through the keto diet. In the testimonials and success stories section of the website, you'll find lots of posts from people who participated in the challenge and the support group and had great things to say about the results they achieved while following the Ketogenic Girl meal plan and challenge.

Finally, if you want to go keto but hate cooking, this service has several No-Cook, Build Your Day meal plans too. At the time of our review, the PDF-only version of the no-cook plan was on sale for $49.95 and includes 130+ recipes, many of which are mix-and match and all are free from dairy, sugar, gluten and soy.

So, aside from the fact that Ketogenic Girl is admittedly not a nutrition professional (and charging almost $6000 for personal coaching without that background), what else jumped out at us when considering her program for keto dieting? We also were put off by some of what she included in her bio. She says that at 5'9" and 165 pounds, she had "an extra 30-40 lbs" on her, and that she got to her "dream weight" of 125 with little to no exercise. Those statements don't seem to line up with recommended height and weight parameters (i.e. at 5'9" and 160 pounds, most charts show her within the "healthy" range, and certainly not 30-40 pounds overweight). And, most professionals strongly promote exercise for all people, keto diet or not. We were left wondering if this program might be triggering or inappropriate for people who are struggling with body dysmorphia or eating disorders.

In fact, in the Warnings section of the site, it specifically says that this 28-day plan may not be appropriate for "anyone suffering or recovered from an eating disorder", or for anyone with blood sugar issues like diabetes. That part really surprised us, given that other keto diets in our review (especially those that take regular readings of blood glucose and ketones) say that they are especially helpful for people who are trying to manage diabetes.

Ketogenic Girl offers a 100% money-back guarantee, but you'll need to abide by very specific parameters: tracking your weight and every meal using the MyFitnessPal app, photos of every meal prepared according to the exact specifications in the 28-day challenge, and time-stamped photos showing your starting and ending weight. In other words, unless you follow the plan perfectly, you won't be eligible for any kind of refund.

Overall, Ketogenic Girl has quite a few happy customers/users, and the site seems to offer a good variety of keto-approved recipes. However, we have our reservations about her approach and her program for the reasons we mentioned. With so many options available for following a keto diet, especially ones that are heavily based around principles of science and nutrition, this meal plan doesn't come out as a top contender.

Keto Diet

• Cost: $39.90 for a "personalized keto diet"

From your first moments on the Keto Diet site, the experience is... strange. With no preamble or introduction, the site asks you to indicate if you're male or female. Then, you indicate your level of physical activity, what veggies, meats (if any), and other foods you'd like to include in your plan, and other details about your life. The interface is beautiful, but it feels a little creepy to give this kind of information to the Keto Diet site not knowing what it's going to be used for. (It got even creepier when, without having entered any identifying details like our email, it pulled up our Facebook profile and asked if we wanted our plan to be sent to Messenger!)

Who is behind Keto Diet? Great question. The results and recommended plan we got were written in British English, but there's no address or other way of knowing where these keto diets are coming from. There's a section for Contacts, but all you get is an email form that goes...somewhere. Supposedly, there are more than 23,000 customer reviews - at least, according to the text above the payment button - but there's no link to any actual customer feedback.

Poking around in the FAQ, it seems that for a one-time payment of $39.90, you'll get a 60-day meal plan customized according to the information you entered during the sign-up process, and it will be delivered week-by-week to your email address. What does that meal plan look like? What kinds of recipes are included? Keto Diet doesn't offer you any previews, images, or samples of their program and plan.

According to the FAQ, you can get a refund within 14 days of purchasing the Keto Diet plan - but given how sparse the information the site already is, we wouldn't be holding our breath on that one.

With so many established, transparent, easy-to-use keto diet plans on the market today, there's no good reason to even try what Keto Diet offers. You'll have a much better experience with one of the higher-rated services in our review.