Does the Paleo Diet Go Into Ketosis?

December 1, 2025 •

4 min read

While the paleo diet emphasizes whole foods and eliminates grains and legumes, its carbohydrate content is not low enough by default to consistently induce ketosis. Entering ketosis, a metabolic state where the body burns fat for fuel, requires a much stricter restriction on carbohydrate intake than a typical paleo plan.

Quick Summary

The paleo diet does not inherently lead to ketosis due to its more flexible carbohydrate intake from fruits and starchy vegetables. Ketosis requires significantly lower carb consumption to force the body to use fat for fuel, a primary goal of the keto diet but not the paleo approach.

Key Points

No Automatic Ketosis: The standard paleo diet does not inherently induce ketosis, as it does not require the strict carbohydrate restriction necessary for the metabolic state.
Carb Sources Differ: Paleo allows for higher carbohydrate intake from fruits and starchy vegetables, while keto severely limits these foods.
Macro vs. Whole Foods: The ketogenic diet's primary focus is maintaining a high-fat, low-carb macronutrient ratio, whereas paleo emphasizes whole, unprocessed food quality.
Hybrid Approach Possible: To achieve ketosis on a paleo framework, a modified 'paleo-keto' diet must be followed, further restricting carbohydrates.
Flexibility is Key: Paleo is generally a more flexible and less restrictive diet than keto, which is defined by its strict macro-counting.
Consult a Professional: Due to differing nutritional profiles and potential health implications, it is recommended to consult a healthcare professional before making significant dietary changes.

Understanding the Paleo Diet and Ketosis

To answer whether the paleo diet goes into ketosis, it's crucial to first understand what each eating plan entails. The Paleo diet, often called the 'caveman diet,' is based on the presumed eating habits of our hunter-gatherer ancestors from the Paleolithic era. It focuses on whole, unprocessed foods, including lean meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Grains, legumes, and dairy products are typically excluded.

Ketosis, on the other hand, is a metabolic process where the body, in the absence of sufficient glucose from carbohydrates, switches to burning fat for energy. This is the primary goal of the Ketogenic diet, a high-fat, very low-carbohydrate eating plan. A keto diet typically restricts carbohydrate intake to 50 grams or less per day to maintain this metabolic state.

The Core Difference: Carbohydrate Intake

The fundamental difference between the paleo and keto diets lies in their approach to carbohydrate consumption. While both restrict refined sugars and processed carbs, the paleo diet is far more flexible with its carb sources. Fruits and starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes are staples in a paleo diet, and their carb content can easily prevent the body from entering a state of ketosis.

On a ketogenic diet, these carbohydrate sources are severely limited. The focus is on achieving and maintaining a specific macronutrient ratio, typically 70-75% fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% carbohydrates. This strict macro-counting is not a feature of the paleo diet, which prioritizes food quality over specific nutrient ratios.

Can You Force Paleo into Ketosis? The Hybrid Approach

While the standard paleo diet does not cause ketosis, a modified version, sometimes called the 'paleo-keto' diet, exists for those seeking both ancestral eating principles and the metabolic benefits of ketosis. This hybrid approach involves:

Severely restricting high-carb paleo foods: Reducing or eliminating starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes and high-sugar fruits like bananas, focusing instead on leafy greens and berries.
Increasing healthy fats: Prioritizing healthy, paleo-approved fats like avocado oil, coconut oil, and nuts to meet the high-fat requirements of a ketogenic diet.
Eliminating all added sugars: Even natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup, sometimes permitted on paleo, are removed.

This deliberate manipulation of the diet's macronutrient profile is necessary to achieve ketosis. It is not an automatic outcome of simply following a paleo meal plan.

Paleo vs. Keto: A Feature Comparison


Feature	Paleo Diet	Ketogenic Diet
Primary Goal	Eat like hunter-gatherer ancestors; focus on whole, unprocessed foods.	Induce and maintain ketosis to burn fat for energy.
Carbohydrate Intake	More flexible; allows for fruits, starchy vegetables, and natural sweeteners.	Very low carb intake; typically under 50g daily to maintain ketosis.
Macronutrient Focus	Focuses on whole food sources; no strict macro counting.	High-fat, moderate-protein, very low-carb ratio (e.g., 70-75% fat).
Dairy & Legumes	Excludes dairy and legumes entirely.	Some high-fat dairy (butter, cheese) is often allowed.
Ketosis	Not an inherent goal; can be achieved with modifications.	The central metabolic state required for the diet to work.
Flexibility	Generally more flexible and easier to sustain long-term.	Very restrictive and difficult for many to maintain over time.

The Takeaway for You

The core message is that if you follow a standard paleo diet, you are unlikely to enter ketosis. While both eating plans share an emphasis on whole foods and the exclusion of grains and processed foods, their differing approaches to carbohydrate intake are the defining factor. For ketosis to occur, you must deliberately restrict your carb consumption to very low levels, which is the primary objective of a ketogenic diet, not a paleo one. Ultimately, the best diet depends on your individual health goals and lifestyle. The paleo diet offers more flexibility and variety in carbohydrate sources, while the ketogenic diet offers a specific metabolic state for fat burning, requiring greater restriction.

Conclusion

The idea that the paleo diet automatically leads to ketosis is a misconception. While the two plans share some similarities in food choices—especially their focus on whole, unprocessed foods and the exclusion of grains—they are fundamentally different in their core objectives and macronutrient composition. A standard paleo diet, which includes moderate amounts of fruits and starchy vegetables, provides too many carbohydrates for the body to switch its primary fuel source to ketones. Entering ketosis requires a deliberate and sustained effort to severely restrict carbohydrates, a principle that defines the ketogenic diet. For individuals interested in a paleo-inspired ketogenic approach, a strict modification of the paleo diet is necessary. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting a new diet to ensure it aligns with your specific health needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, not with a standard paleo diet. The paleo diet's typical intake of fruits and starchy vegetables provides too many carbohydrates to induce and sustain ketosis. It is only possible if you deliberately modify the paleo diet to be very low in carbs, making it a hybrid 'paleo-keto' plan.

The main difference is the macronutrient focus. Keto is defined by its strict low-carb, high-fat macronutrient ratio to trigger ketosis. Paleo, while naturally lower in carbs than the average diet, focuses on eating whole, unprocessed foods from a specific time period, with no strict macro targets.

The ketogenic diet is generally considered more restrictive than paleo. While both eliminate processed foods, grains, and legumes, keto's intense focus on maintaining a very low daily carbohydrate limit is much harder for many people to adhere to long-term compared to paleo's more flexible approach.

No, most grains and legumes are high in carbohydrates and would prevent ketosis. The paleo diet also excludes them, but for different reasons related to their introduction after the Paleolithic era.

Not necessarily. While a paleo diet eliminates many high-carb processed foods, grains, and legumes, it can include a moderate intake of carbohydrates from fruits, roots, and starchy vegetables, preventing ketosis.

No, sweet potatoes are a common and accepted food on the paleo diet but contain too many carbohydrates to be suitable for ketosis. Following a ketogenic diet requires you to remove most starchy vegetables.

Combining paleo and keto results in a more restrictive hybrid diet. You would eliminate all grains, legumes, and most dairy like paleo, while also severely limiting carbohydrate sources like fruits and starchy vegetables to stay in ketosis like on keto.

No, natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup, which are sometimes allowed on paleo, contain high amounts of sugar and carbohydrates and would prevent ketosis. They are not permitted on a strict paleo-keto or keto diet.