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Why keto advice online doesn’t always apply in the UK
Most keto advice online comes from the US. The science of keto may be universal, but food systems, labelling laws, and regulations are not. When UK readers follow US-centric keto rules, it often leads to confusion, unnecessary restrictions, or stalled progress.
Here’s what actually matters if you’re doing keto in the UK.
In the US, much of the beef supply comes from:
Grain-fed feedlots
Corn- and soy-heavy diets
Farming systems very different from traditional pasture grazing
Because of this, “grass-fed” has become a premium label - and for American consumers, it can genuinely signal better quality.
In the UK:
The majority of cattle are raised on grass or pasture
Our climate supports grazing-based farming
Feedlot-style systems are far less common
What Americans pay extra for, UK consumers already have as standard.
Many keto blogs warn about hormone-treated meat and antibiotic overuse, concerns that largely come from the US food system.
In the UK:
Growth hormones in beef are banned
Antibiotic use is tightly regulated
Animal welfare standards are among the strictest globally
For UK keto followers, this means:
Less need for fear-based food rules
No need to chase expensive “clean keto” labels
Better quality meat as the baseline, not the exception
This is one of the most common reasons keto “doesn’t work” for people in the UK.
In the US, food labels list:
Total carbohydrates (including fibre)
Fibre separately
So Americans calculate:
Net carbs = total carbs - fibre
This makes sense on US labels.
Net carbs are simply a workaround for US labelling laws. Fibre is included in total carbs, so people subtract it manually to get a more meaningful number.
In the UK (and EU):
Carbohydrates are listed excluding fibre
Fibre is already removed from the carb total
This means the “carbs” you see on a UK label are effectively already net carbs.
UK & EU: count total carbs on the label
US: use net carbs
No maths. No gimmicks. No mistakes.
Years of low-fat messaging have left many people afraid of fat - even though fat is central to how keto works.
Fat gain is driven more by insulin and hormones than fat intake alone. On keto:
Carbs are restricted
Insulin stays lower
The body becomes better at burning fat - including stored body fat
These are often wrongly grouped together:
Trans fats: industrial, inflammatory, harmful
Saturated fats: naturally occurring, stable, long part of human diets
Keto focuses on real, traditional fats - not ultra-processed ones.
Olive oil:
Minimally processed
Rich in monounsaturated fats
Stable and well-studied
A cornerstone of traditional diets
Seed oils:
Highly refined
Prone to oxidation
Often used because they’re cheap, not because they’re nutritious
Common in ultra-processed foods
From a keto perspective, olive oil supports satiety, flavour, and stability, while seed oils add calories without the same metabolic benefits.
Keto doesn’t mean adding fat to everything for the sake of it.
Fat’s role is to:
Keep you full
Support hormones
Provide steady energy
As your body adapts to keto, your own stored body fat becomes part of the fuel mix. That’s why keto works best when fat quality matters more than fat quantity.
Keto often feels extreme because modern diets are so far removed from traditional eating.
Historically in the UK:
Cooking fats were stable and natural
Ultra-refined seed oils didn’t exist
Meals were built around real food
Keto isn’t a fad - it’s closer to how people ate before low-fat, industrial food systems took over.
At Keto Kitchen, we don’t follow trends - we follow what actually works.
That means:
No confusing net carb maths
No imported US fear-based rules
No unnecessary labels or buzzwords
No industrial seed oils added to our meals
We cook with fats we’d use at home, ingredients that make sense on UK labels, and recipes designed for long-term keto - not short-term hype.
Our goal is simple:
Clear keto
Real food
No guesswork
We do the thinking, so you don’t have to.