Low carb diet vs. keto diet: What's the difference?Both low carb diets and keto diets focus on carb restriction and encourage greater fat and protein intake, but they differ in the exact amount of these macronutrients they can consume per day. For instance, eaters who follow a low carb meal plan typically get 10% to 30% of their daily caloric intake from carbs. To encourage ketosis, a keto diet is much stricter, with only 5% to 10% of calories coming from carbs.