The popularity of the ketogenic diet continues to grow, as does the community of folks looking to us to help them support it. So, we’ve taken some time over the past few months to reevaluate and redesign our offering. We’ve done so through a thoughtful and comprehensive process, and excited to share we’ve landed on a solution that is both nutritionally sound and supportive of our core beliefs as a company.

With choirs of informed voices in both support and opposition of a ketogenic diet, we want to be clear to ourselves and our community where we stand on the spectrum.

At Territory, we’re exceptionally lucky to be surrounded by impressive credentials on our culinary team (RD, MPH, MS, to name a few) who care deeply about transformational nutrition. Driven by their guidance and expertise, here’s our assessment:

The Good

Keto has proven to be a highly effective treatment for several health conditions, epilepsy being the most predominant use case. Outside of a medical diagnosis, there are also documented benefits of a keto diet – including mental clarity, reduced cravings, improved memory, deeper sleep and increased satiety.

However, this diet earns its controversy. With a narrowed focus on fat content and less on food sourcing and quality, it can lead to a significant gap in nutrient dense foods, increase in processed foods and a loss of micronutrients.

Additionally, when the body transitions from using carbs to fat for energy, it experiences drastic water loss. This requires an exceptional level of hydration to combat, as well as the need to intentionally replace lost electrolytes.

Entering ketosis without all of the information, and making the decision based on promises of rapid weight loss, creates a very high risk profile for keto diet newcomers.

Where we land

Given a thorough assessment, we believe in the well documented benefits to a low carb approach starting with a ketogenic reset. During this time, typically 3-6 weeks, your meals contain a high level of good quality fats, moderate in protein and very low carbohydrate levels. This macronutrient ratio creates a state of ketosis where your body learns to use ketones as fuel.

We’ve designed our new menu with this in mind. You’ll now see the Keto menu filter on our site, these meals support customers during those first few reset weeks.

What makes our approach unique is that our meals aren’t constructed with dairy or processed foods that often accompany the keto diet. We rely heavily on high quality fats, like olive and coconut oil, quality proteins in moderation and plenty of low-glycemic veggies to keep nutrient density high and carb count low.

Our approach encourages transition from a strict keto diet to one lower in carbs to maximize the benefit of the reset, improve metabolic flexibility and mitigate risks. Our menu will continue to support our customers along the low carb spectrum and we hope to provide a balanced and healthy approach to a ketogenic lifestyle.

Our philosophy does not support long term usage of the keto diet unless medically prescribed. As with any consideration to changing your nutritional approach, we always suggest you consult your physician before starting a new way of eating.

Learn more about Territory's keto friendly diet.