Restaurants Create Keto Menu in Response to International Customer Demand

Imagine this. You sit down at a restaurant, fully prepared with your list of exemptions and substitutions in order to stay compliant with your keto diet. You’ve rehearsed it a thousand times before, “Burger, no bun, please – and could I have the broccoli instead of fries?” Then, like a gift from the universe, you’re handed a keto-friendly menu by the server. Sounds like a dream, right?

With a growing trend toward health, and a genuine shift in the way the nutritional community views both carbohydrates and sugars, it shouldn’t be surprising to hear that a handful of restaurants are, in fact, rising to the challenge to meet the dietary restrictions of keto dieters. We are, after all, a blossoming community of macro-conscious consumers.

India’s Keto Menu Revolution

From keto to paleo, veganism to gluten-free, there’s been a surge in the practice of following diets over the last year in India. Following the growing demand, many of India’s most popular restaurants are dedicating sections of their menus in order to satisfy dieters and cater to their unique nutritional needs.

For example, in Bengaluru, Cafe Thulp’s owner, Gautam Krishnakutty, found his own success following a keto diet. Now an avid supporter of the low-carb, high-fat way of eating, he developed cauliflower burger buns and cauliflower pizza crusts to compliment his meaty, burger-based restaurant menu. Krishnakutty also owns a second restaurant in Bengaluru, The Smoke Co, which will soon be getting its own keto menu overall.

Other restaurants in Bengaluru, including Sly Granny, Toast & Tonic, and Smoke House Deli, have also opened special diet sections in their menus. Along with restaurants, online platforms that offer food in India, like Freshmenu and ChefKraft, are also offering keto diet options to their subscription meal plans.

Making Keto Menus Mainstream

Following consumer demand, many American food delivery services have started offering keto menu options. Subscription services like Plated, HelloFresh, and Green Chef have selections that cater to a low-carb, high-fat diet. However, the trend of keto diet menus in restaurants has yet to catch on in the States like it has in India.

In bigger cities, some niche restaurants that cater to keto dieters have begun to crop up slowly. In Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Seattle, you’ll find the popular Bulletproof Coffee Cafe, which is a retail outlet for the popular Bulletproof Coffee brand of beverages and supplements. The health-conscious menu here is macro-minded and a favorite for keto dieters in the city.

For those out of reach of special keto menus, the standard of researching menu options and making substitutions is likely to remain until the diet practice is more widely recognized. However, the growing trend toward low-carb living and the response to meet demand in some communities is a reminder that change is coming – along with hassle-free ordering.