Your desire to lose weight is doubtless very challenging. It is more frustrating when you find yourself tangled among several ways that claim to help.
Do you know when it gets worse? You’ve already tried various things, but none has helped.
It is more nerve-wracking for some of you who cannot do heavy workouts that could help. Thus, you are still in search of something convenient for you.
I can tell this since I’ve been there and done that. Every day, I looked at myself in the mirror for a long time and decided to make a move. I thought I did enough by exercising, but my diet that’s where I lacked.
So here is what I found result-oriented. A healthy meal plan for the keto diet helped me lose weight and ultimately become confident enough to share this with you.
Trust me; it is coming from the one who has tried. A Keto diet plan is one of the most convenient ways to lose weight.
Now that you know there’s a solution to your problem let’s be clear about the term “Keto Diet.”
What is Keto Diet?
Keto Diet involves the inclusion of high fat and minimal carbohydrate, and an adequate amount of protein.
It works wonders after the reduction of the primary source of energy, carbs going in your body. It makes the body depend upon the fats consumed for energy.
The process of using fat as an energy source due to insufficient carbs is called ketosis.
, the keto diet helps the body turn fats into ketones in the liver. Ketones are the particles formed in the liver from fat when insulin is less available.
The body then receives the energy formed by burning ketones. This process of burning fats is how the keto diet supports weight loss. It does not let fats make a home in the body.
Remember the key; the keto diet means as little carbohydrate as possible, enough protein, and a high-fat level to your tummy. People who follow the keto diet consume around 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates daily.
Classification of the Keto Diet
- Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD): If you follow this diet plan, you must limit your carb intake to at most 50 grams daily. You can eat around 90 grams of protein daily, and your fat intake can be about 150 grams. This diet generally includes 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbohydrate.
- Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD): This diet plan suggests you follow 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbohydrate for five consecutive days. But, you can include carbohydrate-rich foods on the other two remaining days of the week (fat 25%, protein 25%, carbs 50%). However, even on your non-keto days, experts advise eating wholesome carbohydrate-rich foods: whole grains, fruits, starchy vegetables, and dairy products.
- Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD): Athletes and sportspersons usually consider implementing this diet plan. While following this diet, you can have extra carbs just before and after your active sports or workout sessions. In this way, the body immediately burns the carb; hence fat storage is impossible. The fat, protein, and carbohydrate intake ratio differs between (65-70)%, 20%, and (10-15)%, respectively.
- High Protein Ketogenic Diet (HPKD): This keto diet allows you to eat more protein and lesser fat than the SKD while restricting you to eating lower than 10% carbohydrates. You can include around 60% (130 grams) of fat, 35% (120 grams) of protein, and 5% (not more than 50 grams) of carbohydrates per day in your diet.
NOTE: Generally, athletes and bodybuilders follow CKD and TKD. SKD and HPKD are still better options for people who require weight loss.
Meal Plan for Keto: Benefits of the keto diet
First, the Keto Diet is a tried and tested weight loss method. It especially benefits those hesitant to do heavy workouts and strict fasting. A Keto diet plan helps you get the desired shape in a certain period while you can still eat many delicious foods. Just limiting the carbs to the minimum is the secret.
Our body relies on glucose as a source of energy. It starts burning the available fats once you reduce your carbs intake. Hence, frustrating fats don’t get space for storage. And you welcome a fatless body. Isn’t it WOW? Aside from this, it is beneficial against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, etc.
Similarly, it also helps to reduce blood sugar and insulin level.
Meal Plan for Keto: Eatables during a keto diet
Knowing that a keto diet is an excellent weight-loss solution is not enough. It is just the start, and you should know everything you can and cannot do before starting this diet plan. The keto diet might seem difficult for all traditional food lovers initially. But, as you go on with determination, it will be fun and easy.
As you know by now, the main idea of a keto diet is to minimize carbohydrates and increase the number of fats on the food menu. So, cut off as many carbs as you can from your diet. For the carbs you eat, make sure they are healthy carbs.
Despite all these, know that the amount of carb intake differs for each individual. Your weight and body type are responsible for determining the amount. The carb intake usually varies from 20 grams to 50 grams.
Notably, the lower the carbs, the easier and quicker the process. You can eat fruits, eggs, meat, fish, and other varieties. The following are some of the foods you can happily eat for your ketogenic diet according to your convenience:
Meal Plan for Keto: For the Non-Vegetarian
- Eggs: If you want to follow a keto diet and love eating eggs, you should remember that eating any eggs you find in the market is not a good idea. Instead, you can change your preferences to pastured or organic whole eggs.
- Poultry: Chicken and turkey is a better choice if you love to include poultry meat in your food. These are great for taste buds and are also rich in nutrients. Along with the essential minerals for the body, turkey, and chicken are highly protein-rich. Nutritionists advise eating chicken and turkey breast for higher protein.
- Fatty Fish: Fish items like salmon, herring, and mackerel are rich in essential fats which are harmless to the body. These items provide necessary Omega-3s for our bodies.
- Meat: Ketogenic diet should include grass-fed beef, venison, pork, organ meats, or bison if you’re a meat eater.
Meal Plan for Keto: Vegetarian Keto-food
- Full-Fat Dairy: In other diets, nutritionists advise you to cut your food’s fats. But, in the case of a ketogenic diet, you are free to eat full-fat items like full-fat dairy. Yogurt, butter, and cream are rich in full fat.
- Full-fat cheese: Cheese and dairy lovers, no need to cut off the fat in a ketogenic diet. So, you can have as much cheese as you like, and it does not have to be fatless. Cheddar, mozzarella, brie, goat cheese, and cream cheese fall under this category.
While the above foods favor non-vegetarians and dairy-eating vegetarians, vegans might think this is harder to follow.
But no worries, vegans, you can get similar nutrients without eating more carbs, meats, or dairy. There are, in fact, several vegetables, nuts and seeds, and other healthy fats that can provide fats and proteins for the body.
Meal Plan for Keto: Vegans can try plant-based food.
Some of the lists of vegan food for the ketogenic diet are:
- Nuts and Seeds: Macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, and flax seeds are some tasty seeds and nuts that are good in a keto diet.
- Nut Butter: You don’t eat dairy? Well, that’s not a problem anymore. These days, you can get as much taste, protein, and fat as butter made of nuts. So, you don’t need to worry about all the dairy that you don’t eat at all.
Natural peanuts, almonds, and cashew butter can replace regular dairy butter.
- Healthy fats: Being on a keto diet means the time has come to replace your regular unhealthy oils in the kitchen. You can change your preference to coconut, olive, avocado, coconut butter, and sesame. This way, your food does not lose its taste, and you eat healthily.
- Avocados: Fruit species like avocado are always a great choice if you plan to eat healthily. Nutritionists say you must include avocados at least in a meal while on a ketogenic diet.
- Non-starchy vegetables: It might be bad news for potato lovers. Starchy vegetables like potatoes are a big no if you are on a ketogenic diet. Instead, you can have green vegetables, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, and peppers.
- Condiments: To enhance the taste of your food, salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, fresh herbs, and spices are the appropriate choices. You will have to avoid altogether eating packaged spices that are not fresh. Stay away from chilly powders and other unhealthy seasonings.
You need to have these foods and fruits on a keto diet. So many of you might have no idea how and where to start. But this is not a big problem as well. We are always here to help. Moreover, there are great tutorials on youtube that can take you to a different keto foods world.
Meal Plan for Keto: Foods to skip
- Bread and Bakery Delights
- Sweets, chocolates, and sugary foods
- Beverages (especially sugary drinks)
- Pasta and noodles
- Grains and grain products
- Starchy vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes
- Beans and Legumes
- Fruits that may raise insulin/sugar levels (sugary fruits)
- High Carb Sauces
- Alcohol
- Fruit-flavored yogurt
Does the list include any of your favorite food? Sorry if it doesn’t. You must make some sacrifices if your goal is to succeed at keto dieting.
General Keto Meal Plan For a Week
The idea for a week straight, from Monday to Sunday, can greatly help. If you’re a beginner, you can leap a faith and see what it does for you.
Also, if you have already started keto dieting, this plan might help you to bring change. And, for all the pros, I welcome your suggestions too.
Let’s go and have a look at my 7-day Keto Meal Plan.
Monday:
Start your week with an excellent keto meal, and see what difference it makes to your body. Remember, consistency and discipline are a must.
- Breakfast: Omelette (including mushrooms), Broccoli, and Peppers (Omit omelet if you are a vegetarian or vegan). It sounds yummy.
- Lunch: Avocado with chopped onions and spices (include boiled egg if you like). Add Some lettuce for the taste.
- Dinner: Spicy Chicken breast with cauliflower rice. Brussels sprouts, if available.
- Snack: Cheese and bell peppers slices.
Tuesday:
- Breakfast: Smoothie with almond milk, nut butter, spinach, chia seeds, and protein powder
- Lunch: Shrimp and avocado salad with tomatoes, feta cheese, herbs, lemon juice, and olive oil (remember not more than one teaspoon of oil)
- Dinner: Garlic butter steak, add mushroom and asparagus for great taste
- Snack: A boiled egg, Flaxseed crackers with cheese
Wednesday:
- Breakfast: Fried Eggs with Bacon. Green veggies as side dishes
- Lunch: Tuna salad with tomatoes and avocado plus macadamia nuts
- Dinner: Baked tofu with cauliflower rice, broccoli, and peppers (all baked), with a homemade peanut sauce
- Snack: Celery sticks with almond butter (dip it and eat it)
Thursday:
- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with butter and some green lettuce. Add some chopped avocados for the toppings.
- Lunch: Spinach Salad and grilled salmon
- Dinner: Pork Chop with mashed cauliflower along with red cabbage slaw
- Snack: A handful of sunflower seeds
Friday:
- Breakfast: Egg muffins with cheddar cheese, spinach, and tomatoes (sun-dried)
- Lunch: Cauliflower soup with spices containing bacon and tofu cubes
- Dinner: Try Buttered Shrimp with zucchini noodles. Don’t forget to add garlic and herb.
- Snack: Roast Turkey, cucumbers, and cheese roll-ups
Saturday:
- Breakfast: Yoghurt with keto-friendly granola
- Lunch: Grass-fed beef burger without the bun (can add lettuce); add guacamole, tomato, and kale salad for great taste
- Dinner: Stir-fried chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, and peppers with homemade satay sauce
URL
https://readandfix.com/meal-plan-for-keto/
- Snack: An egg and vegetable muffin
Sunday:
- Breakfast: Two fried eggs (fried in butter), avocados, and blackberries
- Lunch: Chicken mayonnaise salad with cucumber, avocado, tomato, almonds, and onion
- Dinner: Beef stew made with mushrooms, onions, celery, herbs, and beef broth
- Snack: Olives
The above food choices are just for the first seven days. You should know that you don’t have to follow the same plan.
The meal plan will help you understand what and how to eat. Besides, you can experiment and try different recipes if you like.
The keto-friendly food is not at all bland. Taste and good health through a keto diet are a guarantee. However, keto diet might seem a little difficult for vegetarians and vegans.
As you know, vegans and vegetarians largely depend upon plants for nutrients. Thus, their usual food is rich in carbs and protein.
Keto diet, on the other hand, says no to many carbs. Therefore, vegans and vegetarians should pay more attention to their choice of vegetables during a keto diet.
As a source of fat, they can consume high-fat, plant-based food. Avocados, walnuts, nuts, sunflower seeds, olives, etc., are some food for vegans and vegetarians.
Stick to your keto-diet plan for the effective result
Now that you know the keto diet is tricky but not impossible, you should start immediately. Nutrients suggest keto-diet, not just for weight loss but for a healthier lifestyle.
But you can’t expect to get the result in just a week. You must stick to your new favorite diet plan if you expect a good result.
As for everything else, you can’t forget consistency and discipline.
For fun, let’s keep a dare. Why don’t you come after a few weeks and share your experience as a keto dieter? It sounds healthy and fun to me.
I wish you luck. Cut your carbs to tone your abs.
