Want to start the keto diet but don’t know what to eat?

Here, you’ll learn the basics of the ketogenic diet, what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner and how to do keto meal prep the right way so you can save time.

When starting a new diet, knowing what you can and cannot eat is often the most stressful part of the transition. Here, all the guesswork is taken away for you. A ketogenic diet meal plan is laid out for you so you know exactly which recipes to follow for each meal.

The meal plan below is simplified into a 7-day plan, which you can download here.

Keto 101

The purpose of the ketogenic diet is to put your body in a metabolic state of ketosis and support your health. Ketosis is a state in which you burn mainly fat — rather than carbs — for energy. Ketosis has been shown to provide multiple health benefits, including weight loss, better mental performance, blood sugar control, and disease management.

On keto, the majority of your caloric intake will come from fa and some protein and very few carbs. Most people can enter ketosis following these guidelines:

Consume 0.8 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass at a minimum

Reduce your carbohydrate intake to 20-50 grams of total carbohydrates

Any remaining calories should come from healthy fats

This “starves” your body of carbohydrates, which would otherwise be converted into glucose in the liver. With no glucose available, your body burns ketones as its primary energy source, transitioning your body into a fat-burning state.

Foods You Can Eat On Keto

Preparation is an important component of the keto diet. Planning your meals in advance will save time, money and energy, and prevent you from reaching for carb-laden snacks when hunger hits.

As you put together your shopping list, take note of which foods are (and are not) keto-friendly.

For a complete overview, dive into The Full Keto Diet Food List .

Fats

Fats and oils: olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, butter, ghee, walnut oil, flaxseed oil

olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, butter, ghee, walnut oil, flaxseed oil Nuts and seeds: almonds, almond butter, chia seeds, walnuts, walnut butter, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, cashews

almonds, almond butter, chia seeds, walnuts, walnut butter, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, cashews Full-fat, organic, grass-fed dairy: heavy cream, butter, sour cream, cream cheese, hard and soft cheeses

Protein

Grass-fed beef: ground beef, veal, steak

ground beef, veal, steak Organ meats: liver, heart, tongue

liver, heart, tongue Pasture-raised pork: ham, bacon, pulled pork, pork loins

ham, bacon, pulled pork, pork loins Poultry: chicken, turkey, duck

chicken, turkey, duck Wild-caught seafood: salmon, mussels, cod, crab, tilapia, clams

salmon, mussels, cod, crab, tilapia, clams Eggs

Lamb

Goat

Carbs

Leafy green vegetables: kale, swiss chard, spinach, romaine lettuce, Brussels sprouts, broccoli

kale, swiss chard, spinach, romaine lettuce, Brussels sprouts, broccoli Other vegetables: cauliflower, zucchini, onions, bell peppers, celery, cucumber

cauliflower, zucchini, onions, bell peppers, celery, cucumber Low-carb fruits: avocado, blueberries, raspberries, cherries

You can also use some condiments, ideally homemade or made without sugar. Low carb sweeteners can be used in moderation.

Foods To Avoid On Keto

To make your meal prep as simple as possible, it’s helpful to know which foods to avoid. Avoid the grocery aisles containing the below food groups. If they’re currently stocked in your cupboards, it may be best to throw them out, or donate any unopened packaged foods.

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Foods to avoid on keto:

Sugar: White sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup

White sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup Grains: White and wheat bread, whole grains, oats, rice, quinoa, couscous, pasta

White and wheat bread, whole grains, oats, rice, quinoa, couscous, pasta Fruit: Apples, mangoes, melons, oranges

Apples, mangoes, melons, oranges Legumes: Black beans, kidney beans, soy, lentils

Black beans, kidney beans, soy, lentils Starch: Sweet potatoes, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, other starchy vegetables

Find Your Keto Macros

As a beginner to the keto diet, it’s important to understand your macros.

The three macronutrients are fat, protein and carbohydrates. While a standard American diet weighs heavily in carbohydrates and low in fat, a ketogenic diet plan takes the opposite approach. On the keto diet, you will eat high quantities of fat, moderate amounts of protein and very few carbs.

A keto meal plan should be comprised of 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% total carbs.

If you eat 2,000 calories per day, that would come out to 1,500 calories or 167 grams of fat, 400 calories or 100 grams of protein and 100 calories or 25 grams of carbs. You would need to make sure you stay at or below 25 grams of carbs each day to stay in ketosis.

These percentages are estimates only. To calculate your macros precisely, use the Perfect Keto Macro Calculator.

What unit of measurement do you prefer? Imperial (pounds) Metric Your gender Your age yrs Your height ft in Your weight lbs How active are you? No Exercise and Low Activity Exercise 1-2x/Week (Low Intensity) Exercise 1-2x/Week (Mid/High Intensity) Exercise 3-4x/Week (Low Intensity) Exercise 3-4x/Week (Mid/High Intensity) Exercise More than 4x/Week (Low Intensity) Exercise More than 4x/Week (Mid/High Intensity) High Intensity Exercise 5x/Week + Active Lifestyle What is your weight goal? Maintain your weight Keep at 0% Gain muscle Enter 1 to 50% Lose weight Enter -1 to -50% % Hint 5 to 10% is a small gain/loss

10 to 20% is a moderate gain/loss

20%+ is a large gain/loss What is your body fat % % Men Women 2-5% 10-13% Essential Fat 6-14% 14-20% Athletes 14-17% 21-24% Fitness 18-24% 25-31% Acceptable 25%+ 32%+ Obesity How much do you want to consume? We’ve prefilled these consumption amounts for beginners to intermediate keto-ers for the best results. If you’re more advanced, adjust as needed. Protein Ratio Grams of protein per pound of lean body mass g. Adequate protein should be eaten on a ketogenic diet. For most people, it is undesirable to lose muscle mass. Set this ratio at a minimum of .8g/lb of lean body mass. Increase the ratio based on your strength goals and exercise demands. Net Carb Intake g. It is highly recommended that on a ketogenic diet, you keep your carb intake to 5% or less of total calories. This works out to be an average of 30g net carbs a day. Calculate My Goals Get your results Enter your email address to see your results. You’ll also receive: The FREE Perfect Keto Recipe Book

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Go Shopping: Know Which Foods to Eat and Which to Avoid

Foods to Avoid on Keto

Fat

Unhealthy vegetable and seed oils: corn oil, canola oil, soybean oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil

Protein

Processed meats: hot dogs, salami, meats made with casings

Farm-raised seafood

Grain-fed beef, pork and poultry

Carbs

All grains: rice, wheat, bulgar, bread, cereal, oatmeal, barley, rye, couscous, quinoa

Starchy vegetables: white potatoes, sweet potatoes, most squash, corn, cherry tomatoes, carrots

High carb fruits: pineapple, apples, watermelon, dried fruit, fruit juice, mango

Most alcohol, sugar and artificial sweeteners, fast food and processed condiments are also off-limits on keto.

Go-To Meal Ideas

It’s always a good idea to have a backlog of go-to meal ideas. If you follow a strict work schedule or hectic lifestyle, these meals can be made quickly, without having to refer to a recipe. Here are a few Perfect Keto favorites:

Bulletproof coffee: Popular amongst many who follow a low carb or keto lifestyle, bulletproof coffee has many health benefits. It provides a sharp mental boost and satiety from the fat, plus it helps you get into ketosis first thing in the morning.

has many health benefits. It provides a sharp mental boost and satiety from the fat, plus it helps you get into ketosis first thing in the morning. Salads: No, salads do not have to be boring. Pile your salad high with lots of leafy greens, good oils such as coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil, and healthy protein like salmon, bacon and hard-boiled eggs.

Collagen smoothies: Most smoothie recipes are loaded with fruit, and therefore loaded with sugar. By tweaking your smoothie recipes to include a healthy dose of fat and protein, adding a serving of collagen and topping with chia seeds or another keto-friendly topping, you have the perfect on-the-go snack or meal.

to include a healthy dose of fat and protein, adding a serving of collagen and topping with chia seeds or another keto-friendly topping, you have the perfect on-the-go snack or meal. Intermittent fasting: If you’re not hungry, don’t force it. Keto supports intermittent fasting , which can provide various health benefits such as enhanced mental focus and weight loss.

Three-Day Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan

The following sample meal plan outlines three days on the ketogenic diet. Your meals may differ slightly based on your lifestyle, weight loss goals and body type.

Day 1

Breakfast: Four Savory Breakfast Sausage Balls and High Fat Keto Coffee

Lunch: Easy White Turkey Chili and salad greens with olive oil and pine nuts

Pre-and-Post Workout: Pre-workout and Keto Collagen

Dinner: Portobello Bun Cheeseburger and a Keto Matcha Fat Bomb for dessert

Day 2

Breakfast: Keto Grand Slam

Lunch: Tuna Zoodle Casserole and roasted broccoli with olive oil

Pre-and-Post Workout: Pre-workout and Keto Collagen

Dinner: Southing Keto Chicken Soup

Day 3

Breakfast: Two Cheesy Low Carb Stuffed Mushrooms with Bacon and half an avocado

Lunch: Italian Keto Stuffed Peppers and Low Carb Cauliflower Fritters

Pre-and-Post Workout: Pre-workout and Keto Collagen

Dinner: Mushroom Bacon Skillet with a Macadamia Nut Fat Bomb for dessert

Other Keto Meal Plan Resources

The first two weeks of any new diet are the most challenging. During this time period, you’ll adapt to a new way of grocery shopping, meal prepping and eating. On keto, an added challenge is the dreaded keto flu — flu-like withdrawal symptoms associated with transitioning to a low carb diet.

To make this transition easier, Perfect Keto is loaded with additional resources. Recipes, guidance, and articles are at your disposal to help you see success on keto. View the keto recipe library to plan a week’s worth of meals, check out the dessert page for when you’re overcome with carb or sugar cravings and view the Perfect Keto products for supplements to help you enter ketosis more easily.

For additional reading, check out the Perfect Keto knowledge base to help plan your meals. With a little diligence, a lot of preparation and a bit of patience, you will reach your goals.

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