Keto Diet Meal Plan and Menu for a Lower Carb Lifestyle A ketogenic diet is a high fat and low carb diet. Reducing carbs may put your body in ketosis, which causes it to use fat for energy. This may help with weight loss.
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If you find yourself in a conversation about dieting or weight loss, chances are you’ll hear about the ketogenic, or keto, diet. The keto diet has become one of the most popular methods worldwide among people trying to lose weight and improve their health.
If you’ve been thinking about trying the keto diet and have gotten the thumbs up from your doctor, use this article to learn more about what to eat and what to limit while following a keto diet.
Ketogenic diet basics
The keto diet, as a rule, is very low in carbs, high in fat, and moderate in protein. While you can eat some carbs, you’ll need to monitor your intake.
While different versions of the keto diet exist the percentageTrusted Source of calories a person will consume will be approximately as follows:
carbs: 5–10%
fats: 55–60%
protein: 30–35%
This carb reduction forces your body to rely on fats for its main energy source instead of glucose — a process known as ketosis.
While in ketosis, your body uses ketones — molecules produced in the liver from fats when glucose is limited — as an alternate fuel source. Plus, keto diets reduce hunger and increase satiety, which can be helpful when trying to lose weight.
ResearchTrusted Source shows that ketogenic diets are effective at promoting weight loss — though they may be no more effective than other weight-loss diets.
SUMMARY
The ketogenic diet relies on a very low-carb routine. Carbs are typically restricted to 20–50 gramsTrusted Source per day on a 2,000-calorie diet. Instead, you’d eat mostly fat and protein.
Ketogenic diet meal plan
Switching to a ketogenic diet may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. Your focus should be on reducing carbs while increasing the fat and protein content of meals and snacks. Some online tools and calculators can be helpful.
In order to reach and remain in a state of ketosis, carbs must be restricted. While certain people might only achieve ketosis by eating 20 grams of carbs per day, others may be successful with a higher carb intake.
Generally, the lower your carbohydrate intake, the easier it is to reach and stay in ketosis.
This is why sticking to keto-friendly foods and avoiding items rich in carbs is the best way to successfully lose weight on a ketogenic diet.
Keto-friendly foods
When following a ketogenic diet, meals and snacks should center around the following foods:
Eggs: pastured, organic, or conventional all work fine
Poultry: chicken and turkey
Fatty fish: salmon, herring, and mackerel
Meat: beef, venison, pork, organ meats, and bison
Full-fat dairy: unsweetened yogurt, butter, and cream, but check the labels as dairy does contain some carbs
Full-fat cheese: cheddar, mozzarella, brie, goat cheese, and cream cheese
Nuts and seeds: macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, and flaxseeds
Nut butter: no-sugar-added peanut, almond, and cashew butters
Oils rich in healthy fats: olive oil, avocado oil, and sesame oil
Avocados: whole avocados can be added to almost any meal or snack
Non-starchy vegetables: greens, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, and peppers
Condiments: salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, fresh herbs, and spices
Foods to limit
When possible, it’s best to avoid or limit foods rich in carbs while following a keto diet.
The following foods should be limited:
Bread and baked goods: white bread, whole wheat bread, crackers, cookies, doughnuts, and rolls
Sweets and sugary foods: sugar, ice cream, candy, maple syrup, honey, agave syrup, and coconut sugar
Sweetened beverages: soda, juice, sweetened teas, and sports drinks
Pasta: spaghetti and other noodles
Grains and grain products: wheat, rice, oats, breakfast cereals, and tortillas
Starchy vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, corn, peas, and pumpkin
Beans and legumes: black beans, chickpeas, lentils, and kidney beans
Fruit: citrus, grapes, bananas, and pineapple
High carb sauces: barbecue sauce, ketchup, honey mustard, sugary salad dressings, and dipping sauces
Certain alcoholic beverages: beer and sugary mixed drinks
Though carbs should be restricted, you can eat them in small amounts while monitoring your intake.
For instance, you can enjoy low glycemic fruits, such as berries, in limited amounts as long as you’re maintaining a keto-friendly range of macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat).
Be sure to choose plenty of whole foods and steer clear of processed foods and trans fats when possible.
Keto-friendly beverages
Sugar can be found in a wide variety of beverages including juice, soda, iced tea, and coffee drinks. While on a ketogenic diet, you should limit or avoid high carb drinks, just like high carb foods.
Sugary beverages have also been linkedTrusted Source to various health concerns — from obesity to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
There are many tasty sugar-free options for those on the keto diet. Keto-friendly beverage choices include:
Water. Water is the best choice for hydration and should be consumed throughout the day.
Sparkling water. Sparkling water can make an excellent soda replacement.
Unsweetened coffee. Try using heavy cream to add flavor to your cup of coffee.
Unsweetened green tea. Green tea is delicious and may provide many health benefits.
If you want to add some extra flavor to your water, try experimenting with different keto-friendly flavor combinations. For example, tossing some fresh mint and a lemon peel into your water bottle can make hydration a breeze.
Though alcohol should be restricted, enjoying an occasional low carb drink like vodka or tequila mixed with soda water is acceptable on the keto diet.
SUMMARY
The ketogenic diet revolves around high fat, low carb food choices and limits highly processed foods and trans fats. Keto-friendly beverage options should be sugar-free when possible. Consider water, sparkling water, or
A sample keto menu for 1 week
The following menu provides fewer than 50 grams of total carbs per day. As mentioned above, some people may have to reduce carbohydrates even further in order to reach ketosis.
This is a general, 1-week ketogenic menu that can be altered depending on individual dietary needs.
Monday
Breakfast: two eggs fried in butter served with sauteed greens
Lunch: a bunless burger topped with cheese, mushrooms, and avocado atop a bed of greens
Dinner: pork chops with green beans sauteed in olive oil
Tuesday
Breakfast: mushroom omelet
Lunch: tuna salad with celery and tomato atop a bed of greens
Dinner: roast chicken with cream sauce and sauteed broccoli
Wednesday
Breakfast: bell pepper stuffed with cheese and eggs
Lunch: arugula salad with hard-boiled eggs, turkey, avocado, and blue cheese
Dinner: grilled salmon with spinach sauteed in sesame oil
Thursday
Breakfast: full-fat yogurt topped with Keto granola
Lunch: steak bowl with cauliflower rice, cheese, herbs, avocado, and salsa
Dinner: bison steak with cheesy broccoli
Friday
Breakfast: baked avocado egg boats
Lunch: Caesar salad with chicken
Dinner: pork chops with vegetables
Saturday
Breakfast: cauliflower toast topped with cheese and avocado
Lunch: bunless salmon burgers topped with pesto
Dinner: meatballs served with zucchini noodles and Parmesan cheese
Sunday
Breakfast: coconut milk chia pudding topped with coconut and walnuts
Lunch: Cobb salad made with greens, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, cheese, and turkey
Dinner: coconut chicken curry
As you can see, ketogenic meals can be diverse and flavorful.
Although many ketogenic meals are based around animal products, there are vegetarian options. However, following a keto vegetarian diet will be more challenging, as the choice of foods will be less varied.
Anyone following a keto diet should aim for as much variety as possible in their ingredients to reduce the risk of nutritional deficiencies.
If you’re following a more liberal ketogenic diet, adding a cup of berries to your breakfast or a small serving of a starchy vegetable to your dinner will increase the number of carbs in this meal plan.
SUMMARY
A ketogenic meal plan, like any nutritious diet, should include whole foods and many fiber-rich, low carb vegetables. Choose healthy fats like sesame oil, avocado oil, olive oil, and butter to increase the fat content of dishes.
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