Your Guide To Keto Meal Plans (Plus a 7-day Sample Plan)

There are many factors that play into a person finding success while following the keto diet. But I’d argue one of the most defining factors is having a plan. Unfortunately, this is where a lot of people get stuck.

Thankfully, we’re here to help with that. This article lays out practical steps for building keto meal plans. Not only that, but we’ll give you a sample 7-day meal plan to get you started on the right foot.

If you’re ready to learn how to meal plan for the keto diet, then keep reading. We’ll arm you with the best information so you can reach your goals.

What is the keto diet?

First of all, let’s talk about the keto diet. The ketogenic diet is incredibly popular. It functions as a low carbohydrate diet. Followers eat a high-fat, moderate-protein diet.

The goal of the keto diet is to switch the body’s fuel source from glucose to fat. When this happens, your body enters the metabolic state known as ketosis. This means that your body is burning fat to use as energy.

Benefits and side effects of Keto Meal plans

The keto diet soared to popularity because of the numerous benefits people have seen while following it. These benefits include weight loss, feeling satiated, increases in energy levels, improved regulation of blood sugar, reduction of sugar craving, among others.

As with any diet change, there can be side effects that appear while following keto. This is usually just your body adjusting to its new metabolic state. The keto flu is a common condition that occurs in the first week or two after you start the diet.

The keto flu includes flu-like symptoms such as nausea, cramps, feelings of lethargy, constipation or diarrhea, and headaches. While we can’t say exactly why bodies respond in this way to the keto diet at first, it is good to know that it is a common occurrence and it will eventually pass.

If you’ve just started the keto diet, it can be frustrating to experience these symptoms, but stick with it and they will soon fade.

Intro to Keto diet meal planning

To follow the ketogenic diet successfully, it’s going to require some planning. First of all, you’re going to need to know what to eat and what foods to avoid. We recommend checking out our keto diet food list for that.

Next, you’ll need to figure out the specific ratios of carbs, fats, and protein you need to meet your goals. We recommend using this keto calculator. It takes into consideration individualized information about you and your goals including things like age, height, weight, activity level, body fat percentage, and net carbs.

Once you input all of that information, the calculator will give you your personalized macros. From this, you can use a food tracking app like My Fitness Pal or Cronometer to make sure you’re eating your specific macronutrient goals every day.

This is important because, to have success on the keto diet, you’ll need to ensure that you stay in ketosis – which means that your carb intake needs to stay below your individualized targets.

Find some of your go to keto recipe blogs. Set aside some time on a free day during your week (I like Sunday) to do your planning and shopping. I like to keep a database of simple and delicious recipes that I can rotate through week after week.

Sure, this process takes some time out of my Sunday, but the time it saves me during the week is worth it. It also ensures that I stick to my plan and inch closer to my goals.

7-day keto diet meal plan

To give you an idea of what a keto meal plan might look like, here’s a 7-day inside look from Ultimate Meal Plans. Ultimate Meal Plans is your go-to source for well-balanced, nutritionally-dense meal plans that allow you to stick to your diet of choice.

Not only do they do the planning for you, but you also get access to a comprehensive shopping list and the ability to order your groceries online through Thrive Market or Amazon Fresh.

Each recipe also sticks to the 15/5 guarantee – there will be no more than 5 ingredients used and it will take no longer than 15 minutes to make.

Monday

Breakfast – Keto Coco Coffee

Lunch – Cajun Shrimp Soup

Dinner – Prosciutto Skillet

Snack – Pork Rinds

Tuesday

Breakfast – Coconut Pancakes

Lunch – Chocolate Smoothie

Dinner – Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Snack – Moon Cheese

Wednesday

Breakfast – Keto Samoa

Lunch – Turkey Roll Ups

Dinner – Steak Stir Fry

Snack – Avocado

Thursday

Breakfast – Breakfast Sandwich

Lunch – Prosciutto Roll Ups

Dinner – Spicy Tuna Skillet

Snack – Hard Boiled Egg with Baby Greens

Friday

Breakfast – Chocolate Chip Waffles

Lunch – Pork and Cabbage Slaw

Dinner – Steak Bites with Cheese

Snack – Beef Jerky

Saturday

Breakfast – Keto Coco

Lunch – Raw Broccoli Salad

Dinner – Broccoli Beef Soup

Snack – Hard Boiled Eggs Plus Mayo

Sunday

Breakfast – Sausage Scramble

Lunch – Crispy Prosciutto Salad

Dinner – Turkey Tower

Snack – Brazil Nuts

You can join Ultimate Meal Plans and find the keto plan that’s right for you. It really is the easiest way to take the work out of meal planning so you can focus your time and energy on reaching your goals.

Other resources on the Keto Diet

Keto meal planning can be difficult at first – it just takes some practice to get it down. Ensuring that you have the right tools in your corner is essential.

For keto meal plans done for you and delivered straight to your inbox – Sign up here.

For keto resources – check out this keto diet guide and keto diet food list

For keto recipes – keto recipe archive

Other meal planning resources

We’ve built out a ton of meal plan resources on all sorts of diets. Check them out below

• Gluten Free Meal Plan Guide
• Low Carb Meal Plan Guide
• Weight Loss Meal Plans
• Healthy Meal Plans
• Banting Diet Meal Plans
• AIP Meal Plans
• Paleo Meal Plans