In my previous article, I explained the Basics of the ketogenic diet & a beginner-friendly guide. If you’re a beginner, I recommend that you read that first before you continue on this one.
Now that we understood what Keto is, and covered all the foods you should eat, let’s start with our meal planning to make it easier.
How to make a Keto meal plan?
- Start with your favorite foods.
As well as starting any habit, you should start small and build it up over time. Starting with your favorite foods should be helpful, because you avoid that ‘’limiting’’ feeling every diet has. You eat what you already love and don’t have that limitation on your mind. Write a list of Keto-friendly breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack meals you already enjoy and have a think about how you could structure those meals over the week (or the next few days).
That familiarity you have with existing recipes will make it much easier to form the habit of planning and prepping ahead, as opposed to having to overhaul your diet right away with entirely new dishes.
2.Stock up — Do some grocery shopping.
When you have finished writing your favorite recipes, whether you’re planning your meals for the next few days or an entire week, making a grocery list can be a great way to ensure you stay on track and only buy exactly what you need.
This will surely save you time, money & energy.
3. Invest in some good quality food containers.
A set of containers can make your Keto meal planning feel 10x easier. A few things to consider:
Plastic containers are versatile and relatively inexpensive. They travel well and can often be heated in the microwave. Ideally, opt for BPA and recycled materials where you can.
Glass is a great sustainable option for easy reheating in the oven and microwave but it doesn’t travel as well as plastic or other materials.
Metal and bamboo containers are super sturdy for taking food on the go but typically aren’t designed to be heated.
Opt for containers with storage compartments or extra pots if you want to keep certain ingredients and condiments separate.
4. Batch cook.
When you’ve come to this, you alredy have a meal plan & preparation for some time in advance.
Simply having a Keto meal plan in place can be a huge help when it comes to organizing your meals and staying on track with your nutrition.
To take things to the next level, we have the art of batch cooking.
Batch cooking really is as simple as it sounds — taking a few hours on the weekend or a quiet weekday evening to cook up and portion out meals for the upcoming few days (or the whole week if you’re super organized).
5. Say ‘’Yes’’ to the frozen indgedients.
Frozen vegetables and stir-fry mixes can be a useful tool in any meal prepper’s arsenal. They can be used as your primary veg, or as a backup for the fresh stuff.
The great thing about frozen food is that it typically doesn’t spoil. And in some cases, if frozen soon after picking, it may even contain more micronutrient nutrients than fresh food that’s been sat out or refrigerated for days.
6. Don’t be so hard on yourself.
Keto meal planning is far from a perfect science.
When life happens, it’s unlikely you’ll hit every planned meal, every single week. That’s completely normal.
While having a structure to your diet can be useful, it’s also important to allow for flexibility.
This might mean having a back-up plan of emergency frozen meals or quick recipes you can make when time is tight. But it might also mean that you eat something that isn’t typically classified as ‘ideal’, which is perfectly okay too from time to time!
Samples: Family-Friendly Keto meal plan + free Recipe book
Recipe book I reccomend is this 101+ essential Keto recipes. It has got you covered for breakfast, dinner & snacks + a really tasty home-made bread! If you continue to your order, you’ll see that this book is absolutely free of charge, you only pay the shipping! The link to buy it is my own affiliate link.
Thank you for reading, and good luck in your meal planning! I am sure I got you covered on Info + meal plans + recipes.
Reference: I am able to receive compensation when someone clicks the affiliate link.
