Keto Diet Plan for Beginners
- Marc Champion
- Dec 7, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 9, 2021
The keto diet is a low carb, high fat diet that offers countless health benefits. A keto diet is especially useful for losing excess body fat without hunger, and for improving type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. But many studies have shown that these kind of diet can help reduce the risk of cancer, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s disease.
I am sure you’re already fascinated by the health benefits of Keto diet and want to find out more about it, well, continue reading and you’ll learn everything you need to know about this style of eating with our keto diet for beginner’s guide. Before we talk about the meal plan, let’s look into some important keto tips you shouldn’t ignore. So, if you’re not too busy, let’s get started.
Planning keto
With the right strategy, creating keto meals is easy. One way is to start by picking a protein source, such as meat, fish, seafood, eggs, or tofu. Then, to complete your meal, choose two low-carb vegetables and add a healthy source of fat. Easy right? Hell no! it is not going to be easy for you to start eating a meal plan that you’re not use to. But hey! This is not just any meal plan, a keto diet can prolong your life, so why not take it seriously now and I am sure you’ll thank me later.
Know What Foods You’ll Eat and Avoid on the Ketogenic Diet
In following a keto meal plan, you’ll be severely limiting carbs. Start off with between 20 and 30 grams (g) of carbohydrates per day. Also, make sure that you know what foods have mostly carbs, fat, and protein, so you can make the right choices. For instance, it’s not just bread, pasta, chips, cookies, candy, and ice cream that contain carbs. Beans may contain protein, but they’re also very high in carbohydrates. Fruit and veggies also mostly contain carbs. The only foods that don’t contain carbs are meat (protein) and pure fats, like butter and oils (including olive oil and coconut oil).
What to drink
What can you drink on a ketogenic diet? Water is the perfect drink, and coffee or tea are fine too. Ideally, use no sweeteners, especially sugar.
A splash of milk or cream in your coffee or tea is OK, but beware that the carbs can add up if you drink multiple cups in a day (and definitely avoid caffe lattes!). The occasional glass of wine is fine, too.
Up your electrolytes to prevent or mitigate unpleasant keto side effects
In ketosis, the kidneys excrete more water and electrolytes. Make sure you’re getting the sodium and potassium your body needs to function well. Salt your foods, drink salted bone broth, and eat non starchy veggies, such as asparagus, kale, bell peppers, and arugula.
Acknowledge when keto might not be right for you
There are medical conditions that should make you think twice about starting keto — or at least talk to your doctor before trying it out. Those include people on insulin, as well as those on oral and noninsulin injectable medications for high blood sugar or high blood pressure. Even struggling with GI issues may be a barrier to starting. One of the side effects of a ketogenic diet is constipation, so if that’s a struggle, there’s serious reason not to go on this relatively low-fiber diet. Last consideration: If existing personal dietary restrictions require you to avoid foods like soy, eggs, nuts, dairy, or seafood, a ketogenic diet may be too limiting for you. Coming from a place of elimination in an already restrictive diet can make it incredibly tough to follow.
Get ahead of the Keto flu
As your body adjusts, it’s common to go through the keto flu during the first week or so. You might experience symptoms like brain fog, muscle aches, constipation, a metallic taste in your mouth or even an acetone odor in your breath.
However, there are ways to get ahead of the dreaded keto flu:
Hydrate
Take your electrolytes
Eat more quality fats
Get your rest
Adopt a distressing routine
Try other types of Keto to find what’s best for you
Keto is not a one-size-fits-all solution, so take advantage of your options. Don’t be afraid to switch things up. Starting with strict keto might work initially, but you may need to adjust your diet based on your lifestyle.
For example, if you train at high-intensity levels, consider a cyclical or targeted keto diet to strategically incorporate more carbs, which can help fuel a gym session or long run.
Feeling too restricted by the macro ratios of standard keto? Give yourself some flexibility by taking a moderate approach that allows for more carbs than your typical keto meal plan.
Easy keto meal plan for beginners
Ready to get your hands dirty in the kitchen, but don’t have a clue how to cook keto? We’ve got you covered with everything you’d need from brunch, lunch, to dinner so you can kick your ketosis into high gear—no excuses necessary:
Keto Brunch: From a low-carb version of eggs Benedict to pillow-soft, gluten-free cinnamon rolls, you’ll find everything you need to cook up (and devour) the perfect keto-friendly brunch eats.
Pasture-raised egg bites: This versatile recipe is great with the usual omelette ingredients, such as cheddar cheese, mozzarella or feta if you tolerate dairy. Bell peppers are also a nice addition if you tolerate night shades.
Soft boiled eggs: Partner with toasted keto bread, or greens for a delicious keto brunch dish. This recipe is also great as a partner to breakfast meal prep recipes. Add fresh eggs to pre-made sides if you’re crunched for time.
Coconut floor pancakes: Top with sugar-free syrup, keto jam, matcha coconut butter and more.
Keto Lunch: Easy and packable so you can head out the door, if you’re a lunch eater, these keto lunch ideas will help you power through each afternoon.
Chopped salad with creamy dressing: A creamy MCT oil dressing tops salmon, eggs, veggies and leafy greens, making this keto salad recipe an all-in-one meal that needs no accompaniment. This versatile recipe is something you can enjoy multiple days a week, changing up the protein with what you have on hand.
Chicken cucumber avocado salad: Chicken isn’t as nutrient-dense as beef or lamb—but when you do make it, add extra and use the leftovers for this filling keto lunch recipe from Café Delites. Tender chicken gets tossed with crunchy cucumbers and smooth avocado for a cool and creamy salad with 5 grams of net carbs.
Avocado egg salad: Add to lettuce cups or enjoy by the spoonful—either way, this keto lunch recipe from That Low Carb Life is big on creamy, fat-fuelled flavour. Simply combine diced, boiled eggs with avocado chunks, onion and spices for a mayo-free egg salad with 3 grams of net carbs.
Diary-free butter chicken: This keto lunch recipe from Eating Bird Food makes the perfect dinner or next-day meal at work, since spices have more time to flavour the meat. This fat-fuelled lunch only has 7 grams of net carbs and makes the perfect dish to enjoy with cauliflower rice or raw veggies.
Keto Dinner: Whether you want to make steak, chicken or seafood (get those omega-3 fatty acids up!) the star of the show, these delicious keto recipes will take weeknight dinner to another level.
Beacon-wrapped burger: Easy, versatile and Whole30 approved, these savoury burgers whip together in under 30 minutes and are sure to be a family-pleaser. If you tolerate dairy, these patties easily become cheeseburgers when finished with a slice of quality cheese. Pair with keto buns and a keto side for an easy ketogenic dinner at 1 net carb per burger.
Chilli roasted chicken: You only need 5 ingredients and 20 minutes to make this quick keto dinner from Cook Eat Paleo — plus, you can make other side dishes while the meat roasts in the oven. Toss chicken with spices, bake, and top with a squeeze of lime juice for a zesty zero-carb main dish.
Green beans with beacon and herbs: Crisp bacon meets tender green beans in this classic keto side. Perfect year-round for quiet dinners at home or low-lift picnics in the park.
Hamburger salad: Skip the bun with this quick keto dinner. With a seasoned patty cooked in grass-fed ghee, caramelized onions, and your favourite aioli, you can get all the flavour of a conventional burger for under 7 net carbs. Make this recipe your own with your favourite low-carb toppings, or dress with our keto honey mustard or keto ranch dressing.
Conclusion
Keto dieting doesn’t mean cutting back on your carb intake for a day or two. It takes commitment to reap the rewards of fuelling your body and brain with quality fats.
Incorporating more high-fat, low-carb recipes into your weekly meal plan is a great start. These strategies can help you stay on track with your keto diet for the long haul.
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Thank you so much for such a useful piece of info.
Thank you Ebem for your kind words please share on social media
Very informative... Love it!