When you hear people talking about weight loss or dieting, you’ll probably hear “keto diet.” That’s because a keto diet, which involves very low carbohydrates, adequate protein, and high fat, is widely known to improve health and excess weight.

According to research, following a keto diet can help you lose fat and improve certain health conditions, including cognitive decline and type 2 diabetes.

In this article, we will give you the best keto diet meal plan and menu for your body transformation.

What is keto diet?

The keto diet involves limiting carb intake to not more than 50 grams and consuming fat-rich and moderate-protein foods.

During the keto diet, you typically reduce your carb intake to 20 to 50 grams per day. But this diet also has looser versions.

Majority of your cut carbs should be replaced by fats, which shall deliver ~ 75% of your total calorie intake. Carbs and proteins, on the other hand, should account for 5% and 10–30%, respectively.

The keto diet forces your body to utilize fats for its main source of energy instead of glucose—this process is known as ketosis.

During this process, your body uses the molecules called ketones, which are released by the liver from fats when there is no sufficient amount of glucose, as an alternative source of fuel.

Although fat has high calorie content, research found that low-carb, fat-rich diets are significantly more effective when it comes to losing weight than any low-fat diets.

What’s more, keto diets increase satiety and reduce hunger, which can help when your ultimate goal is to lose weight.

Keto diet for beginners

Although it can seem overwhelming, transitioning to a very low-carb, moderate-protein, and fat-rich diet does not have to be difficult.

Your focus is more on increasing your fat and protein intake while limiting your carb intake. Limiting your carb intake helps you reach and remain in a state of ketosis.

Achieving a ketosis state is not a one-size-fits-all. Some people might achieve ketosis by limiting their carb intake to 20 grams per day, while others may be successful with a much higher intake of carb.

Generally, it can be easier for you to achieve and remain in a state of ketosis when your carb intake is lower. Thus, avoiding carb-rich items and sticking to keto-friendly foods is the best way to achieve weight loss on a keto diet.

Keto diet foods

When you’re on a keto diet, your meals and snacks should include the following foods:

Fatty fish, such as wild-caught salmon and mackerel

Meat, such as venison, pork, grass-fed beef, organ meats, and bison

Eggs, preferably pastured, organic whole eggs

Non-starchy vegetables, such as leafy greens, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes

Poultry, such as turkey and chicken

Full-fat dairy, such as Cream, yogurt, and butter

Full- fat cheese, such as goat cheese, cream cheese, cheddar, mozzarella, and brie

Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, and flaxseeds

Nut butter, such as cashew butters, almond, and natural peanut

Healthy fats, such as coconut oil, coconut butter, avocado oil, olive oil, and sesame oil

Avocados, preferably whole avocados to be added your meal or snack

Condiments, such as lemon juice, vinegar, pepper, salt, fresh herbs and spices

Foods to avoid on a keto diet

When following a keto diet, carb-rich foods such as the following must be restricted.

Sugary foods, such as sugar, agave syrup, maple syrup, coconut sugar, ice cream, canned fruit, and candies

Bread and baked goods, such as whole-wheat bread, white bread, doughnuts, rolls, crackers, and cookies

Sweetened beverages, such as fruit drinks, sweetened teas, sweetened water, energy drinks, sports drinks, and soda

Pasta, such as noodles, penne, lasagna, macaroni, ravioli, linguine, rigatoni, and spaghetti

Grains and grain products, such as oatmeal, brown rice, popcorn, breakfast cereals, wheat, and tortillas

Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, winter squash, and butternut

Beans and legumes, such as clover, alfalfa, beans, chickpeas, lupins, mesquite, peanuts, soybeans, tamarind, lentils, and kidney beans

Fruit, such as grapes, bananas, citrus, and pineapple (but low-glycemic fruits like berries can be eaten in limited amounts)

High-carb sauces, such as sugary salad dressings, dipping sauces, and barbecue sauce

Certain alcoholic beverages, such as sugary mixed drinks and beer

Although a keto diet limits carb intake, low-glycemic fruits like berries can be included in your meals or snacks in limited amounts so long as you’re maintaining a keto-friendly macronutrient range.

Be sure to only consume healthy food sources and avoid unhealthy fats and processed items such as the following.

Processed foods, including processed meat (lunch meats and hot dogs), fast food, and packaged foods

Diet foods, including preservatives, sweeteners (aspartame and sugar alcohols), and foods that contain artificial colors

Unhealthy fats, including shortening, vegetable oils (corn oil and canola), and margarine

Keto-friendly beverages

Some beverages, like iced tea, coffee drinks, juice, and soda, contain sugar. These sugary beverages can cause various health conditions, like obesity and diabetes.

When following a keto diet, high-carb drinks are restricted just like high-carb foods. Good thing there are numerous sugar-free yet tasty options for you to choose from, including the following.

Water

Sparkling water

Unsweetened green tea

You can try experimenting with different keto-friendly flavor combinations to add some extra flavor to your water. For example, adding lemon peel and some fresh mint into your water bottle makes hydration a breeze.

Although alcohol is restricted on a keto diet, you can enjoy small amounts of low-carb drinks like vodka or tequila mixed with soda water on occasion.

Keto 7-day sample meal plan

Here we give you a keto 7-day sample meal plan that provides < 50 grams of total carbs per day. As mentioned earlier, some people may achieve ketosis with an even lower carb intake. This sample can be altered depending on your dietary needs.

Monday

Breakfast : Baked avocado eggs

Lunch : Chicken Caesar salad

Dinner : Pork chops with vegetables

Tuesday

Breakfast : Two pastured butter-fried eggs served with sautéed greens

Lunch : A no bun grass-fed burger topped with cheese and avocado atop a bed of greens

Dinner : Pork chops with green beans sautéed in coconut oil

Wednesday

Breakfast : Full-fat yogurt with Keto granola as a topping

Lunch : Steak bowl with cauliflower rice, avocado, herbs, cheese, and salsa

Dinner : Bison steak with cheesy chive broccoli mash

Thursday

Breakfast : Cheesy egg stuffed bell pepper

Lunch : Arugula salad with chicken, hard-boiled eggs, avocado and blue cheese

Dinner : Keto pan seared salmon with spinach sautéed in coconut oil

Friday

Breakfast : Mushroom omelet

Lunch : Veggie loaded tuna salad with celery and tomato

Dinner : Roast turkey with sautéed broccoli and cream sauce

Saturday

Breakfast : Chia coconut pudding topped with walnuts and coconut

Lunch : Cobb salad made with turkey, hard-boiled eggs, greens, avocado, and cheese

Dinner : Coconut chicken curry

Sunday

Breakfast : Cauliflower toast topped with avocado and cheese

Lunch : No bun salmon burgers topped with Pesto Aioli

Dinner : Keto zucchini spaghetti recipe with meatballs

As you can see, a keto diet has many different tasty meals. Although mostly are based around animal products, there are vegetarian options available as well.

A more liberal keto diet is also available, where you can add a small serving of a starchy vegetable to your dinner or cup of berries to your breakfast to increase your carb intake in this meal plan.

Healthy keto snack options

A keto diet also allows a snack between meals to moderate hunger and keep you on track of your diet.

Considering the fact that keto diet meals can be so filling, you may only need a snack or two per day, depending on the level of your activities. Here are some healthy and tasty keto snack options for you.

Almonds and cheddar cheese

Chicken salad stuffed avocado

Low-carb guacamole

Trail mix made with nuts, seeds, and unsweetened coconut

Hard-boiled eggs

Olives and sliced salami

Herbed cream cheese dip with celery and peppers

Berries and whipped cream

Jerky

Cheese roll-ups

Parmesan crisps

Coconut chips

Kale chips

Macadamia nuts

Keto power salad with greens with high-fat dressing

Keto avocado chocolate smoothie

Avocado cocoa mousse

These healthy and tasty keto diet snacks help moderate hunger between meals, but if you’re snacking too much throughout the day, they can also contribute to weight gain.

It is therefore important that you maintain an appropriate calorie intake based on your weight loss goal, activity level, age, and gender.

A simple ketogenic shopping list

An excellent keto diet includes healthy fats and proteins and lots of fresh produce.

Having a supply of keto-friendly fresh and frozen produce at home helps you avoid unhealthy, tempting foods. The following is a simple ketogenic shopping list for your guidance.

Meat and poultry, like organic, pasture-raised pork, beef, chicken, and turkey

Fish, like fatty fish (e.g., mackerel, salmon, sardines, and herring)

Shellfish, like shrimp, oysters, and scallops

Eggs that are omega-3-enriched or pastured

Full-fat dairy, like butter, unsweetened yogurt, sour cream, and heavy cream

Oils, like olive, coconut, and avocado oils

Avocados (a mixture of ripe and unripe to make sure that your supply will last)

Cheese, like cheddar, brie, cream cheese, and goat cheese

Fresh or frozen berries, like raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries

Nuts, like almonds, macadamia nuts, pistachios, and pecans

Seeds, like chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds

Nut butters, like almond butter and peanut butter

Fresh or frozen low-carb vegetables, like broccoli, greens, mushrooms, cauliflower, onions, tomatoes, and peppers

Condiments, like sea salt, pepper, salsa, herbs, garlic, vinegar, mustard, olives and spices.

Filling your cart with healthy keto-friendly food items and planning your meals ahead of time is always worthwhile.

Conclusion

A well-rounded keto diet should include no more than 5% or 20 to 50 grams, 10–30% protein, and 75% fat per day.

Thus, focusing on low-carb, fat-rich foods, such as meats, eggs, fish, dairy, and low-carb veggies, as well as sugar-free beverages, and restricting highly processed items and unhealthy fats are key to a successful keto diet.

The popularity of this low-carb, fat-rich diet has made it easier for you to find a range of healthy and tasty keto meal ideas online.

This article can help you get started on the keto diet and make your transition to a high-fat, low-carb diet a breeze.