A friend of mine is struggling with keto information overload. She’s trying very hard to eat correctly but is having trouble sorting out all the convoluted keto recipes that require multiple steps and strange ingredients. Today she asked me for personalized help with an easy to follow keto meal plan.
” I try to put a day together and I end up with a million grams of protein and 10% fat or some totally messed up crap, nowhere close to the proportions I want. Please help!”
I’m not a nutritional expert. I’ve been eating keto for just over 5 months and have a pretty good handle of what to eat and how to put meals together to meet the ketogenic suggested macros of 70% calories from fat, less than 20 grams of net carbs, and moderate protein. I’m always happy to help a friend, especially one committed to their health and the ketogenic way of eating.
I’m pressed for time today, so I only came up with three days of keto meals. I went to Myfittnesspal.com on my computer, created meals I would eat on days I wasn’t cooking complex meals and looked at the macros using the tools on myfittnesspal.com app. For some strange reason they don’t have the graph tool for nutrition on the website.
My disclaimer: These meals aren’t perfect. I don’t claim to be a nutritionist or a doctor. They aren’t dairy-free. I have been unable to go dairy free and I’m of the mind that the creator gave us cows for a reason. The reason is cheese and butter. Everyone is different. Everyone will have different budgets, ability in the kitchen, time, etc. My keto macros are different than these and you may find a different macro combination works better for you. I’m a cancer survivor and eat ketogenically specifically for the cancer preventative impacts of a 75%-80% fat calories eating plan. These meal suggestions are to help my friend get a better idea of how to do her own meal planning.
Here is what I came up with for easy keto meal plan for my friend:
Day 1 Easy Keto Meals
69% Fat, 25% Protein, 5% Carbs – according to myfitnesspal.com. I’m not a food expert. 🙂
This friend has coffee with heavy cream every day, so it will be on every day’s suggestion. Scrambled eggs with cheese melted into them plus yummy bacon for breakfast.
Lunch of a home made (bread free) hamburger patty with condiments and wrapped in lettuce. Make some patties ahead of time for easy grab and go lunch. I just use ground beef with salt and pepper. I list home made mayo, but as long as you get sugar free mayo, you’re golden. That said, this keto mayo recipe is actually ridiculously easy to make. I love AlternaSweets Stevia Spicy Ketchup. If I am having a burger, I would have some of this ketchup on it!
The tuna patties in the dinner menu come from this keto friendly recipe. It’s easy, affordable and yummy. This friend also loves spinach, so I suggested the addition of some steamed spinach with butter as a side. The sour cream in the snack is meant to be a dip – add your favorite keto friendly seasonings and dip your celery in for a yummy, perfectly keto snack!
| Breakfast | Calories
kcal
|
Carbs
g
|
Fiber
g
|
Protein
g
|
Sugar
g
|
Sodium
mg
|
|
| Cheddar Cheese, 1 oz (28 grams) | 110 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 170 | |
| Eggs – Scrambled (whole egg), 2 large | 203 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 342 | |
| Coffee – ♥, 1 cup | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Truvia – Sweetener, 1 packet | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Heavy Cream, 1 Tbsp. | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Bacon – Bacon, 4 pieces | 160 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 640 | |
| 533 | 8 | 0 | 31 | 4 | 1,157 | ||
| Lunch | |||||||
| Beef – Ground, patties, raw (hamburger), 3 oz | 240 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 58 | |
| Home Made – Mayo, 1 tbsp | 64 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | |
| Pickle – Kosher Dill Spear, 65 g | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 611 | |
| Lettuce – Iceburg, 1 c | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| Mustard – Mustard, 1 tsp | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | |
| 320 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 766 | ||
| Dinner | |||||||
| No Carb Tuna Patty, 2 serving(s) | 414 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 1,884 | |
| Spinach – Raw, 2 cup | 14 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 47 | |
| butter – butter, 1 tbs | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 488 | 3 | 1 | 42 | 0 | 1,931 | ||
| Snacks | |||||||
| Green – Olives, 11 olives | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 330 | |
| Celery – Celery, 3 med branches | 15 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 100 | |
| Sour cream, 0.25 cup(s) | 123 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 | |
| 163 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 460 | ||
| Totals | 1,504 | 19 | 5 | 92 | 5 | 4,314 | |
Day 2 Easy Keto Meal Plan
68% Fat, 28% Protein, 8% Carbs – according to myfitnesspal.com. I’m not a food expert. 🙂
I enjoy adding veggies sauteed in butter to my morning scramble. Mushrooms is one of my favorites. If you don’t care for mushrooms, I’d suggest subbing for onions, spinach, even some fresh diced tomatoes, really any low carb veggie.
This lunch is basically an egg salad served in lettuce wraps.
Dinner is boiled, shredded chicken thighs. Adding salsa or other Mexican seasonings (think chili powder, cumin, oregano, onions) turns this into a great Mexican chicken salad.
| Breakfast | Calories
kcal
|
Carbs
g
|
Fiber
g
|
Protein
g
|
Sugar
g
|
Sodium
mg
|
|
| Heavy Cream, 1 Tbsp. | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Truvia – Sweetener, 1 packet | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Butter – Salted, 2 pat (1 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58 | |
| Sauteed – Mushrooms, 2 oz. | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| Coffee – ♥, 1 cup | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Eggs – Scrambled (whole egg), 2 large | 203 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 342 | |
| Cheddar Cheese, Sharp, 1 oz (28 grams) | 110 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 170 | |
| 459 | 8 | 1 | 22 | 2 | 578 | ||
| Lunch | |||||||
| Egg – Boil Egg, 3 small | 210 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | |
| Home Made – Mayo, 2 tbsp | 128 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 61 | |
| Onions, raw, 1 tbsp chopped | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Lettuce – Iceburg, 1 c | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 350 | 4 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 67 | ||
| Dinner | |||||||
| Generic – Chicken Thigh Shredded, 6 oz | 340 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 150 | |
| Pace – Salsa, 2 tbs | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 230 | |
| Cheese, cheddar, 1 oz | 115 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 183 | |
| Sour cream, light, 100 g | 136 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 83 | |
| Generic – Shredded Iceburg Lettuce, 1/6 medium head | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | |
| Olives – Black Olives, 2 tablespoons | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 95 | |
| Oil, avocado, 1 tbsp | 124 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 760 | 14 | 2 | 55 | 4 | 751 | ||
| Snacks | |||||||
| Cucumber, 0.5 cup | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Cheese, cream, 1 fluid ounce | 99 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 106 | |
| 107 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 107 | ||
| Totals | 1,676 | 29 | 4 | 99 | 9 | 1,503 | |
Day 3 Easy Keto Meals
68% Fat, 22% Protein, 10% Carbs – according to myfitnesspal.com. I’m not a food expert. 🙂
Breakfast tips, same as above regarding veggies. For lunch, this is a tuna salad served in an avocado. It’s a yummy, keto lunch. For the dinner suggestion, I bake the chicken thighs in the oven after browning with some avocado oil. Once they are cooked through, I add heavy cream to the drippings to make a rich, delicious sauce. You could add the spinach or other keto friendly veggies to the sauce, simmer for a bit and enjoy.
Regarding the dip for the snack, I found this keto recipe. Personally, I find it’s easy to customize a creamy keto dip. Use mayo, sour cream, even cream cheese and add your favorite seasonings.
| Breakfast | Calories
kcal
|
Carbs
g
|
Fiber
g
|
Protein
g
|
Sugar
g
|
Sodium
mg
|
|
| Heavy Cream, 1 Tbsp. | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Truvia – Sweetener, 1 packet | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Butter – Salted, 2 pat (1 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58 | |
| Sauteed – Mushrooms, 2 oz. | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| Coffee – ♥, 1 cup | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Eggs – Scrambled (whole egg), 2 large | 203 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 342 | |
| Cheddar Cheese, 1 oz (28 grams) | 110 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 170 | |
| 459 | 8 | 1 | 22 | 2 | 578 | ||
| Lunch | |||||||
| Avocado – Avocado, 1 medium | 234 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 10 | |
| Tuna – Tuna in Water, 1 container (4 oz) | 100 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 360 | |
| Onions, raw, 1 tbsp chopped | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Home Made – Mayo, 3 tbsp | 192 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 92 | |
| 530 | 14 | 10 | 26 | 1 | 462 | ||
| Dinner | |||||||
| Chicken – Thigh, With Skin, 0.5 lb(s) | 390 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 191 | |
| Vegetables – Spinach, 2 cups | 20 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 65 | |
| Oil, avocado, 1 tbsp | 124 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Horizon – Butter, 1 tbsp | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 115 | |
| Heavy Cream – 3 tbsp | 150 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | |
| 784 | 6 | 2 | 54 | 1 | 383 | ||
| Snacks | |||||||
| Low Carb Dip or Ranch Dressing for Veggies, 1 serving(s) | 264 | 19 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 782 | |
| Garden – Cucumber, 1/2 cucumber | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Olives – Black Olives, 2 tablespoons | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 95 | |
| 297 | 22 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 878 | ||
| Totals | 2,070 | 50 | 15 | 107 | 5 | 2,301 | |
There you have it! A few days of ideas to give you a start with keto meal planning. Feel free to comment with other suggestions or questions.