Sample Keto Diet Meal Plan for Beginners
Jump start your new year's weight loss resolution for 2021 with this keto diet plan for beginners for free.
We all make promises to ourselves to start eating right, get more sleep, exercise regularly, and strive to be healthier.
As many New Years dieters learn, though, a major lifestyle change is neither quick nor easy.
It requires dedication, discipline, and a weight loss plan that's right for your body, your schedule, and your wallet.
Luckily, there's a diet that will do all this and more, improving your energy levels and your overall health: the keto diet.
You've surely heard of the keto diet.
Keto dieting became all the rage back in 2018, and became the subject of a number of best-selling books, dozens and dozens of blog posts, and weight loss forums across the world.
It's remained a popular diet ever since, seeming only to grow in popularity and recognition as time has gone on.
There's one simple reason for that: the keto diet just works, and it doesn't just serve to help you lose weight.
It's a lifestyle that will improve your heart health, get your cholesterol in check, and give you more energy than you would have thought possible.
Thankfully, building a keto diet plan is actually pretty simple, and doesn't require time-consuming or difficult recipes.
In fact, you can get your 2020 keto diet plan right here at Keto Diet Rule, and best of all, it's completely free.
It's not too late to make good on those New Years' resolutions, so let's dive right into crafting the perfect keto menu for beginners.
Here are the keto diet tips you need to get started.
What Exactly Is Keto?
Before you begin, you should familiarize yourself with what the keto diet is and how it can work for you.
Basically, the ketogenic diet (commonly shortened to keto diet) is a high fat, low carb, and focuses on healthy proteins.
Eating keto will force your body into a process called ketosis, during which your body will begin to burn fats for energy instead of carbohydrates.
Both keto diets and the Atkins diet focus on a reduction of carbohydrates in order to burn fat, but the keto diet allows dieters to continue to eat meat, in particular encouraging the consumption of red meat.
Keto diets thus make use of a wider range of protein sources than the Atkins diet.
Keto dieting may well look very similar to the foods you're already eating.
In fact, the keto diet is well known for letting dieters continue to eat many of the foods they love.
Love cheeseburgers? Keto has you covered: cheese and ground beef are both encouraged in the keto diet.
All you have to do is switch to a carb-free "bun" (lettuce is a popular choice) and you can have as many burgers as you want.
Pretty awesome, right?
There's plenty of other keto-friendly foods you can have, too.
Keto-Approved Foods
With the basics of keto down, beginners should start to figure out exactly which foods are keto-friendly, as these building blocks will enable you to start crafting your ideal keto diet plans.
Here's a rundown of common keto foods to eat:
- Red Meat: Steaks, ground beef, pork chops, lamb, veal
- Seafood: Salmon, tuna, shrimp
- Healthy Fats: Olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil, avocado oil
- Dairy: Goat cheese, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cow's milk, goat milk
- Nuts & Cereals*: Almonds, chia seeds, pecans, walnut, macadamia nuts
- Veggies**: Bell peppers, eggplant, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower
If you're feeling thirsty, beverages like keto coffee (coffee with stevia and either heavy cream or coconut oil) and almond milk will also encourage continued ketosis.
You can even satisfy your cravings for bread with keto bread that's low in carbs.
Need to satisfy that sweet tooth? Avoid carbohydrate-laden sugars by using stevia, a keto sweetener that's far healthier for you than artificial sweeteners!
You can also check out our 20 best keto foods.
*You'll want to keep away from cereals as a rule, but chia seeds are a pseudocereal and are actually very beneficial to keto dieting.
**Keep in mind that not all veggies are created equal.
While the foods listed above will keep you in ketosis, there are vegetables that are high in sugars and starches, and thus way too carbohydrate-heavy to be part of a successful keto diet. Make sure to avoid potatoes and other starchy veggies.
Building Your Keto Diet Plan
Now that we know what keto diets do and what foods you can eat, we can put together your ideal keto diet plan!
If you want a keto cookbook you can fall back on for keto recipes, keto snacks, and other keto meal ideas, check out the Ketodietrule's keto meal plans.
Here's a sample menu of what a full day's meals might look like:
- Keto Breakfast: Steak salad with avocado, bell peppers, and lime dressing
- Keto Lunch: Steak salad with avocado, bell peppers, and lime dressing
- Keto Snack: Tuna salad with olive oil, celery, and dill
- Keto Dinner: Baked salmon over a bed of zoodles (zucchini noodles)
It's as easy as mixing and matching the above keto-approved foods in ways that you enjoy!
How about steak grilled in olive oil with a side of roasted veggies?
Perhaps you can have chia seeds with your Greek yogurt.
Make a delicious grilled cheese with your low-carb keto bread.
The possibilities are endless!
Be sure to make liberal use of your spice cabinet to add great flavor to your meals.
Cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, lemon pepper, and garlic salt are all excellent additions.
It's that easy!
One thing to be aware of as you begin your keto diet plan is the "keto flu."
This is a set of symptoms caused by the initial stages of ketosis that mimic the common flu.
However, don't worry; you're not actually sick, and these symptoms will pass quickly as your body becomes accustomed to your new ketogenic meals, and you should begin to notice changes to your weight and energy levels in as little as a week or two.
Starting your keto diet is also the ideal time to begin meal prepping if it's not a habit you've already picked up.
Take your Sunday afternoon to do all your keto meal prep and you'll have a whole week's worth of keto diet meals to enjoy.
You'll save time and money by making your own meals at home.
Final Take On Keto
There's never been a better time to start keto than right now. So what are you waiting for? Kickstart your keto diet plan today!
Sample Keto Diet Meal Plan for Beginners
Source: https://ketodietrule.com/free-keto-diet-plan-for-beginners/