One of the most common challenges when it comes to following the keto diet is to know what to eat and how much to eat. It could be confusing at first, especially if you are a complete beginner.
If you are a busy person, chances are that you will find it difficult to research the foods, plan and organize your meals or look for recipes simply because you don't have time.
We totally understand. You want an effective plan and some guidance so you can start taking action today to stay on track and motivated to begin burning off pounds of fat all day, every day effortlessly with ketosis no matter how busy you are.
This Is Why We Are Giving You 3 Free Keto Meal Plans On This Page To Help You Get Started:
#1. 30-Day Keto Menu Ideas: to give you basic ideas of what types of foods you can have and how to prepare them with step by step recipes and nutritional information per serving. This basically gives you tons of recipes so you will never run out of ideas for what to eat!
#2. 21-Day Low Carb Weight Loss Meal Plan: easy to follow recipes designed specifically to help you lose the unwanted weight and body fat.
#3. 7-Day Balanced Keto Meal Plan: for advanced keto dieters who are already fat adapted to feel the freedom of fueling and healing their bodies with healthy fats.
Part #1: 30-Day Keto Menu Ideas
The purpose of this plan is to show you what type of keto foods you can eat, ways you can prepare your foods, what a typical keto meal looks like and recipes.
How To Use This Plan:
- Make sure you know your daily macros (how much fat, protein, carbs and calories you need to achieve your goal)
- Each recipe has anywhere between 2-6 servings, so be sure to prepare according to your macros and personal needs. For example, if you only cook for yourself, you might want to make 1 serving at a time, or make as many servings as you want and keep the leftover for the next days.
- Be flexible. We don't know your personal goal, your budget, your cooking skills, what your favorite foods are or what foods you don't like to eat so we cannot personalize the meal plan just for you. This plan is just to give you ideas of what to cook for breakfasts, lunches and dinners. So please feel free to adjust and personalize it to make it work for you.
Here are the 30-day meal ideas:
(If you're on mobile, click the '>' icon next to Day 1 to reveal the next day!)
January 1 Saturday Day 1 | January 2 Sunday Day 2 | January 3 Monday Day 3 | January 4 Tuesday Day 4 | January 5 Wednesday Day 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | ||||
 Poached Eggs with Spinach (2) |  2 Ingredient Low Carb Crepes (2) |  Keto Morning Hot Pockets (2) |  Keto Beef Empanadas (6) |  Swiss chard & Spinach Omelet (3) |
| Lunch | ||||
 90 Second Almond Bread Chicken Sandwich (2) |  Avocado, Egg and Tuna Tower Salad (2) |  Bacon Wrapped Shrimp (2) |  Keto Bunless Bacon Cheeseburger with Mushrooms (4) |  Lettuce Rolls with Ground Beef (4) |
| Dinner | ||||
 Keto Eggplant Lasagna (6) |  Easy Creamy Shredded Chicken with Spinach and Bacon (2) |  Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Shrimp (4) |  Stuffed Chicken Breasts (3) |  Pork Rind Chicken Schnitzel (3) |
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Click on a recipe for more details
Selected Recipe:
Selected Recipes:
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| Ingredient | Quantity |
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Part #2: 21-Day Low Carb Weight Loss Meal Plan
This 21-days of meal planning is created and permitted to publish by our friend Vicky and Rami, founders of Tasteaholics! They have been following the ketogenic diet for many years both personally and professionally. They've put together this plan to help you succeed.
If you want more weight loss keto meal plans to follow, check their affordable Keto Weight Loss Weekly Meal Plan subscription here!
In a rush? Click here to download this 21-Day Keto Weight Loss Meal Plan FREE PDF Version!
How to use this plan:
- Each day will be between 1,500-1,700 calories.
- Each meal plan is designed for 1 person. If you would like to use them for multiple people, simply multiply the ingredient quantities by the total number of people.
- Be flexible! Feel free to replace any of the recipes with your personal choice and adjust the ingredients amount to fit your macros.
Here are the 3 weeks of Keto for Weight Loss Plan at a glance:
Week 1
​Day 1
​Day 2
​Day 3
​Day 4
​Day 5
​Day 6
​Day 7
Shopping List For 7 Days
- ​Protein
- ​Dairy
- ​Produce
- ​​Pantry Items
Recipes and Execution
All recipes ingredient lists and instructions can be found below:
- ​Breakfast Recipes
- ​Lunch Recipes
- ​Dinner Recipes
Avocado Lime Salmon
Calories: 570, Fat: 44 g, Protein: 36 g, Total Carbs: 12g, Fiber: 8 g, Net Carbs: 4 g
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 100 grams chopped cauliflower
- 1 large avocado
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons diced red onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 (6-ounce) boneless salmon fillets
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. Place the cauliflower in a food processor and pulse into rice-like grains.
2. Grease a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.
3. Add the cauliflower rice and cook, covered, for 8 minutes until tender. Set aside.
4. Combine the avocado, lime juice and red onion in a food processor and blend smooth.
5. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
6. Season the salmon with salt and pepper then add to the skillet skin-side down.
7. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until seared then flip and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes.
8. Serve the salmon over a bed of cauliflower rice topped with the avocado cream. Makes 2 servings.
​Rosemary Roasted Chicken and Veggies
Calories: 540, Fat: 40.5 g, Protein: 33 g, Total Carbs: 12 g, Fiber: 3.5 g, Net Carbs: 8.5 g
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 deboned chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper
- 1 small zucchini, sliced
- 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 small parsnip, peeled and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a small rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Place the chicken thighs on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
3. Arrange the veggies around the chicken then sprinkle with sliced garlic.
4. Whisk together the remaining ingredients then drizzle over the chicken and veggies.
5. Bake for 30 minutes then broil for 3 to 5 minutes until the skins are crisp. Makes 2 servings.
​Cheesy Sausage Mushroom Skillet
Calories: 630, Fat: 48 g, Protein: 33 g, Total Carbs: 11 g, Fiber: 2 g, Net Carbs: 9 g
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 6 ounces Italian sausage, crumbled
- 4 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup marinara sauce
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Heat the oil in large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until smoking.
3. Add the sausages and cook until browned and almost cooked through.
4. Remove the sausages to a cutting board and let cool for a few minutes.
5. Add the mushroom and onion to the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until browned.
6. Slice the sausages and add them back to the skillet.
7. Stir in the oregano, thyme, salt and pepper.
8. Pour in the sauce and water then stir well. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 10 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with mozzarella then cook another 5 minutes until melted. Makes 2 servings.
​Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Garlic
Calories: 685, Fat: 52 g, Protein: 50.5 g, Total Carbs: 6 g, Fiber: 3 g, Net Carbs: 3 g
Prep Time: 35 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 bone-in lamb chops (about 6 ounces meat)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions:
1. Combine the coconut oil, rosemary, and garlic in a shallow dish.
2. Add the lamb chops then turn to coat – let marinate in the fridge overnight.
3. Let the lamb rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Add the lamb chops and cook for 6 minutes then season with salt and pepper.
6. Turn the chops and cook for another 6 minutes or until cooked to the desired level.
7. Let the lamb chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.
8. Meanwhile, toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper then spread on a baking sheet.
9. Broil for 6 to 8 minutes until charred, shaking occasionally. Serve hot with the lamb chops.
Week 2
​Day 1
​Day 2
​Day 3
​Day 4
​Day 5
​Day 6
​Day 7
Shopping List For 7 Days
- ​PROTEIN
- ​DAIRY
- ​PRODUCE
- ​PANTRY ITEMS
Recipes and Execution
​All recipes ingredient lists and instructions can be found below:
- ​Breakfast Recipes
- ​Lunch Recipes
- ​Dinner Recipes
Chicken Zoodle Alfredo
Calories: 595, Fat: 40 g, Protein: 55 g, Total Carbs: 4 g, Fiber: 1 g, Net Carbs: 3g
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 (6-ounce) chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 200 grams zucchini
Instructions:
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste then add to the skillet.
3. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes on each side until cooked through then slice into strips.
4. Reheat the skillet over medium-low heat and add the butter.
5. Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese then cook until thickened.
6. Spiralize the zucchini then toss it into the sauce mixture with the chicken.
7. Cook until the zucchini is tender, about 2 minutes, then serve hot. Makes 2 servings.
​Cabbage and Sausage Skillet
Calories: 350, Fat: 24.5 g, Protein: 22 g, Total Carbs: 12 g, Fiber: 2 g, Net Carbs: 10 g
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 large Italian sausage links
- ½ head green cabbage, sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. Cook the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until evenly browned then slice them.
2. Reheat the skillet over medium-high heat then add the butter.
3. Toss in the cabbage and cook until wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Stir the sliced sausage into the cabbage then stir in the sour cream and mayonnaise.
5. Season with salt and pepper then simmer for 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings.
​Gyro Salad with avo-Tzatziki
Calories: 495, Fat: 29 g, Protein: 45 g, Total Carbs: 13.5 g, Fiber: 6 g, Net Carbs: 7.5 g
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground lamb meat
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ English cucumber
- 1 medium ripe avocado
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped mint
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped dill
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
Instructions:
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the lamb.
2. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, then stir in the onion.
3. Keep cooking until the lamb is cooked through and the onion softened then stir in the chicken
broth, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, oregano, and thyme.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste then simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Grate the cucumber then spread evenly on a clean towel and wring out the moisture.
6. Place the grated cucumber in a food processor and add the avocado, 2 teaspoons lemon juice,
mint and dill with a pinch of salt. Blend the mixture until smooth.
7. Serve the gyro meat over chopped lettuce with a spoonful of avo-tzatziki. Makes 3 servings.
Week 3
​Day 1
​Day 2
​Day 3
​Day 4
​Day 5
​Day 6
​Day 7
Shopping List For 7 Days
- ​PROTEIN
- ​DAIRY
- ​PRODUCE
- ​PANTRY ITEMS
Recipes and Execution
All recipes ingredient lists and instructions can be found below:
- ​Breakfast Recipes
- ​Lunch Recipes
- ​Dinner Recipes
Cheesy Single-serve Lasagna
Calories: 325, Fat: 19 g, Protein: 29 g, Total Carbs: 10 g, Fiber: 1.5 g, Net Carbs: 8.5 g
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons low-carb marinara sauce
- 1 small zucchini (60g), sliced very thin into rounds
- 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
- 3 ounces shredded mozzarella
- Dried oregano
Instructions:
1. Spoon 1 tablespoon marinara sauce into a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Spread one third of the zucchini slices over the sauce then cover with a tablespoon of ricotta.
3. Repeat the layers of sauce, zucchini, and ricotta.
4. Top with the remaining zucchini and the last tablespoon of marinara.
5. Sprinkle with mozzarella then microwave for 3 to 4 minutes until the entire mixture is heated
through and the cheese is melted.
6. Sprinkle with dried oregano and serve hot.
​Crispy Chipotle Chicken Thighs
Calories: 400, Fat: 20 g, Protein: 51 g, Total Carbs: 3 g, Fiber: 1.5 g, Net Carbs: 1.5 g
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 12 ounces boneless chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
Instructions:
1. Combine the chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, and smoked paprika in a small bowl.
2. Pound the chicken thighs out flat then season with salt and pepper on both sides.
3. Cut the chicken thighs in half and heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add the chicken thighs skin-side-down to the skillet and sprinkle with the spice mixture.
5. Cook the chicken thighs for 8 minutes then flip and cook on the other side for 3 to 5 minutes.
6. During the last 3 minutes, add the spinach to the skillet and cook until wilted.
7. Serve the crispy chicken thighs on a bed of wilted spinach. Makes 2 servings.
​Pepperoni, Ham & Cheddar Stromboli
Calories: 525, Fat: 37 g, Protein: 32 g, Total Carbs: 16 g, Fiber: 8 g, Net Carbs: 8 g
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large egg, whisked
- 6 ounces sliced deli ham
- 2 ounces sliced pepperoni
- 4 ounces sliced cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 6 cups fresh salad greens
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Melt the mozzarella cheese in a microwave-safe bowl until it can be stirred smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, and dried Italian seasoning.
4. Pour the melted cheese into the flour mixture and work it together with some salt and pepper.
5. Add the egg and work it into a dough then turn out onto a piece of parchment.
6. Lay a piece of parchment on top and roll the dough out into an oval.
7. Use a knife to cut diagonal slits along the edges, leaving the middle 4 inches untouched.
8. Layer the ham and cheese slices in the middle of the dough then fold the strips over top.
9. Brush the top with butter then bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the dough is browned.
10. Slice the Stromboli and serve with a small salad. Makes 3 servings.
​Spring Salad with Steak & Sweet Dressing
Calories: 575, Fat: 43.5 g, Protein: 41 g, Total Carbs: 6.5 g, Fiber: 4 g, Net Carbs: 2.5 g
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 slices thick-cut bacon
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh raspberries
- Liquid stevia, to taste
- 4 cups fresh spring greens
- 1 ounce toasted pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 7 ounces beef flank steak
Instructions:
1. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until very crisp then chop fine.
2. Combine the white wine vinegar, olive oil, raspberries, and liquid stevia in a blender.
3. Blend the ingredients until smooth and well combined.
4. Combine the spring greens, roasted pine nuts, and crumbled bacon in a large bowl.
5. Toss with the dressing then divide between two plates.
6. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat then add the steak.
7. Season with salt and pepper then sear on one side, about 3 to 4 minutes.
8. Flip the steak and cook to the desired level then rest for 5 minutes.
9. Slice the steak and divide it between the salads. Makes 2 servings.
Keto-friendly Snacks Ideas:
If at any point during the day you begin to feel hungry, make sure to have some ketofriendly snacks on hand. You shouldn’t be hungry between meals, but sometimes in the beginning of your ketogenic diet, you need some time to adjust. These keto-friendly snacks are here to help!
- Pork rinds – great with just about anything
- Nuts (walnuts, pecans, brazil nuts, macadamias)
- Seeds – sunflower, pumpkin, chia, flax, etc.
- Laughing Cow cheese (full fat only)
- Dark chocolate (85% and above) or any stevia sweetened chocolate
- Seaweed
- String cheese
- Jerky
- Cocoa nibs – a great, quick, sugarless alternative to chocolate bars
- Avocados – all you need is a little sea salt for a great high-fiber snack
- Sardines – sprinkle some Old Bay seasoning and chow down!
- Nut butters – peanut, almond, cashew, coconut, etc. Make sure there’s no sugar added.
- Pickles
- Protein bars
If you want more snack ideas, check this Keto Snack Ideas List!
Part #3: 7-Day Balanced Ketogenic Meal Plan
This 7-days of meal planning is created and permitted to publish by our friend Leanne Vogel, founder of Healthful Pursuit. Leanne is a four-time bestselling author, Nutrition Educator, and the host of The Keto Diet Podcast.
Leanne has helped many individuals to achieve success with Ketogenic diet through her books and programs, including The Keto Beginning, Fat Fueled program, and her latest book The Keto Diet.
This balanced keto meal plan will give you a great idea of what to eat and how much to eat as well as what a typical day of keto diet looks like.
Moreover, if you want to eliminate the time-consuming stress and preparation necessary to follow keto diet successfully, we highly recommend you to check out The Balanced Keto Weekly Meal Plans program where you will receive brand new weekly meal plans delivered straight to your inbox.
​In a rush?​ Click here to download this 7-Day Balanced Keto Meal Plan FREE PDF Version!​
How to use this plan:
- You should become fat adapted first before following this plan as we include carb-up meals in this plan.
- If you don't want to use carb-up meals, feel free to replace it with regular keto meals of your choice.
- Be flexible. Feel free to replace any of the recipes with your personal choice.
Here are all the details including the shopping list and easy-to-prepare breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks recipes:
Shopping List For 7 Days
- ​Produce
- ​Perishables
- ​Pantry Goods
- ​Meat/Deli
​*Quick Note​
Since snacks are optional, ingredients that are needed to make snack recipes are marked with an asterisk (*) for easy identification. The value before the parentheses indicates how much of the ingredient you will need for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and the value within the parentheses indicates the amount of the ingredient needed for snack.
If you do not want to include snack in your meal plan, only shop for ingredients indicated by the value before the parentheses. If you want to include snacks in your meal plan, add both values together to get the total amount of ingredient needed.
For example, if Sally does NOT want to include snacks in her meal plan and the shopping list says *bacon, 4 (3) strips, then Sally would only purchase 4 strips of bacon. Alternatively, if Sally does want to include snacks in her meal plan, she would purchase 7 strips of bacon.
​Meal Planning For The Week:
​Day 1
​Day 2
​Day 3
​Day 4
​Day 5
​Day 6
​Day 7
Recipes and Execution
The recipe ingredient list and instructions can be found below:
​Breakfast Recipes
​Lunch Recipes
​Dinner Recipes
Snack Recipes
If you'd like to receive different weekly meal plans like this with complete and organized shopping lists, delicious and nutritious breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks recipes as well as tips guaranteed to keep you on track with your keto diet journey, make sure to check the Balanced Keto Weekly Meal Plans program. It will take the guesswork and stress out of your diet and help you create the dream body and great health you've always desired and deserved.
Here are the benefits of the Balanced Keto Weekly Meal Plan:
- Meal planning for the entire week, done for you
- Easy to prepare breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks recipes and shopping lists included
- Allergen guides and alternatives
- Low-FODMAP, grain-free, dairy-free, nightshade-free, and nut-free alternative lists
- Tips and hacks guaranteed to keep you on track
- How to take advantage of carb-up practices for breaking plateau and balancing hormones
- Making a low-carb, high-fat diet work for your family guide
- And much more...
Many people choose this dairy-free keto diet meal plan because they have dairy intolerance. Another reason is because they are having weight loss stalls and a dairy-free meal plan can help them get over the stalls. If your current meal plan is not working for you, maybe it's time to switch to a different meal plan to get different results.
As long as you follow your plan and stay under your daily carb limit, you'll get in ketosis very quickly and enjoy all the benefits of keto including weight loss and mental benefits.
If you don't have a lot of time to cook your keto meals, make sure to check these keto meal prep tips and meal delivery services.
