Keto Diet Meal Plan: Your Guide to Keto Recipes
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2019/09/03
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Published: 2019/09/03 - Updated: 2020/05/25
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Originally published on HVMN by Taylor Maniscalchi and Nate Martins
This is your complete keto meal plan, covering everything from breakfast to dinner and everything in between. We've also got considerations for how to meal prep on keto, intermittent fasting, and the best ketone supplements.
Read on to start your keto journey, or make your existing journey that much better.
Why Keto?
Ketones are the body’s natural superfuel.
We actually evolved to create them. Our cavepeople ancestors could go days or weeks between meals. Without the typical macronutrients of fats, carbohydrates and protein to fuel our bodies on the hunt, we turned to fat as fuel—something we store in copious amounts compared to carbohydrates.
But the brain can’t use fat for energy; brains love carbs. So the body evolved to produce ketones as a result of fat breakdown, with ketones having the power to fuel the brain and body. That’s why you might hear about the anecdotal feelings of mental clarity from keto dieters.
“Keto” comes from the word “ketogenic.” This is a scientific term meaning that the body is producing ketones from fat.1 When blood ketone levels exceed 0.5mM, the body has achieved "ketosis."
Ketosis can be naturally achieved two ways: through diet or fasting (meaning the body is producing its own ketones), or also by consuming products that raise blood ketone levels (like H.V.M.N. Ketone Ester or ketone salts or MCT products).
Keto is a low-carb, high-fat diet with some pretty amazing benefits:
With a high-level understanding of the background and mechanisms of ketosis, it’s time to jump into the macronutrient breakdown of the diet. Let’s ensure you’re executing the keto diet properly.
Macronutrient Breakdown on a Keto Diet
Macronutrients are food groups humans consume in large quantities. They provide the bulk of the energy to the body. A balanced macronutrient intake is essential for success on the keto diet.
The primary macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
If you’re on a ketogenic diet, you’ll want to maintain a high fat intake, moderate protein intake, and extremely low carb intake. It’s different than paleo (which focused on foods only available to Paleolithic man) and Atkins (which is high in protein).
For example, here’s a breakdown of macros on keto:
Tips & Tricks for Success on Keto
Want to succeed on keto? These techniques may help.
Dining Out
Going out can spell disaster for any diet. Fear not, we’re here to provide you a few tools to navigate any menus.
Meal Prep
The key to any successful diet is finding something you’ll be able to maintain. While you may have all the tools to order keto-friendly at your office lunch, the likely best option is keeping it simple when it comes to making a keto meal plan.
Meal prepping and creating low carb recipes on Sunday afternoon is our zen place. Egg cups for keto breakfast already baked. Chicken in the crock pot for a keto dinner. Broccoli in the oven. Smoothies in the blender. Cheese and turkey and nuts pre-packaged for every day of the week. Keto fat bombs turning into tasty treats in the freezer.
It’s super helpful and nutritious to plan each meal out, even packaging it in a Tupperware so you don’t have to think about it at all during the week. We suggest that, once you find your keto groove, take it to the next level by setting your week up for success.
It’s a Lifestyle Change
Keto isn’t just a low-carb diet—it’s a lifestyle change. So don’t approach keto like every other diet.
Build toward results. Maybe you’re just learning how to cook healthy, or have never meal-prepped before; that’s fine. Take each of those as a step on your journey of nutrition. Start slow by reducing carbs to a manageable level. Try incorporating some MCTs or other ketone supplements.
Think about your goals. Are you doing keto to lose weight? Maybe you want that nice, consistent keto energy throughout the day. Maybe it’s for the other health benefits, like helping lower chances of metabolic disorder. Work toward those goals.
Then optimize. Drastically cut carbs. Find your favorite keto recipes (hopefully a few new favorites will be here). Try intermittent fasting with your diet. Graduate to testing for ketosis.
The possibilities are endless and the journey is long; take it one step at a time.The perfect macronutrient calculator for keto
Maintaining balanced macronutrients is a challenge. Subscribe, and we'll send you our easy-to-use macronutrient calculator to track all your food.Subscribe
The Keto-Basics Grocery List
Part of the keto lifestyle change is looking at all facets of your nutrition. That includes the fridge. It includes the pantry. It includes that drawer in the kitchen where emergency chocolate is stashed.
Here’s a basic list of how to shop on keto. This isn’t an everything-you’ll-need-forever shopping list but rather, one that helps you reshape shopping habits and pay closer attention to what you purchase.
Meats
Non-starchy vegetables
Fruit
Dairy and Eggs
Nuts and Seeds
Healthy Cooking Oils
Condiments
Snacks
Foods to Avoid
H.V.M.N. Products to Support Your Journey
What you put in your body today is the foundation for who you become tomorrow. You’re obsessed with ascending to the top of your field, setting a new world record, or simply cultivating a long, healthy life. We’re obsessed with helping you get there.
Our products are tested on the standards of elite performers (from the US Military to professional athletes), made accessible to everyone. Whether it’s for the keto-newcomers making MCT Oil Powder coffee in the morning, or the fat-adapted marathoner using H.V.M.N. Ketone Ester for a performance boost, H.V.M.N. products empower every step of your nutrition journey.
Here are a couple of our favorites, and how to use them:
H.V.M.N. Ketone Ester
MCT Oil Powder
Keto Collagen+
Kado
Intermittent Fasting and Keto
Intermittent fasting and the keto diet often go hand-in-hand because both usually result in the same thing—the production of ketones by the body.
It’s as simple as it sounds; intermittent fasting is not eating for a certain period of time. It’s an ancient practice that has been widely studied and can result in:
Though it’s a simple nutrition strategy, there are several popular approaches:
Now, fasting isn’t easy for many people. You will get hungry. It’s important to time fasting to fit your schedule; for example, it might not be best to fast on workout days. It’s also important to drink a lot of water. If you’re looking for something to calm a growling stomach, black coffee contains no calories and can help curb appetite.
Wondering how to combine intermittent fasting and keto? Essentially, you’ll be eating keto during your feeding windows. With the high amount of fat consumption on keto, you may even find yourself more satiated even though you’re eating less.
Smoothies
Smoothies are a great way to pack nutrients into an on-the-go breakfast or lunch.
Below, we have our favorite smoothies, with optional modifications to add nootropic herbs for an additional boost.
Blending Up Beauty Smoothie
Ingredients
Instructions
Optional Modifications
Almond Joy Smoothie
Ingredients
Instructions
Optional Modifications
I Dream of Smoothie
Ingredients
Instructions
Optional Modifications
Coffee & Beverages
Here’s how to make your everyday drinks into something extraordinary.
Butter Coffee
Ingredients
Instructions
Optional Modifications
Make this recipe into a keto pumpkin spice latte by adding:
Keto Matcha Latte
Ingredients
Instructions
Anti-Inflammatory Bone Broth Brew
Ingredients
Instructions
Salads
Don’t forget the veggies on keto. These salads transform a boring lunch into something to look forward to.
Simple Keto Salad
Ingredients
Salad
Dressing
Instructions
Keto Cobb
Ingredients
Salad
Dressing
Instructions
Keto Greek
Ingredients
Salad
Dressing
Instructions
Keto Basics
Every diet needs them. Here are your keto go-to's.
Simple Breaky
Ingredients
Instructions
Deconstructed Sammie
Ingredients
Instructions
Smoked Salmon & Shmear
Ingredients
Instructions
Keto On-the-Go
From go-to's to on-the-go's. These keto diet staples will keep you nice a full between meals.
Minimal Effort Snacks
Adventurous & Advanced
You’ve got the basics down. Now it’s time to up the ante. If you’re feeling adventurous, give these recipes a try. We promise, you won’t miss the non-keto versions.
Here are some recipes that might satisfy your Sunday brunch craving.
Keto Eggs Benedict
Ingredients
Benedict
Hollandaise
Instructions
Keto Pancakes
Ingredients
Instructions
What about date night? We got you covered.
Keto Taco Peppers
Ingredients
Instructions
Keto Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs and Noodles
Pesto
Instructions
Desserts
Just because you’re on a diet doesn’t mean your sweet tooth has gone away. Satisfy it with these mostly-healthy desserts.
Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
Coconut Bars
Ingredients
Instructions
Chocolate Fat Bombs
Ingredients
Instructions
Your Keto Journey
It's only just beginning. Even if you've been on keto for a while, there are always optimizations to make.
What are some of your favorite recipes? Anything we missed that you wanted us to include? Let us know in the comments!Top 10 keto superfoods
Subscribe for our list of the most ketogenic foods to fuel your dietSubscribe
Scientific Citations