You surely heard of keto. How to start or how to plan your meals with keto are probably your first questions. We will try to get you a little bit closer and familiar with the `how to do keto meal plan`.
This diet has the goal to remove carbs from your daily intake. In clarification, you should have around thirty grams of carbs per day. Firstly, the food that you should include is meat, nuts, eggs, cheese, avocados, oils, cream, and oily fish. Secondly, fat sources are high in calories, which is why you should eat low-carb vegetables. In addition, getting enough salt and taking electrolytes can help you, too.
The important part is to plan your meals and always carry a snack with you because low-carb food is sometimes challenging to find.
Table of Contents
What is the keto meal plan?
The Keto diet can have many benefits for your health. Some of them are fat and weight loss. In this diet, most of the calories that you eat per day, come from fats, less from proteins. When we follow it, our body can`t count on carbohydrates for energy, and it must use fat instead. This will build up acids, called ketones and our body will enter ketosis. Ketosis is a natural state of your metabolism that will force your body to burn fat instead of carbs.
There are several types and variations of keto diet plans. The standard type requires you to get about seventy or eighty percent of total calories from fat. Only twenty percent from protein, and five percent from carbs. This can be difficult to follow, which is why a meal plan is essential.
Some food, of course, has more carbs than others, the key is to know what to avoid. That way your weight loss and other benefits can come faster. The Keto diet is restrictive and you have to stay in ketosis. We have to recommend you work with a professional so you can be sure that a keto is a safe option for you. No diet is suitable for everyone. In other words, this depends on your genes, body type, taste buds, personal preferences, metabolism, and age, you need to be sure that it is right for you.
Which type of keto is suitable for you?
To decide which type of keto to follow you need to think about your goal. Do you want to lose body weight? Are you looking for more energy? Is the reason for starting it health benefits, lower blood sugar, and blood pressure?
Approach your meal planning depending on your individual goals. There are some common keto types to help you accomplish what you wish.
Overall health benefits and weight loss – Standard keto diet
This diet is the usual way of doing keto, it is a recommended method for beginners. If you decide to follow the standard keto diet, you are probably trying to lose weight and fat. You may be also trying to improve symptoms of depression and mental health, cholesterol levels, or just your health in general.
Rules for this diet plan are to limit your carbs to 20-50 grams per day, consume high amounts of fat, moderate amounts of protein, and low amounts of carbs to induce ketosis.
Diet plan to improve workout performance – Targeted keto diet
This diet plan is good for preserving exercise performance. It is best for athletes or people who have high activity levels. A targeted keto diet allows glycogen resynthesis without getting out of ketosis for a long period.
The rules of following this diet plan are to consume 25-50 grams of carbs daily especially 30 minutes before exercising. Also, consume high amounts of fat and moderate amounts of protein.
For athletes or bodybuilders – The cyclical keto diet
This diet plan requires you to make some changes in a strict diet and high-carb intake. A week on this meal plan involves eating 20-50 grams of carbs for five days and then eating high-carb meals for two days. That is to say, athletes with scheduled training will probably find this diet plan easy to follow.
The rules for this diet plan are to follow strict keto for 5 days and then eat more carbs for 2 days(100 grams of carbs per day).
For people who need more protein – A high-protein keto diet
If you lift weights three or four times a week, your body requires more protein. That is why you can benefit from this keto meal plan. The standard keto diet limits protein to 20 percent of all calories, but this diet allows 35 percent of calories from protein.
Rules, when you follow this diet plan, are to eat 35 percent of calories from protein, 60 percent of calories from fat, 5 percent from net carbs, and to calculate macronutrients. You will eat a lot of healthy protein and fats and keep carbs at a minimum.
These are some types of keto meal plans, be sure to consult with a doctor before you start yours. In the same vein, be sure to choose a diet plan depending on your activity level, body type, age, and goal that you want to achieve.
Things to know before you try a keto meal plan
If you are a beginner, cooking and planning meals can sound difficult. An easier way would be to find a delivery service. That can help a lot and make you feel less stressed.
Tips and tricks to help you in the beginning:
- You need to understand the type of foods that you can and can`t eat on a keto diet meal plan
- Make sure that you are keeping track of the protein that you take in
- Add coconut oil or butter to your coffee to help you feel fuller for a longer time
- Let your family members know about your meals and goals
- Keep in mind that there are some side effects when you start a diet plan for weight loss
- Take electrolytes to help you avoid side effects and help your body function well
- If keto is not for you, acknowledge that and find some other meal plan that suits
- Keep track of your progress and be focused and persistent
What can you eat?
The Keto diet plan consists of:
- Meat
- Fish
- Eggs
- Butter
- Green vegetables
- Heavy cream
- Cheese
- Nuts
- Avocados
- Seeds
- Oils
What can`t you eat?
- Carb-heavy foods
- Rice
- Beans
- Grains
- Sweets
- Potatoes
- Fruits
- Cereals
How to stick to your keto diet meal plan
When we make changes in our lifestyle, especially if we make changes in our daily diet we can meet some difficulties. Here are some tips to help you stick with your meal plan:
- Set a day when you will start
- Organize your fridge or pantry so they only contain food allowed on the keto plan
- Make meals ahead and refrigerate or freeze them
- Be sure to always have keto-friendly food and beverages close
- Check labels and ingredients list carefully
- Make a meal plan for every week so you can have balanced meals and prevent hunger
- If you are hungry often, instead of eating 3 large meals, try to eat 5 or 6 small ones
- You might consider reducing exercising in the beginning so your body can adjust to the changes
- Find a friend who wants to do the same so you can have a partner, it is always easier to have someone who knows what you are going through
Be sure that you are meeting your calorie needs. You need to take less that is true but make sure that your body has enough for normal functioning.
Conclusion
Most of your meals should be based on high-fat meals followed by low-carb veggies, fish, or eggs. If you find your diet meal plan hard to stick to, hopefully, our tips will help you. But, keep in mind that we are also here for any questions you might have. Be patient and this meal plan will provide amazing results.
Planning your meals is a key to success. As a result, you will always know what to eat. Therefore, this diet plan will help you lose weight, reduce health problems, have more energy, and feel good altogether.