You’ve decided you want to do keto. Once you’ve made that decision, the next big struggle is figuring out what to eat! You have to look at macros – your fat, carbs, and proteins. Do you count calories? I did two weeks of counting calories on keto recently, but many keto gurus advise against it. How do you read labels of what you are eating? It can all become very complicated! So here are a few tips on how to create your keto meal plans.
Focus on the Good
The first thing I would do is make a list of what you like to eat. So often, we focus on what we can’t eat on a certain diet. Well, keto is a lifestyle, not a diet. It pays to focus on what you do like! There are lists online of keto-friendly foods you can find. You can also just think about what you currently enjoy for whole, healthier foods, and add to that. For example, if you enjoy a BBQ hamburger, just plan on a lettuce bun and sugar-free BBQ sauce. If you enjoy fries, try your favourite raw vegetables with a fatty, delicious dip.
Researching for your Keto Meal Plans
When I first started keto, Instagram was my best friend! I would type in keto food and all kinds of amazing recipes would come up. You can check out some of ours on our account. I would not only get direct recipes, I would also get ideas for meals. You can often substitute a few ingredients here and there with things that you would enjoy. A lot of our signature dishes are inspired by pictures posted by other people.
Pintrest was another great place for ideas. I have a board done up completely of keto food. Many of the casseroles and desserts we eat came from this resource. Of course, I love to organize, and so I have the board divided into desserts, main dishes, used, and to try.
Keep a Record of your Keto Meal Plans
We made up little book of meals we ate as we went. It started out with a few meal ideas. Bacon and eggs, steak and cauliflower with cheese sauce, and taco salad were a few of the first additions. As we researched and expanded our plans, it got bigger and bigger. We still refer back to this book, because sometimes we forget the simple meals we used to eat. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut, but having a list of meal ideas at your finger tips makes it so much easier!
We do a meal plan for the week. Each Sunday night, we sit down and plan out our meals – breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. From there, we do a grocery list. I hate deciding what to eat when I get home after a long day at work. It’s nice to have it planned in advance. If we’re having a hard time getting inspired, we just look in our book of meal plans, and get ideas.
Put the Macros with your Meals
We go through each recipe and list the macros and calories for each dish. This way, when we are looking in our idea book, we have an idea of which meal goes well with which. For example, if a meal is higher in protein and lower in fat, we know we have to pair it with a fat. Maybe we have a fat bomb with it, or sometimes you can put a cheese or alfredo sauce on the side for dipping. We used to track everything exactly. Now, almost two years in, we are pretty good at knowing what goes with what foods. But, starting out, this was extremely helpful.
Start Small with Keto Meal Plans
The best thing about keto, in my opinion, is the food. But, it is important to have a variety so you don’t get bored. You will find more food options as you go. To start out, just plan for a week. The following week, add a couple of new options to your list. Each week, try to add at least one new item to your list. Sure, you’ll eat a lot of bacon and eggs in the first week or two, but as you go, you will build your own meal plan filled with foods you enjoy.
The key to keto is eating foods that you like. Not every recipe will be a hit – some will definitely be a miss. But be adventurous and try new things. Follow Instagram, look on Pintrest, and talk to your keto buddies for ideas. A lot of the things we now regularly enjoy are things we never tried before starting keto. Avocados, for example. Plan ahead and your meals will be a thing of beauty!
Wendy
