28-DAY KETO DIET MEAL PLAN FOR BEGINNERS

A keto diet plan is for people who want to simplify their lives while getting all the benefits of keto eating: appetite suppression, weight loss, better blood sugar control, and other health benefits.
KETO DIET PLAN BASICS:
On a keto diet plan, your meals contain less than 20 grams of net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) per day. They also provide enough protein to meet your needs and help you feel satisfied.

Following a diet plan can help makes your keto journey easy and set you up to succeed, because all of the planning is done for you.

RISKS ASSOCIATED:
Following a keto diet appears to be safe for most people.

However, before starting a keto diet plan, consult with your doctor if you take medication for diabetes or high blood pressure. If you’re breastfeeding, you should not follow a keto diet.

FRESH START:
Use kitchen clean-out list to help you make sure your kitchen is keto-friendly before starting your keto diet plan. This can dramatically increase your chances of success.

3 STEPS TO TAKE BEFORE STARTING KETO

1.READ OUR GUIDE TO THE KETOGENIC DIET HERE>
Make sure you understand what a ketogenic diet is. And in particular, read the section on Who Shouldn't Go On A Ketogenic Diet?

2.CLEAR OUT YOUR PANTRY AND FRIDGE
Most of us are pretty addicted to our carbohydrates, so if you have any lying around when you are trying to go keto, then it is going to derail you! And then restock with ingredients from this meal plan.

Following a diet plan can help makes your keto journey easy and set you up to succeed, because all of the planning is done for you.

3.GET A BLOOD KETONE METER AND TRACK
It's been shown in numerous studies that tracking your progress helps you lose weight. Tracking gives you a sense of the progress you've made, lets you see your achievements in concrete terms, and helps you troubleshoot when things aren't going to plan.

So, while it's not necessary to use a ketone meter on a ketogenic diet, it does help a lot of people stick to the diet and optimize it for their body.

Even if you don't track your ketone levels, just keep a simple journal of what you're eating daily and how you're feeling.

YOUR FIRST WEEK ON KETO

Let me be blunt and to the point. Your first week on a ketogenic diet is likely to suck!

Now, there are definitely some things you can do to lessen the pain (and I'll tell you those below), but just be aware that it will take at least a week (and often 2-3 weeks) for you to adjust.

You'll typically feel tired, moody and have flu-like symptoms. In fact, it's often called Carb Flu or Keto Flu. Just understand that this is your body re-adjusting. You've been so reliant on sugars and other carbohydrates as your main energy source for such a long time that it takes a bit of time for your body to switch gears and start burning ketones efficiently.

HOW TO CURE KETO FLU

Below are some things you can do to get rid of that keto flu as quickly as possible:

1. Eat More Fats (especially coconut oil and MCT oil)

2. Eat More Calories (expand the serving size of recipes in this meal plan)

3. Add In Some Clean Carbs (e.g., fruits and more vegetables)

4. Add Salt To Your Food (sodium deficiency is common)

5. Drink Enough Water

6. Do Some Exercise (even if it's just walking)

ONE THING I WANT TO MENTION BEFORE YOU GET STARTED IS NET CARBS.

Many people who follow the ketogenic diet prefer to track net carbs rather than total carbs. To calculate net carbs, you simply take the total carb count of the meal and subtract the grams of fiber since fiber cannot be digested. Personally, I prefer to track total carbs like what I have mentioned in my first book, but I have included the grams of fiber and net carbs in these recipes, so you can choose which way to go.

Personally, I prefer more buffer when it comes to the carb count, because I want to reduce the number of obstacles keeping me from ketosis. Many of my readers as well as friends have raised this point and you can be sure quite a few nights or afternoons were spent in heated debate! Okay, it wasn’t that serious but suffice it to say that quite a bit of discussion went into this topic.

Therefore, I thought it might be better if I gave you a say in this net carb-total carb debate. You get to choose whichever you prefer. In my personal opinion, when you are in the initial stages of trying to enter ketosis, keeping your total carb count in mind is probably one of the better practices you can adopt. A 20 to 50 gram range of carbs would usually work to push the body into a ketogenic state.

After you have gotten keto adapted and the body gets used to burning fat for fuel, you can then start to bring net carbs into the equation.

Keep in mind the calorie range for these meal plans – if you read my first book and calculated your own daily caloric needs, you may need to make some adjustments. If you’re trying the ketogenic diet for the first time, however, it may be easiest to just follow the plan as is until you get the hang of it.

The first week of this 28-day meal plan is designed to be incredibly simple in terms of meal prep so you can focus on learning which foods to eat and which to avoid on the ketogenic diet – that’s why you’ll find more smoothies and soups here than in the following weeks. If you finish the first week and feel like you still need some time making the adjustment to keto, feel free to repeat it before moving on to week two. The meal plans also take into account left-overs and the yields of various recipes, so that you have minimal waste from your efforts in the kitchen.

You'll typically feel tired, moody and have flu-like symptoms. In fact, it's often called Carb Flu or Keto Flu. Just understand that this is your body re-adjusting. You've been so reliant on sugars and other carbohydrates as your main energy source for such a long time that it takes a bit of time for your body to switch gears and start burning ketones efficiently.

ABOUT THIS KETO MEAL PLAN

This meal plan is designed to act as a guide for helping you with your ketogenic diet. However, the exact amount of calories as well as micronutrients and macronutrients each person needs to consume will differ and so we suggest modifying the plan to suit your needs.

Nutritional data for each recipe can be found at the bottom of each recipe, but please note that they are estimates and shouldn't be relied upon for any medical purposes.

THE GROCERY LISTS

STANDARD 28-DAY MEAL PLAN: SHOPPING LIST WEEK 1

Meat, Eggs, and Seafood
 Bacon, thick-cut – 24 slices
 Beef, ground (80% lean) – 30 ounces
 Chicken thighs, boneless – 2 pounds
 Eggs – 17 large
 Ham, deli, sliced – 3 ounces
 Ham, fat-free – 6 ounces
 Salmon, boneless – 4 (6-ounce) fillets

Fruits and Vegetables
Asparagus – 1 bunch
 Avocado – 3 small, 3 medium
 Beets – 1 small
 Bell pepper, red – 1 small
 Cauliflower – 2 cups
 Chives – 1 bunch
 Cucumber, English – 1 ½ medium
 Garlic – 1 head
 Kale – 1 cup
 Lemon – 1
 Lettuce – 5 cups
 Mushrooms – 1 cup
 Onion, red – 1 small
 Onion, yellow – 1 small, 1 medium
 Spinach – 2 cups
 Tomatoes – ½ cup
 Zucchini – 1 small, 1 large

Refrigerated and Frozen Goods
 Almond milk, unsweetened – 1 ¾ cups
 Blueberries, frozen – ¼ cup
 Cheddar cheese, shredded – 1 ¾ cups
 Coconut milk, unsweetened – 1 cup
 Cream cheese – 9 ounces
 Heavy cream – ¼ cup
 Mayonnaise – 3 tablespoons
 Parmesan cheese, grated – 1 cup
 Provolone cheese, shredded – ¼ cup
 Sour cream – 1 cup
 Yogurt, full-fat – ¾ cup

Pantry Staples and Dry Goods
 Almonds, whole – 1 cup
 Almond butter – 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon
 Almond flour – ½ cup
 Apple cider vinegar
 Basil pesto – ¼ cup
 Black pepper
 Broth, beef – 3 cups
 Chia seeds – 1 teaspoon
 Chili powder
 Cocoa powder, unsweetened
 Coconut flour – ¼ cup
 Coconut oil
 Cream of tartar
 Dijon mustard
 Ground cinnamon
 Ground cumin
 Olive oil
 Liquid stevia extract
 Macadamia nuts – 16 whole
 Paprika
 Powdered erythritol
 Protein powder, egg white, vanilla – ¼ cup
 Pumpkin pie spice
 Ranch seasoning
 Salt
 Tomato paste – 2 tablespoons

STANDARD 28-DAY MEAL PLAN: SHOPPING LIST WEEK 2

Meat, Eggs, and Seafood
 Bacon, thick-cut – 19 slices
 Chicken thighs, boneless – 2 pounds
 Eggs – 26 large
 Ham, deli, diced – ¼ cup
 Ham, fat-free – 2 pounds plus 1 ounce
 Pork tenderloin, boneless – 1 ½ pounds
 Salmon, boneless – 8 ounces
 Tuna, ahi – 4 (6-ounce) steaks

Fruits and Vegetables
 Avocado – 2 small, 2 medium
 Bell pepper, green – 1 small
 Cauliflower – 3 cups
 Celery – 1 small stalk
 Garlic – 1 head
 Ginger – 1 piece
 Green beans – 2 cups
 Lemon – 1
 Lettuce – 4 ¼ cups
 Onion, red – 1 small
 Onion, yellow – 1 small
 Parsley – 1 bunch
 Rosemary – 1 bunch
 Spring greens – 4 ounces
 Tomato – 1 small

Refrigerated and Frozen Goods
 Almond milk, unsweetened – ¾ cup
 Butter – 1 tablespoon
 Cream cheese – 1 ounce
 Heavy cream – 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon
 Mayonnaise – 3 tablespoons
 Parmesan, shaved – ¼ cup

Pantry Staples and Dry Goods
 Almond butter – 1 ¾ cups
 Almond flour – 2 ½ cups
 Baking powder
 Black pepper
 Broth, chicken – 5 cups
 Chia seeds – ½ cup
 Chicken bouillon – 4 cubes
 Chili garlic paste
 Cocoa powder, unsweetened
 Coconut flour – 2 tablespoons
 Coconut milk, canned – 3 ¼ cups
 Coconut oil
 Cream of tartar
 Dijon mustard
 Egg white protein powder – 2 scoops (40g)
 Garam masala
 Ground cinnamon
 Ground nutmeg
 Guar gum
 Olive oil
 Onion powder
 Liquid stevia extract
 Pine nuts, roasted – ⅓ cup
 Powdered erythritol
 Red wine vinegar
 Salt
 Sesame seeds, black – ¼ cup
 Sesame seeds, toasted – ½ cup
 Sesame seeds, white – ¼ cup
 Smoked paprika
 Tomato paste – 3 tablespoons
 Vanilla extract

STANDARD 28-DAY MEAL PLAN: SHOPPING LIST WEEK 3

Meat, Eggs, and Seafood
 Bacon, thick-cut – 30 slices
 Beef, boneless chuck roast – 3 pounds
 Beef, ground (80% lean) – 12 ounces
 Beef, sirloin – 1 pound
 Chicken breast, cooked – 1 cup
 Chicken tenders, boneless – 2 pounds
 Chicken thighs, boneless – 8 ounces
 Eggs – 18 large
 Ham, deli, diced – 2 cups
 Ham, fat-free – 12 ounces
 Salmon, boneless – 4 (6-ounce) fillets

Fruits and Vegetables
 Avocado – 1 small, 8 medium
 Broccoli – 2 cups
 Cauliflower – 2 cups
 Celery – 1 small, 2 medium stalks
 Cilantro – 1 bunch
 Garlic – 1 head
 Ginger – 1 piece
 Green beans – 4 cups
 Kale – 1 cup
 Lemon – 2
 Lime – 1
 Mango – 1 small
 Onion, yellow – 2 small, 1 medium
 Spinach – 8 ounces plus 5 cups
 Spring greens – 4 cups
 Zucchini – 1 large

Refrigerated and Frozen Goods
 Almond milk, unsweetened – ¾ cup
 Butter – 2 tablespoons
 Cashew milk, unsweetened – 1 cup
 Cream cheese – 1 ounce

 Heavy cream – ¼ cup
 Pepper jack cheese, shredded – 1 cup
 Swiss cheese – 1 slice

Pantry Staples and Dry Goods
 Almonds, sliced – 1 ounce plus 5 tablespoons
 Almond butter – ¾ cup
 Almond flour – 1 ⅓ cups
 Baking soda
 Balsamic vinegar
 Black pepper
 Broth, beef – ¼ cup
 Broth, vegetable – 3 cups
 Cocoa powder, unsweetened
 Coconut, shredded unsweetened – ¾ cup
 Coconut milk, canned – 1 ½ cups
 Coconut oil
 Cream of tartar
 Dark chocolate (90% cacao) – 4 ounces
 Dijon mustard
 Garlic chili paste
 Garlic powder
 Olive oil
 Liquid stevia extract
 Matcha powder – 1 teaspoon
 Powdered erythritol
 Pumpkin pie spice
 Pumpkin puree – ½ cup
 Rice wine vinegar
 Salt
 Sesame oil
 Sesame seeds – 1 tablespoon
 Soy sauce
 Vanilla extract
 Worcestershire sauce

STANDARD 28-DAY MEAL PLAN: SHOPPING LIST WEEK 4

Meat, Eggs, and Seafood
 Bacon, thick-cut – 20 slices
 Beef, ground (80% lean) – 2 pounds
 Beef, sirloin – 8 ounces
 Chicken wing pieces – 1 pound
 Eggs – 30 large
 Halibut, boneless – 4 (6-ounce) fillets
 Ham, deli, diced – 1 cup
 Ham, deli, sliced – 1 ounce
 Ham, fat-free – 30 ounces
 Pancetta, diced – 2 ounces
 Salami – 1 ounce
 Turkey, sliced – 1 ounce
 Tuna, in oil – 2 (6-ounce) cans

Fruits and Vegetables
 Asparagus – 1 pound
 Avocado – 1 small, 5 medium
 Bell pepper, green – 1 small
 Bell pepper, red – 1 small
 Cauliflower – 2 medium heads
 Cucumber – ½ cup
 Garlic – 1 head
 Ginger – 1 piece
 Kale – 1 cup
 Leeks – 2 medium
 Lemon – 1
 Lettuce – 8 cups
 Mushrooms – 8 ounces
 Onion, green – 1 bunch
 Onion, yellow – 1 small, 1 large
 Tomato – 1 medium
 Tomatoes, cherry – 1 cup

Refrigerated and Frozen Goods
 Almond milk, unsweetened – ½ cup
 Broccoli, frozen – ¼ cup
 Butter – 5 tablespoons
 Cheddar cheese, shredded – ½ cup
 Cheddar cheese, sliced – 2 slices
 Cream cheese – 1 ounce
 Heavy cream – ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon
 Mayonnaise – ¼ cup
 Mozzarella cheese, shredded – 1 cup
 Parmesan, grated – 6 tablespoons

Pantry Staples and Dry Goods
 Almond flour – 2 tablespoons
 Apple cider vinegar
 Baking powder
 Baking soda
 Balsamic vinegar
 Black pepper
 Broth, chicken – 4 cups
 Chia seeds – 2 tablespoons
 Coconut, unsweetened, shredded – ¼ cup
 Coconut butter – ½ cup
 Coconut extract
 Coconut flour – 1 ¼ cups
 Coconut milk, canned – 1 cup
 Coconut oil
 Cream of tartar
 Dark chocolate (90% cacao) – 4 ounces
 Dijon mustard
 Garlic powder
 Ground cardamom
 Ground cinnamon
 Ground cloves
 Ground ginger
 Olive oil
 Liquid stevia extract
 Pickle relish
 Powdered erythritol
 Salt
 Sesame oil
 Soy sauce
 Vanilla extract

28-DAY KETO DIET MEAL PLAN FOR BEGINNERS

7-DAY KETO DIET MEAL PLAN

CUSTOM KETO DIET PLAN

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