Keto Meal Plan | Mark’s Daily Apple

The purpose of this meal plan is to show what a week’s worth of keto-friendly (and totally Primal) meals could look like.

This is how I eat day in and day out. Since I’ve been eating Primally for many years now, it’s second nature for me. But for folks who are new to this way of eating, I realize this might seem like a lot of work, or just completely foreign. Rest assured, planning and preparing a keto menu becomes simple once you’re in the habit of preparing healthy recipes like the ones provided here.

Don’t fret if these specific meals don’t appeal to you. By no means are you required to follow this plan to a T. It is meant to serve as an example—a “week in the life of Primal/keto.” If you want to try it, feel free to swap out meals that don’t appeal to you. I have said before that I usually keep things pretty simple—lots of Big-Ass Omelettes and Big-Ass Salads for me. You can do the same. I know plenty of people who prefer cycling through the same three to five favorite meals over and over, and there’s nothing wrong with that. As long as the meals are well-balanced and contain adequate nutrients, there’s no reason to complicate things.

However, if you’re a person who enjoys cooking more elaborate meals, you can absolutely do that, too. There are basically limitless options for delicious, enticing, Primal- and keto-friendly dishes. Look for meat, egg, and veggie dishes with interesting preparations, seasonings, and sauces.

Remember, real food tastes better!

Keto Meal Prep Tips

A good meal plan starts with good preparation. Spend some time perusing keto-focused blogs and cookbooks that appeal to you. Whether you’re a keep-it-simple kind of home cook or a culinary wizard, food should be enjoyable. Eating healthy, nourishing fare is one of the great pleasures in life. Don’t shortchange yourself here.

Once you have a plan in place, make a shopping list and hit the store and/or farmer’s market. I also like to shop online for pantry staples.

You can make busy weeknights less stressful by doing some meal prep on the weekends. Look ahead to the recipes you’ll be cooking that week. See if there are steps you can do on Sunday that will save you time during the week, such as:

• Washing and chopping raw veggies
• Pre-cooking meat that you can warm up and toss into recipes
• Hard-boiling eggs
• Thawing anything that needs thawing

This is totally optional but can make your life a little easier, especially if your mornings or evenings tend to be a little hectic.

7-Day Keto Meal Plan: Sample Week

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

What about Keto Snacks?

It’s better to eat enough food during your meals than to snack throughout the day. However, I’ve always suggested people listen to their bodies. Especially when you’re transitioning to a new way of eating, you might find yourself getting hungry between meals. If you do snack, make it count by choosing nutrient-dense foods.

• Chicken liver pate with sliced raw veggies
• Greek yogurt with berries and raw cacao nibs
• Veggies with homemade guacamole or dip
• Half an avocado stuffed with tuna or raw almond butter
• Hard-boiled eggs with a dollop of Primal Kitchen Mayo or Whip and everything bagel seasoning
• Apple or celery with raw almond butter
• Homemade trail mix with nuts, unsweetened coconut flakes, and dark chocolate
• Dark chocolate with coconut butter

You can find some more keto snack ideas in this post: 20 Keto Snacks (All Under 5 Minutes)

My Big-Ass Specialties: Omelettes & Salads

How to Make Big-Ass Omelettes

1. Start with at least 3 eggs if you’re on the smaller side or 4 eggs (or more) if you’re on the bigger side. Remember, one large egg has about 6 grams of protein (plus 5 grams of fat and less than one gram of carbohydrate), so eat plenty!
2. Select a cooking fat or oil.
3. Choose your mix-ins. I’ll list some of my favorite options below, but the sky’s the limit here. If your favorite ingredient isn’t on this list but it’s Primal-approved, by all means add it! And, of course, everything is optional. For example, you don’t have to add dairy if you don’t tolerate it.
4. Cook (see my cooking video here). If you have trouble nailing the traditional omelette shape, never fear—scrambles are just as good.

Here are some keto-friendly protein options to mix into your omelettes:

• Sugar-free bacon
• Sugar-free sausage
• Smoked salmon
• Shrimp
• Steak
• Ground or shredded beef
• Shredded pork
• Ham
• Ground turkey

Here are some keto-friendly vegetables (and veggie-like fruits) to mix into your omelets:

• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Beet greens
• Bell pepper
• Broccoli
• Chard
• Kale
• Mushrooms
• Onion
• Olives
• Scallions
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Yellow squash
• Zucchini

Don’t forget herbs and spices:

• Salt
• Pepper
• Basil
• Cilantro
• Cumin
• Garlic
• Oregano
• Paprika
• Parsley
• Turmeric
• Hot pepper sauce
• Pesto
• Chimichurri

And dairy products (optional):

• Heavy cream
• Half and half
• Sour cream
• Cheddar cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Feta cheese
• Goat cheese
• Monterey Jack cheese
• Mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Swiss cheese

How to Put Together a Big-Ass Salad

Step 1: Start with a very generous serving of fresh greens. I usually combine a few different types, and I
mix in fresh chopped herbs whenever I have them on hand. My favorites are:

• Lettuce (any type)
• Kale
• Arugula
• Chard
• Spinach
• Green cabbage
• Red cabbage
• Beet greens
• Dandelion greens
• Basil
• Cilantro
• Chives
• Mint
• Parsley

Step 2: Choose your dressing. No surprise, I usually use one of the dressings from my Primal Kitchen line of products. I formulated these specifically because I couldn’t find salad dressings that weren’t made with health-compromising polyunsaturated oils. You can also make your own dressings with approved oils. Here are some DIY salad recipes if you’d like ideas.

Toss your salad greens with about half the amount of dressing you intend to use.

Step 3: Layer on as many mix-ins as your heart desires. As with the Big-Ass Omelets, this list is meant to get your creative juices flowing (and your mouth watering). Feel free to include things that aren’t on these lists as long as they’re Primal-approved.

Here are some mix-in fruit and veggie ideas:

• Artichoke hearts
• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Fennel
• Mushrooms
• Onion
• Olives
• Radish
• Tomatoes
• Scallions
• Sprouts
• Yellow squash
• Zucchini
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Strawberries

Protein ideas:

• Chicken
• Salmon
• Sardines
• Shrimp
• Tuna
• White fish
• Steak
• Ground beef
• Shredded beef or pork
• Roast turkey
• Ground turkey
• Eggs
• Ham
• Sugar-free bacon or sausage

Nuts and seeds:

• Almonds
• Pecans
• Walnuts
• Macadamias
• Pistachios
• Brazil nuts
• Hazelnuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Hemp seeds

Here are some cheeses (opt for full-fat) you can mix in:

• Cheddar
• Cottage
• Feta
• Goat
• Gruyere
• Monterey Jack
• Mozzarella
• Parmesan
• Swiss

Step 4: Drizzle with the remaining dressing and chow down!

For more keto meal plan ideas, you might like to read:

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