Having a keto plan is key to your diet success. In fact, knowing which foods to buy and which to avoid, preparing meals ahead of time, and following keto guidelines will help you reach your goals and stay healthy. ketosis. And that's why we have prepared for you a ketogenic diet plan that allows you to calculate your macro nutrients and find out which foods are keto-friendly, i.e. allowed.
Ready? Let's start!
Which keto diet plan to follow?
When we talk about the keto plan, we must first of all start by saying that there are more than one food plans, depending on the goals you are pursuing. For example: losing accumulations of body fat, improving mental performance, or lowering blood pressure or reducing the risk of diabetes. Your approach to diet will differ based on your individual goals.
Lose fat: standard keto plan
The standard keto diet plan is one of the most popular approaches, and certainly the most recommended for those who are just starting out, and who usually approach dieting to lose weight. However, it also brings further beneficial effects, for example on mood and cholesterol level.
This diet involves limiting carbohydrates to a maximum of 50 grams per day (30 to induce ketosis faster, but never less than 20), consume a moderate amount of protein, and increase fat consumption.
Improve athletic performance
There is a type of keto diet that helps athletes increase their sports performance. It's not much different from the standard plan, except that it involves consuming carbohydrates 30 minutes before working out.
The cyclical keto diet is another variation designed for athletes, which involves increasing your carbohydrate intake to 100 grams per day for two days a week. Ideal for those who follow high intensity workouts.
The high protein keto
It is ideal for those who lift weights at least four times a week, and shift protein consumption to 35%, while fat consumption reaches 60% of total calorie consumption. Carbohydrates are limited, however, to 5%.
Keto Plan: Calculate Your Macros
The calculation of macronutrients is extremely important in the ketogenic diet. For example, it is a question of fixing fats at 70% of your total calorie intake, carbohydrates around 10% and proteins around 20%. There are special keto calculators, which help you make this count based on various factors such as your lifestyle and body composition.
Plan meals
Once you've calculated your macro nutrient ratio, take a day off and plan your keto plan for the week. In this article, we'll give you sample recipes and a list of keto foods you can get inspired by.
First, consider a few basics: How many people will you be cooking for? Are there enough leftovers in the house for the next day's meal, how do you want to structure each day? Once you have these points in place, it's time to make your shopping list.
Keto plan: let's start cooking! The menu for 7 days
Below we offer an example of a menu designed for a person who is taking 1600 calories a day. You can slavishly follow the instructions or move the recipes from one day to the next. Consider that this plan has 25 grams of carbohydrates, 125 of fat and 100 of protein.
Day one:
- Breakfast: omelet with peppers and salami
- Lunch: chicken and cauliflower
- Dinner: meatballs and spinach
Day two:
- Breakfast: protein pancakes with blueberries
- Lunch: tuna and lime salad
- Dinner: meatloaf with herbs and minced meat
Day three:
- Breakfast: egg muffins
- Lunch: turkey with tomato sauce
- Dinner: Baked Cheeseburger
Day four:
- Breakfast: egg and avocado
- Lunch: chicken salad
- Dinner: steak with butter and spinach
Day Five:
- Breakfast: avocado (half fruit)
- Lunch: keto parmesan chicken
- Dinner: broccoli with cheese
day six:
- Breakfast: Almond Butter Acai Smoothie
- Lunch: steak and spinach
- Dinner: Chicken with mushrooms
Day Seven:
- Breakfast: coffee
- Lunch: crispy chicken
- Dinner: low carb lasagna (keto recipe)
Note: to each of these meals you can add a dessert (for example a protein pudding) and a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack to choose from the list of recommended foods (example: parmesan squares).
The best keto foods divided by category
Now let's see a list of keto foods divided by category, within which you can choose how to compose your recipes.
Between fat we find: olive, avocado and coconut oil, grass fed butter or ghee (in supermarkets: clarified butter), avocado, egg yolk, almonds and almond butter, seeds, dried fruit, coconut and almond flour , oily fish such as tuna, salmon and sardines.
Fats to avoid include all other vegetable oils such as soybean or sunflower.
Let's analyze the protein: first of all we find grass-fed red meat, i.e. from free-range farming, and preferably fatty cuts. Then white meat, pork and eggs, but also oily fish, sheep and entrails. On the other hand, processed meat such as cured meats and frankfurters should be avoided, because they tend to contain sugar.
And it's time for vegetables. In this case you have to be careful to consume those with low carbohydrate content. In particular cabbage, spinach, broccoli and lettuce, but also Brussels sprouts, asparagus, cucumbers, zucchini, mushrooms and cauliflower. On the other hand, carrots, squash and potatoes (in general all roots) should be avoided due to their high starch and carbohydrate content.
And the fruit? Fruit in general should be avoided due to its sugar content. However, you can consume avocados and red fruits. Be careful, however, with bananas and dehydrated fruit.
Chapter dairy products: fat-free yoghurt, sour cream, aged cheeses and cream cheeses are all allowed, including mozzarella. All included too spices, while for i condiments it's best to stick to natural mustard and soy sauce. Finally, for sweeteners try to limit yourself to stevia and erythritol.
Keto plan: the supplements
The keto diet won't cause you any nutritional deficiencies, so you generally won't need supplements. However, you can help yourself with ketone supplements to get into ketosis faster. What is it about? Of MCT – a fat precursor of ketosis – and of proteins of collagen.
You can then take micronutrient supplements, such as vitamins and minerals, if you are concerned that you are not eating enough vegetables and fruit, or if you have specific needs. Some supplements are even specifically formulated for keto users, with no added sugars.
Well, what now? Well: good start of your diet!
