Eating a ketogenic diet can revolutionize your health, lifestyle, and dress size; there are so many benefits to living a low-carb, high-fat lifestyle.
Grocery shopping is a crucial endeavor that can make or break someone's success when starting a ketogenic diet.
Draft a low-carb grocery list before going to the market, never go food shopping hungry, add meal prep to your regimen to avoid some commonly made mistakes that can cause stalls or setbacks.
Making the effort and surrounding yourself with low-carb, high-fat foods throughout the week helps to effortlessly stay committed to your keto protocol, making you undoubtedly slated for success.
Any simple keto meal diet plan worth following will offer easy-to-prepare meal options for breakfast lunch, dinner, and snacks.
However, sometimes dinner becomes breakfast and vice versa on the Konscious Keto program for weight loss—common when on keto in general—but we keep things flexible and let your taste buds be your guide.
Don't be afraid to experiment with which meals you love to eat and when during the day you crave them the most.
Plus, you can never go wrong when using a comprehensive, customized meal plan tailored specifically for your needs; there's no reason to experience the keto journey alone.
What is the Simple Keto Diet Plan?
There are many multi-step and technique-driven recipes to make on a ketogenic diet, but it's usually best to stick to delicious and simple recipes—especially when just starting the diet.
Also, an interesting point to mention is that you can mix and match, or swap recipes in your meal plan; there are no rules in that respect.
A large and satisfying salad, made with dark leafy greens, topped with vibrant and creamy avocado or super-charged with fatty salted nuts, and some omega-3-rich mackerel is a fantastic and easy meal idea you can throw together in minutes—and it makes a filling meal to enjoy at any time of day.
High-quality mackerel options like that made by Wild Planet, along with many varieties of keto-friendly nuts (e.g., pili nuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, etc.), as well as ripe and supple avocado are all easily accessible food options for those following a simple keto diet plan.
It's wise to rely on pre-packaged, homemade, prepped meals and make sure your grocery list includes foods that can be eaten as one-off options, a mono meal if you will, on-the-go.
A well-crafted simple keto diet plan will provide recipes to eat throughout the week with a lot of intentional ingredient overlap, so you virtually always have items you need on-hand.
Quick meals like baked fish and creamed spinach with a side of sauteéd mushrooms, or some super-easy to make chia seed overnight oats, topped with low-carb berries, our plan meal dishes use will food options to help you maintain a low-carb, high-fat, ketogenic diet.
We know all too well the power and benefits of using a personalized meal plan to achieve success on a ketogenic diet.
Also, after many requests, we knew we could further help members of our keto community with a tool to discover which version of the program would work best for them.
We recently composed a quick but useful quiz you can take to access a personalized keto diet meal plan—one that takes into consideration your food preferences and lifestyle.
If you're looking to embark on the exciting and tasty keto journey, take our 30-second quiz via this link to get started today.
Why the Simple Keto Diet Plan Works
The best way to execute a goal is with the use of a well thought out plan. Using a simple keto meal plan removes the chance of overthinking the process or becoming overwhelmed by the extensive food options ideal for anyone on keto.
Also, eating certain foods at specific times during the day can prove beneficial, and our customized meal plans consider that element, especially in relation to your activity level.
Our personalized plans provide a variety of choices to enjoy any time of day, and you'll always feel satiated.
Look at starting keto as a journey into eating many foods you never knew you needed or thought were just off-limits per outdated health recommendations. (e.g., all saturated fat is bad; diets should be grain-based and low-fat to promote health, etc.).
Another word on satiety: a high-fat diet also suppresses the appetite, naturally, which causes one to eat less but still feel fuller for longer automatically.
Eating incredibly delicious food, feeling full and energized, and losing weight to boot has an undeniable appeal.
What's more, there's no need to complicate a basic and effective approach to keto: keep your meal plan basic but brimming with flavor by cooking through the variety of amazing recipe options we provide.
Also, once you're familiar with the keto-friendly foods you enjoy, it's easy to add meal prep to your keto lifestyle, so you're always armed with ready-to-go with keto meals on-hand to help keep your macros in the ideal range.
Do You Have a Keto Question?
Many questions come up in our Facebook community time and time again, and we do our best to respond, but here's another opportunity to touch upon some hot topics while we have your attention.
Here's our recommendation in terms of how to address some commonly-asked questions noted below to help you further harness your approach to keto for optimal results.
Do I Need to Count Macros?
Well, yes and no. We know, we've made the matter completely clear—just bare with us.
Well, yes and no. We know, we've made the matter completely clear—just bear with us. Listen, when you first begin a ketogenic diet, it's advised to forgo counting macros and just eating to the point of feeling full.
However, if you are well along your road to ketosis and fat-adaptation but see the scale stalling, it may be time to adjust and closely monitor (a.k.a. track macros) to curb your caloric intake and create a caloric deficit.
You can easily track your daily macros using free apps like MyFitnessPal and then reflect at the end of each week to track progress, or a lack thereof, in contrast to your dietary intake.
Am I Required to Exercise?
Taking a brisk walk or joining a gym isn't a bad idea while following a ketogenic diet, but intense exercise is not essential to shed body fat on a low-carb, high-fat diet.
However, a welcome side-effect you may notice once removing refined sugars and carbs is that you experience increased levels of energy, which may inspire you to bust out your walking shoes and go for a spirited stroll more often.
Do I Have to Eat Everything?
Any simple meal plan that you choose to follow will contain some meals you love and others that you'd instead pass, and that's fine. A ketogenic diet is very flexible and has so many options that you're bound to find the foods that you love.
Experiment with some of the fantastic keto recipes on our site and see which you love the most; then make those dishes regularly to stay on track.
Also, again, some perceive a ketogenic diet as one that can only be done by meat-eaters. Still, it is also possible to follow the diet from a pescatarian or vegetarian approach with a few essential alterations.
Some can't eat dairy, eggs, nuts, or seeds, and all are common staple foods in most keto diets. No worries, there are many dairy-free options that fill-in entirely for their dairy counterparts.
As for the nuts and seeds, you may have to abstain completely, depending on your level of intolerance, so choose wisely.
Also, again, it's entirely possible to eat a ketogenic diet as a vegetarian or even a vegan, eliminating many or all animal products. So, again, no, you don't have to eat everything traditionally associated with keto to enjoy and succeed in the program.
Our short quiz asks targeted questions to determine the best version of the ketogenic diet for you, based on your dietary preferences. If you're interested in accessing tantalizing recipes designed to help you lose weight with ease, within the framework of a personalized meal plan, click here.
What if I Do Keto on My Own?
Those with unwavering focus and discipline may experience success on a ketogenic diet without the support of a like-minded community. But several studies have shown that people find the most success, and long term at that, when they embark on a new diet or lifestyle as a team.
There's a higher level of accountability when you join a community of health-conscious people, all looking to improve their wellness and their overall state of being through the use of the ketogenic diet and that matters.
So, while you certainly can do keto solo, it can prove super helpful to eliminate the carbs and refined sugars with a friend, some relatives, or a group of those committed to change their lifestyle, as well.
Can I Add More Veggies?
Low-glycemic vegetables, specifically dark leafy greens, collard, or kale, are unlimited foods to eat on a low-carb, high-fat, ketogenic diet.
Aside from the array of vitamins and minerals found in dark leafy greens, their fiber content, along with added protein, will keep you satisfied.
Here are some excellent green veggies to eat on keto:
- Spinach
- Swiss chard
- Kale
- Bok choy
- Collard greens
- Watercress
- Dulse, kelp, or nori, etc.
- Spirulina
- Chlorella
Veggies add a unique flavor and texture to every meal. Consider searing a rib-eye steak and pairing it with some decadent creamed spinach or faux cauliflower mash, drizzled with a hearty amount of Kerrygold grass-fed butter. Or spiral some zoodles to make a zesty, savory, and cheesy keto alfredo that's sure to please.
What if I Don’t Like a Meal?
You're never in the journey to ketosis alone, once you're a part of the Konscious Keto community. If you don't like a meal in your plan, email us for a modification - we're here to help.
Plus, there are so many nostalgic and innovative keto meals offered on the Konscious Keto site that you're bound to find several culinary treats to try.
Do I Need to Use Supplements?
It's not mandatory to take supplements, but many find that high-quality ketone supplements or MCT oil are both excellent additions to any ketogenic meal plan.
A ketone supplement is a great tool to use to increase ketone bodies, and therefore provide increased levels of energy for fuel in the body.
Our Keto Activate is a delicious and chocolatey BHB-based exogenous ketone supplement with premium ingredients—along with a pleasant and creamy texture and taste.
Other than great taste, look for supplements free of GMOs, artificial flavors, or fillers. Plus, ours meets the bill and also includes a blend of premium whey and MCTs to support metabolic ketosis.
What Happens After 28-Days?
Since the recipes provided in our meal plans are so versatile and can even act as a jumping-off point for new meal creations, you'll be fully equipped to maintain a healthy ketogenic lifestyle long after your initial 28-day stint is complete.
Plus, connecting with our Konscious Keto community is an excellent way to remain accountable and inspired—and a great way to learn about new recipe ideas.
Our group is private, so you can share the good, bad, and ugly experiences you may encounter on keto without feeling misunderstood or uncomfortable.
It’s Time to Embrace Your Keto Diet as a Lifestyle
Although the low-carb-high-fat approach to living has received a viral-level resurgence of attention as of late, it's an eating style that's tried and true, established around a century ago.
Despite the eating styles inherent efficacy, a customized plan can really go a long way for avoiding missteps that would otherwise hinder your progress.
There's no need to stumble around and go with a trial-and-error approach when beginning a keto diet.
Preparing your mindset for the reality that keto is a lifestyle, swapping out food options at home, and prepping meals ahead for success, as well as having an air-tight meal plan on-hand are all bonafide ways to stack the weight-loss deck in your favor.
Sources
- Tucker, M. E. (2008). Meal Replacements Double Weight Loss, Support Maintenance. Family Practice News, 38(23), 39. doi: 10.1016/s0300-7073(08)71451-8
- Sullivan, L. (2009). Use of Meal Replacement Products Increases Weight Loss. Internal Medicine News, 42(12), 16. doi: 10.1016/s1097-8690(09)70430-5
- Dupuis, N., & Auvin, S. (2016). Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Ketogenic Diet. Oxford Medicine Online. doi: 10.1093/med/9780190497996.003.0017
- Ketogenic Diet and Metabolic Therapies. (2016). Oxford Medicine Online. doi: 10.1093/med/9780190497996.001.0001
- Rubenstein, J. E., & Vining, E. P. G. (2004). Efficacy of the Ketogenic Diet. Epilepsy and the Ketogenic Diet, 95–102. doi: 10.1007/978-1-59259-808-3_6
- Low-Carb Diet Beats Low-Fat for HDL-Cholesterol Levels. (2010). SciVee. doi: 10.4016/20185.01