You’re probably looking for a 7-day keto diet meal plan for beginners to show you exactly what to do.

Most people think that by trying really hard and using their willpower they will see the weight loss that they are after.

Unfortunately… it’s not as simple as that.

It’s a mindset that leads to lifestyle changes that will improve our health. A healthy meal plan must be a daily habit and a part of your lifestyle to experience successful weight loss. The best thing is that you can also maintain your ideal weight with the same practices.

However, you can greatly improve your chances of losing weight by having the right information and plan in place.

This 7-day keto diet meal plan for beginners has everything you need to start the keto diet.

So if you are ready to see the fast benefits of starting the keto diet, let’s begin…

The Ketogenic Diet

Let’s talk about a ketogenic diet, or as you may know it “The Keto Diet”.

Following a keto diet meal plan can improve a multitude of health problems while also helping you lose weight.

It’s becoming increasingly popular and I want to tell you why this is no fad diet.

A keto or ketogenic diet is a low-carb, moderate protein, higher-fat diet that can help you burn fat more effectively.

While everyone’s body and needs are slightly different, that typically translates to:

• 60 to 75 percent of your calories from fat
• 15 to 30 percent of your calories from protein
• 5 to 10 percent of your calories from carbs

That usually means eating no more than 50 grams of carbs a day.

After about two to seven days of following the keto diet, you go into something called ketosis, or the state your body enters when it doesn’t have enough carbs for your cells to use for energy. That’s when you start making ketones, or organic compounds that your bod then uses in place of those missing carbs. At this point, your body also starts burning fat for more energy.

Getting your body into the metabolic state of ketosis is the end goal when following a well-maintained ketogenic diet.

Instead of achieving ketosis through starvation of calories, you’re essentially doing it through starvation of carbs.

You’ve got to give credit where credit is due – your body is awesome, as it’s incredibly adaptive when it comes to what you put inside it.

When you take away those carbs and consume more fat, it then starts to burn those ketones as its main fuel source as opposed to burning glucose.

And when your body reaches its optimal ketone levels, you’ll begin to reap a plethora of health benefits, which includes fat loss and other physical and mental performance benefits.

Keto-Friendly Foods to Eat

When following the keto diet these are the general types of food to include in your meals and snacks:

• Meat: Grass-fed beef, venison, pork etc.
• Fatty fish: Salmon, herring and mackerel.
• Poultry: Chicken and turkey.
• Eggs: Organic whole eggs make the best choice.
• Full-fat dairy: Yogurt, butter and cream etc.
• Full- fat cheese: Cheddar, brie, goat cheese, mozzarella, cream cheese etc.
• Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, macadamia nuts, flaxseeds etc.
• Nut butter: Almond, macadamia, pecan butter (avoid peanut butter).
• Healthy fats: Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut butter and sesame oil.
• Low Carb Fruits: Avocados, raspberries, lemons etc.
• Non-starchy vegetables: Greens, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms and peppers.
• Condiments: Salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, fresh herbs and spices.

As long as your meals contain these food types you won’t go too far wrong on the keto diet.

Foods to Avoid on Keto

The idea is to limit the number of net carbs your body takes in each day.

So if you want to stick to less than 20 net carbs a day you should avoid these carb-heavy foods:

• Bread and baked goods: White bread, whole-wheat bread, crackers, cookies, doughnuts and rolls.
• Pasta: Spaghetti, noodles, pasta etc.
• Sweets and sugary foods: Sugar, ice cream, candy, maple syrup, agave syrup (you can pretty much guess these!)
• Sweetened beverages: Soda, juice, sweetened teas, sports drinks etc.
• Grains and grain products: Wheat, rice, oats, breakfast cereals etc.
• Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, corn, peas etc.
• Beans and legumes: Black beans, chickpeas, lentils and kidney beans (peanuts are actually a legume!)
• Fruit: Apples, pears, grapes, bananas pineapple etc.
• High-carb sauces: Barbecue sauce, sugary salad dressings, ketchup, dipping sauces etc. (you can get low carb variations of most sauces though)
• Certain alcoholic beverages: Beer & sugary mixed drinks.

Now, any food can be consumed during keto.

But some people get their knickers in a twist as some recipes have pumpkin or something they’ve read they’re not allowed to eat on keto.

As long as you keep your carb count down then most foods are OK in small doses.

Just make sure to check the net carbs in the meal or snack.

When And How Much To Eat On The Keto Diet

It’s recommended to eat at least 3 meals a day, ideally with a couple of snacks.

By eating every 3 hours your body will get a good amount of fat and protein throughout the day and help to keep the crazy food monster that lives in you from raiding the cupboards.

Here’s an example meal plan for each day:

• Breakfast: 7 am
• Snack: 10 am
• Lunch: 1 pm
• Snack: 4 pm
• Dinner: 7 pm

Obviously these timings can change and your day may not fit exactly this schedule. But the snacks can be as simple as a big handful of nuts.

It’s amazing how filling these snacks can be due to the higher portion of fat and protein in them.

Use the 7-day keto meal plan for beginners below to plan what to eat for your first week of the keto diet.

1 Week Keto Diet Meal Plan For Beginners

During your first week, you’re just learning the keto ropes, learning how to properly balance your macronutrients, potentially dealing with keto flu, and probably trying to navigate social pressures, etc…

The most important thing to remember is it’s NOT going to be easy, but it WILL be worth it.

So here are a few delicious and simple recipes to get you started. If you want a more in-depth keto meal plan and guide (plus accountability), I invite you to take the keto quiz to get your Custom Keto diet plan (almost 10,000 people completed the quiz and got their custom keto diet plan!) 

Day 1

Breakfast: Bulletproof Tea

110 kcal | 12g Fat | 0g Protein | 0g Carbs | 0g Net Carbs

Snack: 5 Sticks of Celery With 2 Tbsp Almond Butter

200 kcal | 16g Fat | 7g Protein | 4g Carbs | 2.5g Net Carbs

Lunch: Avocado Egg Salad

160 kcal | 12g Fat | 7g Protein | 6g Carbs | 3g Net Carbs

Snack: 1/2 Hass Avocado w/ Lite Salt and Pepper

114 kcal | 11g Fat | 1g Protein | 2.5g Carbs | 1g Net Carbs

Dinner: Keto Cheeseburger

1194 kcal | 79% Fat (104g) | 18% Protein (53g) | 3% Carbs (8g net carbs)

Total daily nutrition:

1,778 kcal | 78% Fat (155g) | 15% Protein (68g) | Carbs (22.5g) | 7% Net carbs (14.5g)

Day 2

Breakfast: Mozzarella Dough Bagels

203 kcal | 16.8g Fat | 11g Protein | 4g Carbs | 2.4g Net Carbs

Snack: 2 Squares Lindt 90% Chocolate

105 kcal | 9g Fat | 3g Protein | 3g Carbs | 3g Net Carbs

Lunch: Shrimp Avocado Salad With Tomatoes & Feta

430 kcal | 33g Fat | 24g Protein | 12.5g Carbs | 6.5g Net Carbs

Snack: 1 Cup Bone Broth

50 kcal | 3g Fat | 5g Protein | 0g Carbs | 0g Net Carbs

Dinner: One Pan Pesto Chicken & Veggies

423kcal | 32g Fat | 23g Protein | 12g Carbs | 8g Net Carbs

Total daily nutrition:

1,221 kcal | 70% Fat (94g) | 21% Protein (66g) | Carbs (30.5g) | 9% Net carbs (20g)

Day 3

Breakfast: Chocolate Coconut Keto Smoothie Bowl

500 kcal | 38g Fat | 26g Protein | 12g Carbs | 8g Net Carbs

Snack: 2 String Cheese

160 kcal | 12g Fat | 16g Protein | 2g Carbs | 2g Net Carbs

Lunch: Slow Cooker Dairy Free Butter Chicken

304 kcal | 18g Fat | 28g Protein | 9g Carbs | 7g Net Carbs

Snack: 24 Raw Almonds

166 kcal | 15g Fat | 6g Protein | 2g Carbs | 2g Net Carbs

Dinner: Garlic Butter Baked Salmon in Foil

265 kcal | 14g Fat | 31g Protein | 1.6g Carbs | 1g Net Carbs

Total daily nutrition:

1,385 kcal | 65% Fat (97g) | 28% Protein (107g) | Carbs (27g) | 7% Net carbs (20g)

Day 4

Breakfast: Soft Boiled Eggs With Butter and Thyme

340kcal | 27g Fat | 18g Protein | 1.8g Carbs | 1.8g Net Carbs

Snack: 24 Raw Almonds

166 kcal | 15g Fat | 6g Protein | 2g Carbs | 2g Net Carbs

Lunch: Salmon, Avocado & Arugula Salad

575 kcal | 49g Fat | 25g Protein | 11g Carbs | 4g Net Carbs

Snack: 12 Olives

75 kcal | 7.5g Fat | 0g Protein | 3g Carbs | 1.5g Net Carbs

Dinner: Low Carb Beef Stir Fry

582 kcal | 36g Fat | 55g Protein | 14g Carbs | 12g Net Carbs

Total daily nutrition:

1,702 kcal | 71% Fat (135g) | 24% Protein (104g) | Carbs (32g) | 5% Net carbs (20g)

Day 5

Breakfast: Bacon and Egg Breakfast Muffins

341 kcal | 25g Fat | 28g Protein | 2.5g Carbs | 2g Net Carbs

Snack: 24 Raw Almonds

166 kcal | 15g Fat | 6g Protein | 2g Carbs | 2g Net Carbs

Lunch: Shrimp Zucchini Noodles

235 kcal | 15.5g Fat | 17g Protein | 9g Carbs | 7g Net Carbs

Snack: 2 Squares Lindt 90% Chocolate

105 kcal | 9g Fat | 3g Protein | 3g Carbs | 3g Net Carbs

Dinner: Halloumi Salad

367 kcal | 31g Fat | 16g Protein | 9g Carbs | 6.5g Net Carbs

Total daily nutrition:

1,214 kcal | 72% Fat (96.5g) | 23% Protein (70g) | Carbs (25g) | 6% Net carbs (20g)

Day 6

Breakfast: Bacon and Egg Fat Bombs

370 kcal | 37g Fat | 10g Protein | 0.4g Carbs | 0.4g Net Carbs

Snack: 12 Olives

75 kcal | 7.5g Fat | 0g Protein | 3g Carbs | 1.5g Net Carbs

Lunch: Keto Frittata

426 kcal | 36g Fat | 21g Protein | 3g Carbs | 3g Net Carbs

Snack: 20 Blueberries

16 kcal | 0.1g Fat | 0.2g Protein | 4g Carbs | 3g Net Carbs

Dinner: Cowboy Butter Chicken With Zucchini Noodles

582 kcal | 35g Fat | 59g Protein | 9g Carbs | 6g Net Carbs

Total daily nutrition:

1,469 kcal | 70% Fat (115.6g) | 25% Protein (90g) | Carbs (19g) | 5% Net carbs (14g)

Day 7

Breakfast: Turmeric Keto Smoothie

600 kcal | 56g Fat | 7g Protein | 17g Carbs | 6g Net Carbs

Snack: 24 Raw Almonds

166 kcal | 15g Fat | 6g Protein | 2g Carbs | 2g Net Carbs

Lunch: Keto Fish Cakes With Avocado Lemon Dipping Sauce

276 kcal | 26g Fat | 4.4g Protein | 10.8g Carbs | 2g Net Carbs

Snack: 2 String Cheese

160 kcal | 12g Fat | 16g Protein | 2g Carbs | 2g Net Carbs

Dinner: Keto Veggie Soup

79 kcal | 2g Fat | 2g Protein | 11g Carbs | 8g Net Carbs

Total daily nutrition:

1,281 kcal | 79% Fat (111g) | 15% Protein (35g) | Carbs (43g) | 6% Net carbs (20g)

Keto Diet Meal Plan for Beginners Grocery List

The below list includes all the ingredients that you will need to carry out this 7-day keto diet meal plan.

As with any recipes feel free to substitute alternative ingredients but make sure you stick to the core meats, dairy and vegetables included below.

Keto Fruit & Vegetables

• Sun-dried tomatoes 
• Asparagus
• Blueberries
• Olives
• Cherry tomatoes yellow and red
• Lemons
• Onions
• Bell peppers 
• Cauliflower
• Green beans 
• Iceberg Lettuce
• Cauliflower Rice
• Cucumber
• Zucchini
• Baby bok choy
• Broccoli florets
• Tomatoes
• Scallions
• Avocado x5 meals
• Arugula
• Mushrooms
• Baby Spinach
• Shallot
• Celery

Keto Meat, Fish & Eggs

• Chicken breasts
• Beef
• Chicken thighs boneless and skinless
• Salmon
• White boneless fish
• Bacon
• Ground beef
• Shrimp x2 meals
• Eggs

Keto Dairy

• Butter
• Halloumi Cheese
• Feta cheese
• Cheddar Cheese
• Heavy Cream
• Parmesan
• Cream cheese
• Mozzarella
• Unsweetened almond milk
• String Cheese

Keto Nuts & Seeds

• Chia seeds 
• Almonds
• Pine Nuts
• Unsweetened almond butter

Keto Herbs & Spices

• Garlic
• Salt & pepper
• Italian seasoning
• Red pepper flakes 
• Bay leaves
• Oregano
• Peppermint
• Dijon mustard
• Cayenne pepper
• Paprika
• Fresh parsley
• Freshly chives
• Thyme
• Ginger
• Fresh cilantro
• Onion powder
• Fresh dill
• Turmeric
• Garam Masala
• Cumin
• Chili powder
• Ground cinnamon
• Cinnamon stick
• Chilli flakes

Feel free to get any of these fresh or dried. You obviously don’t need them all either, if you prefer the taste of some spices compared to others then you can always sub them in.

Get your free printable grocery list here.

Keto Food Cupboard

• Olive oil
• MCT oil or Coconut Oil
• Avocado oil
• Basil pesto
• Chicken broth 
• Veggie stock
• Hot sauce
• Tomato sauce
• Keto-friendly mayonnaise
• Coconut aminos (soy sauce alternative)
• White wine vinegar
• Full fat coconut milk
• Almond flour
• Baking powder
• Granulated sweetener (stevia etc) or another sweetener
• Raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
• Coconut stevia (or plain stevia to taste)
• 2 scoops collagen protein
• Tea
• Lindt Dark Chocolate (90%)

Again, you do not need everything on this list.

If you prefer to just have olive oil then that is fine. You can always substitute the recipes with things you have in the house, but try to keep them as close as possible to get the same nutrition.

The Keto Diet Meal Plan For Beginners Bottom Line

If there is one thing you take away from this article it should be this:

If you are looking to lose weight on the keto diet, then aim to keep the net carbs below 20 each day.

Remember, a healthy keto diet aims to get about 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbs.

If you’re still unsure about how to eat, what to eat or what to avoid, don’t worry you’re not alone! There is a little-known keto diet system called The Custom Keto Diet Plan that allows you to eat your favorite foods while losing weight fast. Complete the quiz and get your custom meal plan according to your age and weight loss goals. Imagine losing weight while you don’t have to quit your favorite burger!

Women who have followed The Custom Keto Diet Plan reported losing up to 21 pounds and 2-4 inches from their waist in just a matter of 4 weeks—the methods in The Custom Keto Diet Plan are all backed by science.