Come into 2022 with a Plan.. And a List!

Keto Diet Plan & Grocery List for Beginners

So you’re starting your keto journey and you’re not sure where to begin. You’re far from alone! The ketogenic diet can be overwhelming at first, especially if you’re not used to eating many healthy foods. It can be challenging to fight cravings and eat foods that your body craves. To start on the right foot, it helps to have a keto diet plan that will keep you in check. Along with your diet plan, it’s great to have a grocery list you can refer back to when you’re not sure what meals to prepare for yourself! 

Bring it Back to Basics:

If you’re still a little unsure about what the keto diet entails, it may help to re-familiarize yourself with what keto is all about. This quick guide is perfect for beginners who don’t know much about the diet! These step-by-step tips can also ensure you’re staying on track. Before you get overwhelmed by all of the specifics, let’s bring it back to the basics. 

The keto diet isn’t restrictive, in fact,  you’ll find you have endless options when it comes to the foods you’ll be consuming. Once you know what foods are low carb and high fat, you’ll be able to find delicious recipes or play around in the kitchen to work with your specific tastes and needs. 

Keto Grocery List to Get Started:

Before we get into the keto diet plan, let’s take a look at some of the staple foods needed to succeed with the keto diet! 

Fruits
- Avocados 
- Raspberries 
- Blueberries 
- Blackberries 

- Almond milk 
- Coconut milk 
- Hemp milk 
- Cow’s milk 
- Goat’s milk 
- Heavy cream 
- Full-fat cream cheese
- Sour cream 
- Greek yogurt 
- Eggs 

Nuts and Seeds
- Nut butter 
- Almonds 
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds  
- Pistachios 
- Pecans
- Walnuts 
- Macadamia nuts 
- Nutritional yeast 

Snacks and Supplements 
- Keto protein bars 
- Keto protein shakes - This keto protein shake is a tasty chocolate meal replacement that’s perfect when you’re having a craving for something sweet!
- Keto granola 
- Dark chocolate 

Items to take OFF your grocery list

If you’ve previously dabbled with a vegetarian or vegan diet, or you weren’t really sticking to a diet, you may need to re-train your brain before you step foot in a grocery store. Here are a few items that should be off-limits while sticking to your keto diet plan.

Bear in mind that while you’ll be giving up some foods you love, you’ll have a chance to explore new foods. You might even enjoy them more than what you were previously eating! 

Since you’ll be avoiding foods that are high in carbs, that means pasta, rice and other grains will have to go. While you may think all veggies are a go, you should also be avoiding starchy vegetables such as potatoes. Surprisingly, other vegetables such as  carrots are high in carbs so it’s important to know which ones to take off your list!

Fruits such as bananas, apples and pears should also be avoided when sticking to a keto diet. These fruits are known to be high in sugar and carbs in comparison to berries and other fruits that are more suitable for the diet. 

You can also say goodbye to legumes such as beans, chickpeas and lentils as they’re too high in carbs and too low in fat. Of course, all sugary and processed snacks like candy and cookies won’t help get you to where you want to be! If you face a sugar craving, there are many keto alternatives and tasty desserts that you can get your hands on. 

Your Keto Diet Plan

With all of that in mind, you should be ready to head to the store and get all of the essentials. Having a fridge stocked full of keto foods will help you stay on track and keep your goals in mind. 

In order to reach a level of ketosis, it will take about two weeks of eating a low carb diet. During this time you may experience headaches, a lack of energy and gastrointestinal issues. 

Don’t give up just yet! It’s completely normal and commonly referred to as the “keto flu”. 

Once you get past the first two weeks, your body should be accustomed to the diet. The symptoms should subside and you’ll start feeling much better. At that point, you can start thinking more about meal prepping or having specific meals planned for the week ahead! 

Let’s Break it Down

Here are 7 ideas for each meal and snacks to go along with it so you can set yourself up for success! Use the ideas to plan your meals throughout the week and you can always play around with new recipes once you’re comfortable with a few staples that you eat regularly. 

Breakfast ideas:
- Omelet with spinach, cheese and sausage 
- Bacon and eggs 
- Eggies - A quick and easy breakfast that consists of eggs and cheese whisked together and put into a muffin tray. You’ll end up with these egg muffins that you can eat for breakfasts or snacks throughout the week. 
- Chia pudding with coconut and blackberries 
- Acai almond butter smoothie 
- Fat coffee - This is sometimes also referred to as keto coffee, butter coffee or bulletproof coffee. You simply mix butter and MCT oil powder to your coffee in the morning to provide all of the fats and energy you need to get your day started. 
- Avocado baked eggs 

Lunch ideas
- BLT salad
- Spinach salad
- White turkey chilli 
- Steak salad with avocado and bell pepper 
- Taco salad
- Tuna salad lettuce wraps 
- Chicken and hummus lettuce wraps 

Dinner ideas

• -Tacos 
• -Meatloaf 
• -Cheese stuffed bunless burgers 
• -Baked salmon and asparagus 
• -Grilled steak with mixed leafy greens 
• -Creamy mushroom chicken 
• -Crispy salmon and pesto cauliflower rice 

Snack Ideas
- Cheese 
- A handful of nuts and seeds 
- Strawberries and plain cottage cheese 
- Beef jerky 
- Veggie sticks and nut butter 
- Keto sushi rolls 
- Buffalo cauliflower bites 

Keto-Friendly Drinks
With a wide range of foods and recipes to try while on the keto diet, you may be wondering what beverages you should be drinking. Water is by far the best beverage for any diet and to ensure you’re staying hydrated but here are a few others you can drink!

- Sparkling water 
- Unsweetened green tea 
- Unsweetened coffee
- Keto-friendly pre-workout - This will help energize you before a big workout!

Let’s Eat!
As you can see, the keto diet isn’t as restrictive as you may have originally thought. You can still enjoy a range of different foods while eating healthy and working towards your goals. Try not to overthink it and take it day by day. You’ll be surprised by how great you feel after sticking to this keto diet plan! Remember that results don’t happen overnight but by staying consistent with what you eat and trying new foods, you’ll be headed in the right direction.