The Hungry Girl’s Guide to Keto: Ketogenic Diet for Beginners + 7 Day Meal Plan

Heather Burnett
March 22, 2018

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If you’re looking into the ketogenic diet, this beginners guide is the perfect place to start! After you read this keto diet menu plan, you will have everything you need to determine if “going keto” is the best option for you.

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If you’re looking for a way to lose weight without starving yourself, then a ketogenic diet is a healthy way to do it. I’ve lost over 90 pounds on the keto diet, and I’m telling you if a forty-year-old mother of three can do it you can too:)

Here’s the photographic evidence in case you need inspiration:)

The ketogenic diet is legit. It’s not a fad or a trend despite what Instagram hashtags may lead you to believe.

And you know what?

It’s not a vanity thing either – well, at least not 100%:)

Yes, you’ll shed massive amounts of weight so you can fit into your skinny jeans that you can’t even look at right now, but the keto diet also improves your health.

There may not be another diet as well researched as the ketogenic diet – in randomized, controlled trials (AKA: dependable scientific studies) which prove a low carb diet helps reduce triglyceride levels, raise HDL (the good cholesterol), lower LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) – and by doing such helps with diabetes [Source], cardiovascular disease [Source] [Source], & possibly Alzheimer’s [Source] – more studies need to be done here – and epilepsy, which makes perfect sense since the keto diet was created for patients/children with epilepsy in 1921.

My point is that the keto diet has been around a long time with an excellent track record.

I chose the keto diet because it made sense to me.

And it worked for my body.

Low carb diets work – but they’re not for everyone.

I’ll try my best to break it down for you.

The ketogenic diet forces your body into a metabolic state known as ketosis.

Ketosis is a natural metabolic state – do not confuse ketosis for ketoacidosis (a complication of diabetes).

Ketones are produced when you eat minimal amounts of carbohydrates and moderate amounts of protein.

When your body doesn’t have carbohydrates to burn for energy, it burns fat.

Break Down: On a keto diet, you are changing your body into a fat burning machine!

Ketogenic Diet For Beginners: Rules

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As a rule I hate rules, but you’ve got to understand a few basic concepts of the ketogenic diet so you don’t accidentally throw your diet off track!

Or worse – end up gaining weight.

Low carb diets have appetite suppressing effects – which is one of the main reasons they work – In other words, you won’t be counting down the minutes until your next meal – or feel like you’re starving yourself to death!

Keep Carbs Under 30

You need to limit your carbohydrate intake to 20-30 carbs per day.

You may be thinking that’s an awfully wide range there, Heather. And you’re right. It is a wide range because it depends on the individual!

So what are you supposed to do? Average it out & hope for the best?

Um, No.

Use this Free Keto Calculator to find out exactly what your number is. I’ll wait right here while you do it!

With the keto diet, 5-10% of your calories come from carbohydrates, 15-30% of your calories should come from protein, and 60-75% of your calories are derived from fat.

So, where do you get your macros? (Fats, Proteins, Net Carbs) Well, there are tons of keto-friendly foods and even more delicious ways to prepare them that you almost forget about bread. Almost.:)

Foods Recommended on a Ketogenic Diet

Red Meat

Beef

Buffalo

Goat

Lamb

Pork

Wild Game

Bear

Boar

Elk

Rabbit

Venison

Cured Meats

Pepperoni

Bacon

Deli Meat

Sausages

Salami

Poultry

Chicken

Duck

Game hen

Pheasant

Quail

Turkey

Fish

Anchovies

Bass

Carp

Catfish

Cod

Flounder

Haddock

Herring

Mackerel

Salmon

Sardines

Snapper

Sole

Swordfish

Tilapia

Trout

Tuna

Walleye

Shellfish & Seafood

Clams

Crab

Lobster

Mussels

Octopus

Oysters

Prawns

Scallops

Shrimp

Snails

Eggs

Chicken eggs

Duck eggs

Goose eggs

Ostrich eggs

Quail eggs

Fruits

[MOST FRUIT IS TOO HIGH IN CARBS TO RISK IT! THESE ARE OK IN VERY SMALL AMOUNTS]

*Avocados

Blackberries

Blueberries

*Cucumbers

*Eggplant

Lemons

Limes

Raspberries

*Spaghetti Squash

Strawberries

Tomatoes

*Zucchini

*Yes, these commonly categorized vegetables are technically fruits

Vegetables

Artichokes

Arugula

Asparagus

Bok Choy

Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Celery

Chard

Chicory Greens

Endive

Fennel

Garlic (in moderation)

Green Beans

Jalapeno Peppers

Hot peppers

Kale

Lettuce

Mushrooms

Onions (in moderation)

Radishes

Seaweed

Spinach

Swiss Chard

Watercress

Dairy

Butter

Cheese

Blue cheese

Camenbert

Cheddar

Cottage cheese (full fat)

Cream Cheese (full fat)

Feta

Goat cheese

Gouda

Gruyere

Mascarpone

Mozzarella

Muenster

Parmesan

Ricotta cheese

Swiss

Greek Yogurt (full fat)

Half and half

Heavy whipping cream

Sour cream (full fat)

Nuts & Seeds

Almonds

Brazil Nuts

Cashews

Hazelnuts

Macadamia Nuts

Peanuts

Pecans

Pine Nuts

Pistachios

Walnuts

Chia Seeds

Flaxseeds

Hemp Seeds

Poppy Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds

Safflower Seeds

Sesame Seeds

Sunflower Seeds

Foods to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet

Starches

The two main starchy-high carb culprits are wheat and corn, but they are not the only ones to avoid. Flours, vegetables and beans also fall under the avoid on keto category.

Keep in mind that breads, pastas, crackers, cookies and pizza crusts are typically made with these ingredients – so don’t forget to double check the label or the ingredient list!

Amaranth

Barley

Buckwheat

Bran

Bulgar

Corn

Couscous

Farro

Graham flour

Kamut

Millet

Oats

Oatmeal

Orzo

Pumpernickel

Quinoa

Rice

Rye

Rice Flour

Semolina

Sorghum

Sourdough

Spelt

Teff

Triticale

Wheat

White Flour

Wheat Flour

Wild rice

Starchy Flours & Thickeners To Avoid

Arrowroot

Cornmeal

Cornstarch

Chickpea flour or Gram

Inulin

Modified starch

Powdered cellulose

Sago

Tapioca

Avoid These Ingredients with Sugar

White Sugar

Agave

Brown Sugar

Corn Syrup

Coconut Sugar

Fructose

Dextrose

Lactose

Glucose

Honey

Maple Syrup

Avoid These Sugar-Filled Drinks & Foods

Sodas

Juice

Fruit Juice

Sports Drinks

Chocolate

Ice Cream

Candy

Fruit to Avoid

Canned Fruit

Apples

Bananas

Grapes

Kiwi

Mangos

Nectarines

Oranges

Pineapples

Peaches

Plantain

Tangerines

Watermelon

Dried fruits: dried dates, mangos & raisins

Processed Foods To Avoid

NO Processed Foods! If it comes in a bag or a box it’s probably processed food which is NOT on the keto diet!

Baked Goods: Cakes, Muffins, Pastries

Bread

Cereal

Chips

Crackers

Pancakes

Pretzels

Snack Bars

Most Sauces and salad dressings

Ice Cream

Dairy

While lower carb full fat cheeses and heavy cream are allowed on keto, dairy sources like cow’s milk should be avoided. They contain a few too many carbs to be considered keto. Here are the ones to avoid.

Milk sourced from cows (both full fat and low fat versions)

Condensed milk

Fat free and low fat yogurt

Avoid Legumes

ketogenic diet for beginners foods to avoid

Also known as beans and peas, legumes are another high-carb food you’ll want to avoid.

Baked beans

Black beans

Black-eyed peas

Cannellini beans

Chickpeas

Fava beans

Green peas

Great Northern beans

Kidney beans

Lentils (Dal)

Lima beans

Pinto beans

Soy

Navy beans

*Exception for Green Beans-you can have those!

If you’d like a free downloadable printer-friendly copy of this list, plus more in-depth information on what to eat (including snacks!), please click here!

How Much Weight Will I Lose?

Weight loss varies from one person to another-everyone’s body is different, y’all!

If you have a lot of weight to lose (like I did), you may notice more weight loss at the beginning of your diet. The average weight loss on the keto diet after the first week is usually around 10 pounds.

Now please don’t get too excited.

I’m about to bring you down.

This initial weight loss is water weight.

I know, I know, weight is weight…

See, the keto diet causes you to drop the water weight fast because you’re cutting your carbs dramatically.

And while you may not be losing fat, this water weight loss is a good sign that your body has entered the ultimate fat burning mode: ketosis!

7 Day Keto Meal Plan

I’ve been in your shoes and I know starting a new diet is a challange. There’s a lot to learn and a ton of recipes to scroll through on Pinterest! I could spend all day pinning.

Moment of truth: I have.

But you know what? My unhealthy obsession with Pinteresty things helped me find these recipes for you to make starting the ketogenic diet a little more manageable!

I’m not going to lie to you-planning keto meals and shopping lists takes time and work – but it can be done. Even on a budget:)

If you’re already too busy for words and you struggle with meal planning, don’t worry! You’ve got options.

1. Do It Yourself

If you go the DIY route – you can find a low carb recipe for literally every meal – breakfast – lunch – dinner – snacks – appetizers – & – my favorite meal of the day – dessert – on this page where I have indexed every article – recipe – & recipe round-up I have ever written. At last count there were over 500 keto recipes:)

2. Grab the Crave-Worthy Keto Bundle

Ok. So, I don’t do a lot of selling here – unless the product is LEGIT. As in, I use it – I believe in it – & I know it will help you.

I wrote a book that details my weight loss journey, Rebel Keto, which includes over 100 recipes and is coming soon. But I don’t expect you to wait on my book to get started, so I am offering my digital recipe books, Crave-Worthy Keto, at a discounted rate of 35% off for a limited time.

Crave-Worthy Keto is the ultimate collection of over 40 low carb recipes for all of the foods you crave for breakfast, make ahead meals, breads, and 30-minute dinners. All with 5 net carbs or less! Don’t wait another day to get started! Buy Crave-Worthy Keto now and download them instantly!

If you’re just dipping your toe into the ketogenic diet & don’t want buy anything yet – I understand. Here are some fabulous beginner – style keto recipes to get you started – for free:)