7-Day Keto Diet Meal Plan for Beginners To Lose Weight [W/ Grocery List]

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.

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. It includes the exact keto recipes you can have each day, the list of ingredients you will need plus exactly when and how much to eat.

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

Ketogenic Diet Basics

Many people get overwhelmed when starting the ketogenic diet.

But it really doesn’t need to be complicated.

The key is to reduce your carbohydrates and increase your fat intake.

Simple!

The diet typically contains (the grams are in brackets based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet):

70-80 percent fat (167 grams)
10-20 percent protein (100 grams)
5-10 percent carbohydrates (25 grams)

If you are looking to lose weight, then ideally the calorie intake would be lower.

However, at Well Fit Fam we recommend you don’t count the calories.

Just keep an eye on the “net carbs”.

Ideally, you want to keep the daily net carbs below 20 grams at the start of the diet.

Therefore, if you keep the net carbs below 10 grams per meal you will be on the right track to reach ketosis and lose weight.

Check out our ultimate keto diet grocery list to find out more about the benefits and side-effects of the keto diet.

How To Calculate Net Carbs On Keto?

The nutritional information will be on the back of almost everything you buy.

It will normally tell you how many grams of carbs, fats and protein the food contains.

But how do we work out how many “net carbs” there are in different foods?

Net carbs = total carbs – fiber – sugar alcohols

(Sugar alcohols are only found in processed food… so try to avoid these as much as possible)

You don’t count fiber or sugar alcohols as they just pass through the human body without breaking down, meaning your body doesn’t use them for energy.

So let’s take avocado as an example…

There are 6 grams of carbs and 5 grams of fiber in half a cup of avocado.

So in total, there is 1 gram (6-5) of net carbs in half a cup of avocado.

That’s the only number that matters when you start the keto diet!

Remember… the aim is to keep your net carbs below 20 grams per day to help kick start ketosis!

Luckily for you, this 7-day keto diet meal plan for beginners has the exact nutritional value for each day so that you don’t need to spend your precious time working this out.

Simply follow the meal plans and you’re good to go!

So you’re probably wondering what are…

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.

Keto-Friendly Beverages

It’s pretty amazing how many carbs you can take in from drinks.

Here’s an example that may blow your mind:

A can of full-fat coke contains 39 grams of net carbs (that is over double the daily recommended amount for a keto diet!!)…

Let me say that again…

Double the daily amount in one drink!!

Some people claim that you can drink diet sodas and the likes on a keto diet.

Whilst this is technically true as they won’t contain net carbs, it has been proven that diet soda actually makes you feel more hungry… and make your taste buds crave sweet things.

On the keto diet, this is really bad news.

So here is what we recommend drinking on the keto diet at Well Fit Fam:

Water: Water has so many benefits such as suppressing your hunger, keeping you hydrated (super important at the start of ketosis) and helps to balance your blood sugar levels.
Sparkling water: If you love your soda then add some lemon to this and you’re away!
Unsweetened coffee: Add heavy cream to have a little treat every day!
Unsweetened green tea: The self-proclaimed healthiest beverage on the planet! It improves brain function, helps for weight loss and there’s even science that suggests it lowers the risk of cancer!

Check out the ultimate keto diet grocery list for more information about all of these foods you can eat or should avoid.

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.

7-Day Keto Diet Meal Plan For Beginners

This 7-day keto meal plan includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks.

When changing any habit (yes eating types of food is a habit) it’s important to plan and prepare in advance.

Spending an hour or so before the week starts to set this up can save hours of time working out what to do when the busy week starts taking its toll.

Here are some of the best Well-Fit Tips to help start the right way:

Use the grocery shopping list at the end of this page to make sure you have all of the necessary ingredients for this meal plan (This is THE most important step).
Make sure you have appropriate containers to store and carry your lunch in.
Prep what you can before the week starts. Some people prefer to prep each evening, others prefer to batch cook a lot of the meals and store them in the fridge.
Make daily habits i.e. cook at a certain time each evening, or prep your food for the next day whilst cooking dinner.
Cook twice the amount and have it for lunch the next day (this is not included below as some people prefer not to repeat meals in the same week… personally, we don’t mind and it makes life easier!)

All of these things are easy to do but easy not to do. The people that see the most success from any diet place good habits in place that become a routine.

Every single one of these recipes can be found in our 3 popular keto recipe articles:

Day 1

Keto Cheeseburger — Image from Diet Doctor

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

6 One-Pan-Pesto-Chicken-and-Veggies-752x289-min — Image from Julias Album

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

Keto Diet Meal Plan for Beginners Garlic-Butter-Baked-Salmon-in-Foil — Image from Little Spice Jar

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

Keto Diet Meal Plan for Beginners Low-Carb-Beef-Stir-Fry — Image from Bulletproof

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

Keto Diet Meal Plan for Beginners Bacon and Egg Breakfast Muffins — Image from Real Balanced

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