Keto Meal Planning

 

Hello!  This week I've been busy meal planning and batch cooking, and thought I'd write about it...  I've been following a keto diet on and off for a few years now and it still takes me a bit of planning to make sure I have the right foods on hand.

First I make sure I have the basics:

Heavy cream

Olive oil

Butter 

Avocado

Bacon

Olives

Pickles

Cheese for snacking

Salami / Pepperoni / Summer Sausage 

Nuts

Frozen veggies: cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus

Frozen meat: ground beef, ground turkey, chicken thighs 

Eggs

I use Atkins protein shakes instead of breakfast, using one as creamer for my several cups of coffee.  This keeps my mornings quick and simple.

I also have protein shakes for lunch, but I use KetoChow - they're more expensive, but also more filling and they're designed to be a complete meal so I feel more comfortable that I'm getting the nutrients I need.  I love their chocolate flavor!  KetoChow shakes work best if they sit in the fridge overnight to thicken up, so as soon as I drink my shake, I prepare a new one and stick it back in the fridge.  These are easy for me to grab and drink while I'm working.  

Next I find 3 or 4 keto recipes I'd like to make for the week's dinners.  I typically prepare two recipes in a day, save out one portion for dinner that night, and divide the rest up into portioned containers to freeze for later.  If I don't feel like having a shake for lunch, I always have plenty of meals ready to go in the freezer!

Recipes

One of my go-to resources for keto meals is the free 14-day keto meal plan by DietDoctor.com.  Unlike many other websites, they don't make you create an account or give any info... just click the link to view the full meal plan (scroll down towards the bottom of the page).  If you're like me, not all the recipes will appeal to you, but they do offer quite a few and I've enjoyed the ones I've tried!  There are also endless recipes online, just google: keto recipes.

One of my favorites from DietDoctor is the Keto Italian Meatballs which makes 4 servings.  The recipe was easy to follow, and it came out delicious.  I live alone so I tend to use frozen veggies a lot of the time so that they don't go bad.  I used frozen spinach the first time I made this dish and it turned out great!  The second time I made it, I was cooking for my parents and used fresh spinach - also great!  I prefer it with mozzarella balls melted in, but have also used shredded mozzarella.  Plus, if you have non-keto family members this one is perfect to just cook a side of pasta for those who eat it!  I usually have it with a big salad on the side, or will make roasted zucchini or cauliflower along with it.  

Not really a recipe, but one of my favorite meals is a Cheeseburger Salad.  I take a pound of ground beef (or turkey), season, and cook into 4 hamburger patties (4 servings).  Then make a big green salad.  Add chopped onions (sparingly for keto), tomato, avocado, shredded cheese, sliced dill pickle, and sliced olives.  Drizzle chipotle aoli over the top instead of dressing.  I use one hamburger patty per meal, and freeze the extras for future meals.  Delicious!  This meal takes a bit more prep work on the day of serving, but at least the hamburger patties can be made ahead.  

The DietDoctor Meatloaf with Pesto is another great recipe that makes 4 servings!  It was easy to portion and freeze, and I just kept the pesto mayo in the fridge for serving.  Similar to the meatballs, I have roasted veggies on the side.  The recipe calls for roasting tomatoes, but since I was planning to freeze this one, I skipped the tomatoes.  Here's a video of the prep on YouTube.   

Keto Crack Chicken (6 servings) is one of my all-time favorite keto meals.  There are a lot of different recipes out there for Crack Chicken, but my simple version is:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken - breasts shred better, but thighs are less expensive & work great too!  Sometimes I'll add frozen cauliflower to cook with it.  

1.5 (or 2) bricks of cream cheese

1 packet of Ranch dressing mix

1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese

I throw it all in my InstantPot and press the 'meat' cook setting.  Leave it for natural venting, and when it's done shred the chicken. 

Top with: 

1/2 cup chopped, cooked bacon

1/3 cup diced green onions

I usually serve it over cauliflower or broccoli, but any low carb veggies would do!  

With these 4 recipes, I have my meals planned for 2 weeks!  If you're looking for a cute little recipe book to start storing your favorites, check out this Recipe Diary on Amazon.

Shopping List

You probably have these items already on hand, but you'll want to check...

Salt

Pepper

Dried basil

Dried parsley

Onion powder

Garlic powder

Olive oil

Butter

Mayo

Eggs

Pickles (dill)

Olives

To make the four recipes above, you'll also need:

3.5 lbs ground beef and/or turkey (any combo)

2 lbs chicken (breasts or thighs)

Bacon (1/2 cup cooked)

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

5 oz fresh mozzarella

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 bricks cream cheese

1 lb canned tomatoes

Salad greens

Red onion

5 Roma tomatoes

Avocado

Green onions

Italian seasoning

Ranch dressing mix, one packet

Chipotle aoli 

Pesto sauce

Plenty of veggies for sides - I get 4 bags of various frozen veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts

Cook!

Next you'll find a day you can make a couple recipes.  If I making the Crack Chicken in the InstantPot, it's easy to get that going, then start cooking the Italian Meatballs on the stove.  I have a variety of Tupperware type containers to divide my servings into, but I do really like the Rubbermaid meal prep containers available at Walmart.  I recently got a pack of bento box containers through Amazon, so I'll see how these hold up!  They're a bit smaller and seem less durable, but they are cute... 

Hope this gives you some ideas as you plan your keto meals! 

Also this week I stocked up on collagen powder.  Good to have on hand so I can add it in with my shakes or stir into my coffee. 

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