Keto Diet Meal Plan #3: Three-Day Comfort-Food Favorites
Meatballs, pizza, even cookies! These delicious recipes are all possible on the keto diet. Learn how with our keto comfort food Meal Plan curated by keto diet experts.
By Annissa and Harper Slusher of Simply So Healthy. Photograph by Olga Ivanova.
If you’re thinking about switching to the keto diet, you might be dreading giving up all your beloved high-carb staples. Thankfully, going keto doesn’t have to mean parting with comfort foods like pancakes, rolls, casseroles, and cookies after all. With the abundance of smart swaps such as low-carb flours and sweeteners, many of your old favorites are still possible on a keto diet.
As the mother-daughter food-blogging team at Simply So Healthy, we’ve been making keto-friendly versions of popular comfort foods for more than five years. When we switched to keto, we also worried about missing some of our favorite dishes, but found keto's countless advantages convincing. From increasing energy levels and stabilizing blood sugar levels to improving mental clarity, keto offers a range of holistic health benefits. Within a few weeks of starting keto, we noticed a substantial difference in how we felt. We were more productive, had more energy, and no longer faced the dreaded sugar crash.
There's a misperception that following keto means you’re destined to eat bland chicken breasts and broccoli. Thankfully, this is far from reality. Keto comfort meals like hearty chilis and soups, pizza, and keto versions of “breads” are possible. So are desserts.
As we both have a sweet tooth, from Day One, we worked on creating keto versions of treats that taste just like the real thing. Over the years, we’ve learned how to make almost every dessert recipe we could think of — from cakes and cookies to creme brulee. We found coming up with keto-friendly alternatives to our favorite foods made the keto diet far more enjoyable and sustainable. When you realize how many dishes are still on the menu, keto no longer feels restrictive.
This three-day comfort food Meal Plan includes all of your favorite comfort food recipes. You’ll learn how to make keto versions of pancakes, breads, casseroles, cookies, and more.
To keep this Meal Plan keto-friendly, each full day falls under 20 g net carbs for one serving of each recipe. If you’re following a standard ketogenic diet, the recommended macros, or macronutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, and fat, include under 20 g net carbs per day for a single serving size of each recipe. (To reach the metabolic state called ketosis, you’ll need to stick to a macro plan over a number of days.)
Stick to the full Meal Plan or pick individual low-carb comfort food recipes to incorporate into your week. Feel free to pair any meal with your favorite keto-approved greens or vegetables such as cucumbers, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, or celery. Whether you’re new to keto or a seasoned pro, this Meal Plan lets you expand your keto horizons and add some satisfying new recipes to your repertoire.
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Learn more about the keto diet >>
Note: The Yummly Meal Planner is available to paid subscribers.
With the Yummly Meal Planner, it’s easy to add recipes to your personalized Meal Plan. From there, create a smart Shopping List, add custom items to your grocery list, sync lists across devices, and even get groceries delivered.
Day 1 keto diet Meal Plan
Say hello to our best keto comfort food recipes like a stack of pancakes, creamy seafood chowder, a bowl of meatballs, and even garlic rolls.
Daily Total Macros
Breakfast: Keto Buttermilk Pancakes
If you’re looking for a brunch-worthy dish, these decadent keto pancakes certainly won’t disappoint. They're made with coconut flour and flax meal. Instead of buttermilk, the recipe uses coconut vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) to achieve the same classic flavor without the extra carbs. Top off these fluffy pancakes with blueberries, butter, or a sugar-free syrup alternative.
Lunch: Low Carb Crab Chowder
Crab chowder is one of those sneaky dishes that at first glance, look like keto-friendly recipes. It’s high in fat with a moderate amount of protein, right? Unfortunately, most crab chowders include potatoes, which make them extra hearty but not keto-approved. This recipe substitutes the keto go-to, cauliflower. Instead of the florets, it uses diced cauliflower stalks to emulate the texture of a potato (florets work, too). Be sure to save leftover florets for cauliflower rice or a casserole.
Dinner: Keto Italian Meatballs
These meatballs are the epitome of hearty comfort food dinner recipes. The rich flavor of garlic, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese will transport you straight to an Italian restaurant. But they’re surprisingly easy to make right in your own kitchen. If you’re craving pasta with meatballs, you can even pair the recipe with zucchini noodles (zoodles), spaghetti squash, or another keto-friendly pasta alternative. For a fancy touch, garnish the dish with some fresh basil or parsley.
Side: Keto Garlic Rolls
These gluten-free garlic rolls are a serious game-changer for those following a keto diet. This recipe uses mozzarella dough — a flexible, keto-friendly kind made of mozzarella, almond flour, and cream cheese. While those ingredients might sound like an odd combination, the final product is about as close as you can get to a higher-carb yeast dough. In fact, these garlic rolls taste so good it’s hard to believe they’re actually keto. Enjoy them as a midday snack or pair them with the Keto Italian Meatballs to round out the meal.
Day 2 keto diet Meal Plan
Pizza, casseroles, and sweet and savory cookies. You get to enjoy keto versions of all of them today.
Daily Total Macros
Breakfast: Savory Keto Breakfast Cookies
These cookies combine traditional breakfast ingredients into one convenient, portable treat. Eggs, bacon, cheese, and almond flour make the baked goods surprisingly filling. Unlike sweeter breakfast options, this savory variety is an ideal snack to enjoy at any time of day. Before serving, try melting a slice of butter on top of the cookies to create cheddar biscuit flavor.
Lunch: Sheet Pan Pizza Chicken
Nothing hits the spot quite like pizza. Even on a keto diet, you can enjoy all the flavors of this staple. This recipe has many of the iconic pizza flavors — mozzarella, tomato sauce, and pepperoni — just without the carbs. Instead of a crust, each mini pizza rests on a chicken breast. The added protein from the chicken will keep you feeling full for hours. To add a little extra flavor, top off the dish with basil or oregano.
Dinner: Easy Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Hold the pre-made soups for this weeknight casserole recipe. It’s made completely from scratch, and that includes the cheddar sauce that gives this dish its rich, creamy texture. Although the casserole’s homemade, it takes only about 20 minutes of prep before it goes into the oven. For extra protein, try adding some pre-cooked chicken or turkey meat. If you’ve got picky eaters in your household, this cheesy entree is a great way to feature some veggies.
Snack/Dessert: Soft and Chewy Keto “Sugar” Cookies
No matter the time of year, we love having some keto-friendly treats on hand. They’re excellent for making any day feel special while also satisfying sugar cravings. This recipe yields heavenly keto sugar cookies in just 35 minutes. If you’re more of a chocolate chip cookie fan, not to worry! You can easily make these snacks your own by adding stevia-sweetened chocolate chips.
Day 3 keto diet Meal Plan
Discover easy swaps for creating keto versions of typically carb-heavy muffins, chili, and breadsticks, along with a family-friendly chicken casserole.
Daily Total Macros
Breakfast: Low Carb Blueberry Muffins
Though you might not be able to pick up a muffin from your local coffee shop while on the keto diet, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this quintessential breakfast food. This recipe shows you how to make keto blueberry muffins from scratch with almond flour and a sugar-free sweetener. You might find the muffins more filling than their high-carb counterparts — they'll keep you full for hours without the dreaded sugar crash.
Lunch: Keto Chili
Because a traditional chili is prepared with beans, making it keto requires a little extra innovation. Beans are quite high in carbs, so they're typically off the table on a keto diet. Thankfully, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on this hearty comfort food. This low-carb version has meat, vegetables, and just the right amount of spice to warm you up. Top off the chili with some shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and sliced scallions.
Dinner: Easy Parmesan Chicken Casserole
If you have some leftover chicken in your fridge, this casserole is a way to make good use of it. In just a few minutes, you can throw together a cheesy main dish to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. The addition of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise make the casserole extra creamy, while the mayo and Parmesan keep the fat content high enough to be keto-friendly. Pair this meal with keto breadsticks for a true cheese-lover’s dinner.
Side: Keto Breadsticks
This is the ultimate keto carb alternative to add to your repertoire. In just 30 minutes, you’ll have cheesy breadsticks to pair with almost any comfort food dish. The recipe calls for a food processor, which cuts down on time, making cooking almost effortless. If you’re a garlic fan like we are, you can add some to transform these into cheesy garlic breadsticks. Make these as a snack or pair them as a side dish with today’s chili or Parmesan chicken casserole.
Learn more about the keto diet
Is the ketogenic diet the best diet for you? It involves more than low-carb recipes. The keto lifestyle is about dramatically shifting the kinds of foods you eat to change your metabolism. Learn more about it in this next article — and as with any diet, consider talking with your doctor or nutritionist before getting started. Once you’re on board, ramp up your meal planning with two more keto Meal Plans.
• The Keto Diet: How to Know if It's Right for You
• Keto Diet Meal Plan #1: Two-Day Keto Kick-Start