Keto Diet Meal Plan #1: Two-Day Keto Kick-Start
Give keto a try with the Yummly Meal Planner and delicious, nutrient-dense recipes curated by keto diet experts!
By Annissa and Harper Slusher of Simply So Healthy. Photograph by Olga Ivanova.
If you’ve been considering the popular keto diet, you might be searching for just the right way to launch your keto journey and set yourself up for long-term success. We had the same challenge when we began eating keto five years ago. Since then, we’ve learned a great deal about how a satisfying Meal Plan can help make keto a lifestyle we enjoy, rather than a diet we resent.
The ketogenic diet — a low-carb, high-fat diet — has surged in popularity in recent years. As a mother-and-daughter food-blogging team, we discovered the keto diet soon after starting our blog, Simply So Healthy. We were immediately intrigued by keto’s health benefits — increased energy levels, improved mental clarity, and stabilized blood sugar. For us, keto is so much more than a traditional diet. It’s a holistic approach to improving your health. Instead of restricting calories, the keto diet focuses on nutrient-dense foods that are a pleasure to eat.
While keto is often used to promote weight loss, its benefits extend far beyond that. On a keto diet, we both noticed significant all-around health improvements. Our energy and productivity increased, as did our mental clarity. These life-changing benefits got us hooked on keto for the long run. Since then, we've been on a mission to make a ketogenic diet as accessible as possible by sharing easy and satisfying keto recipes. We’ve worked to create options ranging from simple on-the-go dishes to meals that will make you feel like you’re in a five-star restaurant.
The goal of our beginner keto Meal Plan is to make the start of your keto journey so easy and delicious you’ll want to turn it into a long-term reality. Although it's often portrayed as the bacon, cheese, and butter eating pattern, a keto diet can be so much more.
These eight recipes will introduce you to the many possibilities of keto — from flavorful casseroles to tasty treats like coconut macaroons, which you might not have imagined were open to you on a keto diet.
This two-day basic keto Meal Plan follows the recommended macros, or macronutrients (meaning, the carbohydrates, protein, and fat) of a standard keto diet, remaining under 20 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.)
Feel free to pair any meal with keto-friendly salads, veggies, or greens like broccoli, asparagus, spinach, cucumber, or celery, which won't affect your carb count. Even if you’re already following a keto lifestyle, this two-day Meal Plan is a great opportunity to break free from the routine and explore new recipes.
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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
Start your keto diet plan with protein- and fat-rich recipes that will help you stay full and satisfied. You even get to enjoy a keto-friendly dessert!
Day 1 Total Macros
Breakfast: Low-Carb Blueberry Smoothie
Although the high sugar content of most fruits normally means you have to avoid them on a keto diet, there are a few exceptions. Blueberries are high in fiber and low in sugar, which makes them the perfect candidate for various fruity keto recipes like this smoothie. While you should still consume blueberries in moderation on keto, a little go a long way in a flavorful and creamy smoothie. The best part? This heavenly beverage takes only five minutes to whip up.
Lunch: 5 Ingredient Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Frittata
The frittata is a simple upgrade from the traditional omelet. This recipe requires only five ingredients (including Parmesan for rich flavor) and a few minutes to prepare before the oven does the rest of the work. Because the frittata is oven-baked, it’s much more foolproof than many stovetop approaches. The best part about this dish is it’s highly customizable. Once you've learned the basic steps, you can prepare one with whatever ingredients you have on hand — whether it’s veggies, cheeses, or even meats.
Dinner: Keto Chicken and Cauliflower “Rice” Casserole
If you’re looking for the ultimate comfort food, nothing can beat this casserole. It features cauliflower rice, a keto staple that gives the dish its hearty quality. The final product is a perfectly creamy casserole with mushrooms, cauliflower rice, onion, and cooked chicken breast. You can even make the recipe your own by adding in some extra veggies like celery, green beans, or asparagus.
Dessert: Keto Magic Coconut Macaroons
If you’re a fan of the chocolate-coconut combo, these macaroons are going to be a hit! They’re made with coconut, pecans, and erythritol, a natural low-carb sweetener, which keeps them keto-friendly. The chocolate-dipped base and drizzle on top give the macaroons an elegant look sure to impress your friends and family. The coolest part about these treats is you can store them in the fridge for whenever those chocolate cravings strike.
Day 2 keto diet Meal Plan
Veggie-rich omelet cups, creamy soup with keto “bread,” and a keto comfort-food casserole add up to some satisfying home-style eating.
Day 2 Total Macros
Breakfast: Vegetable Omelet Cups
These vegetable omelet cups are an easy keto meal for the morning rush. You can easily work them into your meal prep and store leftovers in the fridge for a convenient on-the-go keto breakfast throughout the week. Depending on what veggies you have on hand, you might substitute other keto-friendly alternatives like jalapeños or mushrooms for the bell pepper and tomato. If you’d like to increase the fat content of these omelet cups, try adding some shredded cheese. The protein-packed final product will leave you feeling full and satisfied for hours.
Lunch: Low-Carb Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This soup is the ideal comfort food to keep you cozy on a chilly day. Cream cheese and heavy cream give the recipe its satiny texture while also increasing the fat content to make it keto-friendly. If you’d prefer to prepare the soup ahead, you can store it in the fridge and warm it up over low heat while stirring frequently. Garnish the dish with shredded cheddar cheese and serve 90 Second Keto Bread for dipping.
Dinner: Low-Carb Mexican Taco Casserole
This taco-inspired casserole combines all the essential ingredients into a delicious new dish. The heavenly filling is made with ground beef and riced cauliflower, all in a gooey cheese sauce. If you purchase taco seasoning for this recipe, remember to check the nutritional label to make sure there are no added carbs. Serve this casserole with any of your favorite taco toppings such as sliced avocado, salsa, or sour cream.
Snack: 90 Second Keto Bread
You might think the keto lifestyle means bread is off-limits, but it’s actually super easy to bake keto bread right at home! This low-carb recipe tells you how to make your own keto-friendly bread similar to an English muffin in texture and size, but based on almond flour and egg instead of regular flour. The bread is great for dipping in Low-Carb Broccoli Cheddar Soup at lunch. For a stand-alone snack, top it with a slice of butter, herbed cream cheese, or another keto-friendly spread of choice.
Learn more about the keto diet
The ketogenic diet is more than just a low-carb diet. It involves dramatically shifting the kinds of foods you eat to change your metabolism. The lifestyle has legions of fans — but it’s not without controversy. In this next article, learn the pros and cons to decide if keto is the diet for you. As always with dieting, you may want to seek medical advice before getting started.