If you don’t plan properly, you won’t be able to stick to the keto diet. This is true for the majority of people. This is not like a calorie counting diet where you can eat whatever you want within a certain number of calories. You are changing how you eat, the types of foods you eat, and likely the way you cook your meals.
While this won’t be complicated once you begin doing it, you still need to prep and plan all your meals in the beginning. Once you get used to the foods that are low carb and you enjoy eating, your weekly meal planning will become much easier.
Have a Plan Before Grocery Shopping
The first time you go to the grocery store when you decide to switch to a keto diet can be a little daunting. But even more so if you aren’t prepared. This is why planning out your meals beforehand and having a list of exactly what you need is going to be your best bet.
In addition to having a plan, here are a few more tips to simplify the grocery buying process:
Add alternatives in case a food item on your list is sold out. You don’t want to have to make a fast decision if the low-carb tortillas are sold out. Then what od you do? Make sure you have alternatives written down so you know exactly what to do.
Stay away from the carb-filled aisles. You know the ones. These are going to be your bread aisles (unless you need nut butter), the bakery section, and most of the middle aisles with processed foods and packaged snacks. In the frozen food aisles, you won’t need anything aside from vegetables and meats.
Consider grocery delivery. In the beginning of your keto diet, it can be really helpful if you do grocery delivery. You won’t be tempted or stressed out walking past carb foods at the grocery store, and you can make sure you have everything on your list.
Start Cooking Keto Meals Beforehand
When it comes to planning your meals, it is very easy to go overboard and make the keto diet a lot more work than it needs to be. If you are coming from a place of rarely cooking, to making homemade meals three times a day, you aren’t going to last long on this diet.
Before you even start keto, start cooking low-carb meals to get the hang of it. When you do start keto and making your meals, don’t have an entire week of brand new recipes. Stick with mostly meals you have made before, then add in a new recipe or two ach week.
