Using meal plans in the beginning of your diet greatly increases your chances of success. The meal plans in part 2 of this book include meals for every part of the day, premade shopping lists, and macronutrient and calorie counts for each meal. They even account for leftovers. This will make starting out much easier and more enjoyable!
Meal plans work well because they give you goals and direction. If you know what you need to make next without thinking about it, you’re less likely to give up, change your mind, and order food from your favorite takeout spot. Also, since you know what’s coming next, you can look forward to it throughout the day and week.
After using the meal plans for a few weeks, you set your body up to have the right expectations for how much food you’ll provide it and what type of food it will get (high in fat and protein and low in carbs). Even if you don’t continue to use meal plans, you’ll be familiar enough with the diet to know what you should be eating and how much.
Pay attention to the ingredients listed on the packaged products you buy. The best products have just a few ingredients with recognizable names, meaning they’re made with fewer additives and preservatives.
CUSTOMIZING YOUR MEAL PLANS
Part 2 includes two weekly meal plans, which you can extend and reuse as many times as you like. You can also use the recipes from part 3 to make your own meal plans or swap out recipes in the meal plans provided.
The daily caloric goal in the meal plans is about 1700 calories, give or take 100 calories. If your caloric needs are higher or lower (don’t forget to use an online keto calculator before you start), adjust accordingly with some of the ingredients in the meals by simply taking out a little or adding a bit more. Additionally, you can always use an extra tablespoon of olive oil or butter when cooking to get an extra 100 calories or so.
SHOPPING
Initially, you should look at the nutritional information provided for almost every packaged product to see if the product is low in carbs or not. Many companies love to add sugar, so be on the lookout. Over your first few weeks, you’ll get to know which products are good and which are not as you look at nutritional labels.
Both of the meal plans in part 2 include shopping lists. You’ll notice the quantities are not based on the quantities stores sell them in. Look for what would be closest to those amounts when buying the items. As you get more comfortable with your new diet and know the quantities you need, you’ll rely less on shopping lists.