If you’ve been around here a while, you know that free keto meal plans are a staple of I Breathe I’m Hungry content – and this series of 12 weeks of meal plans was one of the first. If you’re OG enough to remember those early days, thanks for sticking around (or returning) and if you’re brand new to IBIH — welcome. I’m really glad you’re here.
This completely revamped Week 1 Keto Meal Plan is designed for people who want a clear plan without overthinking it. It’s realistic, structured, and intentionally simple — especially for January, when motivation is high but energy is often low.
If you prefer a looser guide with room for flexibility, this plan can still work for you. Just be sure to read the plan notes which give direction on swaps and adjusting macros within the plan.
Welcome to Week 1
If you’re just starting keto, this is exactly where you should be.
Week 1 is not about doing everything perfectly. It’s about:
- eating real, satisfying food
- keeping carbs low enough to get results
- and building confidence that you can actually do this
This plan is straightforward on purpose. You don’t need special ingredients, complicated cooking skills, or a ton of free time. You just need to follow the plan as written and give your body a chance to adjust.
If this is your first week of keto, it’s normal to experience detox symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and cravings (keto “flu” is a real thing) while your body adjusts to using ketones for energy. There are ways to minimize the discomfort and make the transition easier.
For more information about keto flu, the role of electrolytes, and other keto specific topics, check out my beginners guide to keto in the 3 Day Keto Kickstart.
A Note If You’ve Seen This Plan Before
This is not a minor update.
This Week 1 plan has been rebuilt from the ground up with new recipes. The goals are the same — simple, low-carb, high-protein meals — but the execution is completely different and far more realistic for real life.
If you’ve done my Week 1 plan in the past, this version will feel entirely fresh.
More weekly keto meal plans will follow using this same structure, so you’re never guessing what comes next.
How to Use This Plan
- Each day below tells you exactly what to eat
- Daily macros are already calculated
- If you follow it as written, no tracking is required
- Net carbs stay under 20g per day
- Calories average 1,600–1,700 per day, with normal variation
Standard Items
Standard Side Salad (1 serving)
- 2 cups chopped romaine
- 1 cup sliced cucumber
- ½ cup sliced celery
- 2 tablespoons keto-friendly dressing
Macros assume up to ~170 calories from dressing. If your dressing is higher or lower, adjust accordingly.
Romaine for Tuna Salad (1 serving)
- 2 large romaine leaves, or
- 1 cup chopped romaine
Whole leaves = wrap style.
Chopped = fork salad.
Coffee Notes
Coffee is shown with heavy whipping cream because it’s predictable and keto-friendly.
Macros in this plan assume 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream per cup
(≈ 50 calories, negligible carbs).
If you prefer a different creamer or use more than that, you’ll need to account for the difference yourself.
Daily Treat
- 1 Pistachio Truffle
Included in daily macros.
This is optional, and you can omit it completely or replace it with another store bought keto treat that has 2g net carbs per serving. Some people appreciate a sweet reward built into the plan, but if you can take it or leave it, I’d skip it.
Avocado Breakfast Swap
If you don’t like avocado or can’t eat it, you may omit it or substitute:
- 1 additional egg, or
- 1 additional slice of bacon
No other adjustments are needed.
Week 1 Daily Menu
Daily calories are calculated based on defined portions and recipe macros. Small variations may occur depending on brands and preparation.
Where no quantity is specified, it’s 1 serving as defined in the recipe.
Scroll to the bottom for the Shopping and Prep Lists
Monday
Breakfast:
2 eggs, 2 slices bacon, ½ avocado, coffee with cream
Lunch:
Tuna salad (½ cup) + romaine (see note above)
Dinner:
Cheesy Ranch Chicken & “Rice” + Standard side salad (see note above)
Treat: 1 Pistachio Truffle (optional)
Daily Macros:
1,612 calories • ~15g net carbs • ~84g fat • ~84g protein
Tuesday
Breakfast:
2 eggs, 2 slices bacon, ½ avocado, coffee with cream
Lunch:
Tuna salad (½ cup) + romaine
Dinner:
Cheesy Ranch Chicken & “Rice” + standard side salad
Treat: 1 Pistachio Truffle (optional)
Daily Macros:
1,612 calories • ~14.5g net carbs • ~84g fat • ~84g protein
Wednesday
Breakfast:
Cream Cheese Pancakes, coffee with cream
Optional: zero-carb pancake syrup
Lunch:
Cheesy Ranch Chicken & “Rice”
Dinner:
Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Chicken (see prep notes below) + standard side salad
Treat: 1 Pistachio Truffle (optional)
Daily Macros:
1,698 calories • ~14g net carbs • ~92g fat • ~97g protein
Thursday
Breakfast:
Cream Cheese Pancakes, coffee with cream
Optional: zero-carb pancake syrup
Lunch:
Cheesy Ranch Chicken & “Rice”
Dinner:
Beef Stroganoff Meatballs + Cheesy Cauliflower Purée
Treat: 1 Pistachio Truffle
Daily Macros:
1,721 calories • ~12–13g net carbs • ~96g fat • ~80–85g protein
Friday
Breakfast:
Cream Cheese Pancakes, coffee with cream
Lunch:
Tuna salad + romaine
Dinner:
Beef Stroganoff + Cheesy Cauliflower Purée + side salad
Treat: 1 Pistachio Truffle (optional)
Daily Macros:
1,603 calories • ~14g net carbs • ~88g fat • ~76g protein
Saturday
Breakfast:
Cream Cheese Pancakes, coffee with cream
Lunch:
Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Chicken
Dinner:
Beef Stroganoff + Cheesy Cauliflower Purée + side salad
Treat: 1 Pistachio Truffle (optional)
Daily Macros:
1,674 calories • ~15g net carbs • ~92g fat • ~83g protein
Sunday
Breakfast:
2 eggs, 2 slices bacon, ½ avocado, coffee with cream
Lunch:
Beef Stroganoff + Cheesy Cauliflower Purée
Dinner:
Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Chicken
(Or the Week 2 dinner if you’re prepping ahead)
Treat: 1 Pistachio Truffle (optional)
Daily Macros:
1,706 calories • ~13g net carbs • ~90g fat • ~92g protein
Week 1 Shopping List
Protein & Poultry
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – ~2½ lb
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – ~1½ lb
- Ground beef – ~1½ lb
- Bacon – 1½–2 lb
- Eggs – 2 dozen
- Canned tuna – 4 cans (5 oz each)
Dairy
- Cream cheese – 2 blocks (8 oz each)
- Mascarpone cheese – 8 oz
- Shredded cheddar cheese – 16 oz
- Sour cream – 8 oz
- Heavy whipping cream – 1 pint
- Butter – 1 lb
Produce
- Avocados – 4
- Romaine lettuce – 3 hearts or 2 large heads
- Cucumbers – 3–4
- Celery – 1 bunch
- Broccoli – 1 large head
- Cauliflower – 2 large heads or 2 large bags florets
- Garlic – 1 bulb
- Yellow onion – 1 small
- Sliced mushrooms – 8 ounces
Pantry (check before shopping)
- Olive or avocado oil
- Chicken broth – 2 quarts
- Beef broth – 1 quart
- Ranch seasoning
- Salt, pepper, paprika
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder, onion powder
- Mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Keto-friendly salad dressing
- Zero-carb pancake syrup (optional)
- Shelled pistachios
- Low-carb sweetener
- Vanilla extract
Week 1 Prep Plan
Sunday
- Make 4 batches Cream Cheese Pancakes (1 batch equals 1 serving)
- Make 1 batch Cheesy Ranch Chicken & “Rice”
- Make 1 batch Tuna Salad (2 servings)
- Make Pistachio Truffles
- Cook bacon in advance if desired
Wednesday
- Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Chicken NOTE: The soup recipe does not call for chicken except as an add on. Simply make the soup as called for. Cook the chicken breasts (2 lbs from the shopping list) separately (baked, sautéed, or steamed), then chop or shred and add to the soup when serving or portioning. Alternatively you can purchase cooked chicken breast pieces or rotisserie chicken and chop that and add it to the soup. The calories might vary but the carbs will stay the same.
Thursday
- Make Beef Stroganoff Meatballs + Cheesy Cauliflower Purée
- Make second batch Tuna Salad (2 servings)
Extra Servings
After completing Week 1, you may have some food left over from the following recipes:
- Cheesy Ranch Chicken & “Rice”
This recipe makes 6 servings.
4 servings are used in the Week 1 plan. - Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Chicken
This recipe makes 6 servings.
Not all servings are used during Week 1. - Tuna Salad
Each batch makes 2 servings.
Two batches are made during the week.
How to Use Extra Servings
- Extra servings may be eaten on days you’re hungrier.
- They can be used to replace another meal you’re tired of.
- Soup and chicken-based meals can be frozen and used in future weeks.
If you choose to add extra servings or swap meals, simply keep your total daily net carbs under 20g and adjust macros as needed.
What’s Next
The Week 2 Keto Meal Plan builds on this same structure with new meals and flavors.
If you’re new here, stick around — this is meant to be sustainable, not a crash diet.
Nikki says
First off, thank you for the meal plans. I have eaten LC before, but the meal plans and shopping lists are so helpful when getting back in the swing.
Secondly, thank you for the laugh. I loved the are you trying to annoy me part of this post. Sounds like something I would say/write. I always enjoy an unexpected laugh, so thanks again!
AKM says
Oh my goodness, I found your site Googling “budget low carb weekly plan,” and I cannot tell you how perfect this is. I put on weight last fall and over the holidays and I feel awful physically and mentally, and so I know I need to get back on the LC horse. I feel overwhelmed with life right now, and I just wanted something that was all set out for me and that didn’t have a brand-new recipe for EVERY meal, EVERY day. (Really…who DOES that?! People have the time and the money for that?! Sheesh!) This looks amazing! It’s even got foods that fit my palate, AND you give a prep plan. You just made a yucky day — medical/insurance woes, blech! — WAY better, and I thank you. Can’t wait to dig deeper into your site!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Jill! You can definitely go straight to the 7 day if you want to – they will get you into ketosis within 3 – 4 days as well! Let us know how you do!
Jill says
Great!!! Thanks for the quick response! :)
Jeny says
Oh my goodness. You are amazing!! Thank you so much for all of this. I love that you have a list of recipes. You have taken the work out of it for me. That is exactly what I want! Just tell me what to do. I don’t like to cook. My husband does the cooking for our family – he loves to. But he like yummy fattening foods that I am not eating. So I am on my own. So I love that you have taken the work out of it for me. Thank you for all your hard work.
Mellissa Sevigny says
You’re so welcome Jeny! I hope you have great success on the plans!!!
Jennifer Goldman says
Hi Mellissa!
I stumbled on your blog and it is EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for. A horrible planner needed your help and here it is! Quick question….does your shopping list and meal plan serve one person or more? Just trying to figure out if it will only feed me and I need to double it for my boyfriend, or it feeds more than one. Thank you so much for all of your hard work!
Mellissa Sevigny says
There will be leftovers of some of the recipes to share, but the plan is written for one person. If there are two of you doing it, some of the recipes will make enough and others will have to be doubled – you’ll just have to check the amount of servings each recipe makes vs. how many servings you’ll need for the week if there are two of you. Later weeks include a note about how many servings will be leftover for each recipe to help you figure that out! Hope you have great success on the plans!
Leah says
Hi Melissa,
You are an absolute life saver! I really appreciate that you try to incorporate some sweet desserts in there as well because after 6 days of Keto (and 4lbs lost so far!) my sweet tooth is CRAVING.
Im so busy all the time that printing out your weekly meal plans and cooking everything over the weekend has been such a blessing.
Thank you again!
Leah
Karina says
Wow you are absolutely AMAZING!
My husband has Type 1 diabetes. Having a keto diet has always help stabilize his numbers. It has been very difficult to stick to and to plan a keto diet so we often struggle to stick to it.
Your plan makes everything easier and everything looks so delicious. Thank you sooo much for the hard work you put into making this blog so awesome.
Charlene says
I love this plan! Thank you so much! I am waiting on ketostix in the mail, but I have a lot of the symptoms and I’m dropping weight like crazy. Funny how much sweeter those chocolate squares taste on day 5 than day 1. That’s usually a sign to me I have detoxed from sugar; the thought of “regular” sweets alone makes me shudder. No more cravings!! yay.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Congrats on kicking the cravings and dropping the weight Charlene! It’s cool how the 90% Lindt tastes gross when you’ve been eating sugar all along, but is the most amazing treat ever when you’ve been off sugar for awhile!
Grace says
So, I’m late to the party but I wanted to say that I’ve decided to take the plunge and I was so, so thankful for the shopping list. I ran to the store on the way home from work today and grabbed (almost) everything I needed. I came home and managed to get the Spinach and Sausage Frittata in the oven, the Cuban Pot Roast in the pressure cooker (2.5 pounds of meat in 40 minutes for the win!), the Cauliflower Gratin is cooking, and the Sundried Tomato and Feta Meatballs are completely done. It’s only been 90 minutes. I am planning to make the egg salad, cook the bacon, and the Cheesy Chili after the kids go to bed. I’ve made the cream cheese pancakes before and I prefer them on demand and it’s easy since they are dead simple to make.
I can’t get over how easy and fast ALL of these recipes were – thank you!!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
You’re welcome Grace, hope you’re still going strong!
Grace says
Thanks, Melissa!
I am still going strong even though there were two dinners out this week for a family anniversary and retirement party. I managed to find decent options at the restaurants – what would I do without the iceberg wedge? – and avoided the bread basket successfully.
I’m down 4.5 pounds today and feel great. My only problem is that Mr. Man keeps stealing all of my food. :-/ I guess I’ll make double batches this week.
Thanks again for all the amazing recipes!
Grace
Nicole says
Melissa, I am so grateful for a plan like this! I’m been low-carbing it for a month and have lost 8lbs. But my scale also goes up instead of down on occasion (probably because I don’t plan ahead and eat whatever I have available). I’m planning to start using your plan next week and will most likely add in a salad here and there to fit in with Atkins’ “foundation veggies” amounts. Just wondering if you’ve received any feedback from other Atkins followers who have done the same and seen success? – it’s OK if this question gets me a snarky comment :)
Thanks again for the work you’ve done and I can’t wait to try the cream cheese pancakes for myself!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hi Nicole! To get the best results on any ketosis based low carb plan it’s important to stay below 20g net carbs per day or you’ll risk getting out of ketosis and slowing your progress. If you’re going to add more salad to the plan I would just be careful to omit carbs elsewhere (snacks, dessert, etc.) to make sure you aren’t over the carb limit for the day. Some people can eat more than 20g and still stay in ketosis, but the only way to be sure is to use the ketostix to ensure that you are still excreting ketones. If you can add more veg and stay in ketosis then it’s a win win for sure! Enjoy the pancakes! :)