This Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge (or SCKC) is a 30 day keto program that eliminates common allergens and inflammation triggers that can hinder weight loss and worsen autoimmune diseases and other chronic health issues like Lipedema and IBS. Designed for healthy and sustainable weight loss, this clean eating approach to keto can be customized to fit your personal goals and schedule! Start with us on January 5th, 2026!
Aaaaah January – the wonderful time of year when you shake off that sugar coma and start to panic about the 10 or more pounds you gained in what feels like just days. So you solemnly swear that you’re going to straighten up and fly right, trading in those chocolate stained yoga pants for your favorite skinny jeans ASAP. The struggle is real, and we are here for you!
In the past I’ve turned to the popular Paleo-inspired Whole 30 program when I want to clean up my diet and detox off of sweeteners, dairy and alcohol, three known inflammation triggers for me (and many others.) While I always feel great on Paleo diet plans, I don’t usually lose much weight on them. Then the problem for me is transitioning back to keto for weight loss and giving up the fruits, sweet potatoes and other carbs that are “legal” on the Whole 30. It’s painful and frustrating because the fundamentals of both ways of eating, while healthy, are often at odds.
So I developed a plan that I call the Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge – using principles that I’ve been testing on my IBIH 5 Day Keto Soup Diet to incredible results across the board. Squeaky Clean Keto simply marries the elimination diet standards of plans like the Whole 30 with a very clean approach to the ketogenic diet. It’s definitely more restrictive than a typical keto diet, but the fantastic results are worth it – and you can do anything for just 30 days!
Table of Contents
- What is the Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge?
- IBIH Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge at a Glance (Infographic)
- Who should do the Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge?
- How to make the Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge work for you.
- Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge Resources
- 4 Weeks of FREE Squeaky Clean Keto Meal Plans
- Downloadable Printables
- List of IBIH Squeaky Clean Keto Compliant Recipes
What is the Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge?
The Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge is a 30 day whole foods clean eating keto plan that is designed for faster weight loss and better overall health. The focus is less on perfect macros (percentages of fat, carbs and protein eaten in a day,) and more on the quality of food that you’re nourishing yourself with.
The basic principles of the Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge are pretty simple – keep to the following guidelines and you’re good to go.
1. Keep your net carbs at or below 20 grams per day. (total carbs – fiber carbs = net carbs)
2. Weigh in at the beginning and end of the 30 days, measure weekly (see resources list below for guidelines and printable chart)
3. No animal derived dairy products – cows, sheep, goat, water buffalo, unicorns – NADA. (Butter is the one exception.)
4. No alcohol (flavored extracts like vanilla are the one exception)
5. No nuts, nut milks, or nut flours (almonds, walnuts, cashews, macadamia, hazelnuts, pecans, etc. Coconut is the one exception.)
6. No legumes (peanuts or other starchy beans – green beans are the one exception)
7. No gluten or grains (wheat, spelt, bran, oat, quinoa, etc. Those low carb tortillas have to go.)
8. No added sugar or sweeteners (sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave, stevia, monk fruit, sucralose, aspartame, xylitol, saccharin, erythritol, etc.)
9. Not strictly required, but bonus points for also avoiding MSG, Carageenan and food dyes, especially Red 40.
IBIH Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge at a Glance (Infographic)
Who should do the Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge?
Anyone can do the Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge.
That being said, it’s designed for people who are interested in faster weight loss on the keto diet, as well as those who have tried keto (and other diets) in the past and haven’t gotten the results they were hoping for. (In my book Keto for Life, I discuss more on this topic of “finding your fins.”) Because SCKC removes common allergens and inflammation triggers that can hinder weight loss in some people, it can potentially help “slow losers” jumpstart and lose weight faster than usual.
Squeaky Clean Keto is also great for people who are struggling with skin problems, joint pain, digestion issues, lipedema, and other autoimmune symptoms that can be exacerbated by the consumption of dairy, gluten, sweeteners, alcohol and/or nuts. The SCKC is an elimination diet, so if your symptoms are greatly reduced while doing the plan, you can then add things back one at a time and identify which of them (if any) are specific triggers for you so you can avoid those moving forward.
Finally, the Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge is perfect for people who like/need structure and rules to help keep them on track and accountable on a detox or weight loss plan. It doesn’t mean that you rebels can’t do the plan, it just may feel unnecessarily restrictive to you.
Typically those personality types are the ones who email me looking for permission to “tweak” the plan to their own preferences. You’ll be happy to know that you don’t need to ask me – if this approach doesn’t feel right to you just, find another plan or customize the SCKC to meet your own personal goals as necessary.
How to make the Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge work for you.
While this SCKC plan works best when adhered to strictly, we realize that you also can’t take a month off from living and that there may be situations out of your control (eating at a restaurant, etc.) that introduce small amounts of non plan foods into your month. For that reason, we’re not saying that if you “contaminate” yourself with something off plan unintentionally, or make a choice to have a special occasion meal during the 30 days, that you have failed or that you must start over to reap the benefits.
Do the best you can – it’s still likely going to be better than what you’ve been doing.
Regarding sugar – if your mayo, hot sauce, or bacon shows sugar in the ingredients but is 1 or less carbs per serving then don’t worry about it. Artificial sweeteners are out. Natural sugars found in berries or vegetables are ok as long as your quantities are within your carb budget for the day. Don’t go hog wild, but we don’t want to make this harder than it has to be either.
That being said, if you don’t commit to at least trying to do this plan as written, once you start allowing yourself to bend the rules it’s a slippery slope to just pitching it altogether. If this SCKC plan just seems too restrictive for you out of the gate, go with my standard weekly keto meal plans – you’ll still lose weight and see some benefits of the ketogenic state, and you can always work up to Squeaky Clean Keto over time if you choose.
Meanwhile you can check out my IBIH Keto Soup Diet or IBIH Keto Egg Fast Plan as alternatives – both are free 5 day meal plans that yield great results and don’t require a lengthy time commitment.
Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge Resources
Get 4 weeks of meal plans and lots of great tips and tricks for making your SCKC even more successful in my new book Squeaky Clean Keto!
4 Weeks of FREE Squeaky Clean Keto Meal Plans
Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge Facebook Community
In addition to a weekly live chat, you can get support, ask questions, share successes, and generally hang out with an awesome group of people on Facebook who are also doing the SCKC! Request membership to the exclusive FB community by clicking here,and we’ll get you approved ASAP!
SQUEAKY CLEAN KETO PERSONAL WEEKLY MEAL PLANNER
Squeaky Clean Keto Meal Planning Guidelines
Your net carbs should stay below 20g per day, but your calorie needs may vary depending on size, gender, and activity levels. For weight loss purposes the average woman can aim for around 1400 calories per day, and for men it’s about 1800 calories. Again this may vary depending on the individual.
For easier meal prep, choose 2 breakfast options to alternate throughout the week, or try fasting until noon and eliminate breakfast altogether.
Depending on how many you are cooking for, making just three to four SCKC friendly recipes on the weekend can yield enough lunches and dinners to get you through the entire week. Try making at least one soup per week, since they are a fantastic option that is filling and can be easily reheated. If you’re only cooking for yourself, you can freeze some for later weeks.
When in doubt, keep it simple! See a list of IBIH recipes that are SCKC compliant below!
Squeaky Clean Keto Goal Sheet (Printable)
Squeaky Clean Keto Journal Sheets (Printable)
SQUEAKY CLEAN KETO TRACKING SHEET FOR WEIGHT (AND INCHES) LOST
Downloadable Printables
List of IBIH Squeaky Clean Keto Compliant Recipes
SCKC BREAKFAST RECIPES
Sunflower Butter & Cocoa Smoothie
Crispy Corned Beef & Radish Hash
Bacon & Zucchini Eggs in a Nest (omit cheese)
Corned Beef & Cauliflower Hash
SCKC MAIN DISH RECIPES
Peruvian Roasted Chicken with Green Sauce
Carne Asada with Chimichurri Sauce
Shrimp & Chorizo Spaghetti Squash Bowls
Zoodles with Sardines, Tomatoes & Capers
Thai Chicken with Basil & Cauliflower Rice (omit sweetener)
Pan Seared Steak with Shitake Butter
Baked Chicken & Cauliflower Rice
Easy Roasted Chicken & Tomatoes
Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Rosemary & Mustard Crusted Ham
SCKC SOUP RECIPES
Keto Soup Diet Chicken & Vegetable Soup
SCKC SIDE DISH RECIPES
Shrimp & Cauliflower Rice Salad
Lemon and Mint Cauliflower Couscous
Garlic & Chive Cauliflower Mash
Coconut & Lime Cauliflower Rice
Zucchini & Sweet Potato Latkes
Ben Garza says
Is Extra virgin Olive Oil ok on SCKC? What about Tapatio?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yes to olive oil, Tapatio would be ok unless it has a lot of sugar – less than 1g total is ok but keep track of those carbs.
Ben Garza says
Tapatio has no sugars! One more question. Are pork rinds allowed as a snack for SCKC?
Anne says
SUCCESS!!! I just completed the challenge and lost a respectable 10 lbs, but the most motivating thing was that I lost 3 inches in my waist and 2.5 inches in my hips! PLUS the recipes were so delicious! Thanks Melissa for laying out the plan so it was easy to follow and for such a wide selection of flavorful recipes!
Erin says
I’m not new to keto, but new to SCK, and looking forward to it. Figure I’ll start on April 1st. Have about 50lbs to shed. Looking forward to seeing results!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Keep us posted Erin!
Donna E says
I started Squeaky Clean Keto on November 8, 2021. As of today, January 26, 2022 I have lost 48 pounds. I can reach the clothes at the bottom of my huge washing machine, thanks to tummy gone!
I am able to work out fairly intensely for a 59 year old grandma. I am much happier.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for sharing your amazing results Donna – that is truly fantastic! This made my day to read! 💕
Barbara R. says
Is there a water amount we should be shooting for daily?
Anne Kwiatkowski says
Good moring, Mellissa,
I love your recipes and have been trying the soup diet to kickstart my weight loss. Unfortunately I am diabetic and it’s making my blood sugar too low so I’ve stopped the soup diet and am going to move to a keto diet. Can you suggest some carbs that are healthy but won’t make my blood sugar too high? I am not asking for medical advice, just somethings that I can snack on that won’t put me out of ketosis. I understand if you can’t for liability reasons. Thank you.
jamie says
How do I find the printable sheets to record my receipts, measurements, etc.
Thank you