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.
Ebony says
Hi,
Do I just double up on the shopping etc if I’m doing it for 2 or are there leftover etc.
Thanks
Ann Chavez says
I just made all this tonight and I had some left overs. The Sausage & Spinach Frittata I had enough to share with 2 people, the meatballs were for 1, the chili squash I had enough for 1 plus 1 extra serving, The pot roast I had enough for 1, Egg salad is for 1, bacon is for 1, the pancakes are 1, and I will be making the cauliflower tomorrow.
Stefanie says
I have loved this plan for the last 6 weeks! On week 7, or about to start tomorrow really. I cannot find Ricotta for some reason. Would cottage cheese work?
Brooke says
HOLY COW!
I’ve just recently decided to embark on a Keto lifestyle, and it seemed so daunting. Your blog and these killer weekly meal plans has been the first resource I’ve found that actually makes me feel like I can do this! And I’ve read TONS of blogs, recipes, and articles. I’m sure these weekly meal plans take a considerable amount of time to create, but I’m so thankful you did!!
Starting week one on Monday and I’m so excited!
Stacy says
Did the 3day plan and loved it. Starting week 1… For the rotisserie chicken- skin on or off?
Kendal says
I bow to you, woman. New to the keto lifestyle, I am a long term Atkins diet person and the addition of fats has given me so much more energy and my brain is awake for the first time in years. Just bought 2 copies of your book to enjoy and spread the love, but more importantly to support your good work/effort. I hope everyone on here does the same.
Just, thank you.
Irene says
THANK YOU!!! My husband and I are looking to begin the Keto eating plan and this is incredibly helpful!! The weekly meal plan will take the anxiety out of trying to figure out what we can and can’t eat. Thank you for everything, putting the plan together, the shopping lists, what and how to prep it. So thankful I came across your site!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
You’re welcome Irene! Hope you guys have great success!
Kelly says
I just had to say THANK YOU!!!! I’ve been spinning my wheels looking at a ton of keto friendly recipes and was one step away from jumping off a bridge. Holy cow there’s just soooo much of nothing out there. You have made this so incredibly easy. And to make my week even better, there isn’t a single shellfish recipe ( I’m very allergic).. Yay!!! So grateful I found your site.
cid de licious says
Let me be the 10,000th person to say THANK YOU! This is exactly what I needed to get started. I’ll see if I can find the 3 day thing too, but this meal plan looks perfect!
Cid de licious says
Update – I skipped some snacks according to my keto calorie calculator (I’m short!) and I jumbled meals around a bit. But I lost 6 lbs already, stayed in ketosis (verified by my strips) and didn’t feel terrible. Thanks again for all the tips!
Meghan says
I just want to thank you for these meals plans! My inlaws are coming to visit and they have recently switched to a low-carb diet. These menus fit the bill perfectly. I love how healthy everything seems. You make it look so simple! If we have a successful week, we might just make this a long term thing. Thank again!
Mellissa Sevigny says
That’s great Meghan and how sweet of you to accommodate your in-laws way of eating! I hope the recipes are a hit with everyone!
Jennifer Mileski says
Thank you – your web site has been a LIFE SAVER!!! My doc suggested trying Keto, and while there are a lot of sites out there, most have so many ads and pop-ups that it makes browsing them stressful at best, impossible at worst. Your site has bee user friendly, from a technical view, but also (and more importantly) from an informational view. Your recipes look AWESOME – trying to find meals that my family will tolerate has been a concern, and you provide so many options I think it’s safe to say they will not starve, or deviate too far from my newly adopted keto lifestyle. Again, THANK YOU!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Jennifer, I really appreciate that feedback! I’m excited for you – keep us posted on your success!
Sonya says
I lost 7.8 pounds doing this! And what’s amazing is that most days I only had one snack because I wasn’t hungry, which was amazing since I’m the Bottomless Pit. THANK YOU so much for these plans!
Zina Crews says
OMG, I’m so grateful to you for these meal plans. My girlfriend wanted me to do this a year ago and it was way too much work to put together the daily meals. But thanks to my coworker finding you online I can do this for quite some time, or at least until there are no more meal plans. but by that time I should have managed it. We were skeptical at first, worried the food wouldn’t taste as good as it looked, but to our surprise the meals are amazing. Our diet usually consist of chicken, steak, kale, potatoes and occasion pasta, cokes every day and oh how I love M&M’s. I work 9 hour days and spend 1 1/2 hrs commute each way to work so it doesn’t leave much time to cook. Since I’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea I have dr instructions to be in bed by 9 to sleep. Okay the real reason why I started now…..my daughter is getting married in September and I need to lose weight, not her words but mine and the doctors. After having been on day 7 of the meal plan, there’s no way I’ll be going back to eating the way I was.
I haven’t had any mood swings, my energy level has improved and I actually want to exercise. I did experience 1 day that I had a craving. Friday I wanted chocolate so bad, so I had one (1) peanut m&m and I was fine. I know it sounds crazy but for me I just need a taste of whatever I’m craving and I’m fine. I usually want to fall asleep after every meal, but it’s not happening.
The meals are awesome and have opened my palate up to new items. When the recipe called for cauliflower, my husband was like “aw lawd I hate cauliflower”, I said either you stick with the meal plan or you cook for yourself. Well, to say the least he tried the Cheesy Cauliflower Puree & Easy Cauliflower Gratin and loved them both. I thought I would get another taste of both but looked in the fridge and they were both gone. All of the meals are great. I think our favorite to date is the Chili Spaghetti Squash, we had to keep ourselves from eating it all at one time. So after our meal I had to portion everthing out for future meals.
Please don’t stop, I have forwarded this link to so many people that I know. I mentioned it on my facebook page and told my friends if they wanted the link I would forward to them. But this is now a lifestylc change for us, and I will be ordering your ebooks.
Thank you again, you are definitely a lifesaver!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I’m so happy for you Zina! Thanks for letting me know how well you guys are doing, and I’m always thrilled when a sworn cauliflower hater like your husband is won over by my recipes! Keep us posted on your progress as you continue with the plans!!!
Zina says
I forgot to tell you our progress….I’m down 7 lbs and my husband is down 9