Meal Planning

I think the most challenging aspect of my ketogenic life is figuring out what to eat.  A person can only eat a steak with a salad so many times before they start to get tired of steak and salad.  I'm one of those people who needs a lot of variety in my diet or else I get extremely bored.

Meal planning helps a lot to make sure I'm eating a variety of foods.  Variety not only curbs monotony, but it also ensures that I get the proper amount of nutrients to maintain my health.  Different types of meats, fats and vegetables have a variety of essential nutrients.

To help me plan my meals I sit with a sheet of paper and brainstorm, jotting down all the ideas that pop into my head.  I even keep a running list in my dayplanner so if I think of something I can add it before I forget about it later.

When I get ready to create my meal plan I try to include something each week from different categories:

American Cooking

Italian Cuisine

Asian Inspired

Mexican Style

And then I choose a meat for each one:

Pork

Beef

Chicken

Fish or Seafood

Ground Meat

I usually try to come up with three or four meals each week and then make enough of each one for at least two meals, lunches and dinners.  If I make more I'll freeze that to use later with another meal plan.  Often I meal prep for an hour or two and prepare all of my meals at once so all I have to do later in the week is heat them up and enjoy.

Meal planning is an essential part of my keto lifestyle.