Ketogenic Diet: Your Complete Meal Plan and Supplement Guide

Jumping into the ketogenic diet without a rock-solid plan will set you up for failure. Use this approach, crafted by researchers and athletes who have done the work and made the switch already!

So you've heard the arguments, weighed out the challenges and benefits, and decided you're all in. You're going keto.
First off, you're in good company. More people—and more athletes—than ever are embracing a very low-carb, high-fat diet and sticking with it for months, or even years, on end. Once they successfully make the switch from using carbohydrates to using fat and ketones for fuel, they find they're leaner, healthier, and more mentally focused than ever.
But for every lifter who ends up loving this approach, you'll find another who had a miserable experience and bailed after just a few days. This is a shame, because they probably could have felt great if they had simply had a better plan—or a plan at all.
I'm not here to sell you on nutritional ketosis or explain what it is or the big-picture benefits it can provide. That's the domain of other articles. With the help of

Myoplex athlete and longtime keto-adapted athlete Jason Wittrock, I'm here to provide you with your best induction experience.

Here's what you need to know to ace your nutrition and supplementation during the crucial first month of ketogenic dieting, along with a complete sample meal plan!
YOUR MUST-HAVE (AND MUST-NOT-HAVE) KETO FOOD LIST
Feeling ready to start buying groceries? Slow down there, chief. Go through the pantry, fridge, freezer, and secret stashes under the bed, and get rid of foods with any significant carb content. In the first few days, you could end up craving them—badly. Sorry, no fruit for now. Even carrots and onions are too high-glycemic to work with keto, Wittrock says.

Got that done? Cool. Now, here are some of the staples you should build your ketogenic diet around:
Fatty nuts and seeds: cashews, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds
Avocado
Whole eggs
Full-fat cheese
Beef: ground chuck (80/20), filet mignon, porterhouse, ribeye
Chicken: Thighs and legs
Vegetables: spinach and other greens, broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, mushrooms, bell pepper
Pork rinds
Olive oil
Salted butter
Heavy cream
Sour cream
Cream cheese
Fatty fish: salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies
Bacon


Chicken broth or bouillon cubes with at least 1 gram sodium
That last item may surprise you, but for many people, it makes all the difference. Why? When carbs are cut, we rapidly deplete glycogen, the stored form of carbohydrate. For every gram of glycogen we lose, we lose 3 grams of water. Addition of the bouillon will help prevent dehydration and improve the way you feel on the diet. Water isn't enough on keto; you need enough sodium, too.
"Chicken broth is absolutely critical on this diet as a way to ensure you are getting enough sodium," Wittrock explains. "Any time a client calls me and feels bad, I immediately tell them to drink a cup of chicken broth, and their symptoms usually go away."
Having some super-fatty treats to help you hit your ambitious macros is also a must. Luckily, many people have already gone where you're going.
"There are a lot of "fat bomb" recipes you can find on the Internet," Wittrock says. "These are very good at satisfying your sweet tooth, and a great way to increase fat consumption without going over on protein. Also, I'm a huge fan of salted pumpkin seeds and salted sunflower seed kernels. Believe it or not, pork rinds are also a very good keto snack."
Want even more guidance? Teryn Sapper, MS, lead registered dietician for the Department of Human Sciences at The Ohio State University, has written out a sample meal plan to get you off and running.