These Keto Meal Prep Recipes Will Save You Tons Of Time And Keep You On Track
Meal prepping is a super-easy way to keep you on track with any diet, but especially the keto diet. As a refresher, the keto diet is all about staying within a set number of macros that keep you in ketosis (the state your body enters when it doesn't have enough carbs for your cells to use for energy.)
“Keto diets have morphed into a variety of macro levels with ranges of up to 20 percent carbohydrates, 10 to 30 percent protein, and 50 to 90 percent fat," J. Wesley McWhorter, a registered dietitian at UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston, told Women's Health. That usually means eating no more than 50 grams of carbs a day (some strict keto dieters even opt for just 20 grams a day).
Whether you're new to the keto diet or you've been on it for years, meal prepping can keep you on track.
“When you meal prep, [you can see] what keto meals and snacks you can create without having to eat impulsively and make choices that could be off-plan,” Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, author of 2 Day Diabetes Diet, told Women's Health. “Planning in advance helps you keep the right keto foods on hand, so you can have satisfying options no matter where you go.”
But sometimes, your go-to meal prep recipes can get stale. To help you mix things up, we put together 30 of the best keto meal prep recipes for you to diversify your meals and keep you motivated.
There are few dishes more flexible than chili, including the keto-friendly kind. It can be lunch or dinner, served on its own in a piping hot bowl or spooned over cauliflower rice. Easy to make and change up from day to day.
Per serving: 193 calories, 6.7 g fat, 9.7 g carbohydrates, 3.7 g fiber, 24.3 g protein.
Speaking of piping hot bowls of goodness served over cauli rice, if you prefer Asian cuisine over Mexican, this recipe for Korean beef bowls will have you looking forward to dinner allllll day long.
Per serving: 462 calories, 25 g fat, 7 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 49 g protein.
Like a chocolate-covered strawberry in muffin form, this tasty recipe uses coconut flour to cut back on carbs.
Per serving: 270 calories, 24 g fat, 11 g carbohydrates, 7 g protein.
Thought you waved “bye-bye” to risotto when you hopped on the keto train? Not so fast. With the classic cauliflower rice swap, you can still have all the creamy, cheesy, savory goodness of mushroom risotto without all those pesky carbs.
Per serving: 200 calories, 16 g fat, 8 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 6 g protein.
Sometimes there’s a fine line between snack and dessert, and I'm totally okay with that—especially when the food in question comes freshly baked with layers of tart cranberries and chocolate.
Per serving: 196 calories, 14 g fat, 8 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 4 g protein.
Whip up a batch or two of these petite pancakes over the weekend and have them for breakfast every day of the week (topped with butter and sugar-free syrup, of course). Meal prep tip: Pancakes taste just as good reheated.
Per serving: 280 calories, 26 g fat, 6 g carbohydrates, 10 g protein.
You know you’re sick of regular marinara meatballs, so switch up your flavor profile and give buffalo chicken meatballs a go. Spicy and satisfying, these little guys are high in protein but super low in carbs, making them a keto-friendly meal with a kick.
Per serving: 230 calories, 15 g fat, 1 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 23 g protein.
A quiche is an easy solution to meal-prepping breakfast, and this crustless version combines veggies with cheese and bacon for a winning morning combo.
Per serving: 350 calories, 25 g fat, 7 g carbohydrates, 24 g protein.
It can be Taco Tuesday literally any day of the week when you meal prep this yummy casserole, loaded with ground beef, cheese, peppers, and diced tomatoes. And because the best part of any taco is the toppings, feel free to load up on keto-friendly sour cream, lettuce, and avocado.
Per serving: 612 calories, 43 g fat, 6 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 48 g protein.
Oatmeal isn’t keto-friendly, but this recipe for “noatmeal” combines seeds and collagen peptides with coconut milk for the same effect—plus you can switch up your add-ins for different flavors each morning.
Per serving: 592 calories, 47 g fat, 9 g carbohydrates, 31 g protein.
No, you can’t have crispy, breaded chicken Parm on keto, but I promise you won’t even care when you whip up a batch of this Italian fave in your Instant Pot. Serve over zoodles for a dinner that’s low-prep and low-carb.
Per serving: 248 calories, 11 g fat, 8 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 29 g protein.
Keto can get a bad reputation for being high in unhealthy fats, but boosting this breakfast casserole with a bunch of veggies puts your morning meal firmly in the filling-but-good-for-you camp.
Per serving: 152 calories, 8 g fat, 5 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 14 g protein.
Um, who doesn’t want to start their day with a bagel that’s been toasted and smeared with cream cheese? This recipe uses coconut flour, so you can enjoy all the chewy, savory goodness of a morning bagel without all the carbs.
Per serving: 190 calories, 12.3 g fat, 5.5 g carbohydrates, 12.1 g protein.
Creamy avocado makes mayo totally unnecessary in this chicken salad recipe; squeeze lemon juice into the mashed avocado to preserve that ripe green color for longer. You can eat this all week in lettuce wraps or on top of a salad, too.
Per serving: 267 calories, 20 g fat, 4 g carbohydrates, 19 g protein.
Chinese takeout may not be on plan for the keto diet, but this low-carb, deconstructed egg roll in a bowl definitely is (who needs a wrapper, anyway?). This recipe serves six so you can def chow down on it all week.
Per serving: 231 calories, 15 g fat, 8 g carbohydrates, 15 g protein.
A creamy, cheesy soup that uses just five ingredients. Done, done, and done. (Also: Soup leftovers are the best.)
Per serving: 291 calories, 25 g fat, 5 g carbs, 1 g sugar, 1 g fiber, 13 g protein.
If you have an Instant Pot, you should definitely be making soup in it—and this salsa chicken soup is a great way to get started. With just a few basic ingredients, it makes meal prep a breeze.
Per serving: 310 calories, 20 g fat, 8.5 g carbohydrates, 23 g protein.
Mason jars make this lunch super-portable and easy to prep in advance, and the homemade Greek dressing is flexible enough that you can swap in your favorite veggies, proteins, seeds, and salad greens. Pour the dressing in first so it keeps in the fridge 'til you're ready to eat.
Per serving: 627 calories, 52 g fat, 13 g carbohydrates, 25 g protein.
The avocado boats for this yummy BBQ pulled pork can be served warm or cold, so slice and fill one up or pop it in the microwave for a few seconds—whatever floats your (avocado) boat.
Per serving: 423 calories, 34 g fat, 9 g carbohydrates, 23.5 g protein.
By the time you get done mixing cauliflower with three different kinds of cheese and topping it with bacon and ham, you won’t even miss the pasta in this faux mac-and-cheese dish, I promise. Not to mention that you'll be SUPER psyched to dig into it for lunch the next day.
Per serving: 404 calories, 28 g fat, 8.7 g carbohydrates, 27 g protein.
For a twist on traditional lasagna, skip the marinara sauce and try this zucchini lasagna dish, which uses basil pesto for a bold flavor.
Per serving: 650 calories, 53 g fat, 6 g carbohydrates, 39 g protein.
The perfect dinner for busy nights, this zesty shrimp salad fits snugly into romaine leaves or butter lettuce cups before being topped with chopped avocado and cilantro. Use leftovers on top of salad or cauilflower rice later in the week.
Per serving: 197 calories, 10 g fat, 4 g carbohydrates, 22 g protein.
Many keto pizza recipes have crusts made from alternative ingredients (like cauliflower or chicken), but this recipe tops a low-carb, gluten-free crust with cheese, sausage, and pepperoni for a flavor pretty close to the real deal.
Per serving: 455 calories, 35.2 g fat, 10.2 g carbohydrates, 22.8 g protein.
Meal prep a whole pan of these and you can snack happy all week. You won’t find any oats in these granola bars, just a heaping pile of nuts, seeds, and flax meal that makes this a super-satisfying morning or afternoon snack.
Per serving: 205 calories, 17 g fat, 13 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein.
Attention peanut butter lovers: these cookies pack a double keto punch of being high in protein and fat, so they’ll fill you up whatever time of day you grab ‘em.
Per serving: 100 calories, 8 g fat, 3.5 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein.
If you prefer a savory mid-afternoon snack over a sweet one, you’re in luck: these cocktail tomatoes stuffed with keto-friendly protein will easily hold you over until dinner. Just prep a batch and keep it in the fridge in case you get hangry.
Per serving: 157 calories, 11 g fat, 4 g carbohydrates, 11 g protein.
Almonds are a great snack on their own, but roasted with cinnamon, coconut oil, and cocoa powder? You’ll be making these every week.
Per serving: 252 calories, 22 g fat, 8 g carbohydrates, 8 g protein.
Sign me up for this grain-free cracker. Almond flour makes these low-carb, while sesame seeds and cheese give them a delish flavor.
Per serving: 246 calories, 10 g fat, 5 g carbohydrates, 10 g protein.
This savory pot roast recipe is super easy. All you have to do is throw the meat, radishes, carrots. and seasoning in an Instant Pot. Bonus, it's also Whole30 approved.
Per serving: 337 calories, 21 g fat, 7 g carbohydrates, 32 g protein.
These muffins are the perfect recipe for any meal. This recipe makes 12 muffins, so they will last you for a while (#mealprep). Top them with avocado, salsa, or hot sauce.
Per serving: 138 calories, 8.8 g fat, 4.4 g carbohydrates, 9.8 g protein.
These Keto Meal Prep Recipes Will Save You Tons Of Time And Keep You On Track
Meal prepping is a super-easy way to keep you on track with any diet, but especially the keto diet. As a refresher, the keto diet is all about staying within a set number of macros that keep you in ketosis (the state your body enters when it doesn't have enough carbs for your cells to use for energy.)
“Keto diets have morphed into a variety of macro levels with ranges of up to 20 percent carbohydrates, 10 to 30 percent protein, and 50 to 90 percent fat," J. Wesley McWhorter, a registered dietitian at UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston, told Women's Health. That usually means eating no more than 50 grams of carbs a day (some strict keto dieters even opt for just 20 grams a day).
Whether you're new to the keto diet or you've been on it for years, meal prepping can keep you on track.
“When you meal prep, [you can see] what keto meals and snacks you can create without having to eat impulsively and make choices that could be off-plan,” Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, author of 2 Day Diabetes Diet, told Women's Health. “Planning in advance helps you keep the right keto foods on hand, so you can have satisfying options no matter where you go.”
But sometimes, your go-to meal prep recipes can get stale. To help you mix things up, we put together 30 of the best keto meal prep recipes for you to diversify your meals and keep you motivated.
Holy delicious.
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