Easy Keto Newbie Meal Ideas 😲

Shared by DeniseM

I know when starting Virta, meal planning can be a bit daunting. Basic meal planning should include a Virta-approved protein, veggie, and fat. The Virta Resource Center has complete guides to all the foods to choose from. These are just some easy, simple ideas I used and have made that would be possibilities to choose from when first starting Virta. Remember to also drink at least 64 ounces of water, bouillon twice a day for sodium, and get plenty of good quality sleep! Have an amazing start and get ready to see how the power of food will change your life! 🎉🎉🎉

Breakfast ideas for the beginning of your low-carb plan

• Fried Eggs in Butter

• Scrambled Eggs in Butter with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Feta Cheese

• Egg Bites

• Cream Cheese Pancakes with Walden Farms Pancake Syrup

• Easy Egg Veggie Omelet with Green Pepper, or any Virta Friendly Veggies and Cheese

• More Omelet ideas

• Egg Loaf (Tastes like French Toast)

• Low-carb Sugarfree Protein Shakes like Premier Protein or Quest

• Chaffle Breakfast Sandwich

Protein Sides

Make sure you have enough protein with your first meal of the day.🥓

• Sugarfree Bacon

• Sugarfree Sausage (all different proteins) with 3 carbs or less

• Deli Meat-Make sure to check the ingredients

• Smoked Salmon

• I‘ll also use leftover protein from dinner

Easy lunch ideas whether you're at home or bringing to work

• Big Mac Salad (sub tomatoes with red pepper and onion with green onion)

• Taco Salad (sub tomatoes with red pepper and avocado with green pepper)

• Shrimp Salad in Lettuce Cups

• Tuna Salad in Mini Sweet Peppers

• Cobb Salad (sub tomatoes with red pepper)

• No Bread Club Sandwich (leave off tomato)

• Sandwich Lettuce Wraps (leave off tomato and onion)

• Spicy Chicken Sandwich (leave off tomato and avocado)

• Reuben Sandwich Cabbage Cups

• Make any sandwich with the Basic Chaffle recipe or use Outer Aisle Gourmet Sandwich Thins. Another good option for tacos or sandwich wraps are Egg Life Wraps and Folio Cheese Wraps.

• There also are several soups that are Newbie-approved. Ones with a broth base and without tomato will work, also creamy soups are an excellent choice.

Dinner ideas that the whole family will love!

• Fried Cabbage (sub onion with onion powder)

• Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Roasted Asparagus

• French Onion Pork Chops with Butter Garlic Sauce

• Beef Stir Fry

• Pot Roast with Brown Gravy

• Sheet Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken

• Baked Fish with Parmesan Crust

There are so many other meals to choose from, so take a look around, but Rotisserie Chicken is a great, easy option; Grilled Steak, Grilled Chicken, and Fish are all very simple. You can do some yummy chicken wings; check those recipes out. Baked ribs! It's all easy and delicious. Then pair them with easy roasted or sautéed veggies. If you don’t want to do fresh produce, you can buy the frozen veggies in steam bags and just pop them in the microwave, then season and add butter. Very easy! Below are a few of my favorite veggies that require a bit more work.

VEGGIE SIDES

• Cauliflower Mash a la George (better than mashed potatoes!)

• Cajun Green Beans (sub onion with onion powder)

• Creamed Spinach

• French Style Green Beans Almondine

• Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Risotto

I‘m going to stop now and not do snacks or desserts. I’ll save them for another post. I don’t want this to be too overwhelming. But all of these choices can be made ahead, and meals prepped for the week. It also is a good idea to write things down for 3-7 days so that you aren’t scrambling around at the last minute, not knowing what to cook or not having all the ingredients.

I hope this helps you to know that you can still have easy food that you will like and it doesn’t have to be boring at all!

Wishing you good health and happiness! 🩷

Denise