5 Simple Keto Meal Prep Ideas To Save You Time

Spending just a little time at the beginning of the week on keto meal prep can make staying on track easier, especially for those with a busy life. You’ll find five easy tips to meal prep in this post that don’t take a lot of time.

5 Easy Keto Meal Prep Ideas

Since starting Keto over two years ago, I have found that a few low carb meal prep steps make life easier. I start each week by creating a keto meal plan for our dinners, followed by grocery shopping. I have found that by doing so, it’s easier to stay on track when life gets hectic. We also stick with simple family-friendly meals without a lot of elaborate ingredients.

What is the Keto Diet Plan?

If you are looking to start a Keto/Low Carb eating plan, this guide to getting started on keto is a fantastic resource complete with a printable shopping list. Research is the first step in making a successful lifestyle change. Once you have a clear understanding of the ketogenic diet and what you should eat, you’ll get more comfortable making food choices.

What Can I Eat on the Keto Diet?

The keto diet is high in fat, moderate protein, and low in carbs. When you follow this type of eating, your body depletes its glycogen stores and begins burning fat for energy. This is why the ketogenic diet is high in healthy fats like coconut oil, olive oil, grass-fed butter, and various fatty meats.

You may experience undesirable side effects at the beginning like the keto flu, which is typically short-lived and can be minimized with electrolytes. The positive health benefits of being in ketosis are losing weight, higher energy levels, and consuming less processed foods and added sugar.

Don’t Miss Any New Keto Friendly Recipes

If you aren’t already following my Easy Keto/Low Carb Recipe Page on Facebook where I post all my new recipes, you can join here and follow me on Pinterest here for fantastic keto meal prep recipes.

1. Keto Meal Prep Tip: Weekly Keto Meal Plan 

Each week I loosely meal plan our dinners. Once my keto meal plan is ready, I make a grocery list to coincide with what we will be eating that week. To simplify further, I often grocery shopping online. You can find an extensive list of keto recipes in my keto/low carb recipe index. For those who need a weekly meal plan for inspiration, you can find all of the past keto meal plans in one helpful resource.

2. Keto Meal Prep Tip: Brown Ground Beef in Advance and Freeze

I had mentioned that I keep ground beef already browned in the freezer on facebook recently, and I couldn’t believe how many people commented thanking me for the tip. I always have ground beef browned in the freezer for days that end up more hectic than I had expected.

How to Brown Ground Beef in Bulk:

I buy several pounds at a time and cook all of it at once in a tall stockpot on low. Next, I set my timer for 20 minutes then when the timer goes off, I stir the ground beef with my ground beef chopper tool and reset the timer for 20 minutes. I do this every 20 minutes for about an hour or until the ground beef is cooked through. Once it is browned, I divide the ground beef into freezer safe Ziploc bags and store in the freezer.

3. Keto Meal Prep Tip: Cook bacon in Bulk

If you go through bacon as we do,  then you know how much easier it is to cook several pounds at once. There are many different ways to prepare bacon, but my personal favorite is to bake it on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. It bakes very nicely without me needing to tend to it. The cookie sheet doesn’t get greasy and clean up is easy, which is a bonus.

4. Keto Meal Prep Tip: Wash & Prep Produce after Grocery Trip 

It is easy to buy fresh produce with great intentions only for it to go bad in the fridge. As soon as we get home from the grocery store, I wash all the produce at once. I fill my sink with approx four parts water to one part vinegar and soak the veggies for a few minutes. After washing, I rinse and lay all the vegetables out to dry on a large towel on my counter.

How Meal Prep Saves Time

I take into consideration what I plan on cooking that week and prep veggies for recipes. For example, if Chicken Lombardy is on the menu for the week, I will go ahead and chop the mushrooms and onions then store together in a container in the fridge. Then, when it is time to prepare the meal, the veggies are already ready. I store fresh produce in individual containers or Ziploc bags for easy access.

At the end of the week, my goal is to use up all of the produce in my fridge by roasting whatever vegetables that are left over together for a delicious, delicious side dish. By doing so, there is less waste, which ultimately helps us save money on groceries.

5. Keto Meal Prep Tip: Keep it Simple & Don’t Overstress 

One thing for sure is I am not the Keto police. I have learned that, for me, I have to keep life simple and choose my battles. I don’t freak out about a packet of ranch seasoning used sparingly here and there. My best advice is – you, do you as you find healthy meals you love. Make the best decision that will help you stay focused. Most of us have busy lives, and finding ways to eat healthy without causing undue stress is key to long-term success.

What Kind of Snacks Can You Have on Keto?

It is best to only snack when necessary because each time you eat, it creates an insulin response in your body. However, sometimes, it might not be feasible to wait for the next meal. In these cases, there are many keto snack options to tide you over until the next meal. Keep in mind, that too much snacking may cause you to stall so be mindful of portions. Struggling with hunger between meals may be an indicator that you need to add more fat at meal times for satiation.

My Favorite Simple Keto Kitchen Tools:

• Instant Pot – fantastic for cooking chicken or boiled eggs in bulk
• Ninja 4-in-1 Slow Cooker – 4 appliances in 1
• Waffle Maker for Keto Breakfast Prep – Make a huge batch of waffles and freeze for later
• Cast Iron Skillet 
• Parchment Paper & Parchment Paper Muffin Liners
• Food Storage Containers