Keto Meal Prep Ideas To Save You Time

Whether your new to keto or not, spending time weekly meal prepping for your diet can make staying on track easier, especially for those with a busy life! Here you’ll find five easy and cheap Keto Meal Prep Ideas and tips that will fit your budget and make “dieting” much more enjoyable!

What To Know About Starting A Keto Diet

If you are wondering how to start a keto, or Low Carb, diet, this guide to getting started on keto is a fantastic resource complete with a FREE printable meal plan 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 and make it more customizable to YOU.

What Can I Eat on the Keto Diet?

The keto diet is high in fat, moderate protein, and low in carbs. The exact percentages are generally 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% 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. Having a shopping list set in stone makes it so helpful when you’re in the food store, so you get exactly what you need, nothing more, nothing less.

Get your FREE Keto Diet Foods Shopping List printable to bring on your grocery trips!

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.

How To Meal Prep On A Keto Diet

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 cheap keto meal plan for our dinners, with the ingredients needed to make those meals. Then I head off to the grocery store to get what I need. Planning ahead makes it easier to stay on track when life gets hectic. You won’t have any excuses to cheat or give up on your diet. My family likes to stick with simple, family-friendly keto meals without a lot of elaborate ingredients.

The whole idea is to put in multiple hours once a week to prep whatever you can in advance. The hope is to save a considerable amount of time later in the week, so you can stay on course and easily enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner, quicker!

I also share my meal plan each week. You can access over 90 previous keto meal plans for free for inspiration.

Tips For Keto Meal Prep Planning:

#1. Use a set grocery list for keto meal prep!

Each week I meal plan our dinners. I’ll be honest. It is not something I look forward to since it does take some time, but I am always so relieved once everything is all prepped! I never regret doing it!

Then once my meal plan is ready, I make a grocery list to coincide with what we will be eating that week. To make this whole process even easier, I will often order groceries online! Thrive Market is a great online grocer that has lots of keto-friendly products. They will even recommend other products for you based on your diet.

Get your FREE Keto Diet Foods Shopping List printable to bring on your grocery trips!

Need some keto dinner ideas?

You can find an extensive list of keto recipes in my keto/low carb recipe index. Find seven recipes you like (one for each night of the week) and write down what ingredients you’ll need. For those who need an example of an entire weekly meal plan with recipes, check out my past keto meal plans! I have multiple weeks planned out for you!

#2. Cook your MEATS in advance!

Since meats take the longest to cook, you’ll want to prepare any meats in advance! This way, you defrost and toss it into your pan or dish!

Many keto recipes have ground beef or shredded chicken as the main protein. Making your own shredded chicken can take at least an hour to do properly. So doing this ahead of time is a HUGE time saver!

How To Prepare Shredded Chicken in Bulk

To do this in large batches, I will purchase a large inexpensive pack of breasts or boneless thighs and toss a bunch into my crock pot. Then set it on high for 3 hours or low for 5 hours with some chicken broth or water. You can also do this over your stove in a large pot of water or broth until the chicken is cooked through. Then remove the chicken and shred.

Tip* If you add onions, celery to your water along with your chicken, you can turn the water into a delicious chicken broth for soup later on!

How to Brown Ground Meat in Bulk

I buy several pounds of either beef (you could do the same for turkey, ground chicken, or pork) 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 this ground beef chopper tool. (This is an awesome tool to have!) Then I re-set the timer for 20 more minutes. I repeat this for about an hour or until the ground beef is cooked through and nicely browned.

*Tip: Add water or broth to loosen any brown bits stick to the bottom of your pan to make it easier to wash.

How To Cook Bacon in Bulk

Bacon is also another very popular keto protein that can be used for breakfast, lunch, OR dinner! In my house, we go through bacon like there’s no tomorrow. The only thing with bacon is that it takes long to cook. The best way to prepare bacon in larger batches for keto diet meal prep is to use your oven! See how to cook bacon in the oven. (I like to use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.) Once your bacon is cooked, let it cool and then crumble/chop it into small bits to use in casseroles later, then leave some whole for meals and snacks. Bacon freezes very well, so freeze in small bags or Tupperware containers.

Tip* A time-saving tip that will make meal prepping even faster is to purchase a large bag of pre-cooked bacon bits. See if your grocer sells them! This is a hack I do all the time.

How To Store and Freeze Your Proteins

Once your meat is cooked through and ground-up/shredded, divide your meats into proper portions. For families of 3-4, you will most likely want to freeze your meat in 1 lb. portions. If you are meal prepping for one person, freeze in smaller portions (this depends on the person.) The portions will also depend on the recipe!

Freezer Bags and Containers

To properly freeze food, use the heavy-duty freezer-safe Ziploc bags or containers. The less AIR in your bags or Tupperware containers, the better. I like these containers best for freezer meal prep. They are great for preventing freezer burn and are microwave and dishwasher safe! See the freezer items I recommend below.

#3. Prepare All Produce After Each Grocery Trip!

It is easy to buy fresh produce with great intentions only for it to spoil 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 approximately 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.

Then, based on your recipes for the week, chop up those veggies that need chopping. Dice your onions if the recipe calls for it. Shred your cheese if you’ve purchased blocks of cheese. (or do this in your food processor to make it much quicker!)

Example:

If Chicken Lombardy is on the menu for the week, I will go ahead and chop the mushrooms and onions then store them 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.

Tip* To make meal prepping even easier, LABEL your Ziploc bags before you throw them in the fridge! So for this example, write “Chicken Lombardy” on the label, so you know which bag goes with which meal!

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

#4. Invest In Freezer-Friendly Products!

Without freezing food, we would waste a ton of money. Plus, we would have to take more trips to the food store! So the freezer is my best friend for keto meal prep. With that said, it can sometimes be my worst enemy. Why? Because of freezer burn. Freezer burn can ruin food. I have thrown away too much money for not properly freezing food.

Vacuum Sealers: The best item you can invest in is a ‘FoodSaver,’ aka vacuum sealer. This one I like best. It will remove ALL air from your food, allowing you to preserve food for longer, which means less spoilage and, therefore, less wasted food! That is more money in your pocket! You can also infuse more flavor into your food by marinating it in the vacuum-sealed bags. Read more about why you should vacuum seal your food.

Freezer Bags: If you want to freeze your food in bags without using a vacuum sealer, you can, but you will need to choose the BEST freezer bags you can find. The sturdier, the better! Your bags should not leak any air! If they do, throw them out and do some research. Ziploc brand bags are always reliable. Yes, they cost a little more, but you won’t be throwing food out!
Freezer Safe Tupperware Container: There are SO many different brands and sizes out there! Invest in a good, solid brand that keeps air OUT. Remember, air is the enemy! Here are some of my favorite Tupperware containers. I love Pyrex. I have had my Pyrex set for over 20 years and they look like new!

Freezer Safe Casserole Dishes: I make lots of delicious keto casserole recipes because they’re easy and great for meal prepping! I like these because they have locking lids and are freezer safe, dishwasher safe, and oven safe.

#5. Keep it Simple & Don’t Stress!

One thing for sure is I am not the Keto police, nor would I want one around. I have learned that 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 I Prepare 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 mealtimes for satiation.

Breakfast Keto Meal Prep Recipes

Breakfast is an easy meal to prep ahead. Simply make a keto breakfast casserole, a batch of keto muffins, hard-boiled eggs, or pancakes/waffles to enjoy later. It is always smart to cook extra so that you always have leftovers on hand. With that being said, the recipes below are quick, easy, and delicious.

Keto Breakfast Bake with Ham, Eggs, & Cheese
Light & Fluffy Keto Waffles (this recipe makes a big batch)
Mouthwatering Keto Sausage Balls (I always make a double batch and freeze half)
Keto Mixed Berry Muffins
Easy Keto Chaffle Recipe

Soup Recipes Are Fantastic For Lunch

I often make a big pot of soup at the beginning of the week for lunch. Even with four kids at home, soup generally lasts for several days and often tastes better leftover as it gives the flavors more time to merge. Here are a couple of our favorite keto soup recipes that make keto meal prep simple.

Easy Casseroles For A Make-Ahead Dinner

Casseroles are fantastic for easy keto meal prep for beginners, especially. Often, casseroles make 9-12 servings, so most people will naturally have leftovers. In this case, when you make dinner, you are also prepping for meals later that week since you know in advance there will be leftovers.