Meal plan ideas for the lazy keto diet: What it is and how it works?

October 22. 2022

We bet you’ve heard about the keto diet or ketogenic diet before. This low-carb and moderate-protein diet has become widely popular in the last few years. While it is somewhat controversial, many people – including celebrities – are using it to lose weight. But, there’s still some confusion regarding this diet; if you’re unsure what going “keto” or being in a ketosis state means, let us assure you – you’re not alone. With that in mind, a good concept to start with may be the lazy keto meal plan.

If you are trying to lose weight but not looking for an overly restrictive diet, then the lazy keto may be the right one for you. In this article, our experts from our weight loss clinic in Chicago guide you through the ins and outs of the lazy keto diet.

What is the lazy keto diet?

The lazy keto diet is a more relaxed version of the original keto diet. Since lazy keto meals are less restrictive, many people opt for getting on board with this diet instead of the original one. Some others start their weight loss journey with an easy, lazy keto meal plan to, later on, switch to a full-keto diet.

The lazy keto diet consists of a diet based on low intakes of carbs – around 20 to 50 grams per day. And that’s pretty much it. Easy, right? You don’t need to keep a rigorous track of the carbs, protein, fats, and calories you consume; no need for any of that here. This diet is rich in low-carb foods such as meat, poultry, fish and seafood, full-fat dairy, eggs, and non-starchy vegetables.

On the other hand, when sticking to the lazy keto diet, you should avoid high-carb foods like bread, white pasta, cakes, and some other desserts, ice cream, high-sugar fruits, sugar-sweetened drinks, and alcohol. We know a lot of restrictions. But with a solid and easy lazy keto meal plan, you’ll have no problem following this diet, and you’ll soon start seeing the result you’re looking for.

The difference between the lazy keto and strict keto

There are many low-carb diet variations, so you may start wondering what’s the difference between a Lchf vs. keto diet, and where the lazy keto diet fits in. Actually, there is not much difference between the keto and the lazy keto diet. As you may already know, a strict keto diet is high in fats and restricts carbs and protein intake as much as possible. The average rate of the macronutrients in the keto diet is 80% fat, 10% protein, and 10% carbs from the total daily calories. Also, on the original keto diet, you must precisely track your macronutrients. The purpose of this is to take your body to a ketosis state. That happens when your system doesn’t have enough glucose to use as fuel, and it starts consuming your body fat and the fat from the food you eat. This backup fuel is called ketones. The goal here is: the keto diet makes your body consume body fat as fuel, and you’ll lose weight fast.

The main difference between these two diets is that you only need to check your carbs intake in the lazy keto diet. As long as you are careful not to consume more than the allowed amount of carbs per day, you’re good—no need for meticulous macronutrient tracks, which can take a lot of your time and energy. There are tons of variations of the keto diet; the lazy keto diet is just one of them. This low-carb diet is more flexible, making it easy for you to follow it, especially if you are new to the keto diet world.

Meal plan ideas for the lazy keto diet

If you liked what you read so far and decided to go into the lazy keto diet, we present you with a lazy keto meal plan. These beginner lazy keto meals are great for those days when you feel stuck and don’t know what to eat. Keep these easy, lazy keto recipes at hand for when you’re not feeling too creative around the kitchen or if you are not sure what foods are allowed or not.

Besides these lazy keto recipes and the allowed foods we mentioned before, we recommend incorporating foods rich in water, such as cucumber, avocado, and celery. Sticking to a lazy keto meal plan can make you keto thirsty. Drinking enough water throughout your day is always important to stay healthy. This change in your diet can cause dehydration, so drinking enough water is a must.

Here are some low-carb, easy, lazy keto recipes you can start preparing today to get all the benefits from the lazy keto diet.

Lazy keto breakfast options

Breakfasts are easy when you follow a lazy keto meal plan. But if you’re still struggling to find some ideas, here are some delicious recipes for you:

Scrambled eggs with mushrooms

What is easier and faster than scrambled eggs? With this simple recipe, there’s no excuse to skip breakfast if you’re in a hurry. Besides mushrooms, we’re going to go wild and add spinach too. Melt some butter in a pan (you can also use olive oil), and add a handful of spinach. The idea is to soften the spinach, so only cook it for a few seconds – 10 to 15 seconds should do it. Whisk two eggs in a bowl and add them to the pan – or crack them directly into the pan if you’re in a rush. Move the mixture around with a spatula. Remember to scratch the bottom to avoid the eggs from burning. Cook it at medium-high heat. Once the eggs are almost done, add chopped canned mushrooms. This recipe is for one serving; double the quantities if you’re cooking for two, and so on.

Microwave French toast

We mention breakfast and the keto diet, and we know what you’re thinking: say goodbye to delicious and sweet french toast. It’s true that bread is not allowed in the lazy keto diet. But we found an easy and healthy way to make a keto-approved french toast; it will literally take you 3 minutes to make this delicious breakfast. All you need is one egg, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 2 tbsp coconut or almond flour, 1 tbsp olive or melted coconut oil, 1 tbsp water, and stevia or your favorite keto-friendly sweetener. Mix all the ingredients in a mug. Make sure to mix everything well, and then take the mixture to the microwave for 90 seconds. And that’s it! You can eat it directly from the mug or take it out. You can top it with a keto-approved syrup, like yacon syrup.

Lunch ideas

Chicken quesadilla

For this delicious and quick chicken quesadilla, you’ll use 1 1/2 cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 mozzarella cheese, 1 cup cooked and chopped chicken, 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper, 1/4 cup diced tomato, 1/8 cup chopped onion. Put parchment paper over a small pan – you can also use a pizza pan – and spread both chees evenly on top of it, making a circle shape. Take the pan to the oven and bake the cheese for 5 minutes. Take it out and add the chicken, bell pepper, tomatoes, and onion on top of the quesadilla, on one side. Fold the quesadilla in half, press, and take it back to the oven for another 5 minutes.

Turkey sandwich

This classic turkey sandwich comes with a twist to make it fit into the lazy keto diet. Instead of bread, we are going to use lettuce. Trust us; it will still taste incredibly delicious. Grab a few leaves of romaine lettuce and spread cream cheese or mayo on them. Place a few cooked turkey pieces. On top of the turkey, you can add sliced avocado, sprouts, tomatoes, sliced boiled hard eggs, or anything you like that is keto-friendly. Then place another couple of lettuce leaves on top, and you’ll have your sandwich. This recipe can easily be turned into a turkey lettuce wrap to make things more interesting! Just follow the same first steps and then roll everything together. You can use chicken or meat instead of turkey too.

Lazy keto dinner ideas

Last but not least, here are some lazy keto meals you can prepare for dinner.

Air fryer chicken wings

Chicken wings are allowed on the lazy keto diet. Cooking the chicken on the air fryer is easy, and your chicken wings turn out amazing and very tasty. For this dish, put the chicken wings in a ziplock bag, add your favorite seasoning, and 3-4 tablespoon olive oil. Close the ziplock bag and shake it until the wings are fully coated. Put the wings in the air fryer and cook them for about 20 to 25 minutes. Don’t forget to toss the wings a few times.

Tuna stuffed avocados

This recipe is as simple as it sounds, so we’ll go straight to the point. Mix canned tuna with chopped celery and red onions. Add mayo to the mix and combine it all together. Put the mix aside for a minute. Peel and cut avocados in half. Stuff the avocados with the tuna mix. And voilà. Easy, fast, keto-friendly, and it tastes so good.

Can you reach ketosis and lose weight with lazy keto?

The main reason why people turn to the keto diet is to lose weight by reaching a ketosis state. When you significantly decrease your carbs and protein intake and – at the same time – increase the dose of fats, fats become your body’s primary source of fuel. In other words, your body gets its energy from the fats you eat and your body fat. To ensure they are on the right track, people following the keto diet carefully keep track of their macronutrient intake. They probably also use keto testing strips to make sure they reach ketosis. In the lazy keto diet, things work a little differently. So you may wonder, if you aren’t cutting off proteins or keeping a detailed record of your macronutrient intake neither, can you still reach ketosis? The short answer is probably no. Yet, reaching ketosis on the lazy keto diet is not impossible either.

Even though the keto diet doesn’t take you to a ketosis state as straightforward as the original keto diet, it still has its benefits. You can still lose weight by sticking to a lazy keto meal plan. A diet based on low carbs helps suppress your appetite and reduces food cravings. And if you want to give a boost to your weight loss goal, you can combine the lazy keto diet with other supplements and tools such as Lipo c injections.

Final thoughts

The lazy keto diet is an attractive alternative for people who don’t want to spend a lot of time tracking foods and nutrients. It is also way less restrictive compared to the original keto diet. If you are interested in the keto diet but don’t feel like diving so fast into it, you can try the lazy keto one first and switch along the way. Any option will be good for your health and will help you lose weight. If, after reading this article, you still have questions about the lazy keto diet or which diet suits you best, schedule a call with us. We will guide you through the keto diets and aid you pick the perfect one for you.

Author

Nurse Walton

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Chanay received her Practical Nurse licensure and went to work in clinical specialties such as Home Health, Assisted Living, Long-Term Care and Dialysis Centers. Through this work, she realized the importance of diet, nutrition and weight loss among her patients. This led her to open A Better Weigh, Inc. Medical Weight Loss Center in 2009.