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5-Day Indian Keto Diet Plan & Tips 2024
Updated on
- Written by Jessica Holbrook, RN
Medically reviewed by
Jocelyn Chen, BME
Following a keto diet plan is a great way to improve your health, lose weight, control your blood sugar, and feel more energetic. The health benefits of following a ketogenic diet plan are undeniable.
However, a keto diet plan is restrictive and can be hard to follow. If you have other specific dietary needs or preferences, this diet becomes even more difficult to stick to. Being able to eat some of your favorite Indian foods can make losing weight with a keto diet a lot easier.
Sample Indian Keto Meal Plan
An Indian Keto Diet Plan You Should Try
Most people find that planning ahead helps them to stay on track. Creating a keto diet meal plan and shopping list ahead of time will help you avoid eating foods that will push you out of ketosis and derail your progress.
Here is a five-day keto plan to get you started on your keto journey with delicious Indian options. While many recipes exist for each option, we have highlighted the Indian dishes with a recommended recipe linked.
Day 1: Flavors Of Fusion (approx. 1000 calories)
This meal plan offers a variety of protein sources with keto dosa and eggs for breakfast, followed by a chicken soup and cauliflower rice lunch to keep you feeling full and satisfied. For dinner, the steak kabobs with bell peppers provide a delicious and low-carb option to meet your daily protein needs while keeping you in ketosis.
| Breakfast | |
| Keto dosa | One serving |
| Scrambled eggs | Two eggs |
| Lunch | |
| Chicken soup | One cup |
| Cauliflower rice | One cup |
| Dinner | |
| Steak Kabobs with bell peppers | Four ounces |
Day 2: Spices And Seafood (approx. 930 calories)
Starting your day with an Indian spiced omelet ensures you get a flavorful and keto-friendly breakfast. The steak and bell pepper salad for lunch is rich in protein and fiber, while the butter-fried fish with tandoori sauce for dinner adds healthy fats and exotic flavors to your keto journey.
| Breakfast | |
| Indian spiced omelet | Two eggs |
| Lunch | |
| Steak | Four ounces |
| Bell pepper salad | One serving |
| Dinner | |
| Butter-fried fish with tandoori sauce | Six ounces |
Day 3: Vegetarian Delights (approx. 900 calories)
Paneer bhurji for breakfast offers a dose of protein from Indian cottage cheese. The tandoori chicken salad at lunch is a delightful blend of flavors, and the baingan bharta for dinner provides a keto-friendly way to enjoy eggplant while keeping your carb intake low.
| Breakfast | |
| Paneer bhurji | One serving |
| Lunch | |
| Tandoori chicken salad | Four ounces |
| Dinner | |
| Baingan bharta | One serving |
Day 4: Consistent Comfort (approx. 950 calories)
Day 4 features a repeat of keto dosa with eggs for breakfast, providing consistency and familiarity in your meal plan. Chicken soup with cauliflower rice at lunch keeps you on track, and tandoori shrimp for dinner introduces seafood with bold Indian spices, making keto delicious and nutritious.
| Breakfast | |
| Keto dosa | One serving |
| Scrambled eggs | Two eggs |
| Lunch | |
| Chicken soup | One cup |
| Cauliflower rice | One cup |
| Dinner | |
| Tandoori shrimp | Six ounces |
Day 5: Indian Flair (approx. 930 calories)
Egg bhurji for breakfast delivers a protein-packed start to the day, while chicken tikka masala at lunch brings the flavors of India to your keto diet. The day concludes with a tandoori chicken salad, ensuring you maintain a well-balanced and satisfying ketogenic meal plan.
| Breakfast | |
| Egg bhurji | Two eggs |
| Lunch | |
| Chicken tikka masala | Four ounces |
| Dinner | |
| Tandoori chicken salad | Six ounces |
What Is A Keto Diet?
Keto diets have become more and more popular for people wanting to lose weight or manage chronic health problems. But what exactly is a keto diet?
A keto diet[1] is a high-fat and extremely low-carb diet that helps your body get into a state called ketosis. When the body is in this state, it starts to burn fat for energy instead of sugar.
To maintain ketosis, people often have to limit their carb intake to less than 20 grams of carbs per day. This is because sugar, which comes from carbohydrates, is the primary source of energy in our body. Only by having low levels of sugar does our body begin to use fats as an alternative energy source.
Benefits Of A Keto Diet
Ketogenic diets originally started as a way to help children suffering from epileptic seizures.[2] Since then, ketogenic diet plans have gained popularity for many reasons. The European Journal of Nutrition has shown that a keto diet can take care of many health problems.[3]
The benefits of a keto diet include:
- Boosts heart health
- Lowers blood sugar
- Rapid weight loss
- Decreases appetite
- Increases energy levels
How Does The Indian Keto Diet Plan Work?
A keto diet includes plenty of high-fat foods, some protein, and very few carbohydrates. Many traditional Indian foods can be consumed as part of a keto diet. Additionally, traditionally high-carb Indian foods can be modified to fit into the keto diet.
An Indian keto diet plan is essentially making Indian recipes with mindful substitutions of high-carbohydrate ingredients with keto-friendly, low-carbohydrate alternatives. By spending time carefully planning each dish and researching recipes, most of your favorite Indian dishes can be eaten while staying within the keto diet limits.
How To Follow The Indian Keto Diet?
Traditional Indian food can be enjoyed as part of a keto diet. Even if you prefer only vegetarian Indian cuisine, it is possible to find Indian keto and vegetarian keto recipes.
To follow an Indian keto diet plan, the following pointers will make converting non-keto recipes to keto much easier:
- Substitute grains for cauliflower or almond flour
- Use traditional Indian spices
- Replace starchy vegetables or sweet potatoes with low-carb vegetables like cauliflower
- Increase your fat intake by putting avocado, clarified butter, nut butter, or other healthy fats in your recipes
6 Keto Diet Tips That Are Helpful For Beginners
Sticking to a low-carb diet can be a challenge at first. Fortunately, there are some tricks you can use to make decreasing your carb intake a little easier.
Drink More Water
One of the problems people face when starting a ketogenic diet is constipation due to the high fat and protein in their meals. Drinking enough water can help prevent or alleviate this uncomfortable problem. In addition, drinking water can help speed up your weight loss[4] and improve your health in many other ways.
Use A Meal Delivery Service
Many people have to give up their favorite foods when they start a keto diet. Even though there are some delicious Indian keto foods and treats that you can have, it can be tempting to give up and return to your old eating habits.
Using a keto meal delivery service takes the stress of planning each meal away and allows you to simply choose from a menu of delicious options. This can make continuing your keto journey easier and help you discover new keto ideas along the way.
Take Multivitamins
Since ketogenic diets can be very restrictive, it is important to choose the best multivitamin for keto diets to help you meet your nutritional needs. In addition to multivitamins, it is a good idea to add a fiber supplement to your daily routine while consuming a ketogenic diet. You can also meet with a nutritionist to plan your keto supplements in greater detail and tailor them to your individual health needs and goals.
Choose Simple Recipes
If you are trying to stick to an Indian keto diet, it is best to choose simple recipes with high protein and lots of vegetables. Adding too many side dishes and extra ingredients can make it difficult to keep your carbohydrate intake low enough to remain in ketosis.
Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise is important no matter what your keto diet meal plan looks like. Daily exercise might be something as simple as a walk around the block or as intense as training for a fitness event. Either way, regular exercise can boost your mood and motivation, making it easier to stick to your goals.
Eat Plenty Of Vegetables
In the beginning, you might feel extremely restricted while following a keto diet plan. Substituting some of your favorite carbohydrate-rich foods with vegetables is a good way to transition. Options like cauliflower rice or chia seed oatmeal help you add variety to your diet without getting you out of ketosis.
Foods That You Should Eat On Keto
When it comes to choosing foods to eat on a keto diet, here are some important categories to keep in mind:
- Low-carb veggies such as tomatoes and zucchini whose benefits include high fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants.
- Nuts and seeds such as almonds and pecans which are good for you.
- High-fat foods such as chia seeds, flax seeds, greek yogurt, coconut milk, olive oil, and cream cheese
Overall, there are a lot of delicious foods to consume on a high-fat diet. Just be sure to choose healthy fats, avoid saturated fat, and check food labels for added sugars or sugar substitutes.
Indian Keto Diet Recipes
There are many delicious Indian dishes that work for a keto diet. If you are unfamiliar with the Indian food scene, here are some Indian dishes that are keto. To find the specific recipe, simply search “keto” plus the dish name.
- Cauliflower Upma: Cauliflower upma is the low-carb version of the traditional Indian upma, a common breakfast dish.
- Keto Dosa: Keto dosa is a crispy, crepe-like dish commonly made for a quick meal or snack.
- Palak Paneer: Palak paneer is a delicious spinach paste mixed with Indian cheese, perfect for lunch or dinner.
- Paneer Tikka: Keto paneer tikka is a keto-friendly vegetarian appetizer composed of paneer, which is made from curdled milk, marinated in various spices, and traditionally grilled in a tandoor.
Conclusion
If you love Indian foods but want to try a low-carb diet, there are plenty of keto-friendly Indian recipes you can try. Substitute starchy vegetables and bread for high-fat substitutes or cauliflower rice to keep your carb intake low enough.
While it is more difficult, you can maintain a vegetarian keto diet by including plenty of olive oil, coconut milk, seeds, avocado, and beans in your balanced diet plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
A keto diet is a high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet plan. Most keto diets include less than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day.
The best keto Indian dishes are simple recipes with a meat base and lots of vegetables. Meals like chicken tikka are great keto-friendly options.
Yes, low carbohydrate diets like the ketogenic diet have been shown to help with weight loss.
Some people are able to maintain a ketogenic diet for long periods of time. However, due to its restrictive nature, it can be difficult to stick with a keto diet forever. Adding variety and finding recipes you love will make it easier to continue with your ketogenic diet.
Yes. There are many vegetarian keto recipes that can help you maintain ketosis. Recipes that include coconut cream, avocado, nuts, and seeds are great for ketosis and fat loss.
+ 4 sources
Health Canal avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic researches from medical associations and institutions. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Health Canal, you can read more about the editorial process here
- McGaugh, E. and Barthel, B. (2022). A Review of Ketogenic Diet and Lifestyle. Missouri medicine, [online] 119(1), pp.84–88. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9312449/.
- Wells, J., Swaminathan, A., Paseka, J. and Hanson, C. (2020). Efficacy and Safety of a Ketogenic Diet in Children and Adolescents with Refractory Epilepsy—A Review. Nutrients, [online] 12(6), pp.1809–1809. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12061809.
- Paoli, A., Rubini, A., Volek, J.S. and Grimaldi, K. (2013). Beyond weight loss: a review of the therapeutic uses of very-low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diets. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, [online] 67(8), pp.789–796. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2013.116.
- Stookey, J., Constant, F., Popkin, B.M. and Gardner, C.D. (2008). Drinking Water Is Associated With Weight Loss in Overweight Dieting Women Independent of Diet and Activity. Obesity, [online] 16(11), pp.2481–2488. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2008.409.
Written by:
Jessica Holbrook, RN
Medically reviewed by:
Medically reviewed by:
