Eating a ketogenic diet can help you feel your best without too many food restrictions or rules. Preparing mouth-watering, keto-friendly lunches is easy with a little guidance. 

We are breaking down five delicious keto meal prep recipes and some helpful tips for making the most satisfying lunch options this week.

What Is a Keto Diet?

The keto diet refers to a set of eating principles focused on consuming foods with a high protein and fat content and fewer carbohydrates. When you eat a low-carb diet, your body begins to burn fat for fuel rather than glucose. Many believe the keto diet helps people lose weight because it promotes fat-burning. 

Potential Health Benefits of the Keto Lifestyle

Eating a ketogenic diet can have many amazing health benefits, including:

• Managing diabetes: Eating a low-carb keto diet can help people with diabetes reduce their insulin intake needs. 
• Promoting weight loss: Keto facilitates better appetite control and increases fat burning for more efficient weight loss.

• Treating cancer: Keto is also thought to make cancer cells more vulnerable to radiation and chemotherapy treatments. 
• Boosting heart health: This diet can also boost cardiovascular health by lowering low-density lipoprotein and triglycerides while increasing high-density lipoprotein.

What Counts as Keto?

Before beginning keto lunch meal prep, you'll need to know what foods are part of the diet. Luckily, many yummy keto-friendly options are readily available at any grocery shop. 

The following are some key ingredients for a well-balanced keto diet:

• Nuts and seeds: Nuts and seeds are a cornerstone of the keto diet because they are high-protein and full of healthy fats. Peanuts, pecans, almonds, walnuts, pistachios and cashews are just some of the delicious options. 
• Fruits: The keto diet includes tons of low-carb fruits, like avocados, blackberries, raspberries, watermelon, lemons and strawberries. 
• Vegetables: Vegetables are a key part of the keto diet. You can enjoy spinach, asparagus, celery, mushrooms, lettuce, zucchini, bell peppers, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. 
• Lean meats: High-protein lean meats, including chicken breasts, turnkey sausage and pulled pork, are a huge part of eating keto. 
• Fish: Fish, especially options like salmon, tuna and sardines, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, are also part of the ketogenic diet. 
• Oils: Fruit and nut oils are high in healthy fats and are used generously in keto dishes. These include coconut, olive and avocado oil. 

Meal Prepping on a Keto Diet

You can save time, money and energy by preparing your lunches in bulk at the beginning of the week. Luckily, the keto diet is particularly well-suited for meal prepping. 

Before you select easy keto lunch recipes to try this week, there are a few key considerations to keep in mind:

What Do You Need?

Successful meal prepping requires basic cooking and baking necessities, like sheet pans, pots, skillets, strainers and utensils. A basic starter set of cooking tools is typically sufficient for meal preppers. 

You'll also need a set or two of storage containers to keep your premade meals in the refrigerator. Choosing microwavable sets with various sizes can be very advantageous. In addition to larger containers for your meals, you may also need smaller options for add-ons like salad dressings, croutons, dips or other sauces.

Choose Batch-Friendly Recipes

As you explore different keto lunch and dinner recipes, remember to choose options that are easy to prepare in batches to make your process easier. Consider how the dish will reheat when you're ready to eat. The best meal prep foods taste great and keep their texture when warmed in the microwave. 

You'll also want to pick options that stay fresh for a few days in the refrigerator. And remember, if you really dislike cooking, you can always order keto meals from a delivery service. 

Plan Ahead

Cooking fresh meals each day can be a huge challenge for busy individuals. Meal prepping is a fantastic solution when you want to eat healthy meals without spending hours in the kitchen every day. 

Instead, plan ahead by choosing your weekly menu. You can research keto-friendly or low-carb lunch ideas online for inspiration. Remember that you can always tailor a recipe to your taste buds. 

Then, create a grocery list of the items you don't currently have stocked in your pantry. Keep in mind that fresh ingredients are always best for meal prepping, and you can elevate your dishes with high-quality foods. 

Set aside a few hours and dedicate them to your meal-prepping process for a successful week of scrumptious keto lunches. 

5 Lazy Keto Lunch Ideas

If you're a ketogenic diet beginner, you may be surprised by how many delicious and satisfying meals are keto-friendly. A few simple food swaps can also help you modify your favorite dishes into healthier, keto versions. 

If you're ready to take your lunch to the next level, explore these five easy keto meal prep recipes that taste as good as they sound. 

1. Keto Egg Salad

If you want a weekly meal prep recipe that's simple and stays fresh for up to three days in the refrigerator, keto egg salad is a great option. 

You'll need 8 large eggs, ¼ cup of finely chopped celery and 2 tablespoons of minced white onions. You will also need ½ cup of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to make the salad creamy. Grab 2 tablespoons of chives, ½ tablespoon of sea salt and 1/8 tablespoon of black pepper for seasoning. 

Begin preparations by hard boiling the eggs. After they are completely cooked, put the eggs into an ice water bath for 10 minutes. Peel and chop the cooled eggs. It's important to allow them to cool completely before adding them in with other ingredients so the salad doesn't get watery during storage.

Whisk together the mustard, mayonnaise and lemon juice in a large bowl. Fold in the chopped eggs. Then, follow with the celery, chives and onions. Add your seasonings and combine.

Once you've mixed your egg salad, you can store individual portions in airtight containers and refrigerate them to enjoy over the next few days. You can consume your keto egg salad in a few different ways. Eat it on its own, with crackers or on a lettuce wrap.

2. Creamy Tuscan Chicken With Cauliflower Rice

Looking for a snappy, Italian-inspired keto meal plan recipe? Creamy Tuscan chicken with cauliflower rice is a delicious choice. You can make this meal in advance, and it stays good in the refrigerator for up to three days. 

To begin, you will need 2 large chicken breasts, ⅓ cup of chicken broth and 2 teaspoons of olive oil. You'll also need to grab 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 yellow onion and 5 garlic cloves. Set aside ½ cup of parmesan, 3 cups of spinach and 1 ¾ cups of heavy cream. You'll also need 3 cups of riced cauliflower and salt and pepper to taste. Grab 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley and 5 ounces of sun-dried tomatoes to complete the ingredients. 

When you're ready to start cooking, start steaming the cauliflower rice in the microwave or on the stovetop. Set it aside once finished. Slice the chicken into cutlets and season them with salt and pepper on both sides. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and set it on medium heat. Sear the chicken for about five minutes on both sides. Once finished, set the cooked chicken breasts aside. 

Add butter to the same pan. After the butter melts, add the minced garlic and let it fry for about a minute until it becomes fragrant. Add onion and let it fry until it looks translucent. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and let them cook for a couple of minutes. Slowly pour the chicken broth next before reducing the heat to low.

Finish by adding the heavy cream with some salt and pepper. Add the baby spinach and parmesan cheese. Once the spinach cooks down and the cheese melts, add the chicken breasts back to your pan. Cover the chicken with the sauce. Divide the cauliflower rice into meal prep containers and add the creamy Tuscan chicken on top. All you have left to do is microwave and enjoy. 

3. Keto Blackened Chicken

When you are looking for easy keto lunch ideas, keto blackened chicken is always a favorite. You can whip this recipe together in just 15 minutes. 

For this lunch dish, you'll need 1 pound of chicken breasts. The ingredients for the blackened seasoning include 1 tablespoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning and ¼ teaspoon of red pepper, garlic powder, garlic salt, onion powder and pepper. To make the garlic butter, you'll need 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and 1 tablespoon of butter. 

Begin by combining the blackened seasoning ingredients, including paprika, Italian seasoning, red pepper, garlic powder, garlic salt, onion powder and pepper, in a small bowl. Next, slice the chicken breasts so they share the same thickness for even cooking. Heavily season both sides of each breast. 

Set a cast iron pan or skillet on high heat. Let the chicken cook on both sides for four to five minutes. Once you've fully cooked the chicken, brush the breasts with the garlic butter to enjoy. 

Allowing the chicken to fully cool before putting it into meal prep containers helps it keep its flavor and texture longer. This recipe can stay fresh in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to four days. 

You can eat blackened chicken on its own or add it to keto-friendly pasta, salad or a wrap for a delicious lunch. 

4. Low-Carb Keto Chicken Caesar Salad

If you're on the hunt for low-carb meal prep recipes, look no further. A keto-friendly chicken Caesar salad might be the perfect dish for you. You can make this salad in just 30 minutes and enjoy it for up to four days in the refrigerator.

To make this delicious recipe, you'll need two 8-ounce chicken breasts. For the salad, you'll need a head of romaine lettuce, 2 cups of grape tomatoes and ¾ cup of parmesan cheese. You can include 1 cup of low-carb croutons to top off this meal. 

You can use either a homemade Caesar salad dressing or opt for storebought if you're short on time. If you are making the dressing, you'll need 1 ¼ cups of mayonnaise, 6 tablespoons of olive oil and 6 cloves of garlic, minced. You'll also add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, anchovy paste and Worcestershire sauce. Mix these ingredients together and add salt and pepper to taste.

Begin preparing the chicken in your preferred method. You can bake it in the oven or air fryer or cook it on the stovetop. Once the chicken fully cooks, let it cool for a few minutes before slicing each piece. 

Toss the lettuce and grape tomatoes in a large bowl. Add the parmesan cheese and cooked chicken pieces last. When you are ready to eat your salad, drizzle the dressing and sprinkle croutons on top. Keeping the salad dressing stored in a separate container is key to keeping this meal fresh for when it is time to eat.

5. Keto Spaghetti and Meatballs

A keto-friendly pasta dish is a wonderful lunch option that reheats well and tastes amazing. Keto spaghetti and meatballs take about an hour to prepare, and the recipe is pretty straightforward. 

To make the dish, you'll need 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 3 crushed cloves of garlic and 1 large onion, finely diced. You'll also need 14 ounces of ground beef and 5 ounces of chicken liver. If you don't like chicken liver, you can replace it with additional ground beef. 

Grab ½ cup of shredded parmesan, ¼ cup of beef broth and 14 ounces of canned diced tomatoes. Be sure to choose a can with no added sugar. Finally, you'll need ½ tablespoon of dried oregano, ½ tablespoon of dried marjoram and ½ teaspoon of salt. You can use 7 ounces of any keto-friendly spaghetti noodles you like. 

Begin making the meatballs by mixing the ground beef and diced chicken in a bowl with salt and grated parmesan. Take the mixture and form about 20 uniform meatballs. Grab a large saucepan and add the olive oil on medium heat.

Reduce the heat to low and add the diced onion and garlic to the pan. Cook for about two minutes until the mixture is fragrant. Add the meatballs to the pan and cook on all sides for about three minutes. Next, pour the diced tomatoes and beef broth in before covering the pan and letting the meatballs simmer for about 20 minutes. 

While the meatballs simmer, cook the keto-friendly pasta. When the meatballs and pasta finish cooking, allow both to cool before putting them in meal prep containers. You can enjoy this easy, delicious spaghetti recipe for up to 2 days after preparing it. 

Simplify Keto Lunch Meal Prep With Fresh Meal Plan

If you want to simplify your keto lunch routine, turn to Fresh Meal Plan. Our rotating menu includes hundreds of five-star chef-crafted meals, including keto-friendly options. We've delivered over 10 million meals so far, and you can get delicious lunches delivered straight to your door for the most convenient meal prep process possible. 

At Fresh Meal Prep, we want to help you eat better without the extra shopping, cooking and cleaning. We always use farm-to-table ingredients without added preservatives, sugars and sodium to help you eat and feel your best.

Get started with keto meal delivery from Fresh Meal Prep today!