Please read first: This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before you start any diet, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have diabetes, kidney or heart conditions, or take regular medication. Low carb diets can change how some medicines (such as diabetes and blood pressure tablets) work, so your doses may need checking.
A ketogenic diet keeps carbohydrate very low, usually under about 20 to 50 g of net carbs a day, so the body relies more on fat for fuel. Most of the calories come from fat, with moderate protein. In an Indian kitchen this means swapping rice, roti and dal for paneer, eggs, meat, fish, low starch vegetables, nuts, ghee and coconut.
Keto is not suitable for everyone. People with type 1 diabetes, those on insulin or SGLT2 inhibitor tablets, people with kidney disease, and pregnant women in particular should only try it under medical supervision.
Who this plan is written for
To keep the numbers concrete, we used the reference adults from the ICMR-NIN 2020 Nutrient Requirements for Indians: a woman of about 55 kg and a man of about 65 kg. For height, think of a woman around 155 cm and a man around 165 cm, which is close to typical Indian adult heights reported in national surveys. For a sedentary adult, ICMR-NIN estimates about 1,660 kcal a day for the woman and about 2,110 kcal a day for the man.
The plan below is built at about 1,650 to 1,750 kcal a day, which suits the reference woman. The reference man can add roughly 350 to 400 kcal a day mostly from fat and protein, such as an extra egg, a little more paneer or a handful of nuts, while keeping carbs the same. Your own needs depend on age, height, weight, activity and health, so treat these numbers as a starting point, not a target set for you.
The 7-day plan
Daily figures are estimates for the portions described, based on USDA FoodData Central and IFCT values, with about 3 tablespoons of ghee, butter or oil used in cooking across the day. Net carbs is total carbohydrate minus fibre. The plan stays around 20 to 25 g net carbs, roughly 70% of calories from fat, 22% from protein and 5 to 6% from carbs.
Vegetarians can replace chicken, fish and eggs with paneer, tofu or extra curd, keeping an eye on the protein total.
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Snack | Dinner | Approx. kcal / protein / fat / net carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Paneer bhurji (100 g paneer) in butter | Chicken curry (150 g) with cauliflower rice | Handful of almonds (25 g) | Palak with eggs, cucumber salad | ~1,700 / 95 g / 135 g / 22 g |
| Day 2 | Masala omelette (3 eggs) in ghee | Fish curry in coconut milk, cabbage thoran | 2 squares 90% dark chocolate (20 g) | Paneer tikka, mint chutney, salad | ~1,700 / 95 g / 135 g / 20 g |
| Day 3 | Slice of Keto Bread with butter, 2 boiled eggs | Mutton keema with capsicum | Coconut pieces and walnuts | Chicken soup, sauteed beans in ghee | ~1,750 / 95 g / 140 g / 22 g |
| Day 4 | Almond flour dosa with almond flour, coconut chutney | Egg curry (3 eggs), stir fried bhindi | Curd (100 g, full fat) with flax seeds | Grilled fish, cauliflower mash with butter | ~1,700 / 90 g / 135 g / 24 g |
| Day 5 | Chia pudding with chia seeds and coconut milk | Paneer butter masala (low sugar), cauliflower rice | Handful of macadamia nuts | Chicken tikka, cabbage salad | ~1,750 / 90 g / 145 g / 20 g |
| Day 6 | Masala omelette with cheese | Prawn masala, sauteed greens | Serving of Keto Trail mix | Keto roti made with Keto Flour, palak paneer | ~1,700 / 90 g / 135 g / 25 g |
| Day 7 | Butter coffee or tea (unsweetened) and 2 eggs | Chicken pepper fry, cucumber raita | 2 Brazil nuts and a few almonds | Fish fry in coconut oil, avial in coconut | ~1,700 / 95 g / 135 g / 18 g |
Reference values used
- Paneer, 100 g: about 260 to 300 kcal, 18 g protein, 20 to 22 g fat, 1 to 3 g carbs (IFCT and USDA, varies by brand).
- One large egg: about 72 kcal, 6 g protein, 5 g fat, under 1 g carbs (USDA).
- Cauliflower, 100 g raw: about 25 kcal and 3 g net carbs (USDA).
- Spinach, 100 g raw: about 23 kcal and 1.4 g net carbs (USDA).
- Butter, 1 tablespoon: about 100 kcal; ghee about 120 kcal (USDA).
Things to watch
- The first week can bring tiredness, headache or cramps, often called keto flu. Fluids and salt help; rock salt works well in cooking.
- Keto can be low in fibre. Lean on greens, cauliflower, cabbage, chia and flax seeds.
- Read labels on packaged "keto" foods and count them in your carbs.
- Get your lipid profile, sugar and kidney function checked before and during the diet, as your doctor advises.
Products used in this plan
- Keto Flour 500G, Almond Flour 500g and Keto Bread 250g
- Cow Ghee, Cow Butter and Virgin Coconut Oil
- Dark Chocolate 90% and Keto Trail mix
- Premium Almond, Walnut Kernels 500g, Macadamia 200g, Brazil Nut 200g
- Chia seeds 500g and Flax Seed 500g
You can find more low carb staples in the Paleo Bay range.
Before you begin: This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before you start any diet, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have diabetes, kidney or heart conditions, or take regular medication. Low carb diets can change how some medicines (such as diabetes and blood pressure tablets) work, so your doses may need checking.
Sources
- ICMR-NIN, Nutrient Requirements for Indians (RDA and EAR), 2020: nin.res.in
- USDA FoodData Central: fdc.nal.usda.gov
- ICMR-NIN, Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT 2017): nin.res.in
- National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019 to 2021: rchiips.org/nfhs
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Diet Review: Ketogenic Diet: nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu
- US FDA, drug safety communication on SGLT2 inhibitors and ketoacidosis: fda.gov
