Intermittent Fasting Keto Meals – Guide with ideas for low carb diet meal plan recipes and inspiration following my own experience of 6 months of combining together the popular ketogenic diet and 16/8 Intermittent Fasting.
Intermittent Fasting Keto Meals
It’s been around 6 months since I started regularly Intermittent Fasting. So, today I’m sharing some of my favourite Intermittent Fasting Keto Meals that I’ve enjoyed and how I incorporate Intermittent Fasting and Keto Diet into my lifestyle to enjoy all of the health benefits of both of the diets.
Here’s the video where I talk you through my experience of 6 months of Intermittent Fasting work, being in a fasted state and fat loss. Hit play below or click here to watch on YouTube.
Important note – please consult with your chosen health professional or healthcare provider before commencing an intermittent fasting or keto diet to address any health conditions and ensure you keep factors like your blood pressure and insulin sensitivity under control and appropriately monitored.
Both being in a state of ketosis and following an intermittent fasting diet should really only be attempted under medical supervision to ensure that your overall health is maintained and any potential negative side effects avoided.
To Skip Breakfast or Dinner?
That’s the question you’re faced when you want to start dabbling in Intermittent Fasting. Initially I experimented with both – skipping breakfast and only having lunch and dinner.
And, enjoying a generous breakfast and lunch and then skipping dinner, monitoring my energy levels and eating pattern with each fasting window.
Different plans and periods of fasting will work for different people, it’s a good idea to experiment for yourself to determine which diet plan works best for you.
Personally, my “sweet spot” is eating breakfast and lunch and then skipping dinner. So, I eat between 8am and 4pm, then my hours of fasting are from 4pm until 8am the following morning.
This fits perfectly into my lifestyle – I get to enjoy a big hearty breakfast and a second sizeable meal during the day, making sure all is finished up by 4pm.
The good news is that there are also different ways to incorporate intermittent fasting into your own lifestyle. You can choose whether to have fasting days every day or opt for an alternate day way of eating by fasting on the days of the week of your choosing.
It’s also up to you whether you’d like to follow a calorie restriction type diet and monitor your calories. I choose not to because with only 2 meals a day I figure I’m consuming fewer calories than I would with three, while enjoying the potential benefits of intermittent fasting meal plans.
I found tons of inspiration and Intermittent Fasting advice in the book The 2 Meal Day. (Get it here.) There’s all the science you need to know about Intermittent Fasting, plus loads of recipes and meal ideas.
What About Evening Plans?
You’re probably wondering whether I fast every single day or whether it’s just now and then. Well, for the first around 3 months I fasted EVERY SINGLE DAY! Without exception. Then, in the lead up to moving from Australia to Ireland, I knew that everything would be thrown off, so I slowly started having my afternoon meal later and later so I’d be used to it.
Also, around that time there were a number of social occasions that meant family dinners and later meals. So, I loosened up my eating habits a little and intermittently intermittent fasting. (If that’s a thing!) I’d aim for an 8am to 4pm eating window, but didn’t drive myself crazy if I didn’t achieve that specific time.
Now, I’m back to most days eating a balanced diet between 8am and 4pm and fasting the rest of the time. Some days where we are out later or traveling, I will have something a little later if I feel I need it.
Intermittent Fasting Keto Breakfast Ideas
To me, my first meal of the day is usually a big keto breakfast of some type. Fried eggs, loads of veggies and healthy fats.
Here are some ideas for low-carb diet friendly breakfast meals with healthy foods:
- Fried Eggs
- Scrambled Eggs
- Omelette
- Cauliflower
- Radish
- Garlic
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Sausages
- Leftover meat
You can put together a couple of low carb high-fat diet breakfast elements, cooking your eggs and optional breakfast meat of choice in plenty of healthy high fat coconut oil, butter or olive oil and serving them with cheese and sour cream to create a big breakfast fry up, pictured below.
For more inspiration, here is a video with a week of Easy Keto Breakfast Ideas. Hit play below or click here to watch on YouTube.
Intermittent Fasting Keto Lunch and Dinner Ideas
For the second meal of the day, it’s usually a cross between lunch and dinner. A big meal to keep me satisfied through the afternoon/evening and happy until breakfast the following day. Here are some of my favourites and for even more inspiration, click through for 25 quick keto dinner ideas.
If I’m going to be out and about, and I’m also a bit more organised, I may make a meal prep box. The above pictured box includes corned beef, cauliflower mash and a hard boiled egg. (Here are the meal prep boxes I use.)
Another favourite is Broccoli Casserole, pictured above, for when I’m after a meat free keto meal. (Click here for the recipe.)
For a lighter meal, I may make an enormous salad, like the above pictured tuna salad, loaded with greens, healthy fats in avocado, sour cream and/or mayo.
Another meal which is a great lunch/dinner that will keep me full for the rest of the day is Egg Roll in A Bowl. It’s super easy to make and is budget friendly too. (Click here for the recipe.)
What About Snacks?
Sometimes I’ll have a snack either between my two meals or later on in the day, just prior to 4pm. My snack is either a hot chocolate (click here for the recipe) or a bowl of strawberries and cream.
As you can tell, I LOVE whipped cream and find that it satiates me wonderfully and helps my Intermittent Fasting efforts and to keep me on track with my healthy diet.
What Has Intermittent Fasting Taught Me?
Intermittent Fasting has taught me that I don’t have to eat around the clock. That I can give my body a real chance to rest and digest. I don’t do it for the weight loss results, but rather for the energy balance and positive effects that I’ve personally experienced.
I do it because I now love the feeling of my afternoon meal slowly digesting and not feeling full and uncomfortable when it’s time to go to sleep.
I love the way I feel while Intermittent Fasting and will be continuing this lifestyle for the foreseeable future.
More Helpful Fasting Resources:
16/8 Intermittent Fasting Experiment
Intermittent Fasting For Beginners
Subscribe to receive the FREE weekly newsletter, packed full of easy recipes and food inspiration plus exclusive, subscriber only content. Click here to Subscribe by Email.
Disclaimer – this post is meant for informational post only and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your health professional before making any dietary changes.
Disclosure – this post contains affiliate links.
