1200 calories a day: your keto intermittent fasting meal plan

You are excited to shed a few kilograms by combining intermittent fasting and the keto diet. Then it hits you – there is some planning to be done.

Meal planning can seem daunting if you are new to keto and intermittent fasting. What do you eat? When do you eat? Read on.

Keto and intermittent fasting: what you should know

The bottom line of this meal plan is that keto will tell you what to eat, and intermittent fasting will tell you when to eat. Both of these have been found effective for weight loss.

The ketogenic diet (keto) is a low-carb diet in which you get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. Sugary foods like pastries and white bread are a no-no.

After around three to four days of eating less than 50g of carbs a day, your body runs out of fuel from sugar, and then starts breaking down protein and fat for energy, which causes weight loss. This is called ketosis.

Intermittent fasting is a plan that switches between fasting and eating on a regular schedule. This means that you only eat during a specific time each day.

There are many different ways to do intermittent fasting. You can, for example, eat only during an eight-hour period each day and fast for the remaining 16 hours.

Or, you could decide to only eat one meal a day for two days a week. There are many different intermittent fasting schedules.

After hours of not eating, the body exhausts its sugar stores and starts burning fat, in a process called metabolic switching.

What to eat? 7-day keto intermittent fasting meal plan

To get you going, let’s look at an example of what your meal plan will look like. The following meal plan is based on a 16:8 fasting schedule (fasting for 16 hours per day) and around 1 200 calories per day.

It’s important to take note that 1 200 calories per day qualifies as a low calorie meal plan, on which most people will lose weight. However, it might not be sustainable over a long period of time.

The number of calories needed per day differs from person to person. The more active you are, the more calories you can consume. 

The following meal plan should only be used as a guideline that you can adjust according to your needs.

Day 1

Breakfast (12pm – 1pm)

One goat cheese and herb omelette. This omelette is made with three eggs and flavoured with soft goat cheese, herbs and spices.

Calories: 462

Lunch (3pm – 4pm)

One serving cucumber and tomato salad. A simple, refreshing salad made from tomatoes, cucumber, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Calories: 91

Dinner (6pm – 7pm)

One serving healthy Ceasar salad paired with 30g cheddar cheese. Your salad will consist of chicken breast, spinach, parmesan cheese, salad dressing and olive oil.

Calories: 575

Day 2

Breakfast (12pm – 1pm)

Avocado and egg salad made from one avocado and two boiled eggs. Flavour your salad with salt, pepper and one tablespoon of olive oil.

Calories: 400

Lunch (3pm – 4pm)

Indulge in a yummy keto smoothie made from one cup almond milk, ½ cup frozen berries, one tablespoon chia seeds and one tablespoon MCT oil.

Calories: 400

Dinner (6pm – 7pm)

115g chicken breast with 2 cups of spinach and one tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon of parmesan cheese.

Calories: 400

Day 3

Breakfast (12pm – 1pm)

One cup of nonfat plain Greek yoghurt with ⅓ cup blackberries, one tablespoon chopped walnuts and two clementines.

Calories: 270

Lunch (3pm – 4pm)

One serving of white bean and veggie salad. This meal combines any white bean of your choice with avo, and comes together with veggies of your choice and a dressing of red wine vinegar and olive oil. Enjoy half a cup of raspberries for dessert.

Calories: 390

Supper (6pm-7pm)

One serving of ginger-tahini oven-baked salmon and vegetables. This meal contains salmon, butternut, green beans and mushrooms.

Calories: 555

Day 4

Breakfast (12pm – 1pm)

Quick and easy: scrambled eggs with half an avocado.

Calories: 350

Lunch (3pm – 4pm)

Keto salmon patties which can be customised to your liking. Experiment with spices like cumin, turmeric or paprika, or add in diced, sauteed veggies. Serve with chimichurri.

Calories: 340

Supper (6pm-7pm)

Keto chicken parm. This is normally a fairly high-carb dish that consists of crumbed chicken drenched in a marinara sauce. This recipe converts it into a keto-friendly meal.

Calories: 590

Day 5

Breakfast (12pm – 1pm)

Chia seed pudding. Combine three tablespoons chia seeds, one cup almond milk and one tablespoon cocoa powder. Refrigerate overnight.

Calories: 350

Lunch (3pm – 4pm)

While you have chia seeds on hand, make a smoothie by blending one tablespoon of them with one avocado and one cup of almond milk.

Calories: 400

Supper (6pm-7pm)

Wrap 115g chicken breast in a large lettuce leaf, and flavour with one tablespoon of mayonnaise and one slice of cheese.

Calories: 450

Day 6

Breakfast (12pm – 1pm)

Good old bacon and eggs. Stick to more or less 35g of bacon and two eggs.

Calories: 272

Lunch (3pm – 4pm)

Roll together two slices of cheese, two slices of ham and two slices of lettuce. Add two tablespoons of mayo.

Calories: 480

Supper (6pm-7pm)

Enjoy a 113g ribeye steak with one cup of broccoli and one tablespoon of butter.

Calories: 409

Day 7

Breakfast (12pm – 1pm)

Three scrambled eggs cooked in one tablespoon of olive oil. Add to this half a cup of kale and a tablespoon of feta.

Calories: 362 

Lunch (3pm – 4pm)

Another lettuce wrap, this time filled with half a can of tuna, half an avocado, one stalk green onion, four slices of cucumber and one tablespoon lime juice.

Calories: 251

Supper (6pm-7pm)

Pork belly and cauliflower fried rice with celery and chives.

Calories: 626

Final takeaway

Adjust any meal plan you might follow according to your needs, and even talk to a medical professional if you need advice.

Remember to stay hydrated, and even more important, don’t starve yourself. Low calorie snacks to keep you going are highly unlikely to sabotage your weight loss efforts.