7-day high protein meal plan (about 140 g of protein a day)
Most high protein meal plans fall apart on day three, when you're staring at your fifth plain chicken breast. This one is built the way people actually cook: one Sunday batch of chili, a tray of chicken and rice for lunches, and quick dinners that reuse what's already in the fridge. Breakfasts lean on Greek yogurt and eggs, snacks do real work, and nothing needs a protein shake. Every day lands between about 130 and 150 g of protein and 1,700 to 1,900 calories, which we worked out from the ingredient amounts below.
For: Anyone who wants more protein from everyday food, without eating the same meal all week · ~1750 cal/day · ~138 g protein/day
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Get this plan in CadoThe plan
Day 1
- BreakfastGreek yogurt bowl: 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, ½ cup blueberries, ½ cup rolled oats, 2 tbsp peanut butter530 cal · 40 g protein
- LunchChicken, brown rice and broccoli bowl (5 oz chicken breast, 1 cup rice, 1 cup broccoli)510 cal · 43 g protein
- DinnerTurkey and black bean chili with a spoonful of Greek yogurt and mozzarella510 cal · 47 g protein
- Snack⅔ cup cottage cheese with blueberries and a few almonds240 cal · 20 g protein
Day 2
- BreakfastEgg and spinach scramble (2 eggs + ½ cup egg whites, a handful of spinach) with 2 slices whole-wheat toast420 cal · 34 g protein
- LunchTurkey and black bean chili with a spoonful of Greek yogurt and mozzarella (leftovers)510 cal · 47 g protein
- DinnerSheet-pan salmon (6 oz) with roasted sweet potato and broccoli600 cal · 41 g protein
- Snack1 cup shelled edamame, steamed and salted180 cal · 18 g protein
Day 3
- BreakfastOvernight oats: ⅔ cup oats, ⅔ cup 2% milk, ⅓ cup Greek yogurt, 2 tsp chia, ½ banana430 cal · 24 g protein
- LunchChicken, brown rice and broccoli bowl (5 oz chicken breast, 1 cup rice, 1 cup broccoli) (leftovers)510 cal · 43 g protein
- DinnerChicken thigh stir-fry with peppers and broccoli over brown rice510 cal · 43 g protein
- Snack⅔ cup cottage cheese with blueberries and a few almonds240 cal · 20 g protein
Day 4
- BreakfastGreek yogurt bowl: 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, ½ cup blueberries, ½ cup rolled oats, 2 tbsp peanut butter530 cal · 40 g protein
- LunchTuna and chickpea salad with cucumber and cherry tomatoes, plus 1 slice whole-wheat toast530 cal · 45 g protein
- DinnerTurkey and black bean chili with a spoonful of Greek yogurt and mozzarella (leftovers)510 cal · 47 g protein
- Snack2 hard-boiled eggs140 cal · 13 g protein
Day 5
- BreakfastEgg and spinach scramble (2 eggs + ½ cup egg whites, a handful of spinach) with 2 slices whole-wheat toast420 cal · 34 g protein
- LunchChicken, brown rice and broccoli bowl (5 oz chicken breast, 1 cup rice, 1 cup broccoli) (leftovers)510 cal · 43 g protein
- DinnerTofu and edamame stir-fry with peppers over quinoa610 cal · 44 g protein
- Snack1 cup shelled edamame, steamed and salted180 cal · 18 g protein
Day 6
- BreakfastOvernight oats: ⅔ cup oats, ⅔ cup 2% milk, ⅓ cup Greek yogurt, 2 tsp chia, ½ banana430 cal · 24 g protein
- LunchTuna and chickpea salad with cucumber and cherry tomatoes, plus 1 slice whole-wheat toast530 cal · 45 g protein
- DinnerWhole-wheat spaghetti with turkey meat sauce580 cal · 40 g protein
- Snack⅔ cup cottage cheese with blueberries and a few almonds240 cal · 20 g protein
Day 7
- BreakfastGreek yogurt bowl: 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, ½ cup blueberries, ½ cup rolled oats, 2 tbsp peanut butter530 cal · 40 g protein
- LunchTurkey and black bean chili with a spoonful of Greek yogurt and mozzarella (leftovers)510 cal · 47 g protein
- DinnerWhole-wheat spaghetti with turkey meat sauce (leftovers)580 cal · 40 g protein
- SnackAn apple and a small handful of almonds (about 20)260 cal · 6 g protein
Grocery list
Produce
- Blueberries, 2 pints (or a 16-oz bag frozen)
- Broccoli, 2 heads (about 1 lb)
- Bell peppers, 3
- Baby spinach, 1 small bag
- Sweet potato, 1 large
- Yellow onions, 2
- Cucumber, 1
- Cherry tomatoes, 1 pint
- Banana, 1
- Apple, 1
- Garlic, 1 head
- Lemon, 1
Meat and fish
- 93% lean ground turkey, 2 lb
- Boneless skinless chicken breast, 1 lb
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 6 oz (1–2 thighs)
- Salmon fillet, 6 oz
- Tuna in water, 2 (5-oz) cans
Dairy and eggs
- Plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 (32-oz) tub and 1 (16-oz) tub
- 2% cottage cheese, 1 (16-oz) tub
- Eggs, 6
- Liquid egg whites, 1 (16-oz) carton
- 2% milk, 1 pint
- Shredded part-skim mozzarella, 1 (8-oz) bag
- Extra-firm or firm tofu, 1 (14-oz) block
Frozen
- Shelled edamame, 1 (16-oz) bag
Pantry
- Rolled oats
- Brown rice, about 1¼ cups dry
- Quinoa, ¼ cup dry
- Whole-wheat spaghetti, ⅓ of a 1-lb box
- Whole-wheat bread, 6 slices
- Black beans, 2 (15-oz) cans
- Chickpeas, 2 (15-oz) cans
- Crushed tomatoes, 1 (28-oz) can
- Peanut butter
- Almonds, about ½ cup
- Chia seeds
- Olive oil
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Chili powder and ground cumin
Prep tips
- Sunday, make the chili: brown 1¼ lb ground turkey with a diced onion and pepper, add 2 drained cans of black beans, half the crushed tomatoes, 1 tbsp chili powder and 1 tsp cumin, and simmer 25 minutes. That's four servings: eat one that night, refrigerate one for Day 2's lunch, and freeze two for Day 4 and Day 7, since cooked leftovers keep about 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
- Also on Sunday, cook 1¼ cups dry brown rice and bake 1 lb chicken breast at 425°F for about 20 minutes, until it reaches 165°F inside. Portion three lunch bowls with steamed broccoli; freeze the Day 5 bowl if you want it to taste fresh.
- Hard-boil a few eggs while the oven is on. They're the Day 4 snack and an easy backup on busy mornings.
- Stir together overnight oats before bed on Days 2 and 5 so breakfast is waiting on Days 3 and 6.
- Make the pasta sauce on Day 6 with the rest of the turkey and crushed tomatoes, and pack the second portion for Day 7.
- Not a fan of something? Swap within the same food: chicken thigh for breast, tofu for chicken, cottage cheese for Greek yogurt. The protein stays close.
Questions
How do you create a high protein meal plan?
Start each meal with a protein you like (Greek yogurt, eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, tofu or beans), then add a grain or starchy vegetable and a vegetable. Cook one or two things in bulk so lunches take no effort, and make snacks count with cottage cheese, eggs or edamame. That's how this plan gets to roughly 140 g a day without supplements.
What are some sample high protein meal plans?
Here's Day 1 of this plan: a Greek yogurt bowl with oats and peanut butter (about 40 g protein), a chicken, rice and broccoli bowl (about 43 g), cottage cheese with blueberries (about 20 g), and turkey and black bean chili for dinner (about 47 g). That's about 150 g of protein and 1,790 calories. The other six days follow the same pattern with different dinners.
How do you make a high protein, low carb meal plan?
This plan isn't low carb: oats, brown rice, quinoa, pasta and beans supply a good share of the calories. To cut carbs, keep the proteins and swap the grains for extra vegetables, for example cauliflower rice under the stir-fries and more broccoli with the chicken. Calories will drop too, so add a little more protein or some healthy fat to stay full.
Calories and protein are estimates calculated from USDA nutrient values for the portions listed; brands and exact amounts will vary. This is a general eating plan, not medical advice. If you have kidney disease or another health condition, check with your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing how much protein you eat.
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