High protein vegetarian meal plan: 7 days, about 117 g of protein a day, no protein powder
Most high protein vegetarian meal plans online are really vegan plans, which makes the math harder than it needs to be. If you eat eggs and dairy, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and eggs do a lot of the work, and tofu, lentils, chickpeas, black beans and edamame do the rest. This week is built that way: protein at every meal and snack, no protein powder, no meat substitutes you have to hunt for. You cook two batches (a red lentil and chickpea curry on Sunday, a tofu stir-fry twice in the week) and the rest are 10-minute breakfasts and simple dinners that reuse what's already in the fridge. Every day lands between about 110 and 133 g of protein and 1,750 to 1,860 calories, which we worked out from the ingredient amounts below using USDA nutrient values.
For: Vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy and want more protein from everyday food, without protein powder or eating the same bowl all week · ~1800 cal/day · ~117 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, ¼ cup rolled oats, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp peanut butter410 cal · 34 g protein
- LunchBlack bean and quinoa bowl: ¾ cup black beans, ¾ cup quinoa, ¼ avocado, salsa, a hard-boiled egg and lime Greek yogurt crema550 cal · 32 g protein
- DinnerRed lentil and chickpea curry with spinach over ¾ cup brown rice, with a spoonful of Greek yogurt650 cal · 33 g protein
- Snack¾ cup shelled edamame, steamed and salted140 cal · 14 g protein
Day 2
- BreakfastOvernight oats: ½ cup rolled oats, ¾ cup 2% milk, ½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp chia seeds, ½ banana430 cal · 26 g protein
- LunchRed lentil and chickpea curry with spinach over ¾ cup brown rice, with a spoonful of Greek yogurt (leftovers)650 cal · 33 g protein
- DinnerTofu, edamame and broccoli stir-fry (7 oz extra-firm tofu, ½ cup edamame, broccoli, bell pepper, soy sauce) over ¾ cup brown rice600 cal · 38 g protein
- Snack¾ cup 2% cottage cheese with ½ cup blueberries180 cal · 18 g protein
Day 3
- BreakfastSpinach and feta scramble (2 eggs + ½ cup liquid egg whites, a handful of spinach, 1 oz feta) with 2 slices whole-wheat toast450 cal · 39 g protein
- LunchTofu, edamame and broccoli stir-fry (7 oz extra-firm tofu, ½ cup edamame, broccoli, bell pepper, soy sauce) over ¾ cup brown rice (leftovers)600 cal · 38 g protein
- DinnerWhole-wheat pasta (2 oz dry) with white beans, spinach and marinara, topped with mozzarella and parmesan500 cal · 29 g protein
- SnackAn apple with 2 tbsp peanut butter280 cal · 9 g protein
Day 4
- BreakfastGreek yogurt bowl: 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, ½ cup blueberries, ¼ cup rolled oats, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp peanut butter410 cal · 34 g protein
- LunchBlack bean and quinoa bowl: ¾ cup black beans, ¾ cup quinoa, ¼ avocado, salsa, a hard-boiled egg and lime Greek yogurt crema550 cal · 32 g protein
- DinnerChickpea shakshuka: 2 eggs baked in spiced crushed tomatoes with chickpeas and feta, 2 slices whole-wheat toast for dipping650 cal · 36 g protein
- Snack¾ cup shelled edamame, steamed and salted140 cal · 14 g protein
Day 5
- BreakfastOvernight oats: ½ cup rolled oats, ¾ cup 2% milk, ½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp chia seeds, ½ banana430 cal · 26 g protein
- LunchWhole-wheat pasta (2 oz dry) with white beans, spinach and marinara, topped with mozzarella and parmesan (leftovers)500 cal · 29 g protein
- DinnerRed lentil and chickpea curry with spinach over ¾ cup brown rice, with a spoonful of Greek yogurt (from the freezer)650 cal · 33 g protein
- Snack¾ cup nonfat Greek yogurt with 1 tsp honey and a few almonds210 cal · 22 g protein
Day 6
- BreakfastCottage cheese toast: 2 slices whole-wheat toast topped with ¾ cup 2% cottage cheese, sliced tomato, black pepper and a chopped hard-boiled egg390 cal · 33 g protein
- LunchRed lentil and chickpea curry with spinach over ¾ cup brown rice, with a spoonful of Greek yogurt (from the freezer)650 cal · 33 g protein
- DinnerTofu, edamame and broccoli stir-fry (7 oz extra-firm tofu, ½ cup edamame, broccoli, bell pepper, soy sauce) over ¾ cup brown rice600 cal · 38 g protein
- Snack2 hard-boiled eggs with salt and pepper160 cal · 13 g protein
Day 7
- BreakfastSpinach and feta scramble (2 eggs + ½ cup liquid egg whites, a handful of spinach, 1 oz feta) with 2 slices whole-wheat toast450 cal · 39 g protein
- LunchTofu, edamame and broccoli stir-fry (7 oz extra-firm tofu, ½ cup edamame, broccoli, bell pepper, soy sauce) over ¾ cup brown rice (leftovers)600 cal · 38 g protein
- DinnerLoaded sweet potato: 1 baked sweet potato with ¾ cup black beans, ½ cup Greek yogurt, 1 oz cheddar and salsa, steamed broccoli on the side570 cal · 38 g protein
- Snack¾ cup 2% cottage cheese with ½ cup blueberries180 cal · 18 g protein
Grocery list
Produce
- Baby spinach, one 10-oz container (or two 5-oz)
- Broccoli, 2 crowns (or two 12-oz bags of frozen florets)
- Bell peppers, 2
- Yellow onions, 2
- Garlic, 1 head
- Fresh ginger, a 2-inch piece
- Blueberries, 2 pints (or a 16-oz bag of frozen)
- Banana, 1
- Apple, 1
- Avocado, 1
- Tomato, 1
- Sweet potato, 1 medium
- Limes, 2
Dairy and eggs
- Nonfat plain Greek yogurt, one 32-oz tub + one 16-oz tub
- 2% cottage cheese, one 24-oz tub
- Eggs, 1 dozen
- Liquid egg whites, one 16-oz carton
- 2% milk, 1 quart
- Crumbled feta, 4 oz
- Part-skim mozzarella, a small block or bag (you need 2 oz)
- Cheddar, a small block (you need 1 oz)
- Parmesan, a small wedge
Tofu and frozen
- Extra-firm tofu, two 14-oz blocks
- Frozen shelled edamame, two 12-oz bags
Beans, grains and pasta
- Red lentils, dry, 1¼ cups (about ½ lb)
- Chickpeas, two 15-oz cans
- Black beans, two 15-oz cans
- Cannellini (white) beans, one 15-oz can
- Brown rice, 2 cups dry
- Quinoa, ½ cup dry
- Rolled oats, 1½ cups
- Whole-wheat pasta, 4 oz
- Whole-wheat bread, 1 loaf
Pantry
- Crushed tomatoes, one 28-oz can
- Marinara sauce, 1 jar
- Salsa, 1 jar
- Peanut butter
- Chia seeds
- Almonds, a small handful
- Honey
- Soy sauce
- Olive oil
- Curry powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili flakes
Prep tips
- Sunday, make the curry: soften 1 diced onion, 3 cloves garlic and a thumb of grated ginger in 1 tbsp olive oil, stir in 2 tbsp curry powder and 1 tsp cumin, then add 1¼ cups rinsed red lentils, 1 can of drained chickpeas, 2 cups of the crushed tomatoes and about 3 cups of water. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes until the lentils collapse, then stir in two big handfuls of spinach. That's four servings: eat one on Day 1, keep one for Day 2's lunch and freeze two for Days 5 and 6, since cooked leftovers keep about 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
- Also on Sunday, cook 2 cups of dry brown rice and ½ cup of quinoa, and hard-boil 5 eggs (for two quinoa bowls, the cottage cheese toast and one snack of 2). Rice freezes well in flat portions if you'd rather not keep it all week.
- Press the tofu before the stir-fry: wrap the block in a clean towel, set something heavy on it for 15 minutes, then cut it into cubes and sear them in a hot pan before the vegetables go in. It browns instead of steaming. Each block makes two servings, so the Day 2 stir-fry covers Day 3's lunch and the Day 6 one covers Day 7's.
- Make a jar of overnight oats on the evenings of Day 1 and Day 4 for the next morning; they keep for a couple of days in the fridge.
- The pasta on Day 3 makes two servings; pack the second into a container straight away for Day 5's lunch.
- Shakshuka on Day 4 uses the rest of the crushed tomatoes and the second can of chickpeas: simmer them with onion, garlic, smoked paprika and chili flakes for 10 minutes, make two wells, crack in the eggs, cover and cook until the whites set, then crumble feta on top.
- Mix the lime crema for the quinoa bowls by stirring lime juice and a pinch of salt into Greek yogurt. It works on the loaded sweet potato too.
Questions
How can a vegetarian get over 100 g of protein a day?
Put a protein at every meal and snack instead of relying on dinner. In this plan the biggest contributors are nonfat Greek yogurt (about 25 g per cup), 2% cottage cheese (about 18 g per ¾ cup), eggs plus egg whites (about 26 g for 2 eggs and ½ cup whites), tofu (about 20 g in 7 oz of extra-firm), lentils and beans (about 18 g per cooked cup of lentils), and edamame (about 14 g per ¾ cup). Spread over four meals, that adds up to 110 to 133 g a day without protein powder.
Is this plan vegan?
No, it's vegetarian: it uses eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and cheese. To make it vegan, swap the yogurt for an unsweetened soy yogurt, scramble tofu instead of eggs, use soy milk in the oats, and add more edamame, tempeh or lentils. Check the labels, because plant yogurts vary a lot in protein, and expect the daily total to drop unless you add a protein to each meal.
How much protein do I actually need?
The standard recommendation for adults is 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day; people who strength train or want to stay full on fewer calories often aim higher. This plan's 110 to 133 g a day is a high-protein week for most people, not a requirement. If you have a medical condition, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian what's right for you.
Can I meal prep this plan?
Yes. The curry, rice, quinoa and hard-boiled eggs are cooked on Sunday, the stir-fry is made twice and eaten as dinner then next-day lunch, and the pasta makes two portions. Two curry portions go into the freezer so nothing sits in the fridge past about four days.
Calories and protein are estimates calculated from USDA nutrient values for the portions listed; brands and exact amounts will vary (supermarket extra-firm tofu often lists more protein than the value we used). 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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