Free 7-day high protein diet meal plan with breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas and shopping list. All recipes include macros and Weight Watchers points.
7-day high-protein diet meal plan
In the chaos of the holidays, it can be easy to stray from healthy eating habits. Finding balance can be difficult, but slow cooker and Instant Pot meals can help simplify things! Quick and easy dinner ideas like these can help you manage your busy schedule while still maintaining your health goals. This high-protein Ropa Vieja will keep your family warm on cold winter nights!
Why high protein?
As many of you know, I’ve been following a high-protein diet for muscle gain for the past few years, and it’s made all the difference to me! I feel stronger and more satisfied, so I don’t eat sweets or chips between meals or at the end of the day. We know many of you are struggling to meet your protein goals, so we were inspired and created a high-protein meal plan for you this week. If you enjoy it, we will share one or two with you every month. Plus, I’m working on a high-protein cookbook, so stay tuned!
To reach my protein goals, I typically split my protein intake into three meals. For example, if your goal is to consume 120 grams of protein per day, aim to add at least 30 grams per meal and 10 to 30 grams per snack. If you’re not sure how much protein you should eat per day, this article may help.
How it works
If you are new to my meal plan, this is just for reference. There’s plenty of wiggle room. for you add more foodYou can change the recipe to your desired menu, such as coffee, beverage, fruit, snack, or dessert, or search for recipes by course in the index. Depending on your goals, you should aim for at least 1,500 calories* per day. There is no one size fits all and it depends on your goals, age, weight, etc. Always consult a nutritionist or nutritionist about your specific requirements.
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Older people with kidney or liver disease, gout, certain metabolic disorders, or reduced kidney function may need to limit protein to avoid complications. It is always best to consult with your healthcare provider or nutritionist before significantly increasing your protein intake, especially if you have an underlying medical condition.
Lastly, if you’re on Facebook, join my Skinnytaste Facebook community where everyone shares photos of the recipes they make. You can sign up here. I love all the ideas everyone shares! If you’d like to join our email list, subscribe here so you never miss a meal plan!
The Ultimate Skinny Taste Meal Planner
Get the best meal planner from Skinnytaste! The 52-Week Spiral Bound Meal Planner includes a weekly meal planning grid that you can tear out and stick on the fridge if you want, a 12-week meal plan, 30 recipes (15 new), and a tear-out grocery list. I like to start my week with gratitude, positivity, and intention, so I’ve included space for that too. I hope you love this as much as I do!
Buy the Skinnytaste Meal Planner here:
I’ve created another 4-week high-protein meal plan to help you get started on your healthy eating journey! Protein is a macronutrient that helps with many important body functions. Foods high in protein can keep you full for a long time and boost your metabolism. This exclusive 4-week series, created especially for Relish+ members, provides 4 weeks of high-protein breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to help you easily reach your goals and stay healthy and strong!
High Protein Diet Meal Plan:
Breakfast and lunch from Monday to Friday are served for one person, while dinner and all meals on Saturday and Sunday are designed to feed a family of four. Some recipes provide enough leftovers for two nights or lunch the next day. The grocery list is comprehensive and includes everything you need to prepare every meal according to plan. Add high-protein snacks to help you reach your protein goals.
Monday (12/9)
B: Chorizo Breakfast Bowl
L: Buffalo chicken salad with 2 tablespoons light blue cheese dressing and ½ cup sliced cucumbers
D: Spaghetti Squash Crust Pizza (Recipe x 2) and Arugula Salad
Total Calories: 1,247* Protein: 96.5
Tuesday (12/10)
B: Chorizo Breakfast Bowl
L: Buffalo chicken salad with 2 tablespoons light blue cheese dressing and ½ cup sliced cucumbers
D: Crock pot picadillo with ½ cup brown rice** and 2 ounces avocado.
Total Calories: 1,309* Protein: 107.5
Wednesday (12/11)
B: Chorizo Breakfast Bowl
L: Chickpea tuna salad, 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce, ¼ cup raw almonds
D: Crock Pot Picadillo Stuffed Peppers (Recipe x 2)
Total Calories: 1,254* Protein: 102
Thursday (12/12)
B: Chorizo Breakfast Bowl
L: Chickpea tuna salad, 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
D: Pasta with Chicken Parmesan (½ recipe), Roasted Broccoli, Garlic and Oil
Total Calories: 1,299* Protein: 103.5
Friday (12/13)
B: PB + J yogurt
L: Leftover Crock Pot Picadillo Stuffed Peppers and ¼ cup raw almonds.
D: Shrimp with Tuscan white beans, spinach, feta cheese and Mediterranean quinoa salad.
Total Calories: 1,222* Protein: 101.5
Saturday (12/14)
B: Classic Egg Salad with Protein Bagel with Orange (Recipe x 2)
L: Sesame Crusted Tuna Steak with Arugula
D: dinner
Total Calories: 701* Protein: 55.5
Sunday (12/15)
B: Protein bagel with 2 tablespoons light cream cheese, 2 ounces smoked salmon, and 4 red onion rings.
L: Sausage Tortellini Soup
D: Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Breast Bites
Total Calories: 1,200* Protein 106.5
*This is just a guideline, women should aim for approximately 1500 calories per day. Here’s a helpful calculator to help you estimate your calorie needs: We leave plenty of wiggle room for adding more food, including coffee, drinks, fruit, snacks, desserts, and wine.
**Make 2 more cups of rice for Wednesday night.
*Google Docs
shopping list
produce
- 1 handful of seedless red grapes
- 4 medium oranges
- 1 medium + 1 large lemon
- 3 small (5 ounce) + 1 medium (6 ounce) Hass avocado
- 1 small cucumber
- 1 medium English cucumber
- 4 Persian (mini) cucumbers (can be substituted with other medium-sized cucumbers, if desired)
- 7 medium red bell peppers (flat bottoms)
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 (2-inch) piece of fresh ginger
- 1 pound baby gold or red potatoes
- 2 spaghetti squash (2.2 pounds)
- 1 small bag of baby carrots
- 1 small bunch celery
- 1 ½ pound broccoli florets
- 1 small bunch of chives
- 1 small bunch/fresh chive (you can add green onions to the egg salad for garnish if desired)
- 1 small bunch/container of fresh sage
- 1 small bunch fresh basil or Italian parsley (chicken parmesan garnish is optional)
- 1 small bunch of fresh cilantro
- 2 medium romaine lettuce
- Shell/bag 1 baby arugula (1 pound)
- 1 shell/bag baby spinach (1 pound)
- 1 small, vine-ripened tomato
- 1 dried cherry or grape tomato
- 1 large red onion
- 1 small + 2 medium yellow onions
meat, poultry and fish
- 1 pack turkey chorizo
- 1 (8 ounce) package smoked salmon
- 1¼ pounds sushi-grade tuna (buy frozen or close to Saturday if fresh)
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 ½ pounds (7) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 ½ ounce canned chicken or
- Rotisserie chicken breast for 1 (8-ounce) raw breast, or for buffalo chicken salad, if desired)
- ½ pound sweet Italian chicken sausage
- 2 ½ pounds 93% lean ground beef
Seasonings and Spices
- extra virgin olive oil
- canola oil
- cooking spray
- Olive oil spray (or buy Misto Oil Mister)
- Kosher salt (I like diamond crystal)
- Pepper grinder (or fresh peppercorns)
- garlic powder
- Spicy sauce like Cholula
- mayonnaise
- paprika
- honey
- Bagel topping options: everything from bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic flakes, dried onion flakes, and more.
- Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
- red wine vinegar
- roasted sesame oil
- black and white sesame seeds
- balsamic vinegar
- I am a willow tree*
- Dijon Mustard
- dried oregano
- cumin
- bay leaves
- italian seasoning
Dairy Products and Other Refrigerated Items
- 1 (9 ounce) package of 3 cheese tortellini (e.g. Buitoni)
- 1 bottle light blue cheese dressing (or make your own)
- 1 large egg (18 packs)
- 1 small container light cream cheese
- 1 small box butter (you can add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the chicken parmesan if desired)
- 1 block (16 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese (I like Good Culture)
- 2 (5.3 ounce) fat-free plain Chobani yogurt
- 1 small wedge fresh Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 small wedge fresh Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 small package cotija, queso blanco or queso fresco (you can add 2 tablespoons of feta or cheddar cheese to the chorizo bowl if desired)
- 1 package (16 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (I like Polly-O)
- 1 package (8 ounces) shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
- 1 small package regular or low-fat feta cheese
gig*
- 1 small package unbleached all-purpose or whole wheat flour
- 1 medium dried brown rice (or 5 cups pre-cooked)
- 1 small package dried quinoa
- 1 (16-ounce) package short pasta (e.g., penne or rigatoni)
- 1 pack seasoned breadcrumbs
Canned and Jarred
- 1 small bottle, reduced sugar grape jelly
- 1 small jar low-fat peanut butter
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas
- 1 cannellini bean (15 ounces) unsalted
- 1 (6-ounce) can wild albacore tuna (I like American tuna)
- 1 small jar capers
- 1 small jar of pitted Kalamata olives
- 1 bottle better than Bouillon Grilled Chicken Base
- 1 box (32 ounces) unsalted chicken bone broth
- 1 can (15 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 jar Tomato Basil Marinara (or make your own)
other fabrics
- 1 small package of unsalted peanuts (if purchasing in bulk you will need 1 teaspoon)
- 1 small package raw almonds (if purchasing in bulk you will need ¼ cup)
- baking powder
*You can also purchase gluten-free if you wish.
