A free, 7-day high protein diet meal plan including breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas and a shopping list. All recipes include macros and Weight Watchers points.
7 Day High Protein Diet Meal Plan
Happy New Year! Hope you enjoy the first High Protein Meal Plan for the new year! As we kick off 2025 I am challenging myself to hit my daily protein goals, eat at least one cup of veggies or fruit with every meal (I aim for 5 cups a day) to help me reach my fiber goal of 25g per day, walk 10,000 steps a day, lift weights at least 4 times a week and focus on good sleep and reducing stress. What are your goals this year?
A Word About the New WW Points Plan
For all my WW friends, WW added new 0 point foods (yay for oatmeal!) but it will take time for me to update my recipes. The great news is every recipe on my site is linked to WW recipe builder (only works from your phone) so it will automatically give you the new points. I will start updating the points but it would be a HUGE help if you are on my site and see the new points, to leave a comment on that recipe so I can quickly update it!
Why High Protein?
As many of you know, I’ve been following a high-protein diet for the past few years for muscle gain, and it’s been a total game changer for me! I feel stronger and more satisfied, which keeps me from reaching for sweets or chips between meals or at the end of the day. I know a lot of you struggle with hitting your protein goals, so I was inspired to create this high-protein meal plan for the week. If you enjoy it, I’ll share 1 or 2 each month. Plus, I’m working on a high-protein cookbook, so stay tuned!
To reach my protein goals, I typically divide it across three meals. For example, if my goal is 120 grams of protein per day, I aim for at least 30 grams per meal, plus 10 to 30 grams with each snack. If you’re not sure how much protein you should eat in a day, this article may be helpful.
How It Works
If you’re new to my meal plans, these are meant as a guide, with plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food, coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, etc. or swap recipes out for meals you prefer, you can search for recipes by course in the index. Depending on your goals, you should aim for at least 1500 calories* per day. There’s no one size fits all, this will range by your goals, your age, weight, etc. Always talk to your nutritionist or dietician for your specific needs.
Note
Those with kidney or liver disease, gout, specific metabolic disorders, or older adults with reduced kidney function may need to limit protein to avoid complications. It’s always best to consult a healthcare provider or dietitian before significantly increasing protein intake, especially if you have any underlying health conditions.
Lastly, if you’re on Facebook join my Skinnytaste Facebook Community where everyone’s sharing photos of recipes they are making, you can join here. I’m loving all the ideas everyone’s sharing! If you wish to get on the email list, you can subscribe here so you never miss a meal plan!
Ultimate Skinnytaste Meal Planner
Get the Skinnytaste Ultimate Meal Planner! The 52 week spiral bound meal planner has weekly meal planning grids you can tear out and put on your fridge if you wish, a 12-week meal plan, 30 (15 new) recipes, and tear-out grocery lists. I love starting my week with gratitude, affirmations and intentions, so I included a space for that as well. I hope you will love this as much as I do!
Buy the Skinnytaste meal planner here:
I’ve created 4 more weeks of HIGH PROTEIN MEAL PLANS to kick-start your healthy eating habits! Protein is an macronutrient that aids in many important bodily functions. Foods high in protein keep you feeling fuller longer and may boost metabolism. With my exclusive 4 week series, created especially for Relish+ members, you’ll get 4 weeks of high protein breakfast, lunch and dinner, making it easy to reach your goals, stay healthy and strong!
High Protein Diet Meal Plan:
Breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, are designed to serve 1 while dinners and all meals on Saturday and Sunday are designed to serve a family of 4. Some recipes make enough leftovers for two nights or lunch the next day. The grocery list is comprehensive and includes everything you need to make all meals on the plan. Add some high protein snacks to help you reach your protein goals.
MONDAY (1/6)
B: Broccoli and Cheese Egg Muffins and an orange
L: Grilled Chicken Chickpea Salad and ¼ cup raw almonds
D: Stuffed Shells with Arugula Salad
Total Calories: 1,347* Protien: 90.5g
TUESDAY (1/7)
B: Broccoli and Cheese Egg Muffins and an orange
L: Grilled Chicken Chickpea Salad and ¼ cup raw almonds
D: Ground Turkey Taco Skillet
Total Calories: 1,354* Protein: 96g
WEDNESDAY (1/8)
B: Broccoli and Cheese Egg Muffins and an orange
L: Ahi Tuna Poke Stack
D: One-Pot Orzo with Sausage, Spinach and Corn
Total Calories: 1,171* Protein: 93.5g
THURSDAY (1/9)
B: Broccoli and Cheese Egg Muffins and an orange
L: Ahi Tuna Poke Stack
D: Marry Me Chicken with ¾ cup brown rice** and Green Beans with Mushrooms
Total Calories: 1,328* Protein: 104.5g
FRIDAY (1/10)
B: Savory Cottage Cheese Bowl
L: Turkey Club and an apple
D: Blackened Air Fryer Salmon Bites with ¾ cup brown rice and Roasted Broccoli with Smashed Garlic
Total Calories: 1,206* Protein: 103g
SATURDAY (1/11)
B: Breakfast Casserole with Spinach and Sausage
L: Turkey Club (recipe x 4) and an apple
D: DINNER OUT
Total Calories: 691* Protein: 57.5g
SUNDAY (1/12)
B: LEFTOVER Breakfast Casserole with Spinach and Sausage
L: Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls
D: Slow Cooker Beef Stew and a whole grain roll with 1 tablespoon butter
Total Calories: 1,277* Protein: 119.5g
*This is just a guide, women should aim for around 1500 calories per day. Here’s a helpful calculator to estimate your calorie needs. I’ve left plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food such as coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc.
**Make an extra 3 cups rice for dinner Friday.
Shopping list
Produce
- 5 medium apples (any variety)
- 4 medium oranges
- 1 medium PLUS 1 large lemon
- 1 medium lime
- 5 mini (Persian) cucumbers (can sub 2 medium English, if desired)
- 1 medium (6-ounce) Hass avocado
- 1 medium head garlic
- 1 small shallot
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1 medium jalapeno
- 2 ½ pounds broccoli florets
- 1 ½ pounds green beans
- ½ pound cremini or baby bella mushrooms
- ¼ pound white button mushrooms
- 1 small bunch celery
- 4 medium carrots
- 1 medium Yukon Gold potato
- 1 medium bunch scallions
- 1 small bunch cilantro
- 1 small bunch fresh Italian parsley
- 1 small bunch/container fresh thyme
- 1 (5-ounce) PLUS 1 (1-pound) bag/clamshell baby spinach
- 1 (5-ounce) bag/clamshell baby arugula
- 1 small head Iceberg lettuce
- 1 dry pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 3 small PLUS 2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
- 1 small PLUS 2 medium red onions
- 3 medium yellow onions
Meat, Poultry and Fish
- ¾ pound turkey breakfast sausage, such as Jennie-O
- 1 pound mild Italian chicken sausage
- 1 package center-cut bacon
- 1 pound sliced deli turkey breast
- 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 rotisserie chicken breast
- 2 ½ pounds (5) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ¾ pound sushi grade tuna
- 1 ½ pounds (4) skinless salmon fillets
- 3 pounds boneless chuck roast
Condiments and Spices
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Canola oil
- Cooking spray
- Olive oil spray (or get a Misto oil mister)
- Kosher salt (I like Diamond Crystal)
- Pepper grinder (or fresh peppercorns)
- Oregano
- Sesame oil
- Sriracha sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Reduced sodium soy sauce*
- Furikake or sesame seeds
- Regular or light mayonnaise
- Paprika
- Smoked paprika
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Thyme
- Frank’s RedHot Sauce
- Cayenne pepper
- Garlic powder
- Apple cider vinegar
- Bay leaves
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Dairy & Misc. Refrigerated Items
- 1 18-pack large eggs
- 1 pint liquid egg whites
- 1 (5.3-ounce) PLUS 1 (16-ounce) containers low fat cottage cheese (I like Good Culture)
- 1 (8-ounce) container half and half
- 1 quart whole or reduced fat milk
- 1 (8-ounce) block reduced fat cream cheese
- 1 small box butter
- 1 large wedge fresh Parmesan cheese
- 1 small wedge Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 small package feta cheese
- 1 (8-ounce) bag reduced fat cheddar cheese
- 1 (8-ounce) bag reduced fat Mexican blend cheese (I like Sargento)
- 1 (16-ounce) bag part-skim mozzarella cheese (I like Polly-O)
Grains*
- 1 medium bag dry brown rice (or 10 cups pre-cooked)
- 1 loaf thin-sliced whole grain bread (I like Dave’s Killer Bread)
- 1 package jumbo pasta shells
- 1 package orzo pasta
- 1 medium bag tortilla chips
- 1 small package whole grain rolls
- 1 small package all-purpose flour
Canned and Jarred
- 1 medium jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 1 small jar pesto (or ingredients to make your own)
- 1 large jar marinara (or ingredients to make your own)
- 1 medium jar salsa
- 1 (4-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas
- 1 (15-ounce) can low sodium black beans
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans
- 1 (32-ounce) carton low sodium chicken broth or stock
- 1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
- 1 (32-ounce) carton low sodium beef broth
Frozen
- 1 small bag corn kernels
- 1 small bag peas
Misc. Dry Goods
- 1 small package roasted shelled pistachios (if buying from bulk bin, you need 1 tablespoon)
- 1 small package raw almonds (if buying from bulk bin, you need ½ cup)
- 1 small package granulated sugar
*You can buy gluten free, if desired
