A weekly meal plan can help someone maintain a healthful diet and manage their health and weight. It can also save time and be cost-effective.
A 7-day meal plan can help someone maintain a healthful diet.
The advantage is that people can plan their shopping, preparation, and cooking, and avoid buying and eating unhealthful foods on impulse.
A person can also batch cook meals and freeze them to save time.
Additionally, it may be more cost-effective to buy ingredients in bulk and use them for meals throughout the week.
The following meal plans draw upon scientific research that suggests that certain dietary approaches are beneficial to health. These include:
- plant-based diets, or including more plant-based foods
- foods that support the gut microbiome, such as fermented foods and those containing prebiotic fiber, such as asparagus, bananas, and onions
- the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in whole grains, fruit, vegetables, unsaturated fats, and lean proteins like oily fish and poultry
- the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020
The meal plans provide the recommended average daily caloric intake of 2,000 calories per day for adult females and 2,500 calories per day for adult males. Calories for the meals specified are approximately these amounts.
However, as recommended intakes vary according to age, sex, and activity levels, the meal plans are flexible, allowing people to adapt them to suit their dietary needs.
These meal plans contain a range of ingredients, some of which are cupboard staples, and some of which may be more expensive to purchase or more specialist depending on where a person lives and the outlets available to them.
Some of the recipes involve preparing or cooking food in advance, but most can be made in batches and stored in the freezer for a reasonable time.
Many people may find the batch-cooking recipes included more helpful if planning meals for a family or group.
People can substitute many of the ingredients in these recipes for easier to find or cheaper ingredients with a similar macronutrient profile — for example, quinoa for brown rice or edamame for garden peas.
See here for a 7-day meal plan on a budget.
The meals in this plan derive from a combination of the four diets mentioned above, and so not every meal will be suitable for everyone who may adhere to one specific diet.
Day 1
Breakfast
Smoked salmon and egg on a whole grain bagel with a portion of watercress, a medium low fat mocha drink.
Morning Snack
A portion of hummus and raw vegetables for dipping, two oatcakes.
Lunch
A bowl of bean and vegetable soup drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, 1 slice of whole grain seeded bread, a portion of raw, fa side lightly steamed vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, or garden peas, and a portion of fruit.
Afternoon snack
Chocolate n’ice cream.
Dinner
Greek mac and cheese casserole, a portion of steamed broccoli, asparagus, or another green vegetable. Greek yogurt with berries and nuts for dessert.
Day 2
Breakfast
Berry smoothie with protein powder.
Morning Snack
Two rice cakes spread with 2 tablespoons (tbsp) peanut butter and topped with apple slices.
Lunch
Tuna salad sandwich on whole grain bread, a small bag of root vegetable chips, sliced crudités, such as carrots or bell peppers, and a banana.
Afternoon snack
Raspberry frozen yogurt pop.
Dinner
Salmon with pineapple-avocado salsa and a portion of leafy greens. Cocoa chia seed pudding, a handful of strawberries, and an oat milk hot drink before bed.
Day 3
Breakfast
Oatmeal with banana, pumpkin seeds, and a drizzle of maple syrup, coffee with low fat milk.
Morning Snack
Chocolate peanut butter cup, apple slices.
Lunch
Mashed avocado, roast turkey, and chopped tomatoes on two slices of whole grain toast, topped with extra virgin olive oil, shelled hemp seeds, and cayenne pepper, a handful of blueberries.
Afternoon snack
A portion of hummus with raw vegetables for dipping and two oatcakes.
Dinner
Chicken and vegetable stir fry served with 1 cup of steamed brown rice, two squares of dark chocolate, and a handful of walnuts.
Day 4
Breakfast
Apple and peanut butter on a wholewheat English muffin, 1 cup of low fat milk.
Morning Snack
Carrot Cake Energy Bar.
Lunch
One medium baked potato with 100 grams (g) beef chili and 28 g creme fraiche, a side serving of green beans or peas.
Afternoon snack
A boiled egg, two oatcakes, and a portion of arugula.
Dinner
Veggie Korean bibimbap, kombucha drink.
Day 5
Breakfast
40 g granola, 100 g unsweetened Greek yogurt, 100 g blueberries, 3 tbsp flax seeds, coffee with low fat milk.
Morning Snack
Tofu “egg” salad stuffed tomato.
Lunch
Tuna salad sandwich on whole grain bread with plenty of salad vegetables, such as cucumbers, peppers, diced tomatoes, and lettuce, a banana, a handful of nuts, one sliced orange, a cup of lemon and ginger herbal tea.
Afternoon snack
Vegan oat chocolate chip cookie, apple slices.
Dinner
Rotisserie chicken tacos with pineapple salsa, a small baked sweet potato, a portion of arugula, two squares of dark chocolate with a handful of walnuts.
Day 6
Breakfast
Two quinoa edamame egg muffins, a portion of grilled tomatoes and mushrooms drizzled with olive oil, a glass of almond milk.
Morning Snack
Two rice cakes spread with 2 tbsp peanut butter and sliced banana.
Lunch
Slow cooker black bean soup, a portion of watercress, roasted squash with paprika and rosemary.
Afternoon snack
Lemon, pistachio & berry frozen yogurt bark.
Dinner
One medium baked potato, 100 g chili, 28 g creme fraiche, a portion of leafy greens, three squares of dark chocolate with a handful of walnuts.
Day 7
Breakfast
Sardines on two slices of whole grain toast with spread, a portion of fresh spinach, medium low fat mocha drink
Morning Snack
One quarter cup Brazil nuts and a banana
Lunch
A grilled chicken fillet with 1 cup cooked broccoli, half a cup of cooked carrots, one corn on the cob, and an orange.
Afternoon snack
A slice of spinach & tomato frittata and one serving of green olives, kombucha drink.
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