Do I need protein powder for this plan?

No. The plan is real-food only. Cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt, eggs, salmon, chicken, and lentils carry the protein. Powders work, they're just unnecessary for a recipe-driven plan and they always lose on texture and food enjoyment.

Why 1.2–1.6 g/kg/day?

Independent guidance for adults seeking to preserve lean mass during weight loss or training adaptation (Phillips 2017, Morton 2018 meta-analysis) puts the daily target in this range. For a 75 kg adult, that's 90–120 g per day, spread across meals.

Will this work for vegetarians?

Yes, with substitutions in the PDF. Cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt, eggs, hemp seeds, lentils, tofu, and tempeh all carry the load. Protein digestibility is slightly lower from plant sources, so the vegetarian variant aims for 1.4–1.8 g/kg/day to land at the same usable protein.

Meal plan

A 7-day high-protein meal plan, real-food only.

A week of recipes hitting 30g+ protein per meal, no powders, no bars. Cottage cheese, eggs, salmon, chicken, lentils. RD-reviewed, batch-cookable, Sunday-prep sequence in the PDF.

Reviewed

Lena Marsh, RDN, MS

Last reviewed 22 April 2026

Duration: 7 days · 3 meals + 1 snack
Format: PDF + grocery list

What you get

Adults building a 1.2–1.6 g/kg/day protein floor for muscle preservation in caloric deficit, post-resistance-training recovery, or general body-composition goals.

01
Day-by-day meal schedule with portion sizes in grams and ounces
02
Grocery list organised by supermarket section (UK + US weights)
03
Sunday prep sequence, what to batch first, what to keep raw
04
Macros totalled per day, with the Nutrition Ledger formula on every recipe
05
Swap list for the most common dietary restrictions

Daily targets

The numbers the plan hits, every day.

Calories: 1,700–2,000 kcal
Protein: 140–160 g
Fibre: 28–32 g
Sodium: <2,000 mg

A look inside

The first three days, in full.

01
Day 1, Monday
kcal
1880
P
152g
Fibre
28g
Breakfast
High-protein breakfast bowl (eggs, quinoa, salsa, avocado)
Lunch
Cottage cheese flatbread with smoked salmon and cucumber
Dinner
Greek lemon chicken with herbed quinoa and tomato salad
+ Snack: Greek yoghurt with hemp seeds
See the recipe →
02
Day 2, Tuesday
kcal
1920
P
156g
Fibre
30g
Breakfast
Cottage cheese pancakes with blueberry compote
Lunch
Chicken-and-quinoa power bowl with tahini-yoghurt drizzle
Dinner
Salmon quinoa power bowl, charred broccoli
See the recipe →
03
Day 3, Wednesday
kcal
1850
P
158g
Fibre
26g
Breakfast
Greek yoghurt protein bowl, frozen cherries, walnuts, lemon zest
Lunch
Spinach-and-feta egg bites (3) with side salad
Dinner
Sheet-pan chicken thighs with white beans and lemon
+ Snack: Cottage cheese with za'atar and cucumber

Days 4 through 7 continue the same pattern, with the full grocery list and prep sequence in the PDF.

Get the 7-Day High-Protein Meal Plan PDF.

7 days · 3 meals + 1 snack. Grocery list by section, macros per day, RD-reviewed. Free.

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Frequently asked

The questions readers send.

Do I need protein powder for this plan?: No. The plan is real-food only. Cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt, eggs, salmon, chicken, and lentils carry the protein. Powders work, they're just unnecessary for a recipe-driven plan and they always lose on texture and food enjoyment.
Why 1.2–1.6 g/kg/day?: Independent guidance for adults seeking to preserve lean mass during weight loss or training adaptation (Phillips 2017, Morton 2018 meta-analysis) puts the daily target in this range. For a 75 kg adult, that's 90–120 g per day, spread across meals.
Will this work for vegetarians?: Yes, with substitutions in the PDF. Cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt, eggs, hemp seeds, lentils, tofu, and tempeh all carry the load. Protein digestibility is slightly lower from plant sources, so the vegetarian variant aims for 1.4–1.8 g/kg/day to land at the same usable protein.