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Classic 7-Day Meal Prep Plan

For the first-timer who wants a balanced, no-drama week of prepped food.

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Classic 7-Day Meal Prep Plan

The classic plan is the one to start with: chicken, salmon, ground turkey, eggs, and Greek yogurt arranged into seven days that never repeat a dinner. Nothing here needs a specialty store, and every dinner is either batch-cooked on Sunday or finished in under 20 minutes.

Prep-day playbook (Sunday, about 90 minutes): preheat the oven to 400°F and start the rice cooker at minute zero; chicken breasts and sweet potatoes go in the oven at 0:10; turkey chili starts simmering at 0:25; eggs go on to boil and broccoli goes into the steamer at 0:50; salmon is seasoned for Monday's quick bake at 1:10; breakfast jars and lunch boxes get portioned by 1:20.

Fridge life: cooked chicken, turkey chili, and beef hold 4 days; rice and quinoa about 4 days when spread thin to cool quickly; roasted vegetables 4–5 days. Salmon is left out of the Sunday batch on purpose because it bakes fresh in 15 minutes.

Every day sits between 1,450 and 1,650 calories with the protein, carbs, and fat printed on each row, so you can trade a snack for a bigger dinner without doing math in your head.

Portion guide

Portions are written for ~1,500-calorie days. Scale dinner carbs up or down first; keep protein within 10 g of the listed amount.

7-day meal prep plan

Breakfast is about 25% of daily calories, lunch about 35%, dinner about 30% and two snacks make up the rest. Nutrition values are approximate.

Monday

1545 kcal

Breakfast

Overnight oats with peanut butter & banana400

1 jar (1 cup oats base)

P 16 g · C 52 g · F 14 g

Lunch

Chicken burrito bowl with brown rice, black beans & salsa460

1 container (2 cups)

P 38 g · C 46 g · F 14 g

Dinner

Baked salmon, quinoa & roasted broccoli500

6 oz salmon + 3/4 cup quinoa

P 38 g · C 42 g · F 20 g

Snacks

Apple with peanut butter185

1 medium + 1 tbsp

P 4 g · C 24 g · F 8 g

Tuesday

1460 kcal

Breakfast

Veggie egg scramble with whole-grain toast360

3 eggs + 1 slice

P 24 g · C 26 g · F 18 g

Lunch

Turkey club wrap with side salad425

1 large wrap

P 32 g · C 40 g · F 15 g

Dinner

Chicken stir-fry over brown rice495

5 oz chicken + 1 cup rice

P 40 g · C 52 g · F 14 g

Snacks

Trail mix180

1/4 cup

P 5 g · C 17 g · F 10 g

Wednesday

1455 kcal

Breakfast

Protein smoothie (Greek yogurt, berries, oats)370

16 oz

P 32 g · C 42 g · F 8 g

Lunch

Tuna salad sandwich with veg sticks425

1 sandwich + 1 cup veg

P 28 g · C 42 g · F 16 g

Dinner

Turkey taco skillet with tortillas505

5 oz turkey + 2 tortillas

P 38 g · C 48 g · F 18 g

Snacks

String cheese & grapes155

1 stick + 3/4 cup

P 7 g · C 18 g · F 6 g

Thursday

1500 kcal

Breakfast

Egg muffin cups with English muffin340

2 cups + 1 muffin

P 22 g · C 34 g · F 13 g

Lunch

Chicken Caesar salad, light dressing410

large bowl (4 cups)

P 40 g · C 18 g · F 20 g

Dinner

Beef & broccoli over rice495

5 oz beef + 1 cup rice

P 38 g · C 50 g · F 16 g

Snacks

Banana with 2 hard-boiled eggs255

1 banana + 2 eggs

P 13 g · C 29 g · F 10 g

Friday

1460 kcal

Breakfast

Greek yogurt parfait with granola & berries360

1 large cup

P 24 g · C 44 g · F 10 g

Lunch

Turkey chili with rice435

1.5 cups chili + 1/2 cup rice

P 32 g · C 54 g · F 10 g

Dinner

Baked chicken thighs, sweet potato & green beans485

6 oz + 1 medium

P 34 g · C 42 g · F 20 g

Snacks

Trail mix180

1/4 cup

P 5 g · C 17 g · F 10 g

Saturday

1460 kcal

Breakfast

Peanut butter banana toast with hard-boiled egg390

2 slices + 1 egg

P 18 g · C 44 g · F 16 g

Lunch

Shrimp rice bowl with edamame410

5 oz shrimp + 1 cup rice

P 34 g · C 48 g · F 9 g

Dinner

Sheet-pan sausage with potatoes & peppers505

2 links + 1.5 cups

P 28 g · C 44 g · F 24 g

Snacks

Hummus with baby carrots155

1/4 cup + 1 cup

P 5 g · C 18 g · F 7 g

Sunday

1460 kcal

Breakfast

Cottage cheese bowl with whole-grain toast355

1 cup + 1 slice

P 28 g · C 38 g · F 10 g

Lunch

Chicken pesto pasta with cherry tomatoes480

1.5 cups

P 36 g · C 48 g · F 16 g

Dinner

Baked cod, baby potatoes & asparagus430

6 oz cod + 1 cup potatoes

P 36 g · C 40 g · F 14 g

Snacks

Steamed edamame195

1 cup in pods

P 17 g · C 14 g · F 8 g

What to buy this week

  • •Chicken breasts, 2 lb, plus 4 bone-in thighs
  • •Salmon fillets, 2, and cod fillets, 2
  • •Lean ground turkey, 1 lb
  • •Eggs, 1 dozen
  • •Greek yogurt, 32 oz, and cottage cheese, 16 oz
  • •Brown rice, quinoa, and old-fashioned oats
  • •Sweet potatoes, broccoli, green beans, peppers, onions
  • •Tortillas, whole-grain bread, apples, bananas, grapes

Food swaps

Instead ofTryWhy
Salmon, 6 ozArctic char or trout, 6 ozSame omega-3 profile and cook time; 15 minutes at 425°F.
Ground turkey, 5 ozGround chicken or 93% lean beef, 5 ozCalories stay within 20; drain beef fat before mixing.
Brown rice, 1 cup cookedQuinoa or farro, 1 cup cookedAdds 1–2 g protein per cup with the same portion math.
Greek yogurt parfaitCottage cheese with berriesSimilar protein; skip the granola to trim about 90 calories.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to eat the meals in this exact order?

No. The days are built so the freshest items (salmon, stir-fries) land mid-week and the freeze-friendly chili and taco fillings sit later. Eat the day that fits your schedule and freeze anything you will not reach within 4 days.

How do I reheat prepped meals without drying them out?

Sprinkle 1 tbsp of water over rice and vegetables, cover loosely, and microwave in 60-second bursts. Reheat chicken and beef to steaming, roughly 165°F, and keep sauces separate until serving so nothing turns soggy.

Is this plan enough food to feel full?

The days run 1,450–1,650 calories with 25–40 g of protein per main meal and at least a cup of vegetables at dinner. If you are hungry, add volume first — extra broccoli or a side salad — before adding calories.

Related plans & recipes

All 7-Day Meal Prep Plans→Budget 7-Day Meal Prep Plan→High-Protein 7-Day Meal Prep Plan→30-Minute Meals Plan→

Choose your stage

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Nutrition values are approximate and provided for general information only. This content is not medical advice — talk with a qualified health professional before changing your diet.