Here Are 9 Weeks’ Worth of High-Protein Meals

updated Jun 22, 2021
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various ingredients to meal prep of high protein meals with lots of vegetables
Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Anna Stockwell

If you’re trying to eat a diet that is high in protein, you know just how valuable it is to meal plan. In order to get however many grams of protein you’re wanting to eat in a day, you need to map your meals out. That can be both time-consuming and overwhelming, so we want to help! Here are nine of our most popular high-protein meal plans that suit a wide range of tastes and eating styles. You’re sure to find one you can start digging into this weekend.

Follow the plans as written, or mix and match recipes for a plan that fits your needs.

1. A Week of Easy Plant-Based Dinners Packed with Protein

This week of dinners relies on beans, legumes, and whole grains for filling, plant-based dinners like curried vegetable and chickpea stew, wild rice bowls, and a quick pot of tofu and broccoli green curry.

Get the plan: A Week of Easy Plant-Based Dinners Packed with Protein

Credit: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Cyd McDowell

2. How I Prep a Week of High-Protein Vegetarian Meals in Just 2 Hours

Eating vegetarian often comes with the reputation that you’re not eating enough protein. That’s hardly the case. This meal plan — which includes a week’s worth of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners — proves you can eat meatless and still get your fill of protein.

Get the meal plan: How I Prep a Week of High-Protein Vegetarian Meals In Just 2 Hours

Credit: Joe Lingeman

3. How I Prep a Week of High-Protein Meals in Just 2 Hours

With butter chicken, beef taco casserole, and wholesome cottage cheese muffins on the menu for this meal plan, you’re guaranteed to eat well all week long.

Get the meal plan: How I Prep a Week of High-Protein Meals in Just 2 Hours

Credit: Kelli Foster

4. How I Prep a Week of High-Protein Plant-Based Meals in Just 1 Hour

Plant-based eating doesn’t come with a set of rigid dos and don’ts. In fact, the way it’s interpreted can vary slightly from person to person, which means eating high-protein meals is easier than you might think. Tomato-braised lentils, smashed chickpea salad sandwiches, and BBQ tofu bowls are just a few of the meals in this plan.

Get the meal plan: How I Prep a Week of High-Protein Plant-Based Meals in Just 1 Hour

Credit: Joe Lingeman

5. 3 Low-Carb, High-Protein Dinners to Meal Prep This Weekend

If you want a light meal-prep lift, consider this easy one. Rather than cook enough to get you through the entire week, cook just a few things to simply lighten the load.

Get the meal plan: 3 Low-Carb, High-Protein Dinners to Meal Prep This Weekend

Credit: Photo: Ghazalle Badiozamani; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

6. How I Prep a Week of High-Protein Vegetarian Meals in Under 2 Hours

This feel-good meal plan replaces meat with high-protein vegetarian alternatives, like lentils, tofu, eggs, Greek yogurt, and a plant-based beef substitute, along with ingredients that are rich in fiber and healthy fats. 

Get the meal plan: How I Prep a Week of High-Protein Vegetarian Meals in Under 2 Hours

Credit: Joe Lingeman

7. How I Prep a Week of High-Protein Meals in 2 Hours

The average amount of protein most people need in a day is 50 grams. This meal plan, which includes egg muffins, Greek chicken grain bowls, and spicy salmon and black bean salad, sets you up with roughly double that — about 100 grams per day — divided between three daily meals.

Get the meal plan: How I Prep a Week of High-Protein Meals in 2 Hours

Credit: Joe Lingeman

8. 5 Low-Carb, High-Protein Dinners to Plan for the Week Ahead

Each one of these dinners starts with a high-protein ingredient at the center of the plate, which is partnered with low-carb vegetables like cauliflower rice, spinach, kale, and mushrooms.

Get the meal plan: 5 Low-Carb, High-Protein Dinners to Plan for the Week Ahead

Credit: Joe Lingeman

9. How I Prep a Week of High-Protein Meals Packed with Veggies

You want to load up on all the veggies at mealtime, but you also want a meal that’s totally filling and won’t leave you reaching for a snack in an hour. Good news: You can have both! This one-week plan is all about loading up on a variety of vegetables and leaning on high-protein ingredients to keep every meal filling and satisfying.

Get the plan: How I Prep a Week of High-Protein Meals Packed with Veggies