A week-long meal plan is an effective strategy for staying on track with your diet while reducing food waste. By creating a grocery list and meal plan in advance, you’ll avoid buying excess groceries that go bad and ensure that you always have healthy meals prepared.
Here’s a full week of balanced, nutritious meals along with a grocery list to make your shopping easy and efficient. Each meal is packed with whole ingredients, designed to give you variety throughout the week. The plan includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner for seven days, and most recipes serve at least two people.
Sunday
- Breakfast: Crockpot Oatmeal
Ingredients: Rolled oats, almond milk, cinnamon, maple syrup, fresh berries
Recipe: Combine oats, almond milk, cinnamon, and maple syrup in a slow cooker. Set to low overnight, then top with fresh berries in the morning. - Lunch: Spring Mix Tuna Salad
Ingredients: Spring mix, canned tuna, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil, balsamic vinegar
Recipe: Toss together spring mix, drained tuna, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. - Dinner: Basil Chicken Stir-Fry
Ingredients: Chicken breast, fresh basil, garlic, onions, bell peppers, soy sauce, olive oil
Recipe: Stir-fry chicken with garlic, onions, and bell peppers. Add soy sauce and fresh basil for flavor.
Monday
- Breakfast: Greek Yogurt with Honey and Almonds
Ingredients: Greek yogurt, honey, almonds
Recipe: Top Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey and a handful of almonds. - Lunch: Quinoa & Veggie Bowl
Ingredients: Quinoa, roasted veggies (zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers), olive oil, tahini
Recipe: Cook quinoa and toss with roasted veggies. Drizzle with tahini for added flavor. - Dinner: Grilled Salmon with Asparagus
Ingredients: Salmon fillets, asparagus, lemon, garlic
Recipe: Grill salmon with lemon and garlic. Serve alongside roasted or grilled asparagus.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: Avocado Toast with Poached Eggs
Ingredients: Whole wheat bread, avocado, eggs, olive oil
Recipe: Spread mashed avocado on toasted whole wheat bread and top with a poached egg. - Lunch: Turkey and Spinach Wrap
Ingredients: Whole wheat tortilla, sliced turkey, spinach, hummus
Recipe: Spread hummus on a whole wheat tortilla, then layer with turkey and spinach. Roll it up for a healthy wrap. - Dinner: Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, black beans, corn tortillas, avocado, salsa
Recipe: Roast diced sweet potatoes, then combine with black beans in a corn tortilla. Top with avocado and salsa.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients: Frozen mixed berries, almond milk, banana, chia seeds
Recipe: Blend berries, almond milk, and banana until smooth. Top with chia seeds. - Lunch: Lentil Soup
Ingredients: Lentils, carrots, onions, celery, vegetable broth
Recipe: Cook lentils with chopped carrots, onions, and celery in vegetable broth until soft. - Dinner: Chicken Caesar Salad
Ingredients: Grilled chicken breast, romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese, Caesar dressing
Recipe: Combine grilled chicken with romaine lettuce and top with Parmesan and Caesar dressing.
Thursday
- Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Spinach
Ingredients: Eggs, spinach, olive oil
Recipe: Sauté spinach in olive oil and add scrambled eggs. - Lunch: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Ingredients: Chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese, lemon, olive oil
Recipe: Toss together chickpeas, chopped cucumber, tomatoes, and feta. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. - Dinner: Shrimp Stir-Fry
Ingredients: Shrimp, broccoli, carrots, soy sauce, garlic
Recipe: Stir-fry shrimp with broccoli and carrots in soy sauce and garlic.
Friday
- Breakfast: Chia Pudding
Ingredients: Chia seeds, almond milk, vanilla extract, fresh berries
Recipe: Mix chia seeds with almond milk and vanilla. Refrigerate overnight and top with fresh berries in the morning. - Lunch: Caprese Salad
Ingredients: Tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil
Recipe: Layer sliced tomatoes with mozzarella and fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. - Dinner: Grilled Chicken with Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients: Chicken breast, zucchini, bell peppers, olive oil, garlic
Recipe: Grill chicken and serve alongside roasted zucchini and bell peppers.
Saturday
- Breakfast: Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Ingredients: Peanut butter, banana, almond milk, spinach
Recipe: Blend peanut butter, banana, almond milk, and spinach into a smoothie. - Lunch: Egg Salad Sandwich
Ingredients: Hard-boiled eggs, whole wheat bread, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard
Recipe: Mash hard-boiled eggs with Greek yogurt and Dijon mustard, and serve on whole wheat bread. - Dinner: Veggie Pasta with Marinara Sauce
Ingredients: Whole wheat pasta, zucchini, spinach, marinara sauce
Recipe: Cook pasta and toss with sautéed zucchini and spinach. Top with marinara sauce.
Grocery List
Here’s your grocery list to cover all 21 meals. This will feed at least two people for the entire week:
Produce:
- Fresh berries (for oatmeal, yogurt, and chia pudding)
- Bananas (for smoothies)
- Avocados (for toast and tacos)
- Spinach (for eggs and smoothies)
- Spring mix (for salad)
- Cucumbers (for salads)
- Bell peppers (for stir-fries)
- Zucchini (for pasta and stir-fries)
- Sweet potatoes (for tacos)
- Cherry tomatoes (for salads)
- Lemons (for fish and salads)
- Garlic (for stir-fries and grilling)
- Asparagus (for salmon)
- Onions (for stir-fries and soups)
Proteins:
- Chicken breasts (for salads and stir-fries)
- Shrimp (for stir-fry)
- Salmon fillets (for grilling)
- Eggs (for breakfast and sandwiches)
- Turkey slices (for wraps)
- Tuna (canned for salad)
- Chickpeas (for salad)
- Black beans (for tacos)
- Lentils (for soup)
Dairy:
- Greek yogurt (for breakfast and egg salad)
- Feta cheese (for salads)
- Mozzarella (for caprese salad)
- Parmesan cheese (for salads)
Pantry Staples:
- Whole wheat bread (for sandwiches and toast)
- Whole wheat tortillas (for wraps and tacos)
- Almond milk (for smoothies and pudding)
- Chia seeds (for pudding and smoothie bowls)
- Peanut butter (for smoothies)
- Rolled oats (for oatmeal)
- Quinoa (for salads)
- Olive oil (for cooking and salads)
- Balsamic vinegar (for salads)
- Marinara sauce (for pasta)
- Hummus (for wraps)
- Tahini (for quinoa bowls)
This complete week-long meal plan will keep your diet on track, save you time, and help avoid food waste. Adjust as needed for personal preferences or dietary restrictions!