High-Protein Meal Plan (UK): 7 Days With Shopping List
Updated 11 September 2026 · 10 min read
A high-protein meal plan keeps a protein floor on every meal, about 20g at breakfast, 25g at lunch and 30g at dinner, plus one protein snack, so the day lands at 100–130g without tracking. The 7-day plan below does that with UK supermarket ingredients, gives an estimated protein count for every meal, comes with a shopping list by aisle, and has vegetarian and vegan swaps for each day.
Key takeaways
- A protein floor per meal (roughly 20g breakfast, 25g lunch, 30g dinner, plus a 15g snack) reaches 100–130g a day without counting anything.
- Every meal in this plan is a real recipe with an estimated protein count; the daily totals run from about 105g to 130g.
- Breakfast is where most people fall short: cottage cheese, eggs, smoked salmon and tempeh all clear 24g in a normal portion.
- One shopping trip covers the week; the list is grouped by aisle and about half the protein needs no cooking.
- Vegetarian and vegan swaps for every day keep the protein floor by stacking two plant sources in one meal.
- Pair the plan with two or three short strength sessions a week; protein and resistance training work together.
Most people who try to eat more protein do it by adding a chicken breast to dinner and hoping. The number that actually moves is breakfast, and the habit that makes it stick is a floor: a minimum amount of protein that every meal has to clear before anything else goes on the plate. This is a 7-day high-protein meal plan built on that rule. Every breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack is a recipe from the My21Reset library with an estimated protein count, the shopping list is written for one UK supermarket trip, and each day has a vegetarian and a vegan swap.
The counts are estimates from the listed ingredients and move with brands and portion sizes, so treat the daily totals as a shape rather than a score. If you want to know what daily figure to aim for and why, read how much protein you need a day. For meals that keep the protein high and the energy under 400 kcal, see high-protein meals under 400 kcal. Nothing here is medical advice; if you have a kidney condition or another relevant diagnosis, ask your doctor before increasing protein.
The rule behind the plan: a protein floor per meal
A high-protein meal plan works when the protein is decided first and the rest of the plate is arranged around it. The floors used here are about 20g at breakfast, 25g at lunch and 30g at dinner, with a snack of 15g or more. Add those up and a normal day lands between 100g and 130g without anyone counting, which sits inside the 1.2–1.6g per kilogram range that nutrition reviews commonly suggest for adults who train, are over 60, or are eating less than usual.
- **Breakfast, ~20g or more.** Cottage cheese, eggs, smoked salmon, skyr, tempeh and soy yogurt all get there in a normal portion. Toast and cereal do not.
- **Lunch, ~25g or more.** Tinned fish, chicken, tempeh and egg-based meals; a bean salad alone usually needs a second source.
- **Dinner, ~30g or more.** A palm of chicken, fish, mince, paneer, seitan or tempeh, plus pulses where they fit.
- **Snack, ~15g.** A tuna pot, cottage cheese, skyr, tofu bites or two boiled eggs. The snack is the difference between 90g and 110g on most days.
The full 7-day high-protein meal plan
Every meal below is a library recipe with its estimated protein. Breakfasts and snacks repeat across the week on purpose, because repetition is what makes shopping and prep automatic; dinners change every night. Times are only a suggestion; the point is four eating occasions with protein in each.
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Snack | Dinner | Protein (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Cottage cheese breakfast plate (~26g) | Tuna and white bean salad (~30g) | Skyr with berries (~16g) | Chicken, pepper and chickpea traybake (~40g) | ~112g |
| Tuesday | Smoked salmon scrambled eggs (~26g) | Chicken, barley and vegetable soup (~27g) | Two boiled eggs with cucumber (~13g) | Turkey mince and black bean chili (~38g) | ~104g |
| Wednesday | Tempeh scramble with greens (~28g) | Chicken and hummus wrap (~32g) | Cottage cheese and tomato pot (~17g) | Paneer and spinach saag (~36g) | ~113g |
| Thursday | Egg and ham breakfast muffins (~24g) | Ginger tempeh lettuce wraps (~30g) | Lemon tuna pot (~24g) | Salmon and broccoli traybake (~34g) | ~112g |
| Friday | Cottage cheese breakfast plate (~26g) | Chicken, quinoa and roasted veg salad jar (~34g) | Crispy tofu bites (~18g) | Seitan and pepper stir-fry (~40g) | ~118g |
| Saturday | Mushroom, spinach and feta omelette (~22g) | Smoky tempeh and black bean salad (~28g) | Chicken slices with pepper and hummus (~22g) | Lean pork and vegetable stir-fry (~35g) | ~107g |
| Sunday | Smoked salmon scrambled eggs (~26g) | Egg and cress sandwich on rye (~25g) | Skyr with berries (~16g) | Tempeh and black bean chili (~38g) | ~105g |
Breakfasts that clear 20g
Breakfast is where a high-protein plan is usually won or lost, because the default British breakfast, toast, cereal, a banana, delivers 5–10g. The four breakfasts in this plan clear 22–28g in a portion that fits a bowl or a small plate, and two of them need no cooking.
| Breakfast | What is in it | Protein (est.) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cottage cheese breakfast plate | 200g cottage cheese, two oatcakes, cherry tomatoes, cucumber | ~26g | 5 min, no cooking |
| Smoked salmon scrambled eggs | Two eggs, 50g smoked salmon, spinach, chives | ~26g | 8 min |
| Tempeh scramble with greens | 150g tempeh, mushrooms, spinach, turmeric, soy | ~28g | 12 min |
| Egg and ham breakfast muffins | Three eggs, lean ham, spinach, cheddar; bake a tray on Sunday | ~24g | 25 min, then cold all week |
| Mushroom, spinach and feta omelette | Two eggs, mushrooms, spinach, 25g feta, one slice wholegrain | ~22g | 12 min |
Lunches that travel
Lunches in a high-protein week need to be made in a batch or assembled in under fifteen minutes, because the alternative is a meal deal with 12g of protein. Tinned tuna, cooked chicken and tempeh are the three anchors; each of the lunches below keeps for two or three days in the fridge.
| Lunch | What is in it | Protein (est.) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuna and white bean salad | Tinned tuna, cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes, red onion, lemon | ~30g | 10 min, no cooking |
| Chicken, quinoa and roasted veg salad jar | Cooked chicken, quinoa pouch, roasted peppers, leaves | ~34g | 15 min |
| Chicken and hummus wrap | Cooked chicken, whole wheat wrap, hummus, salad | ~32g | 8 min |
| Ginger tempeh lettuce wraps | Tempeh, ginger, carrot, lettuce leaves, peanuts, lime | ~30g | 15 min |
| Smoky tempeh and black bean salad | Tempeh, black beans, pepper, cucumber, arugula, lime | ~28g | 12 min |
| Chicken, barley and vegetable soup | Cooked chicken, pearl barley, carrot, celery, leek, stock | ~27g | 30 min, three portions |
| Egg and cress sandwich on rye | Three eggs, Greek yogurt, mustard, cress, rye bread | ~25g | 14 min |
Dinners that clear 30g
Dinner carries the biggest floor, and the seven dinners here all clear it comfortably, from the salmon traybake at 34g to the chicken and chickpea traybake and the seitan stir-fry at 40g. Four of the seven are one pan. Swap any dinner for any other in the plan and the floor still holds.
| Dinner | What is in it | Protein (est.) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken, pepper and chickpea traybake | Chicken breast, red pepper, red onion, chickpeas, paprika | ~40g | 35 min, one tray |
| Seitan and pepper stir-fry | Seitan, mixed peppers, snow peas, garlic, ginger, soy, sesame | ~40g | 15 min |
| Turkey mince and black bean chili | Lean turkey mince, black beans, tomatoes, onion, cumin | ~38g | 30 min |
| Tempeh and black bean chili | Tempeh, black beans, pepper, tomatoes, smoked paprika | ~38g | 25 min |
| Paneer and spinach saag | Paneer, spinach, onion, ginger, curry paste, Greek yogurt | ~36g | 20 min |
| Lean pork and vegetable stir-fry | Pork strips, stir-fry mix, garlic, ginger, soy | ~35g | 15 min |
| Salmon and broccoli traybake | Salmon fillet, tenderstem broccoli, baby potatoes, lemon | ~34g | 25 min, one tray |
The shopping list, by aisle
One trip covers the week for one person. The full basket, with why each item earns its place and what to do with it in five minutes, is in the high-protein shopping list; this is the short version for this plan.
| Aisle | Items |
|---|---|
| Produce | Bagged salad, spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, three peppers, red onion, tenderstem broccoli, zucchini, carrot, lettuce (little gem), baby potatoes, lemons, limes, ginger, garlic, frozen berries, stir-fry vegetable mix, mushrooms |
| Meat and fish | Chicken breast (two), cooked chicken slices, lean turkey mince, pork stir-fry strips, lean ham, salmon fillet, smoked salmon, two small cans of tuna |
| Dairy and eggs | Eighteen eggs, cottage cheese (large tub), skyr (three pots), Greek yogurt, feta, cheddar, paneer |
| Chilled and freezer | Tempeh (two packs), firm tofu, seitan, frozen mixed vegetables |
| Cans and pouches | Chickpeas, black beans (two), cannellini beans, chopped tomatoes (two), quinoa pouch, pearl barley, stock cubes |
| Bakery and pantry | Oatcakes, whole wheat wraps, rye bread, hummus, peanuts, sesame seeds, soy sauce, smoked paprika, cumin, curry paste, olive oil, canola oil |
Vegetarian and vegan swaps for every day
The plan already has three vegetarian dinners and two vegan ones. To run the whole week vegetarian, use the swaps below; to run it vegan, take the vegan column. The trick is to stack two plant sources in one meal, tempeh with black beans, tofu with edamame, so the floor still holds. The high-protein vegetarian meals guide covers stacking in detail.
| Meal to swap | Vegetarian | Vegan |
|---|---|---|
| Smoked salmon scrambled eggs | Mushroom, spinach and feta omelette (~22g) | Tempeh scramble with greens (~28g) |
| Egg and ham muffins | Cottage cheese breakfast plate (~26g) | Soy yogurt bowl with hemp seeds and oats (~22g) |
| Tuna and white bean salad | Egg and cress sandwich on rye (~25g) | Ginger tempeh lettuce wraps (~30g) |
| Chicken and hummus wrap / salad jar | Egg drop soup with greens plus a skyr (~36g) | Smoky tempeh and black bean salad (~28g) |
| Chicken, barley and vegetable soup | Cottage cheese and vegetable frittata (~36g) | Tofu satay with crunchy slaw (~28g) |
| Chicken traybake / turkey chili / pork stir-fry | Paneer and spinach saag (~36g) | Tempeh and black bean chili (~38g) or seitan stir-fry (~40g) |
| Salmon traybake | Cottage cheese and vegetable frittata (~36g) | Tofu and edamame green curry (~34g) |
| Lemon tuna pot / chicken slices | Cottage cheese and tomato pot (~17g) | Crispy tofu bites (~18g) |
Movement to go with it
Protein and resistance training work together, and a high-protein week without any strength work leaves half the benefit on the table. Two or three 30-minute sessions on non-consecutive days is enough; the 3-day beginner strength plan gives the exact sessions, and a walk after lunch on the other days rounds out the week.
What tends to go wrong, and the fix
- Skipping the snack. It looks optional and it is the 15–24g that turns a 90g day into a 110g day. Put it in the calendar.
- Toast for breakfast on a busy morning. Keep a tub of cottage cheese and a pack of oatcakes in the fridge; the plate takes five minutes and clears 26g.
- Buying a chicken breast a day. Cook two on Sunday, use the cooked slices for lunches, and let mince, fish, paneer and tempeh carry the other dinners.
- Eating the rice first. Protein first, vegetables second, starch last; if you fill up early the important part is in.
Frequently asked questions
How much protein is in this 7-day plan?
Between about 104g and 118g a day, from four eating occasions: a breakfast of 22–28g, a lunch of 25–34g, a snack of 13–24g and a dinner of 34–40g. The figures are estimates from the listed ingredients and move with brands and portion sizes.
Is a high-protein meal plan suitable for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes. Three of the seven dinners are already vegetarian and two are vegan, and every day has a swap. Vegetarian versions lean on eggs, cottage cheese, paneer and feta; vegan versions on tempeh, seitan, tofu and pulses, stacking two sources in a meal to keep the floor.
Can I repeat meals to make the shopping easier?
Yes, and the plan expects it. Breakfasts and snacks already repeat. Pick the three lunches and three dinners you like most, repeat them across the week, and the shopping list halves.
Do I need to count protein every day?
No. The plan works by floor, not by count: every meal clears its minimum and the day takes care of itself. The estimated figures are there to show which meals do the work, not to be tracked.
Is this plan safe for everyone?
It is general lifestyle content, not medical advice. For most healthy adults 100–130g of protein a day is well within the commonly suggested range, but anyone with chronic kidney disease, gout or another condition affected by protein should ask their doctor before increasing intake.
What about exercise?
Two or three short strength sessions a week on non-consecutive days, plus a walk on the other days. Protein supports muscle best when paired with resistance work; the 3-day beginner strength plan gives the exact sessions.
Sources
- British Nutrition Foundation. Protein.
- Phillips, S. M., Chevalier, S., & Leidy, H. J. (2016). Protein “requirements” beyond the RDA: implications for optimizing health. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 41(5), 565–572.
- NHS. The Eatwell Guide.
- UK Chief Medical Officers (2019). Physical activity guidelines.
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