7-Day Plant-Based High-Protein Meal Plan for Beginners

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On May 13, 2025

Meal Plan at a Glance
Breakfast/ AM Snack	Lunch/ PM Snack	Dinner/ Evening Snack
Tofu scramble/ Clementines	Black bean torta/ Peanuts	Grain bowl/ Cereal
Overnight oats/ Edamame	Tofu salad/ Avocado toast	Chili/ Clementines
Overnight oats/ Peanuts	Tofu salad/ Avocado toast	Chili/ Clementines
Overnight oats/ Clementines	Tofu Salad/ Peanuts	Soba noodles/ Cereal
Peanut butter toast/ Clementines	Tofu salad/ Edamame	Quinoa bowl/ Dates & nut butter
Peanut butter toast/ Peanuts	Chili/ Edamame	Tempeh bowl/ Dates
Smoothie/ Dates	Grain bowl/ Edamame	Tofu tacos/ Cereal

Day 1

Robby Lozano

Breakfast (419 Calories)

Morning Snack (70 Calories)

Lunch (354 calories)

Afternoon Snack (214 Calories)

¼ cup dry roasted, unsalted peanuts

Dinner (503 Calories)

Evening Snack (236 Calories)

1 cup Cheerios
1 cup soy milk

Daily totals: 1,796 calories, 76 g fat, 83 g protein, 223 g carbohydrates, 49 g fiber, 2250 mg sodium

To make it 1,500 calories: Omit morning and afternoon snack

To make it 2,000 calories: Add ⅓ avocado to breakfast and 1 medium banana to afternoon snack

Day 2

Breakfast (371 Calories)

Morning Snack (200 Calories)

Lunch (429 calories)

Afternoon Snack (230 Calories)

Dinner (496 Calories)

Evening Snack (70 Calories)

Daily totals: 1,795 calories, 68 g fat, 95 g protein, 239 g carbohydrates, 72 g fiber, 1746 mg sodium

To make it 1,500 calories: Omit afternoon and evening snack

To make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 medjool dates to morning snack and 1 cup strawberries to lunch

Day 3

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

Breakfast (371 Calories)

Morning Snack (214 Calories)

¼ cup dry roasted, unsalted peanuts

Lunch (429 calories)

Afternoon Snack (230 Calories)

Dinner (496 Calories)

Evening Snack (70 Calories)

Daily totals: 1,809 calories, 80 g fat, 84 g protein, 230 g carbohydrates, 63 g fiber, 1718 mg sodium

To make it 1,500 calories: Omit morning and evening snack

To make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 medjool dates to morning snack and 1 cup strawberries to lunch

Day 4

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Breakfast (371 Calories)

Morning Snack (70 Calories)

Lunch (429 calories)

Afternoon Snack (214 Calories)

¼ cup dry roasted, unsalted peanuts

Dinner (491 Calories)

Evening Snack (236 Calories)

1 cup Cheerios
1 cup soy milk

Daily totals: 1,811 calories, 82 g fat, 85 g protein, 203 g carbohydrates, 35 g fiber, 1850 mg sodium

To make it 1,500 calories: Omit morning and evening snack

To make it 2,000 calories: Add 2 medjool dates to afternoon snack and 1 cup strawberries to lunch

Day 5

Photography: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco

Breakfast (398 Calories)

Morning Snack (70 Calories)

Lunch (429 calories)

Afternoon Snack (200 Calories)

1 cup edamame in pods

Dinner (500 Calories)

Evening Snack (229 Calories)

2 pitted medjool dates
1 tablespoon peanut butter

Daily totals: 1,826 calories, 75 g fat, 92 g protein, 222 g carbohydrates, 53 g fiber, 1447 mg sodium

To make it 1,500 calories: Omit morning and evening snack

To make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup dry roasted, unsalted peanuts to morning snack

Day 6

Breakfast (398 Calories)

Morning Snack (214 Calories)

¼ cup dry roasted, unsalted peanuts

Lunch (496 calories)

Afternoon Snack (200 Calories)

Dinner (333 Calories)

Evening Snack (133 Calories)

Daily totals: 1,775 calories, 59 g fat, 83 g protein, 251 g carbohydrates, 56 g fiber, 1627 mg sodium

To make it 1,500 calories: Remove soy milk from breakfast and omit evening snack

To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 cup Cheerios and 1 cup soy milk to evening snack

Day 7

Jason Donnelly

Breakfast (359 Calories)

Morning Snack (133 Calories)

Lunch (451 calories)

Afternoon Snack (129 Calories)

Dinner (512 Calories)

Evening Snack (236 Calories)

1 cup Cheerios
1 cup soy milk

Daily totals: 1,820 calories, 78 g fat, 81 g protein, 231 g carbohydrates, 51 g fiber, 1005 mg sodium

To make it 1,500 calories: Omit morning snack and remove avocado from dinner

To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 tablespoon peanut butter to morning snack and 2 clementines to afternoon snack

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it OK to mix and match meals if there’s one I don’t like?
Yes! This meal plan is meant to serve as inspiration. It doesn’t need to be followed exactly to reap the benefits. When choosing recipes, we made sure to check the calories, fiber, protein and sodium to align with the parameters of this plan and be within our sodium limits. If you’re making a recipe swap, it may be helpful to choose a recipe with similar calories, fiber, protein and sodium levels. For more inspiration, check out these delicious plant-based recipes.

Can I eat the same breakfast or lunch every day?
Definitely, it’s fine to eat the same breakfast or lunch every day. The breakfasts range from 359 to 419 calories while the lunches span 354 to 496 calories. These ranges are fairly close, though if you’re closely monitoring your calories or other nutrients, like protein, you may want to adjust a snack or two.

Why is there not a 1,200 calorie modification?
We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.

Health Benefits of Plant-Based Diets

Plant-based diets are linked with a number of health benefits. They’re particularly beneficial for heart health since they tend to be low in saturated fat and high in fiber. Plant-based diets can also help lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and certain kinds of cancers. The fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients in plant foods help promote a healthy gut microbiome, which improves insulin sensitivity, reduces inflammation and supports gut health. You don’t have to cut out animal products entirely to reap these benefits. For example, the Mediterranean diet includes small amounts of dairy, eggs, fish and poultry, and it’s linked with loads of health benefits. Still, prioritizing plant foods can make a difference when it comes to your health.

How We Create Meal Plans

Registered dietitians thoughtfully create EatingWell’s meal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.