7-Day High-Protein, Low-Carb Meal Plan

Reducing calories is an age-old strategy to lose weight. But for some people, the type of calories matters too. For example, in a 2020 review in the Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome, researchers looked at studies that were six to 12 months in length that had participants eating high-protein diets. They found that because protein fills you up longer than carbohydrates, especially carbs from refined white flour foods, it contributed to eating less—and consequently, to losing weight.

While low-carb diets like the ketogenic diet and the Atkins diet restrict carbs to as few as 20 grams per day, you don't have to go that low to see weight loss benefits. In fact, eating too few carbohydrates can make weight loss harder because you miss out on key nutrients, like fiber from whole grains and legumes, that help you feel full and satisfied with fewer calories.

So, what can you eat on a high-protein, low-carb diet? Thankfully, as you will see, there are plenty of delicious, healthy foods to fill your day with while you follow this eating plan.

Read More: How to Start a Low-Carb Diet

Meal Plan Specifics

In this high-protein, low-carb meal plan, we keep the carbs at no more than 120 g per day while still meeting the recommended amount of daily fiber—about 30 g—from fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, like berries, edamame and hearty kale. You'll still see some traditional carbs in the plan, like beans and chickpeas, because they are healthy foods that still fit into a low-carb diet—plus they're good sources of plant protein.

To make up for the lower amount of carbs, we packed in high-protein foods, like chicken, eggs and lean beef and safely exceeded the daily recommended amount of 50 g of protein per day. We also added healthy fat sources, like almonds, olive oil and peanut butter, to get the calories up to 1,200.

This low-calorie, low-carb, high-protein diet is packaged into an easy-to-follow meal plan with simple meal-prep tips to set yourself up for success during the busy weekdays. And as a bonus, it will help you lose weight without feeling deprived or starved.

With that said, 1,200 calories isn't enough for some people to feel satisfied and energetic. If you feel you need more calories but still want to lose weight, try another one of our low-carb meal plans with adjustments to meet varying calorie levels.

How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals

1. Make the Flourless Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins to have for breakfast on Days 2 and 3 and as a snack on Days 1 and 4. For easy cleanup, use reusable silicone muffin cups.
2. Prep the Chicken Satay Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce to have for lunch on Days 2, 3, 4 and 5. Refrigerate lunches in a meal-prep container to keep them fresh.

Day 1

Fiber-rich foods, like whole grains, beans and legumes, are often cut out of low-carb diets to keep the carb count low—but they are helpful for weight loss (among other things). Therefore, we made sure to pack this low-carb plan with at least 30 g of fiber per day, mostly from fruits, vegetables and some whole grains and legumes. This ensures that you are still getting the nutritional benefits of fiber—like gut health and satisfaction—while keeping carbs in check.

Breakfast (320 calories, 23 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving "Egg in a Hole" Peppers with Avocado Salsa
• 1 clementine

A.M. Snack (84 calories, 21 g carbohydrates)

• 1 cup blueberries

Lunch (322 calories, 11 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving Salmon Salad-Stuffed Avocado

P.M. Snack (78 calories, 11 g carbohydrates)

• 1 Flourless Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffin

Dinner (389 calories, 36 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving White-Bean Sage Cauliflower Gnocchi
• 2 cups mixed salad greens topped with ¼ cup chopped tomato, ¼ cup chopped cucumber, 3 Tbsp. diced avocado and 1 Tbsp. Caesar Salad Dressing

Daily Totals: 1,194 calories, 69 g fat, 32 g fiber, 103 g carbohydrates, 50 g protein, 1,565 mg sodium

Day 2

To keep carbs low today, we included these healthy flourless banana chocolate chip muffins made from oats, banana and eggs, and swapped in zucchini noodles for regular pasta in tonight's dinner. To make sure you are still getting adequate amounts of both carbohydrates and fiber, we filled in the rest of the day with nutrient-rich foods like blackberries, edamame and a serving of whole-wheat baguette at dinner to sop up any of the delicious leftover juice from the scampi.

Breakfast (286 calories, 41 g carbohydrates)

• 2 Flourless Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins
• 1 cup raspberries
• ½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt

A.M. Snack (62 calories, 14 g carbohydrates)

• 1 cup blackberries

Lunch (351 calories, 14 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving Chicken Satay Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

P.M. Snack (100 calories, 9 g carbohydrates)

• ½ cup shelled edamame, seasoned with a pinch each of coarse salt and pepper

Dinner (406 calories, 34 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving Shrimp Scampi Zoodles
• 1 (2 inch) slice whole-wheat baguette

Daily Totals: 1,205 calories, 48 g fat, 29 g fiber, 112 g carbohydrates, 85 g protein, 1,621 mg sodium

Day 3

Just a single cup of raspberries contains 8 g of filling fiber with only 15 g of carbs, which is why you'll see them often on this simple high-protein, low-carb meal plan. High-fiber foods tend to be more filling than low-fiber foods, so you're likely to eat less and stay satisfied longer, which is especially important when cutting calories to lose weight.

Breakfast (286 calories, 41 g carbohydrates)

• 2 Flourless Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins
• 1 cup raspberries
• ½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt

A.M. Snack (150 calories, 13 g carbohydrates)

• 15 unsalted almonds
• 1 clementine

Lunch (351 calories, 14 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving Chicken Satay Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

P.M. Snack (46 calories, 10 g carbohydrates)

• ¾ cup blackberries

Dinner (378 calories, 31 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving Pork Paprikash with Cauliflower "Rice"
• 1 serving Roasted Fresh Green Beans

Daily Totals: 1,212 calories, 54 g fat, 38 g fiber, 109 g carbohydrates, 82 g protein, 1,265 mg sodium

Day 4

In addition to being a great source of protein, which helps maintain muscle mass while you're losing weight, salmon is a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids—those essential fats that have a ton of health benefits, including to your heart, eyes, and mental and cognitive health. These benefits are likely due to the ability of omega-3s to reduce inflammation in your body. This roasted salmon is served over low-carb veggie-licious kale and chickpeas—healthy carbs you can definitely still be eating, even when following a low-carb diet. We roast the chickpeas, too, to give them a satisfying crunch that complements the tender, flaky salmon.

Breakfast (203 calories, 29 g carbohydrates)

• ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds

A.M. Snack (128 calories, 20 g carbohydrates)

• ⅓ cup shelled edamame, seasoned with a pinch each of coarse salt and pepper
• 1 cup blackberries

Lunch (351 calories, 14 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving Chicken Satay Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

P.M. Snack (78 calories, 11 g carbohydrates)

• 1 Flourless Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffin

Dinner (447 calories, 23 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving Roasted Salmon with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens

Daily Totals: 1,206 calories, 53 g fat, 33 g fiber, 98 g carbohydrates, 89 g protein, 1,304 mg sodium

Day 5

Our high-protein weight loss meal plan includes fiber-rich carbohydrates, like those from berries, white beans and broccoli. Dinner tonight packs in 15 g of protein, which not only helps you feel full but may also help with weight loss.

Breakfast (259 calories, 10 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving Low-Carb Bacon & Broccoli Egg Burrito

A.M. Snack (64 calories, 15 g carbohydrates)

• 1 cup raspberries

Lunch (351 calories, 14 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving Chicken Satay Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

P.M. Snack (103 calories, 11 g carbohydrates)

• 3 Tbsp. hummus
• 4 celery sticks

Dinner (442 calories, 50 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving Vegan Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• ⅔ cup no-salt-added canned white beans, rinsed

Stir beans into an individual portion of the spaghetti squash and sauce.

Daily Totals: 1,219 calories, 67 g fat, 33 g fiber, 100 g carbohydrates, 64 g protein, 1,867 mg sodium

Day 6

Yes, you can still eat cheese and lose weight! String cheese is a great midday snack, especially when paired with fiber-rich fruit. The combination of protein and fiber increases satisfaction and can reduce appetite at your next meal.

Breakfast (203 calories, 29 g carbohydrates)

• ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds

A.M. Snack (128 calories, 22 g carbohydrates)

• 1 small apple
• 1 string cheese

Lunch (351 calories, 14 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving Chicken Satay Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

P.M. Snack (64 calories, 15 g carbohydrates)

• 1 cup raspberries

Dinner (479 calories, 28 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving Taco Lettuce Wraps
• 1 serving Pineapple & Avocado Salad

Meal-Prep Tip: Save one serving of the Taco Lettuce Wraps to have for lunch on Day 7. When preparing the Pineapple & Avocado Salad, set aside ¼ of an avocado and ½ cup pineapple before dressing it with the vinaigrette to have for lunch on Day 7.

Daily Totals: 1,224 calories, 60 g fat, 37 g fiber, 107 g carbohydrates, 76 g protein, 1,129 mg sodium

Day 7

Lettuce takes the place of tortillas in our low-carb, gluten-free taco lettuce wraps. Stuffed with lean ground beef, jicama, avocado and salsa and a whopping 23 g of protein per serving, this lunch (leftover from last night's dinner) will keep you feeling full for hours.

Breakfast (278 calories, 22 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving Spring Green Frittata
• 1 cup raspberries

Lunch (431 calories, 28 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving Taco Lettuce Wraps
• ¼ avocado, sliced
• ½ cup sliced pineapple

Combine avocado and pineapple with 1 tsp. lime juice and a pinch of salt.

P.M. Snack (31 calories, 7 g carbohydrates)

• ½ cup blackberries

Dinner (480 calories, 45 g carbohydrates)

• 1 serving Zucchini Lasagna
• 1 (2 inch) slice whole-wheat baguette

Daily Totals: 1,220 calories, 58 g fat, 28 g fiber, 101 g carbohydrates, 78 g protein, 1,684 mg sodium