Coach Ciara · Free meal plan
Your free 3‑day high‑protein meal plan
Three days of simple, high-protein meals, about 130 to 150 g of protein a day, made from food you can get in Lidl, Aldi or Tesco. It's built around the number your calculator just gave you, so it works whether your goal is to lose fat, get fitter or build muscle.
How to use it: find your daily calories in the table below, scale your portions, then follow Day 1, 2 and 3. Repeat them as often as you like. Batch-cook the lentil soup on Day 1 and you've got lunch sorted for Day 3 too.
Start here
Portions for your calories
The plan as written is about 1,700 kcal a day. Find the row with your calculator number and adjust every meal the same way.
| Your daily calories | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1,500 to 1,850 | Follow the plan exactly as written |
| 1,900 to 2,250 | Make every portion 1.25 times bigger |
| 2,300 to 2,700 | Make every portion 1.5 times bigger |
| 2,800 to 3,200 | Make every portion 1.75 times bigger |
| 3,300 and above | Double every portion |
Tip: on a bigger day, keep the protein the same and add the extra to the rice, pasta, potatoes, oats and fruit first. It's easier to eat and fuels your training.
Day 1
Day 1
About 1,730 kcal · Protein 125 g · Carbs 171 g · Fat 51 g
| Meal | What to eat | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Greek yogurt power bowl | 417 | 32 g |
| Lunch | Red lentil soup with wholemeal toast (make the full batch; you'll have it again on Day 3) | 513 | 31 g |
| Snack | Chilli-lime edamame | 310 | 31 g |
| Dinner | One-tray salmon, baby potatoes and broccoli | 491 | 31 g |
Day 2
Day 2
About 1,650 kcal · Protein 150 g · Carbs 155 g · Fat 48 g
| Meal | What to eat | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Protein scramble on toast: 2 eggs + 150 g liquid egg whites, scrambled with a handful of spinach, on 2 slices of wholemeal toast | 372 | 36 g |
| Lunch | Chicken and hummus wrap: 1 large wholemeal wrap, 120 g cooked chicken breast, 30 g hummus, lettuce, cucumber and tomato | 480 | 45 g |
| Snack | Banana protein shake: 30 g whey protein blended with water, 1 banana and 15 g peanut butter | 315 | 29 g |
| Dinner | Pesto chicken pasta: 75 g wholewheat pasta (dry), 120 g chicken breast (raw weight), 15 g green pesto, cherry tomatoes and spinach | 480 | 40 g |
Day 3
Day 3
About 1,680 kcal · Protein 134 g · Carbs 204 g · Fat 29 g
| Meal | What to eat | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Protein porridge: 50 g oats cooked in 250 ml skimmed milk, 25 g whey stirred in once it's off the heat, topped with 80 g blueberries | 423 | 35 g |
| Lunch | Red lentil soup with wholemeal toast (leftovers from Day 1) | 513 | 31 g |
| Snack | Tuna crispbreads: 1 tin tuna in spring water mixed with 1 tbsp light mayo, on 4 rye crispbreads | 300 | 31 g |
| Dinner | Prawn egg-fried rice: 150 g cooked prawns, 1 egg, 125 g cooked basmati (microwave pouch is fine), 150 g frozen stir-fry veg, 1 tsp oil and a splash of soy sauce | 445 | 37 g |
Drink plenty of water, and have tea or coffee as you like (a splash of milk is fine).
Plant-based
Plant-based swaps
| Instead of | Have |
|---|---|
| Eggs and egg whites | 200 g firm tofu, crumbled and scrambled |
| Chicken | 150 g tofu, tempeh or a soya-based chicken alternative |
| Salmon or prawns | 150 g firm tofu or 200 g edamame |
| Tuna | 1 tin chickpeas, mashed with lemon and a little vegan mayo |
| Whey protein | Pea or soya protein powder |
| Greek yogurt and milk | Soya yogurt (high-protein) and soya milk |
Plant swaps can be a little lower in protein, so add an extra portion of edamame or soya yogurt on most days.
Shopping
Shopping list for all 3 days
Protein
- Salmon fillet (1)
- Chicken breast (about 250 g)
- Cooked prawns (150 g)
- Eggs (3)
- Liquid egg whites (150 g)
- Tuna in spring water (1 tin)
- Greek yogurt (0% or 2%)
- Frozen edamame
- Whey protein
Carbs
- Red lentils
- Wholemeal bread
- Large wholemeal wrap (1)
- Wholewheat pasta
- Porridge oats
- Basmati rice pouch (1)
- Rye crispbreads
- Baby potatoes
Fruit and veg
- Banana (1)
- Blueberries or frozen berries
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Cherry tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Cucumber
- Onion
- Carrot
- Garlic
- Lime
- Frozen stir-fry veg
Extras
- Hummus
- Green pesto
- Peanut butter
- Light mayo
- Skimmed milk
- Soy sauce
- Chilli flakes
- Stock cubes
Your next step
Your next step: your programme
Food is half the picture. The other half is training that matches your goal. Based on your calculator results, the programme I'd recommend for you is the one that matches your goal.
See my programmeEvery Monday I share a new high-protein recipe and a Movement Monday exercise breakdown. If you ticked the box, they'll come to your inbox. If not, you'll find them on coachciara.com/recipes.
Any questions, just reply or message me on Instagram @thecoachciara. I read every message.
Ciara
General guidance only, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or have a history of disordered eating, check with your GP first.