High-Protein Low-Calorie Meal Plan: 1,200 Calories

Victoria Seaver, M.S., RD
·5 min read

High-protein foods combine with other healthy ingredients to create a week-long meal plan for weight loss that will keep you feeling full and satisfied all day long.

Protein does your body a lot of good. It builds healthy cells and repairs ones that are damaged and keeps your immune system in tip-top shape. When trying to lose weight, adding protein to each meal and snack helps you to feel full and satisfied, making weight loss easier.

Related: How Much Protein Do You Need to Eat Every Day?

In this 1,200-calorie meal plan, high-protein foods—like salmon, chicken, edamame, eggs and chickpeas—fill the meals and snacks with healthy, high-quality protein, providing well over the minimum recommendation of 50 grams of protein per day.

Deliciously prepared and paired with other healthy foods to keep things balanced—like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats—these tasty meals and snacks come together to create a week-long meal plan for weight loss that will keep you feeling full and satisfied all day long.

Don't miss the helpful meal-prep notes that outline the steps you can do ahead of time over the weekend to prepare for your week ahead.

Don't Miss: Easy 1,200-Calorie Meal-Prep Plan for Weight Loss

How to Meal-Prep for Your Week of Meals

1. Make the Chicken Quinoa Bowl with Olives & Cucumber and refrigerate individual portions in separate meal-prep containers to have for lunch on Days 2, 3, 4 and 5.

2. Hard-boil and refrigerate 2 eggs to have for breakfast in the Egg Salad Avocado Toast recipe on Days 4 and 5.

Day 1

Breakfast (407 calories, 33 g protein)

A.M. Snack (30 calories, 0 g protein)

  • 1 medium plum

Lunch (402 calories, 16 g protein)

P.M. Snack (42 calories, 1 g protein)

  • 1 kiwi

Dinner (319 calories, 26 g protein)

Meal-Prep Tip: Consider making a double batch of Easy Brown Rice so you'll have enough to have for dinner on Day 2. Freeze any leftovers for up to 6 months.

Daily Totals: 1,200 calories, 77 g protein, 135 g carbohydrates, 22 g fiber, 41 g fat, 1,598 mg sodium

Day 2

Breakfast (194 calories, 18 g protein)

  • 1 cup raspberries

  • 2/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

  • 1 Tbsp. sliced almonds

A.M. Snack (45 calories, 1 g protein)

  • 1 kiwi

Lunch (519 calories, 34 g protein)

Dinner (471 calories, 11 g protein)

Daily Totals: 1,228 calories, 64 g protein, 130 g carbohydrates, 27 g fiber, 50 g fat, 1,315 mg sodium

Day 3

Breakfast (239 calories, 26 g protein)

  • 1 cup raspberries

  • 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

  • 1 Tbsp. sliced almonds

A.M. Snack (64 calories, 1 g protein)

  • 1 cup raspberries

Lunch (519 calories, 34 g protein)

P.M. Snack (42 calories, 1 g protein)

  • 1 kiwi

Dinner (348 calories, 24 g protein)

Daily Totals: 1,212 calories, 87 g protein, 112 g carbohydrates, 27 g fiber, 47 g fat, 1,265 mg sodium

Day 4

Breakfast (230 calories, 11 g protein)

A.M. Snack (64 calories, 1 g protein)

  • 1 cup raspberries

Lunch (519 calories, 34 g protein)

P.M. Snack (62 calories, 1 g protein)

  • 1 medium orange

Dinner (351 calories, 33 g protein)

Daily Totals: 1,225 calories, 81 g protein, 116 g carbohydrates, 26 g fiber, 50 g fat, 1,502 mg sodium

Day 5

Breakfast (230 calories, 11 g protein)

A.M. Snack (84 calories, 2 g protein)

  • 2 kiwis

Lunch (519 calories, 34 g protein)

P.M. Snack (64 calories, 1 g protein)

  • 1 cup raspberries

Dinner (318 calories, 26 g protein)

Daily Totals: 1,215 calories, 74 g protein, 106 g carbohydrates, 27 g fiber, 58 g fat, 1,740 mg sodium

Day 6

Breakfast (272 calories, 27 g protein)

  • 1 cup raspberries

  • 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

  • 1 Tbsp. sliced almonds

A.M. Snack (42 calories, 1 g protein)

  • 1 kiwi

Lunch (387 calories, 14 g protein)

P.M. Snack (100 calories, 8 g protein)

  • 1 cup edamame (in pods), sprinkled with coarse sea salt to taste

Dinner (416 calories, 41 g protein)

Daily Totals: 1,217 calories, 90 g protein, 136 g carbohydrates, 39 g fiber, 39 g fat, 1,278 mg sodium

Day 7

Breakfast (212 calories, 8 g protein)

A.M. Snack (97 calories, 12 g protein)

  • 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt with 1 plum, chopped

Lunch (325 calories, 18 g protein)

P.M. Snack (151 calories, 5 g protein)

  • 1 slice whole-wheat bread, toasted

  • 1/4 avocado, mashed

Top toast with avocado and season with a pinch each of salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.

Dinner (422 calories, 27 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,208 calories, 70 g protein, 144 g carbohydrates, 30 g fiber, 41 g fat, 1,743 mg sodium.

WATCH: How to Make Chicken Quinoa Bowls with Olives & Cucumber