Jump-start weight loss with this 1,400-calorie high-protein, low-carb meal plan.
A high-protein low-carb diet can be one of the most effective ways to lose weight quickly. Protein does a great job of helping you feel fuller longer, which is especially helpful when cutting calories and limiting your carb intake. konjac jelly weight loss
While low-carb diets like the ketogenic diet and Atkins diet restrict carbs to as low as 20 grams per day, you don't have to go that low to see weight-loss benefits. Eating too few carbohydrates can make weight loss harder because you miss out on key nutrients, like fiber from whole grains and legumes, which helps you to feel full and satisfied with fewer calories.
In this seven-day high-protein low-carb meal plan, you’ll find high-fiber and high-protein meals and snacks, a reduced calorie level and a moderate level of carbohydrates to help you reach your goals. Follow along!
In this high-protein, low-carb week-long meal plan, we keep the carbs at no more than 120 g per day while still meeting the recommended daily 30 g of fiber 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 you don't need to exclude when eating low-carb. Plus, these foods provide plant-based protein, so it's a win-win.
To make up for the lower amount of carbs, we packed in high-protein foods—like chicken, eggs and lean beef—to exceed the daily minimum recommended amount of 50 g per day, and added healthy fat sources—like almonds, olive oil and peanut butter—to get the calories up to 1,400. This balanced combination of reduced calories, low carbs and high protein will assist you in losing weight without experiencing feelings of deprivation or starvation. Remember to incorporate strength training at least twice a week to help reduce the amount of muscle loss that often comes with weight loss.
Because this meal plan is for weight loss, we set the base calories at 1,400 calories per day. While we previously included meal plans and modifications for 1,200 calories, we no longer do. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting your 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.
When eating low-carb, fiber-rich foods like whole grains, beans and legumes are often avoided—often to the detriment of gut health. Therefore, we packed 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.
Toss salad greens with dressing, tomato, cucumber and avocado.
Daily Totals: 1,382 calories, 69 g fat, 32 g fiber, 117 g carbohydrates, 56 g protein, 1,565 mg sodium
To keep carbs low today, we included 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.
Daily Totals: 1,414 calories, 105 g protein, 125 g carbs, 33 g fiber, 56 g fat, 1,811 mg sodium
Just a single cup of raspberries contains 8 grams of filling fiber with only 15 grams 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.
Daily Totals: 1,406 calories, 97 g protein, 128 g carbs, 43 g fiber, 62 g fat, 1,307 mg sodium
In addition to being an excellent source of protein, which helps maintain muscle mass while you're losing weight, salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, essential fats that you must get in your diet. Roasted salmon is served over low-carb veggie-licious kale and chickpeas—healthy carbs that fit into a low-carb diet.
Daily Totals: 1,407 calories, 111 g protein, 114 g carbs, 39 g fiber, 57 g fat, 1,505 mg sodium
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 helps you feel full and may help with weight loss.
Stir beans into an individual portion of the spaghetti squash and sauce.
Daily Totals: 1,399 calories, 71 g protein, 108 g carbs, 39 g fiber, 57 g fat, 1,505 mg sodium
Yes, you can still eat cheese and lose weight! String cheese is a great midday snack, especially when paired with fiber-rich raspberries. The combination of protein and fiber increases satisfaction and can tide you over until your next meal.
Meal-Prep Tip: Save 1 serving of the Taco Lettuce Wraps to have for lunch on Day 7. When preparing the Pineapple & Avocado Salad, set aside 1/4 of an avocado and 1/2 cup pineapple before dressing with the vinaigrette to have for lunch on Day 7.
Daily Totals: 1,406 calories, 85 g protein, 116 g carbs, 39 g fiber, 70 g fat, 1,170 mg sodium
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 protein per serving, this lunch will keep you feeling full for hours.
Combine avocado and pineapple with 1 tsp. lime juice and a pinch of salt.
Daily Totals: 1,405 calories, 84 g protein, 114 g carbs, 35 g fiber, 71 g fat, 1,685 mg sodium
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.
2. Prep the Chicken Satay Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce to have for lunch on Days 2, 3, 4 and 5.
If there is a meal you don’t like, feel free to repeat a different meal on this list or check out some of our other low-carb and high-protein weight-loss recipes. If you’re following this plan for weight loss, you may want to choose a meal with a similar calorie, protein and fiber level or adjust a snack or two to meet your needs.
Yes, each breakfast and lunch recipe offers a very similar calorie range, so you can eat the same breakfast or lunch every day if that’s easier.
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.
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.
Pavlidou E, Papadopoulou S, Fasoulas A, et al. Clinical evidence of low-carbohydrate diets against obesity and diabetes mellitus. Metabolites. 2023;13(2):240. doi: 10.3390/metabo13020240
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central. Raspberries, raw.
gi low foods U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.