Most "high protein meal prep" results are recipe galleries: forty ideas, no plan, no list. This is the whole thing instead: five days of meals from the Prepwell library, the macros per meal and per day, the grocery list with an estimated total, and the Sunday cook order. Shop once, cook once, and the week is handled.
Who this week is for, and how to bend it
The plan lands at about 1,850 calories and 175 grams of protein a day: a 175-pound person who lifts three or four times a week and is cutting slowly or holding weight, with protein near one gram per pound. Different numbers? Run yours through the macro calculator, then use the three levers below the totals. Protein stays put; calories move with the rice and the fat.
It runs lean on fat, about 45 to 55 grams a day, because that is what 175 grams of protein on 1,850 calories looks like. If you want more, the fix is one tablespoon of olive oil, and it is in the levers.
The five-day plan
Two breakfasts, two lunches, three dinners, the same two snacks daily. The repetition is the point: it is what makes the week cookable in one session and keeps the list short.
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Peanut butter banana protein smoothie | Chicken and rice burrito bowl | Turkey meatballs with zucchini and rice | Cottage cheese and berries; apple with almond butter |
| Tue | Protein coffee overnight oats | Turkey and rice bowl | Blackened tilapia with green beans and rice | Same |
| Wed | Peanut butter banana protein smoothie | Chicken and rice burrito bowl | Sirloin with roasted potatoes and broccoli | Same |
| Thu | Protein coffee overnight oats | Turkey and rice bowl | Turkey meatballs with zucchini and rice | Same |
| Fri | Peanut butter banana protein smoothie | Chicken and rice burrito bowl | Blackened tilapia with green beans and rice | Same |
The meals, with estimated macros per serving
| Meal | What it is | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peanut butter banana protein smoothie | Frozen banana, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 scoop protein powder, 1 cup oat milk, ice | 420 | 38 g | 44 g | 12 g |
| Protein coffee overnight oats | 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, 1/2 cup cold brew, 1/4 cup milk, 1 tbsp chia, 2 tsp maple syrup | 390 | 38 g | 42 g | 7 g |
| Chicken and rice burrito bowl | 5 oz chicken breast, 1 cup cooked rice, 1/2 cup black beans, 1/4 cup salsa, shredded romaine | 566 | 55 g | 69 g | 6 g |
| Turkey and rice bowl | 6 oz 99% lean ground turkey, 1 cup cooked rice, bell pepper, zucchini, garlic, smoked paprika | 493 | 49 g | 57 g | 8 g |
| Turkey meatballs with zucchini and rice | 6 oz 99% lean turkey as four meatballs, 3/4 cup cooked rice, half a zucchini | 414 | 49 g | 40 g | 7 g |
| Blackened tilapia with green beans and rice | 8 oz tilapia, 3/4 cup cooked rice, 4 oz green beans, paprika, garlic, cayenne, lemon | 442 | 51 g | 45 g | 7 g |
| Sirloin with roasted potatoes and broccoli | 6 oz sirloin, 4 oz baby potatoes, 1 cup broccoli, olive oil | 390 | 41 g | 26 g | 14 g |
| Cottage cheese and berries | 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1/2 cup mixed berries | 200 | 28 g | 16 g | 3 g |
| Apple with almond butter | 1 apple, 2 tbsp almond butter, a little maple and cinnamon | 300 | 7 g | 33 g | 18 g |
Estimates from standard ingredient values, the same way Prepwell estimates them in the app. Your brands will move them a little; the week still lands close.
What each day adds up to
| Day | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 1,900 | 177 g | 202 g | 46 g |
| Tuesday | 1,825 | 173 g | 193 g | 43 g |
| Wednesday | 1,876 | 169 g | 188 g | 53 g |
| Thursday | 1,797 | 171 g | 188 g | 43 g |
| Friday | 1,928 | 179 g | 207 g | 46 g |
| Average | 1,865 | 174 g | 196 g | 46 g |
Every day is within about 70 calories and 5 grams of protein of the average. The weekday decision is which container, not what to eat.
Three levers to fit your own numbers
- Need more calories? Add rice. An extra 1/2 cup cooked rice on any bowl is about 100 calories and 22 g carbs, with protein unchanged. Two bowls a day gets you to roughly 2,050.
- Need more fat? One tablespoon of olive oil over the vegetables or a small handful of almonds adds about 120 to 160 calories and 14 g fat. Two of those a day moves the week from 46 g fat to about 74 g.
- Need less? Drop the apple and almond butter snack. That is 300 calories and 18 g fat, and the protein barely moves.
The grocery list, with an estimated total
One person, five days, every meal and snack. Where a recipe serves four in the app, the amounts here are for the two portions you need; double those lines to cook the full batch and freeze half. Prices are the estimates Prepwell uses for national grocery averages, checked in summer 2026. Your store will differ.
| Section | Item | Amount | Est. price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meat and seafood | Chicken breast | 15 oz (a 1.5 lb pack; freeze the rest) | $7.49 |
| 99% lean ground turkey | 1.5 lb (two 1 lb packs) | $12.98 | |
| Tilapia fillets | 1 lb | $7.99 | |
| Sirloin steak | 6 oz | $5.99 | |
| Dairy and eggs | Low-fat cottage cheese | 5 cups (three 16 oz tubs) | $14.97 |
| Eggs | 1 for the meatballs (a dozen) | $2.49 | |
| Oat milk | 1/2 gallon (smoothies and the oats) | $4.49 | |
| Produce | Bananas | 3 | $0.75 |
| Apples | 5 (a 3 lb bag) | $4.99 | |
| Mixed berries, fresh or frozen | 12 oz bag | $4.49 | |
| Romaine | 1 head | $2.79 | |
| Zucchini | 2 | $2.38 | |
| Bell pepper | 1 | $1.49 | |
| Green beans | 8 oz | $2.49 | |
| Baby potatoes | 1/4 lb (a handful from a 1.5 lb bag) | $3.99 | |
| Broccoli | 1 crown | $2.99 | |
| Lemon | 1 | $0.89 | |
| Pantry, this week | White rice | About 2 3/4 cups dry (a 2 lb bag) | $3.79 |
| Black beans | 1 can | $0.99 | |
| Salsa | 16 oz jar | $4.49 | |
| Estimated total for the week's groceries | about $93 | ||
Pantry items you probably have: protein powder (5 scoops), peanut butter (6 tbsp), almond butter (10 tbsp), rolled oats (1 cup), chia seeds (2 tbsp), cold brew or leftover coffee (1 cup), maple syrup, olive oil, garlic, cinnamon, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt. If you are starting from an empty kitchen, restocking the big five (protein powder, both nut butters, oats, chia) runs about $53 and lasts a month or more.
That is roughly $18.50 a day for one person, before pantry restocks. Scale it honestly: a full seven-day week is about $130 for one, and a household of two eating this way for seven days lands closer to $220 to $250, since packages get shared but proteins do not. If your own week in the app comes in above $200, that is why; it is planning every meal for everyone, not five days for one. Cottage cheese is the line that surprises people; it is also 28 grams of protein a serving. Swap in nonfat Greek yogurt if it is cheaper where you shop.
The Sunday cook, in order
About 75 minutes with the oven, a pot, and a skillet running at once. The order matters more than speed.
- Rice first. Cook the whole week's rice in one pot or rice cooker, about 2 3/4 cups dry. It takes the longest and needs no attention.
- Chicken in the oven. Season 15 oz of chicken breast and bake at 400°F for 18 to 22 minutes, to 165°F inside. Rest, then slice or shred for three burrito bowls.
- Turkey two ways on the stove. Brown 3/4 lb of ground turkey with garlic and smoked paprika for the two lunch bowls, add the pepper and zucchini for the last four minutes. Then mix the other 3/4 lb with an egg and Italian seasoning, roll eight meatballs, and pan-cook them 10 to 12 minutes with the second zucchini finishing in the same skillet.
- Overnight oats. Two jars: oats, protein powder, cold brew, milk, chia, maple. Shake and refrigerate. Make Tuesday's tonight and Thursday's on Wednesday night so the texture stays right.
- Portion. Three burrito bowls (rice, beans, chicken; salsa and romaine go on at lunch), two turkey bowls, two meatball dinners. Cool uncovered in a single layer for 20 minutes before lids go on; sealing hot food is how prep gets soggy.
- Freeze Friday. Food-safety guidance for cooked leftovers is about three to four days in the fridge. Friday's burrito bowl is day five from a Sunday cook, so put it in the freezer now and move it to the fridge Thursday morning.
Cooked fresh on purpose: the tilapia (Tuesday and Friday, 12 minutes in a skillet; fish reheats badly), the sirloin (Wednesday, 15 minutes while the potatoes and broccoli roast), and the smoothies. Prep is not cooking everything on Sunday. It is never facing a weeknight with nothing ready.
Reheating, and keeping it interesting
Rice, chicken, turkey, and roasted vegetables reheat in about two minutes, covered, with a splash of water on the rice. Salsa and romaine go on after. Cottage cheese and the apple are grab-and-go.
If two lunches all week sounds grim, change one thing at a time: same chicken, different sauce; same turkey, rice this week and potatoes next. Sauces barely move the macros; the protein is what moves them. The component method in our two-hour guide goes deeper.
The part this post cannot do for you
Everything above is fixed to one person's numbers. Making a week like this fit your targets, your household, and your store, and then doing it again next week without the spreadsheet, is what Prepwell is for. Tell it your goal and it builds the week from recipes like these, portioned to you. It rolls the plan into one grocery list with an estimated total, and one tap sends that list to your store through Instacart, Kroger, or Harris Teeter, for delivery or pickup. You check out. Batch prep puts the recipes in the right order so the rice is done when the chicken comes out.
Frequently asked questions
How much protein should a meal prep plan have?
Common guidance for people who train lands between about 0.7 and 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day, with the higher end used when cutting. This week is set near 1 gram per pound for a 175-pound person. If you weigh less or are not cutting, the macro calculator will give you a lower target and you can trim the protein portions to match.
Can I run this plan at 2,200 or 2,500 calories?
Yes, and the protein does not need to change. Add 1/2 cup cooked rice per bowl (about 100 calories each), a tablespoon of olive oil on the vegetables (about 120 calories), or a second scoop of protein powder in the smoothie if you also want more protein. Two extra rice portions and one tablespoon of oil a day takes the week from about 1,850 to about 2,150.
Does meal-prepped chicken and rice really last five days?
Standard food-safety guidance is three to four days in the fridge for cooked leftovers. Cook on Sunday, eat Monday through Thursday from the fridge, and freeze Friday's portions on Sunday. Move them to the fridge Thursday morning and they are ready to reheat.
Do I have to eat the same lunch every day?
No. This plan uses two lunches and three dinners across five days because that is what fits in one cooking session, and the totals stay consistent. If you want more variety, change the sauce or the vegetable and keep the protein and rice the same; the macros barely move. Changing the protein is what changes the numbers.