7-Day High-Protein Low-Carb Meal Plan

A high-protein low-carb diet can be one of the most effective ways to lose weight quickly, according to research, like the 2020 review in the Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome. Protein does a great job of helping you feel fuller longer, which is especially helpful when cutting calories and limiting your carb intake.

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, that help you to feel full and satisfied with fewer calories.

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

See more of our Healthy Low-Carb Meal Plans, like this 7-Day Low-Carb Meal Plan to Lose Weight

In this high-protein, low-carb week-long meal plan, we keep the carbs at no more than 120 grams per day while still meeting the recommended 30 grams of fiber each day 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 you don't need to fully exclude in order to eat low-carb.

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 grams per day, and added healthy fat sources—like almonds, olive oil and peanut butter—to get the calories up to 1,400.

In this easy-to-follow meal plan, we've included simple meal-prep tips you can follow at the beginning of the week to set yourself up for success during the busy weekdays.

This low-calorie, low-carb, high-protein combination will help you lose weight without feeling deprived or starved. With the calorie count set at 1,400 calories, you can expect to lose a healthy 1 to 2 pounds per week. Looking for a lower calorie level? See this meal plan at 1,200 calories.

See what our what our editor has to say about keto: I Tried the Ketogenic Diet for 30 Days and Here's What Happened

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.

2. Prep the Chicken Satay Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce to have for lunch on Days 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Day 1

In order to keep your carbs on the lower end, you are most often cutting out fiber-rich foods like whole grains, beans and legumes. Therefore, we made sure to pack this low-carb plan with at least 30 grams 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 (355 calories, 16 g protein, 32 g carbs)

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

A.M. Snack (238 calories, 7 g protein, 27 g carbs)

• 1 cup blueberries
• 20 unsalted almonds

Lunch (322 calories, 22 g protein, 11 g carbs)

• 1 serving Salmon Salad-Stuffed Avocado

P.M. Snack (78 calories, 1 g protein, 11 g carbs)

• 1 Flourless Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffin

Dinner (389 calories, 10 g protein, 36 g carbs)

• 1 serving White-Bean Sage Cauliflower Gnocchi
• 2 cups mixed salad greens
• 1 Tbsp Caesar Salad Dressing
• 1/4 cup chopped tomato
• 1/4 cup chopped cucumber
• 3 Tbsp diced avocado

Toss salad greens with dressing, tomato, cucumber and avocado.

Daily Totals: 1,382 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 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 (352 calories, 27 g protein, 45 g carbs)

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

A.M. Snack (62 calories, 2 g protein, 14 g carbs)

• 1 cup blackberries

Lunch (351 calories, 28 g protein, 14 g carbs)

• 1 serving Chicken Satay Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

P.M. Snack (200 calories, 16 g protein, 18 g carbs)

• 1 cup shelled edamame, seasoned with coarse salt & pepper to taste

Dinner (448 calories, 31 g protein, 34 g carbs)

• 1 serving Shrimp Scampi Zoodles
• 1 (2-inch) slice whole-wheat baguette
• 1 tsp. olive oil to brush on baguette

Daily Totals: 1,414 calories, 105 g protein, 125 g carbs, 33 g fiber, 56 g fat, 1,811 mg sodium

Day 3

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.

Breakfast (352 calories, 27 g protein, 45 g carbs)

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

A.M. Snack (262 calories, 8 g protein, 25 g carbs)

• 25 unsalted almonds
• 2 clementines

Lunch (351 calories, 28 g protein, 14 g carbs)

• 1 serving Chicken Satay Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

P.M. Snack (62 calories, 2 g protein, 14 g carbs)

• 1 cup blackberries

Dinner (378 calories, 32 g protein, 31 g carbs)

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

Daily Totals: 1,406 calories, 97 g protein, 128 g carbs, 43 g fiber, 62 g fat, 1,307 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 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 chickpea—healthy carbs you can definitely still be eating, even when following a low-carb diet.

Breakfast (269 calories, 26 g protein, 33 g carbs)

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

A.M. Snack (262 calories, 18 g protein, 32 g carbs)

• 1 cup shelled edamame, seasoned with coarse salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 cup blackberries

Lunch (351 calories, 28 g protein, 14 g carbs)

• 1 serving Chicken Satay Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

P.M. Snack (78 calories, 1 g protein, 11 g carbs)

• 1 Flourless Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffin

Dinner (447 calories, 37 g protein, 23 g carbs)

• 1 serving Roasted Salmon with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens

Daily Totals: 1,407 calories, 111 g protein, 114 g carbs, 39 g fiber, 57 g fat, 1,505 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 grams of protein, which not only helps you feel full but also may help with weight loss.

Breakfast (259 calories, 15 g protein, 10 g carbs)

• 1 serving Low-Carb Bacon & Broccoli Egg Burrito

A.M. Snack (218 calories, 7 g protein, 20 g carbs)

• 1 cup raspberries
• 20 unsalted almonds

Lunch (351 calories, 28 g protein, 14 g carbs)

• 1 serving Chicken Satay Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

P.M. Snack (129 calories, 6 g protein, 14 g carbs)

• 1/4 cup hummus
• 4 celery stalks, cut into stalks

Dinner (442 calories, 15 g protein, 50 g carbs)

• 1 serving Vegan Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• 2/3 cup no-salt-added canned white beans, rinsed

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

Daily Totals: 1,407 calories, 111 g protein, 114 g carbs, 39 g fiber, 57 g fat, 1,505 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 raspberries. The combination of protein and fiber increases satisfaction and can tide you over until your next meal.

Breakfast (269 calories, 26 g protein, 33 g carbs)

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

A.M. Snack (128 calories, 6 g protein, 22 g carbs)

• 1 small apple
• 1 string cheese

Lunch (351 calories, 22 g protein, 14 g carbs)

• 1 serving Chicken Satay Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

P.M. Snack (180 calories, 6 g protein, 19 g carbs)

• 1 cup raspberries
• 15 unsalted almonds

Dinner (479 calories, 25 g protein, 28 g carbs)

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

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, 91 g protein, 115 g carbs, 39 g fiber, 70 g fat, 1,170 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 grams protein per serving, this lunch will keep you feeling full for hours.

Breakfast (278 calories, 19 g protein, 22 g carbs)

• 1 serving Spring Green Frittata
• 1 cup raspberries

A.M. Snack (154 calories, 5 g protein, 5 g carbs)

• 20 unsalted almonds

Lunch (431 calories, 25 g protein, 28 g carbs)

• 1 serving Taco Lettuce Wraps
• 1/4 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced pineapple

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

P.M. Snack (62 calories, 2 g protein, 14 g carbs)

• 1 cup blackberries

Dinner (480 calories, 33 g protein, 45 g carbs)

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

Daily Totals: 1,405 calories, 84 g protein, 113 g carbs, 35 g fiber, 71 g fat, 1,685 mg sodium

WATCH: How to Make 6 Quick Sauces for Cauliflower Gnocchi

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