High-Protein Meal Plan: 1,200 Calories (2024)

Table of Contents
How to Meal-Prep for Your Week of Meals Day 1 Breakfast (407 calories, 33 g protein) A.M. Snack (30 calories, 0 g protein) Lunch (402 calories, 16 g protein) P.M. Snack (42 calories, 1 g protein) Dinner (319 calories, 26 g protein) Day 2 Breakfast (194 calories, 18 g protein) A.M. Snack (45 calories, 1 g protein) Lunch (519 calories, 34 g protein) Dinner (471 calories, 11 g protein) Day 3 Breakfast (239 calories, 26 g protein) A.M. Snack (64 calories, 1 g protein) Lunch (519 calories, 34 g protein) P.M. Snack (42 calories, 1 g protein) Dinner (348 calories, 24 g protein) Day 4 Breakfast (230 calories, 11 g protein) A.M. Snack (64 calories, 1 g protein) Lunch (519 calories, 34 g protein) P.M. Snack (62 calories, 1 g protein) Dinner (351 calories, 33 g protein) Day 5 Breakfast (230 calories, 11 g protein) A.M. Snack (84 calories, 2 g protein) Lunch (519 calories, 34 g protein) P.M. Snack (64 calories, 1 g protein) Dinner (318 calories, 26 g protein) Day 6 Breakfast (272 calories, 27 g protein) A.M. Snack (42 calories, 1 g protein) Lunch (387 calories, 14 g protein) P.M. Snack (100 calories, 8 g protein) Dinner (416 calories, 41 g protein) Day 7 Breakfast (212 calories, 8 g protein) A.M. Snack (97 calories, 12 g protein) Lunch (325 calories, 18 g protein) P.M. Snack (151 calories, 5 g protein) Dinner (422 calories, 27 calories) FAQs

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.

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 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.

See Also
Protein in AvocadosYour Visual Guide to Protein: Achieving a Daily Serving of Protein Made EasyWhy Are Avocados So Good For You?Protein for Active Lifestyles: How Much is Enough? | Chicken of the Sea

Day 1

High-Protein Meal Plan: 1,200 Calories (1)

Breakfast (407 calories, 33 g protein)

  • 1 serving

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

  • 1 medium plum

Lunch (402 calories, 16 g protein)

  • 1 serving

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

  • 1 kiwi

Dinner (319 calories, 26 g protein)

  • 1 serving Citrus Poached Salmon with Asparagus
  • 1/2 cup Easy Brown Rice

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

High-Protein Meal Plan: 1,200 Calories (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)

  • 1 serving

Dinner (471 calories, 11 g protein)

  • 1 serving Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry

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)

  • 1 serving

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

  • 1 kiwi

Dinner (348 calories, 24 g protein)

  • 1 serving Asian Beef Noodle Bowl

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

Day 4

High-Protein Meal Plan: 1,200 Calories (4)

Breakfast (230 calories, 11 g protein)

  • 1 serving Egg Salad Avocado Toast

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

  • 1 cup raspberries

Lunch (519 calories, 34 g protein)

  • 1 serving

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

  • 1 medium orange

Dinner (351 calories, 33 g protein)

  • 1 serving Spicy Jerk Shrimp

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

Day 5

High-Protein Meal Plan: 1,200 Calories (5)

Breakfast (230 calories, 11 g protein)

  • 1 serving Egg Salad Avocado Toast

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

  • 2 kiwis

Lunch (519 calories, 34 g protein)

  • 1 serving

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

  • 1 cup raspberries

Dinner (318 calories, 26 g protein)

  • 1 serving Zucchini Parmesan

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

Day 6

High-Protein Meal Plan: 1,200 Calories (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)

  • 1 serving
  • 1 medium orange

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)

  • 1 serving
  • 2 servings Tangy Broccoli with Almonds

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

Day 7

High-Protein Meal Plan: 1,200 Calories (7)

Breakfast (212 calories, 8 g protein)

  • 1 serving Two-Ingredient Banana Pancakes
  • 1/2 cup raspberries
  • 1 Tbsp. maple syrup

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)

  • 1 serving

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)

  • 1 serving Salmon Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
  • 1 serving Broiled Mango

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

High-Protein Meal Plan: 1,200 Calories (2024)

FAQs

How much protein should I eat on a 1200 calorie diet? ›

According to dietary guidelines protein should make up 10 to 35 percent of your total caloric intake and 1 gram of protein provides 4 calories. This means for a 1200 calorie diet, your protein intake can be between 30 gm and 105 gm to be within dietary guidelines.

Learn More ›
How much weight can I lose on a 1200 calorie diet a day? ›

To calculate your weight-maintenance calories, multiply your weight by 15. If 1,200 calories a day is more than 500 calories lower than your weight-maintenance calories, you can expect to lose more than 1 to 2 pounds per week.

Tell Me More ›
What is an example of a 1200 calorie a day diet? ›

Another example of a 1,200-calorie-a-day diet:
  • Breakfast. One serving of whole-grain toast (100 calories) Two eggs (140 calories) ...
  • Lunch. Three ounces of grilled chicken breast (120 calories) One cup of steamed broccoli (55 calories) ...
  • Dinner. Three ounces of fish (120 calories) One cup of mixed greens (5 calories)
Jan 24, 2023

Read More ›
How many calories should I eat on a high protein diet to lose weight? ›

According to these studies, aiming to consume 30% of calories from protein seems to be very effective for weight loss. For example, 30% of 2,000 calories = 600 calories (0.30 x 2,000). Protein has 4 calories per gram, so 600/4 = 150 calories.

Continue Reading ›
How long will it take to lose 30 pounds on a 1200 calorie diet? ›

For example, it would take one 3 to 6 months on average to lose 30 pounds on a 1200 calorie diet. It is based on CDC; one can lose 1 to 2 pounds per week on average.

Keep Reading ›
How much protein should I eat to lose 20 pounds? ›

But for those looking to lose weight, eating between 0.81–1.23 grams of protein daily per pound of body weight is better — especially if you're also exercising, which you're likely doing if you're trying to lose weight.

Read The Full Story ›
How long will it take to lose 15 pounds on a 1200 calorie diet? ›

After 1 year, those eating 1,200–1,500 calories per day experienced an average weight loss of 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms). However, 23% of the 4,588 people following the 1,200-calorie diet dropped out of the study ( 7 ).

Show Me More ›
Why am I not losing weight on 1200 calories a day? ›

You might be struggling to lose weight on 1200 calories because your metabolism is slow. Losing weight can be a difficult task, especially if your metabolism is running slow. It's possible that with only a 1200 calorie diet, it might not be enough to shed off those extra pounds due to metabolism costs.

Keep Reading ›
How long will it take to lose 50 pounds on a 1200 calorie diet? ›

Although you'd need 50 weeks, or close to a year, to reach your goal of 50 pounds, 1 pound per week is a reasonable rate of weight loss. Organizations such as the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute suggest that 1 to 2 pounds per week is a reasonable rate of weight loss.

Show Me More ›
Is 1200 calories too low for a woman? ›

Consuming at least 1,200 calories per day has often been touted as the minimum for basic bodily functions and to stay out of starvation mode, but the amount is actually too low. A healthy amount of calories for adult women ranges from 1,800 to 2,400 calories per day and for men it's 2,000 to 3,200 calories per day.

See More ›

What will happen if I only eat 1200 calories a day? ›

Whilst the 1200 calorie diet can help you to lose weight fast, extending it past 2-4 weeks can often result in more harm than good. Over-restricting and under-nourishing yourself with a low calorie diet can often leave you feeling depleted of energy, fatigued and unable to get through your day.

Find Out More ›
What did Kelly Clarkson take to lose weight? ›

But the star has gotten some backlash after revealing during a recent episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show that she used a weight loss medication after her guest, Whoopi Goldberg, raved about taking the injectable weight loss drug Mounjaro.

Discover More Details ›
What are the 5 foods that burn belly fat? ›

Five foods that may help burn belly fat include:
  • foods with soluble fiber like fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
  • foods with protein like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
  • fatty fish like tuna and salmon.
  • foods with probiotics like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi.
  • green tea.

Read More ›
What happens if you eat too much protein but low calories? ›

Some high-protein diets limit carbs so much that you might not get enough nutrients or fiber. This can cause problems such as bad breath, headache and constipation.

See Details ›
How much protein do I need to lose 15 pounds? ›

If you want to lose weight, aim for a daily protein intake between 1.6 and 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (. 73 and 1 grams per pound). Athletes and heavy exercisers should consume 2.2-3.4 grams of protein per kilogram (1-1.5 grams per pound) if aiming for weight loss.

Continue Reading ›
What should my macros be for a 1200 calorie diet? ›

By following a meal plan similar to this, you can expect to meet the acceptable breakdown of macronutrients needed for your goals, as well as optimal health. Here is an example 1,200 calorie meal plan: Provides 1,200 kcal, 77g Protein (25%), 138g Carbs (45%), 45g Fat (30%) per day.

Discover More Details ›
How many grams of protein do I need to eat a day for weight loss? ›

If you're trying to lose weight, shoot for 68-82 grams of protein per day. Matt says to split your daily protein intake between your three daily meals. “Your body does a way better job at metabolizing protein when it's consumed 15-30 grams at a time.

Keep Reading ›
What does 120 grams of protein a day look like? ›

To realistically consume 120 g of protein a day, try to split your goal into 5 meals (24 g each), or 3 meals (24 g each) with 4 smaller snacks (12 g each). Snack on foods like dried meats, nuts, seeds, yogurt, string cheese, and peanut butter to help you feel energized and reach 120 g of protein daily.

Show Me More ›
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