Eggs & avocado
breakfast · 10 min · 20 g protein · ~420 kcal
Fry or scramble 3 eggs in olive oil, serve with half an avocado and sea salt.
Eggs, Avocado, Olive oil
Low Calorie Paleo Meal Plan
Lower calorie on Paleo does not mean smaller plates — it means shifting the plate toward lean protein and watery vegetables and being deliberate about oils and nuts.
Goal
Duration
Max cooking time
Budget
People
Estimated 1546 kcal and 105 g protein per person per day. Figures are rough planning estimates, not measured values.
Your 7-day Paleo meal plan
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Spinach & mushroom omelette | Tuna & avocado boats | Sheet-pan chicken thighs & broccoli | Apple + almonds |
| Tuesday | Make-ahead egg muffins | Egg salad plate | Turkey & vegetable chili | Berries + coconut flakes |
| Wednesday | Coconut chia pudding | Chicken & vegetable soup | Roast chicken & root vegetables | Tuna on cucumber rounds |
| Thursday | Hard-boiled eggs + fruit | Turkey lettuce wraps | Coconut chicken curry | Leftover chicken strips |
| Friday | Berry protein smoothie | Chicken salad bowl | 15-minute beef stir-fry | Two hard-boiled eggs |
| Saturday | Eggs & avocado | Tuna & avocado boats | Beef & roasted vegetables | Celery + almond butter |
| Sunday | Hard-boiled eggs + fruit | Egg salad plate | Baked white fish & greens | Carrots + guacamole |
Grocery list
Scaled for 1 person across 7 days.
Meat & Protein
- Beef steak or stewing beef — 310 g
- Canned tuna — 2.5 can
- Chicken breast — 530 g
- Chicken thighs — 2 thighs
- Eggs — 23 eggs
- Ground turkey — 150 g
- Turkey breast — 140 g
- White fish fillet (cod) — 170 g
- Whole chicken — 0.3 chicken
Vegetables & Fruit
- Apples — 3 apple
- Avocado — 4.5 avocado
- Banana — 1 banana
- Bell peppers — 3 pepper
- Broccoli — 1 head
- Carrots — 2 carrot
- Carrots — 4 carrots
- Cauliflower — 0.3 head
- Celery — 1 stalk
- Celery — 2 stalks
- Cucumber — 0.8 cucumber
- Frozen berries — 2.5 cup
- Garlic — 2 cloves
- Lemons — 1.3 lemon
- Lettuce (romaine) — 0.3 head
- Mixed salad leaves — 6 handfuls
- Mushrooms — 60 g
- Onion — 0.5 onion
- Spinach — 2 handful
- Spinach — 2 handfuls
- Sweet potatoes — 1 medium
- Zucchini — 0.5 zucchini
Pantry
- Almond butter — 2 tbsp
- Almonds — 25 g
- Chia seeds — 3 tbsp
- Chicken broth — 1.5 cups
- Coconut aminos — 1 tbsp
- Coconut flakes — 2 tbsp
- Coconut milk — 1.8 cup
- Crushed tomatoes — 0.5 can
- Curry powder — 1 tbsp
- Ground cumin — 1 tsp
- Olive oil — 4 tsp
- Olive oil — 5 tbsp
Sunday 60-minute meal prep
Cook these components once and the rest of the week is assembly.
- 1. Tuna & avocado boatsMix canned tuna with lemon and olive oil, pile into avocado halves.
- 2. Sheet-pan chicken thighs & broccoliThighs skin-side up with broccoli and garlic, 200C for 30 minutes.
- 3. Apple + almondsOne apple with a small handful of almonds.
- 4. Make-ahead egg muffinsWhisk eggs with chopped veg, bake in a muffin tin 20 min, refrigerate up to 4 days.
- 5. Egg salad plateChop boiled eggs with avocado instead of mayo, serve over leaves.
- 6. Turkey & vegetable chiliBrown turkey mince, add tomatoes, peppers and spices, simmer 20 minutes.
Where the calories hide on Paleo
Nuts, nut butter, coconut milk, dried fruit and cooking oil are calorie-dense and easy to under-count. None of them are problems in themselves; the handful you did not notice is.
- Measure oil with a spoon instead of pouring
- Portion nuts into a bowl rather than eating from the bag
- Choose whole fruit over juice and dried fruit
- Use lean proteins — chicken breast, white fish, shrimp, lean beef
- Double the non-starchy vegetables on every plate
Volume eating, Paleo style
Cabbage, spinach, courgette, cauliflower, peppers, mushrooms and cucumber give you a large plate for very few calories. Build meals around a big vegetable base and add protein rather than the other way round.
Lower-calorie meal pool
Hard-boiled eggs + fruit
breakfast · 10 min · 19 g protein · ~330 kcal
Boil eggs 9 minutes in a batch on Sunday; grab with a piece of fruit.
Eggs, Apples
Berry protein smoothie
breakfast · 10 min · 22 g protein · ~380 kcal
Blend frozen berries, banana, almond butter and coconut milk until smooth.
Frozen berries, Banana, Almond butter, Coconut milk
Spinach & mushroom omelette
breakfast · 10 min · 21 g protein · ~350 kcal
Beat 3 eggs, cook flat, fold over wilted spinach and mushrooms.
Eggs, Spinach, Mushrooms, Olive oil
Make-ahead egg muffins
breakfast · 15 min · 24 g protein · ~360 kcal
Whisk eggs with chopped veg, bake in a muffin tin 20 min, refrigerate up to 4 days.
Eggs, Bell peppers, Spinach
Coconut chia pudding
breakfast · 10 min · 10 g protein · ~340 kcal
Stir chia into coconut milk the night before; top with berries in the morning.
Chia seeds, Coconut milk, Frozen berries
Chicken salad bowl
lunch · 10 min · 40 g protein · ~480 kcal
Toss pre-cooked chicken with salad leaves, cucumber, olive oil and lemon.
Chicken breast, Mixed salad leaves, Cucumber, Olive oil, Lemons
Turkey lettuce wraps
lunch · 10 min · 35 g protein · ~420 kcal
Fill romaine or butter lettuce leaves with turkey, avocado and grated carrot.
Turkey breast, Lettuce (romaine), Avocado, Carrots
Tuna & avocado boats
lunch · 10 min · 34 g protein · ~430 kcal
Mix canned tuna with lemon and olive oil, pile into avocado halves.
Canned tuna, Avocado, Lemons, Olive oil
Chicken & vegetable soup
lunch · 15 min · 32 g protein · ~380 kcal
Simmer shredded chicken with carrot, celery and broth; freezes well in portions.
Chicken breast, Carrots, Celery, Chicken broth
Salmon & greens salad
lunch · 15 min · 38 g protein · ~520 kcal
Flake leftover roast salmon over greens with cucumber and olive oil.
Salmon fillet, Mixed salad leaves, Cucumber, Olive oil
Egg salad plate
lunch · 10 min · 24 g protein · ~400 kcal
Chop boiled eggs with avocado instead of mayo, serve over leaves.
Eggs, Avocado, Mixed salad leaves
Shrimp & zucchini noodles
lunch · 15 min · 34 g protein · ~400 kcal
Sauté shrimp with garlic, toss through spiralised zucchini for one minute.
Shrimp, Zucchini, Garlic, Olive oil
Salmon & asparagus tray bake
dinner · 30 min · 40 g protein · ~560 kcal
One tray, 200C, 15 minutes: salmon, asparagus, lemon, olive oil.
Salmon fillet, Asparagus, Lemons, Olive oil
15-minute beef stir-fry
dinner · 15 min · 40 g protein · ~540 kcal
Hot pan, thin beef strips 2 min, add peppers and broccoli, finish with coconut aminos.
Beef steak or stewing beef, Bell peppers, Broccoli, Coconut aminos
Baked white fish & greens
dinner · 15 min · 38 g protein · ~420 kcal
Bake cod 12 min with lemon; wilt spinach in the same pan juices.
White fish fillet (cod), Spinach, Lemons, Olive oil
Garlic shrimp & cauliflower rice
dinner · 15 min · 38 g protein · ~450 kcal
Sauté shrimp in garlic and olive oil; fry riced cauliflower alongside.
Shrimp, Cauliflower, Garlic, Olive oil
Turkey & vegetable chili
dinner · 30 min · 42 g protein · ~520 kcal
Brown turkey mince, add tomatoes, peppers and spices, simmer 20 minutes.
Ground turkey, Crushed tomatoes, Bell peppers, Ground cumin
Apple + almonds
snack · 10 min · 6 g protein · ~250 kcal
One apple with a small handful of almonds.
Apples, Almonds
Carrots + guacamole
snack · 10 min · 4 g protein · ~220 kcal
Mash avocado with lemon and salt; dip carrot sticks.
Carrots, Avocado
Two hard-boiled eggs
snack · 10 min · 13 g protein · ~160 kcal
From the Sunday batch, with salt and pepper.
Eggs
Berries + coconut flakes
snack · 10 min · 3 g protein · ~180 kcal
A cup of berries with toasted coconut flakes.
Frozen berries, Coconut flakes
Celery + almond butter
snack · 10 min · 6 g protein · ~210 kcal
Two celery stalks filled with almond butter.
Celery, Almond butter
Tuna on cucumber rounds
snack · 10 min · 22 g protein · ~200 kcal
Half a can of tuna spooned onto thick cucumber slices.
Canned tuna, Cucumber
Leftover chicken strips
snack · 10 min · 30 g protein · ~190 kcal
Sliced cold roast chicken from the Sunday batch.
Chicken breast
Frequently asked questions
- How many calories should a low-calorie Paleo plan have?
- There is no single right number — it depends on your size, activity and goals. Get an individual target from a doctor or dietitian rather than a generic figure.
- Is Paleo automatically low calorie?
- No. Nuts, oils and fatty cuts make it easy to eat a high-calorie Paleo diet.
- Should I skip snacks?
- Only if you are genuinely not hungry. Removing a snack that keeps you steady often backfires at dinner.
Keep planning
- Paleo Meal Plan for Weight LossA 7-day Paleo meal plan built around higher-protein, lower-calorie meals, with a grocery list, prep guide and honest expectations.
- High Protein Paleo Meal PlanA high-protein Paleo meal plan built for training days, with protein-forward meals, a grocery list and prep routine.
- Paleo Meal Plan: A Simple 7-Day Plan for BeginnersBuild a free Paleo meal plan in seconds: 7 days of simple meals, an automatic grocery list, Sunday meal prep and a printable version.
- Easy Paleo SnacksSimple Paleo snacks that need no cooking: fruit and nuts, boiled eggs, vegetables and dips, and portable options.
- 7-Day Paleo Meal PlanA full week of Paleo meals — breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack for seven days — with an automatic grocery list and prep sheet.