How much weight will I lose on a Paleo meal plan?

No honest plan can tell you that. Rate of change depends on your starting point, total intake, activity and health conditions. Talk to a doctor or dietitian for a target that applies to you.

Do I need to count calories on Paleo?

Many people do not need to. If progress stalls for several weeks, tracking for a short period is a useful diagnostic rather than a permanent habit.

Is fruit allowed while losing weight?

Yes. Whole fruit is filling and hard to overeat. Fruit juice and dried fruit are the ones that add up quickly.

Can I do Paleo and intermittent fasting?

People do combine them, but skipping meals is not required by this plan and is not appropriate for everyone. Check with a health professional first.

Paleo Meal Plan for Weight Loss

This plan favours meals with more protein and more vegetable volume per calorie, which is what makes an eating pattern easier to stick with. It does not promise a number on the scale, and you should be sceptical of any plan that does.

Goal

Duration

Max cooking time

Budget

People

Estimated 1480 kcal and 103 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	15-minute beef stir-fry	Two hard-boiled eggs
Tuesday	Make-ahead egg muffins	Egg salad plate	Baked white fish & greens	Tuna on cucumber rounds
Wednesday	Coconut chia pudding	Chicken & vegetable soup	Turkey & vegetable chili	Celery + almond butter
Thursday	Hard-boiled eggs + fruit	Turkey lettuce wraps	Baked white fish & greens	Berries + coconut flakes
Friday	Berry protein smoothie	Chicken salad bowl	15-minute beef stir-fry	Carrots + guacamole
Saturday	Eggs & avocado	Tuna & avocado boats	Turkey & vegetable chili	Apple + almonds
Sunday	Hard-boiled eggs + fruit	Egg salad plate	15-minute beef stir-fry	Leftover chicken strips

Grocery list

Scaled for 1 person across 7 days.

Meat & Protein

Beef steak or stewing beef — 450 g
Canned tuna — 2.5 can
Chicken breast — 370 g
Eggs — 23 eggs
Ground turkey — 300 g
Turkey breast — 140 g
White fish fillet (cod) — 340 g

Vegetables & Fruit

Apples — 3 apple
Avocado — 4.5 avocado
Banana — 1 banana
Bell peppers — 5.5 pepper
Broccoli — 1.5 head
Carrots — 2 carrot
Carrots — 2 carrots
Celery — 1 stalk
Celery — 2 stalks
Cucumber — 0.8 cucumber
Frozen berries — 2.5 cup
Lemons — 1.8 lemon
Lettuce (romaine) — 0.3 head
Mixed salad leaves — 6 handfuls
Mushrooms — 60 g
Spinach — 2 handful
Spinach — 4 handfuls

Pantry

Almond butter — 2 tbsp
Almonds — 25 g
Chia seeds — 3 tbsp
Chicken broth — 1.5 cups
Coconut aminos — 3 tbsp
Coconut flakes — 2 tbsp
Coconut milk — 1.3 cup
Crushed tomatoes — 1 can
Ground cumin — 2 tsp
Olive oil — 4 tsp
Olive oil — 3 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. Two hard-boiled eggsFrom the Sunday batch, with salt and pepper.
3. Make-ahead egg muffinsWhisk eggs with chopped veg, bake in a muffin tin 20 min, refrigerate up to 4 days.
4. Egg salad plateChop boiled eggs with avocado instead of mayo, serve over leaves.
5. Tuna on cucumber roundsHalf a can of tuna spooned onto thick cucumber slices.
6. Coconut chia puddingStir chia into coconut milk the night before; top with berries in the morning.

Why Paleo can help with appetite

Removing refined sugar, refined grains and processed snack food removes most of the easiest-to-overeat foods in a normal diet. What is left — protein, vegetables, fruit and fat — is comparatively filling.

That is a mechanism, not a guarantee. Total intake still decides body-weight change, and Paleo food is perfectly capable of being over-eaten.

How to set the plan up

Choose the weight-loss goal, set the number of people to your household size, and keep snacks in the plan rather than removing them — the plan already accounts for them.

Fill half of every plate with non-starchy vegetables
Anchor every meal with a clear protein source
Keep nuts and dried fruit measured rather than open-bag
Drink water before deciding you are hungry again

Meals in the weight-loss pool

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

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 much weight will I lose on a Paleo meal plan?: No honest plan can tell you that. Rate of change depends on your starting point, total intake, activity and health conditions. Talk to a doctor or dietitian for a target that applies to you.
Do I need to count calories on Paleo?: Many people do not need to. If progress stalls for several weeks, tracking for a short period is a useful diagnostic rather than a permanent habit.
Is fruit allowed while losing weight?: Yes. Whole fruit is filling and hard to overeat. Fruit juice and dried fruit are the ones that add up quickly.
Can I do Paleo and intermittent fasting?: People do combine them, but skipping meals is not required by this plan and is not appropriate for everyone. Check with a health professional first.