A complete 7-day eating plan at 1,500 calories per day. Three meals and one snack. Every meal is simple — no fancy ingredients, no complicated techniques. Just follow it.
Not sure if 1,500 calories is right for you? Check your number with our daily calorie calculator. For most women and smaller-framed men, 1,500 calories creates a steady deficit of about 1 lb per week. Need more room? See our 1,800-calorie meal plan.
How to Use This Plan
Each day totals approximately 1,500 calories with 100-120g of protein. You can swap days around — they're designed to be interchangeable. Drink water throughout the day (use our water intake calculator to find your target).
All calorie counts are based on USDA data. Weights are for raw/uncooked ingredients unless noted otherwise.
Two tools that make this easier
A kitchen scale (~$10) takes the guesswork out of portions — weigh raw, use raw calorie values. And an oil sprayer (~$10) replaces pouring oil from the bottle. One tablespoon of oil is 120 calories; one spray is about 5. That single swap can save you 200+ calories per meal.
Day 1 — Monday
Breakfast — 354 cal
- 2 scrambled eggs with cooking spray (144 cal)
- 2 slices whole wheat toast (174 cal)
- 1 tsp butter (36 cal)
Lunch — 476 cal
- Grilled chicken breast, 5 oz / 140g raw (168 cal)
- 1 cup cooked white rice (205 cal)
- 1 cup steamed broccoli (31 cal)
- 1 tsp olive oil on broccoli (42 cal)
- Side: cucumber + tomato (30 cal)
Snack — 165 cal
- 1 banana (105 cal)
- ¾ cup (110g) nonfat Greek yogurt (60 cal)
Dinner — 502 cal
- Pasta, 70g dry / ~1.3 cups cooked (260 cal)
- Ground turkey 93% lean, 4 oz / 113g (170 cal)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste as sauce (32 cal)
- Garlic + salt + pepper for seasoning
- Side salad: romaine + tomato (40 cal)
Day total: ~1,497 cal | Protein: ~110g
Day 2 — Tuesday
Breakfast — 311 cal
- Oatmeal: 50g dry oats cooked with water (185 cal)
- 1 banana, sliced on top (105 cal)
- 1 tsp honey (21 cal)
- Pinch of cinnamon
Lunch — 516 cal
- Smoky Paprika Air Fryer Chicken Breast — 1 breast (277 cal)
- Seasoned Air Fryer Potato Wedges — half portion, 200g potato (172 cal)
- Side salad: romaine + cucumber (25 cal)
- 1 tsp olive oil for dressing (42 cal)
Snack — 181 cal
- Air Fryer Protein Brownie — 1 piece (101 cal)
- 1 small apple (80 cal)
Dinner — 498 cal
- 2 eggs, scrambled or fried with cooking spray (144 cal)
- 2 slices bread (174 cal)
- 1 slice cheddar cheese (114 cal)
- 1 tsp butter (36 cal)
- Side: cucumber + tomato (30 cal)
Day total: ~1,506 cal | Protein: ~105g
Day 3 — Wednesday
Breakfast — 345 cal
- 2 scrambled eggs with cooking spray (144 cal)
- 1 slice toast (87 cal)
- 1 slice cheddar cheese (114 cal)
Lunch — 494 cal
- Soy-Garlic Air Fryer Chicken Thighs — 1 serving (279 cal)
- 1 cup cooked brown rice (215 cal)
Snack — 165 cal
- ¾ cup (110g) nonfat Greek yogurt (60 cal)
- 1 banana (105 cal)
Dinner — 495 cal
- Ground beef 90% lean, 4 oz / 113g (200 cal)
- Pasta, 60g dry / ~1 cup cooked (220 cal)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste + garlic (35 cal)
- Side salad: romaine + tomato (40 cal)
Day total: ~1,499 cal | Protein: ~120g
Day 4 — Thursday
Breakfast — 317 cal
- Oatmeal: 50g dry oats (185 cal)
- 1 scoop (30g) chocolate whey protein mixed in (111 cal)
- 1 tsp honey (21 cal)
Lunch — 509 cal
- Air Fryer Chicken & Onion Skewers — 1 serving (304 cal)
- 1 cup cooked white rice (205 cal)
Snack — 241 cal
- 1 small apple (80 cal)
- Air Fryer Protein Brownie — 1 piece (101 cal)
- ¾ cup (110g) nonfat Greek yogurt (60 cal)
Dinner — 457 cal
- 2 eggs, any style with cooking spray (144 cal)
- 2 slices toast (174 cal)
- 1 tsp butter (36 cal)
- 1 cup steamed broccoli (31 cal)
- 1 tsp olive oil on broccoli (42 cal)
- Side: cucumber + tomato (30 cal)
Day total: ~1,524 cal | Protein: ~115g
Day 5 — Friday
Breakfast — 354 cal
- 2 scrambled eggs with cooking spray (144 cal)
- 2 slices toast (174 cal)
- 1 tsp butter (36 cal)
Lunch — 485 cal
- Grilled chicken breast, 5 oz / 140g raw (168 cal)
- Baked potato, 1 medium (130 cal)
- 1 cup steamed broccoli (31 cal)
- 1 tsp olive oil on broccoli (42 cal)
- 1 slice cheddar melted on potato (114 cal)
Snack — 165 cal
- 1 banana (105 cal)
- ¾ cup (110g) nonfat Greek yogurt (60 cal)
Dinner — 488 cal
- Pasta, 70g dry (260 cal)
- Grilled chicken breast, 4 oz / 113g raw (120 cal)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste + garlic (35 cal)
- 1 cup steamed broccoli (31 cal)
- 1 tsp olive oil (42 cal)
Day total: ~1,492 cal | Protein: ~120g
Day 6 — Saturday
Breakfast — 311 cal
- Oatmeal: 50g dry oats (185 cal)
- 1 banana, sliced (105 cal)
- 1 tsp honey (21 cal)
- Pinch of cinnamon
Lunch — 492 cal
- Soy-Garlic Air Fryer Chicken Jerky — full batch (272 cal)
- 1 cup cooked white rice (205 cal)
- Side: cucumber (15 cal)
Snack — 241 cal
- 1 small apple (80 cal)
- Air Fryer Protein Brownie — 1 piece (101 cal)
- ¾ cup (110g) nonfat Greek yogurt (60 cal)
Dinner — 491 cal
- Ground turkey 93% lean, 4 oz / 113g (170 cal)
- 1 cup cooked brown rice (215 cal)
- 1 cup steamed broccoli (31 cal)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (18 cal)
- Garlic powder + black pepper
- 1 tsp olive oil (42 cal)
- Side: cucumber (15 cal)
Day total: ~1,535 cal | Protein: ~115g
Day 7 — Sunday
Breakfast — 345 cal
- 2 scrambled eggs with cooking spray (144 cal)
- 1 slice toast (87 cal)
- 1 slice cheddar cheese (114 cal)
Lunch — 496 cal
- Salt & Pepper Air Fryer Turkey Breast Bites — 1 serving (291 cal)
- 1 cup cooked white rice (205 cal)
Snack — 165 cal
- ¾ cup (110g) nonfat Greek yogurt (60 cal)
- 1 banana (105 cal)
Dinner — 496 cal
- Pasta, 60g dry (220 cal)
- Grilled chicken breast, 5 oz / 140g raw (168 cal)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste + garlic (35 cal)
- 1 cup steamed broccoli (31 cal)
- 1 tsp olive oil (42 cal)
Day total: ~1,502 cal | Protein: ~120g
Weekly Shopping List
Proteins
- 14 large eggs
- Chicken breast, boneless skinless — 2 lbs (900g)
- Chicken thighs, boneless skinless — 1 lb (500g)
- Ground turkey 93% lean — 8 oz (227g)
- Ground beef 90% lean — 4 oz (113g)
- Turkey breast, boneless — 8 oz (227g)
Dairy
- Nonfat Greek yogurt — 3 cups (700g)
- Cheddar cheese — 5 slices
- Butter — small pack
Grains & Starches
- Whole wheat bread — 1 loaf
- Dry oats — 150g
- Pasta (penne or spaghetti) — 1 lb (450g)
- White rice — 2 lbs
- Brown rice — 1 lb
- Potatoes — 1 medium
Fruits
- Bananas — 5
- Apples — 4
Vegetables
- Broccoli — 2 heads
- Cucumbers — 3
- Tomatoes — 4 medium
- Romaine lettuce — 1 head
- Onions — 2
Pantry & Tools
- Olive oil + oil sprayer (saves 100+ cal per meal vs. pouring)
- Cooking spray
- Tomato paste — 1 small can
- Soy sauce
- Honey
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
- Salt & black pepper
- Cinnamon
- Chocolate whey protein — 1 scoop (optional)
- Kitchen scale (~$10 — essential for accurate portions)
Tips
- Prep protein in bulk. Cook all your chicken and turkey on Sunday or Monday. Reheat throughout the week.
- Weigh your food. A $10 kitchen scale eliminates guesswork. Weigh raw ingredients, use raw calorie values.
- Use an oil sprayer. An oil sprayer replaces pouring — 1 tablespoon of oil is 120 calories, 1 spray is about 5. Fill it with your own olive oil and use it for air frying, pan cooking, and salads.
- Swap freely. Don't like Tuesday's lunch? Eat Monday's again. The daily totals are what matter, not the specific day.
- Season everything. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and soy sauce are basically zero calories and make simple food taste good.
- Vegetables are free. If you're hungry between meals, eat more cucumber, lettuce, or broccoli. At 10-30 calories per cup, they barely register.
Want to know exactly how many calories you need? Use our Daily Calorie Intake Calculator — 1,500 might be perfect for you, or you might need more or less. If you want to split those calories into protein, carbs, and fat targets, try the Macro Calculator. And if weight loss is your goal, the Weight Loss Calculator can show you exactly when you'll reach your target.
Need more calories? See our 1,800-calorie meal plan — same structure, bigger portions and an extra snack.