The Meal Plan 13

A high-protein meal plan to combat the holiday blues

Nov 22, 2023

Happy Wednesday everyone! Thanksgiving is tomorrow which means we’ll be stuffing ourselves to the gills with turkey, dressing, pies, mac n’ cheese, and every other nap-inducing food that’s available.

I admittedly tend to go overboard every year enjoying heavy food like this from Thanksgiving through the weekend. In the past, I’ve been up 5-6 pounds after eating whatever I want for three days straight which honestly has left me a little cautious this time around.

I’m still planning to enjoy myself this holiday season, but I’m going in with a plan of attack this time. Enjoy myself tomorrow and then stick to a meal plan for the rest of the week.

So I put together a high-protein meal plan with 2 options each for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to give myself the best chance of success. It’s designed to be simple in terms of cooking effort because no one is going to feel like standing in the kitchen for a long time during the holidays.

Let me know if you want more meal plans like these every week. Otherwise, enjoy this meal plan and I will see you next Saturday!

Breakfast Option 1: Southwestern Grits Bowl

Macros: 43g Protein | 25g Fat | 41g Carbs | 553 calories

This grits bowl is perfect if you want to feel like you’re going to brunch or need something a little different for breakfast. It only takes 15 minutes to make but is packed with flavor. This is for one serving so be sure to multiply the ingredients times the number of people eating. Here’s what you need to do to make it:

Cook 1/3 cup grits in 1 cup bone broth. Add 1/3 cup light Mexican cheese, 10g butter, and garlic powder to the grits.
Top the grits with a fried egg, 3 slices turkey bacon, pico del gallo, and cilantro.

Breakfast Option 2: Turkey Bacon, Egg, Avocado, & Tomato Bagel

Macros: 38g Protein | 15g Fat | 42g Carbs | 448 calories

If 15 minutes is too long for you, then whipping up this 10-minute bagel sandwich is the next best thing. I highly suggest getting a protein bagel like Dave’s Killer or Silver Hills since they’re a bit lighter on the stomach and have more protein than a traditional bagel. This is for one serving. Here’s how you make it:

Toast your bagel of choice and cook 2 slices of turkey bacon to your liking.
Mix 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg in a bowl. Cook as an omelet and fold into a square patty.
Spread 1 tbsp light cream cheese on the bottom bagel slice followed by 1 oz avocado on the top slice.
Put the bacon on the bottom slice then add the omelet. Top that with 2 tomato slices and crown with the top bagel slice.

Lunch Option 1: Steak Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

Macros: 56g Protein | 30g Fat | 2g Carbs | 499 calories

Since we’ve probably had plenty of carbs from the holiday dinners, this will give you a nice break from eating those heavy holiday foods and keep your energy levels stable throughout the day. This is for one serving.

To make the vinaigrette: Blend 1 cup strawberries with 4 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp zero-calorie sweetener, 1 tbsp honey, 1/4 tsp salt.
To make the salad: Place 5 oz of romaine salad with 4 oz of spring mix salad in a large bowl. Add 6 oz cooked steak, 2 oz goat cheese, 1 tbsp chopped walnuts, 1 tbsp bacon bits, and the vinaigrette.

Lunch Option 2: Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Legs with Celery

Macros: 59g Protein | 36g Fat | 0g Carbs | 579 calories

Being a huge fan of lemon pepper wings, these chicken legs will give you a little bit of a similar experience without too many calories. This makes about 6 servings.

Pat chicken legs dry and coat lightly with baking powder, olive oil, salt, and lemon pepper.
Air fry for 15 minutes at 390°F. then flip and air fry for 15 for minutes.
Toss in melted light or whipped butter and sprinkle over a little more lemon pepper seasoning. Serve with celery pieces.

Dinner Option 1: Poblano Turkey Tacos

Macros: 64g Protein | 18g Fat | 22g Carbs | 512 calories

You might not want to even look at anything that resembles a turkey by this point but don’t worry, these ground turkey tacos won’t make feel like you’re reliving Thanksgiving. If you’ve got lean ground beef or bison in your fridge then you could easily just replace the ground turkey with that here as well.

Dinner Option 2: BBQ Chicken Flatbread

Macros: 50g Protein | 16g Fat | 55g Carbs | 538 calories

This is one of my new favorite quick meals because the only thing you actively cook in this recipe is the chicken. If you’re feeling particularly lazy, I could see the leftover turkey being a good swap for the chicken.

Snack Option: Charcuterie

Macros: 50g Protein | 21g Fat | 38g Carbs | 550 calories

I’m no huge snacker by any means, but I’ve had a serious addiction to this charcuterie. I love that there’s no cooking involved and I can mix up the ingredients based on what I have at home. Here’s the framework for putting together your own version:

Choose very thin crackers to eat with your charcuterie.
Grab 3 lean pre-cooked meats (i.e. Turkey pepperoni, smoked salmon, etc.)
Choose 2 low-fat cheeses (i.e. Mozzarella cheese, swiss cheese, etc.)
Serve that with low-calorie additions like pickles, olives, vegetables, low-sugar preserves.

Dessert Option: Vanilla Halo Top Ice Cream

Macros: 7g Protein | 2g Fat | 17g Carbs | 72 calories

Keeping one or two of these in your freezer is a good way to ensure you don’t continuously raid the pantry for something sweet. If I’m feeling the need for a dessert, I’m just going to crush a few oreos and mix it with this low-calorie ice cream. Nick’s low-calorie ice cream is also a great option if Halo Top isn’t available in your area.

Don’t forget to let me know if you want more meal plans in the future!