Muscle gain meal plan: 7 days of high-protein meals
This muscle gain meal plan pairs a small calorie surplus with protein at every meal and enough carbs to fuel training. It is built from everyday foods, chicken, eggs, fish, yogurt, rice, oats and beans, not shakes and supplements.
The sample day below is weighed out with calories, protein, carbs and fat. Pair it with a resistance training programme: food alone doesn't build muscle.
Updated October 22, 2026
Sample day
2,550 kcal
Protein
188 g · 29%
Carbs
283 g · 44%
Fat
77 g · 27%
What a meal plan for building muscle needs
- Training comes first. Food supports muscle growth, but the stimulus is progressive resistance training.
- Eat a small surplus. A modest amount above maintenance supports muscle gain while limiting fat gain; a big surplus mostly adds fat.
- Spread protein across the day. Three or four meals with a good serving of protein each are easier than one huge portion.
- Don't fear carbs. Rice, oats, potatoes, pasta and fruit fuel training sessions and recovery.
Your 7-day muscle gain meal plan
Day 1 is the sample day worked out below.
Day 1
- breakfast
- Three-egg omelette with spinach, wholemeal toast and milk
- lunch
- Chicken, rice and black bean bowl with avocado
- snack
- Greek yogurt with banana and oats
- dinner
- Salmon with pasta and green beans
Day 2
- breakfast
- Porridge with milk, banana and peanut butter
- lunch
- Chicken burrito bowl
- snack
- Cottage cheese with pineapple
- dinner
- Beef and broccoli stir-fry with rice
Day 3
- breakfast
- Eggs, toast and fruit
- lunch
- Leftover stir-fry
- snack
- Greek yogurt with honey
- dinner
- Chicken pasta with tomato sauce and spinach
Day 4
- breakfast
- Overnight oats with protein-rich Greek yogurt
- lunch
- Tuna and bean salad with potatoes
- snack
- Milk and a banana
- dinner
- Salmon, rice and edamame bowl
Day 5
- breakfast
- Shakshuka with bread
- lunch
- Turkey sandwich and a yogurt
- snack
- Trail mix
- dinner
- Chicken thigh curry with rice
Day 6
- breakfast
- Yogurt, granola and berries
- lunch
- Leftover curry
- snack
- Boiled eggs and fruit
- dinner
- Lean steak with potatoes and green beans
Day 7
- breakfast
- Pancakes with yogurt and fruit
- lunch
- Lentil and chicken soup with bread
- snack
- Hummus and pitta
- dinner
- Cod with couscous and roasted vegetables
A sample day with calories and macros
Day 1, weighed ingredient by ingredient. Rice, pasta, beans, lentils and meat are cooked weights.
Breakfast: Three-egg omelette with spinach, wholemeal toast and milk
590 kcal| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs | 150 g | 215 | 18.8 | 1.1 | 14.3 |
| Spinach, raw | 40 g | 9 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Whole-wheat bread | 80 g | 202 | 10.0 | 34.2 | 2.8 |
| Butter | 5 g | 36 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.1 |
| Milk (2%) | 250 g | 125 | 8.3 | 12.0 | 5.0 |
Lunch: Chicken, rice and black bean bowl with avocado
780 kcal| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, cooked | 170 g | 281 | 52.7 | 0.0 | 6.1 |
| Brown rice, cooked | 220 g | 271 | 6.0 | 56.3 | 2.1 |
| Black beans, cooked | 100 g | 132 | 8.9 | 23.7 | 0.5 |
| Avocado | 50 g | 84 | 1.0 | 4.3 | 7.7 |
| Tomato salsa | 60 g | 17 | 0.9 | 4.0 | 0.1 |
Snack: Greek yogurt with banana and oats
440 kcal| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plain non-fat Greek yogurt | 250 g | 148 | 25.5 | 9.0 | 1.0 |
| Banana | 120 g | 107 | 1.3 | 27.4 | 0.4 |
| Rolled oats, dry | 40 g | 152 | 5.3 | 27.1 | 2.6 |
| Honey | 10 g | 30 | 0.0 | 8.2 | 0.0 |
Dinner: Salmon with pasta and green beans
740 kcal| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salmon, cooked | 150 g | 309 | 33.2 | 0.0 | 18.5 |
| Whole-wheat pasta, cooked | 220 g | 328 | 13.2 | 66.2 | 3.8 |
| Green beans, cooked | 100 g | 35 | 1.9 | 7.9 | 0.3 |
| Olive oil | 8 g | 71 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.0 |
Day total: about 2,550 kcal, with 188 g protein, 283 g carbs and 77 g fat. To fit your own target, multiply every amount by your daily calories divided by 2,550; the macro calculator gives you that target.
Estimates from per-100 g values in USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy). Brands, recipes and cooking change the real numbers.
High-protein foods to keep stocked
- Chicken breast and thighs, lean minced beef or turkey
- Eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and milk
- Salmon, tuna and white fish
- Lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu and edamame
- Oats, rice, pasta and potatoes for training fuel
Mistakes that slow progress
- Too few calories: a deficit makes muscle gain much slower, except for beginners and people returning to training.
- Too big a surplus: extra calories beyond what you need mostly become fat.
- Inconsistent training: no meal plan makes up for skipped sessions.
- Poor sleep: recovery happens when you rest.
How Meal Planner Pro handles it
- Choose Gain muscle as your goal. Your calories are set about 10% above your maintenance calories, with protein at 2.0 g per kg of body weight.
- If your target weight is lower than your current weight, the plan switches to body recomposition: about 15% below maintenance with protein at 2.2 g per kg.
- Each day is built around a different main protein, so the week doesn't repeat the same chicken dinner.
- Every meal shows its calories, protein, carbs and fat against your daily targets.
Get your own muscle gain week
Meal Planner Pro builds a 7-day plan from a short quiz, sized to your calorie target, with recipes and a grocery list.
Create My Meal PlanPlans from $8.99/week. No free plan or trial. See pricing
Frequently Asked Questions
Meal Planner Pro uses 2.0 g per kg of body weight for its muscle-gain goal. The protein calculator shows your number and how it compares with the basic RDA.
No. Shakes are a convenient way to add protein, but everyday foods such as eggs, dairy, meat, fish, beans and tofu can cover your target, as this plan shows.
Some people can, especially beginners or people returning to training. It's called body recomposition and needs a small deficit with high protein and consistent strength training.
Sources: USDA FoodData Central records used
- Eggs: Egg, whole, raw, fresh (FDC 171287)
- Spinach, raw: Spinach, raw (FDC 168462)
- Whole-wheat bread: Bread, whole-wheat, commercially prepared (FDC 172688)
- Butter: Butter, without salt (FDC 173430)
- Milk (2%): Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D (FDC 171267)
- Chicken breast, cooked: Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted (FDC 171477)
- Brown rice, cooked: Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (FDC 169704)
- Black beans, cooked: Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt (FDC 173735)
- Avocado: Avocados, raw, California (FDC 171706)
- Tomato salsa: Sauce, salsa, ready-to-serve (FDC 174524)
- Plain non-fat Greek yogurt: Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat (FDC 170894)
- Banana: Bananas, raw (FDC 173944)
- Rolled oats, dry: Cereals, oats, regular and quick, not fortified, dry (FDC 173904)
- Honey: Honey (FDC 169640)
- Salmon, cooked: Fish, salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked, dry heat (FDC 175168)
- Whole-wheat pasta, cooked: Pasta, whole-wheat, cooked (FDC 168910)
- Green beans, cooked: Beans, snap, green, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt (FDC 169141)
- Olive oil: Oil, olive, salad or cooking (FDC 171413)