80 Grams of Protein a Day {Meal Plan}

In this 80 grams of protein a day meal plan you will get full 8-day breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes.

This plan includes one breakfast recipe, two lunch recipes, and 4 high protein dinner meals that can be alternated within the 8 days.

All recipes are whole food plant based vegan and packed with nutrients.

You can prep most meals ahead of time and take the lunch meals to go – no heating required!

There are so many benefits of the plant based diet, so be sure to try this meal plan for optimal health! This 1900 calorie meal plan can also be used for weight loss.

Nutrition of the 80 g protein meal plan

Looking at the first day of the 80 g protein meal plan in cronometer, you get 1900 calories, and 85 g protein for the day.

The first day includes chocolate overnight oats, Greek pita for lunch, and quick black bean chili.

All recipes in this meal plan are vegan and oil free. Each meal contains a source of plant based protein. Furthermore, you’ll get a full profile on your proteins. This meal plan also covers all amino acids.

All meals in this plan are whole food plant based, which means they are very healthy, no processed foods are used. There is no added oil, sugar, or any other low nutrient ingredients.

The dinner recipes contain about the same calories and protein, so your protein intake should stay around 85 g per day.

How to get 80 grams of protein a day

To get 80 grams of protein per day, add a protein source to every meal. Even though this meal plan is vegan, it is very easy to eat lots of protein on a plant based diet.

The breakfast contains 22 g of protein, the lunch provides around 19 g, and the dinner meals include between 44 and 48 g of protein.

All three meals combined contain at least 85 g of protein and around 1900 calories per day. If the dinner meal is too much food for one meal, split it up into two meals.

Check out these vegan meals with more than 30g of protein per servings.

Breakfast: Chocolate Overnight Oats (480 calories, 22g protein)

Ingredients:

• 0.5 cup oats
• 0.75 cup soy milk
• 2 tbsp. hemp seeds
• 2 tbsp. cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 1 tsp peanut butter (all natural)
• 1 banana

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. You can either do this the night before and store in the fridge or prep in the morning and eat cold. You can also heat this in a pot or microwave if you like a warm breakfast.

Add more milk if desired. You can use almond milk, as well, but it will reduce the protein content.

Lunch recipes:

here are 2 lunch recipes that each average 20 g of protein. Each recipe makes 4 servings. You can prep these ahead of time and take them to go!

Lunch Recipe #1: 4 Greek Pita (510 calories, 19 g protein per serving)

Make the tzatziki sauce and divide into 4 containers equally. Mix the pita filling (olives, chickpeas, tomatoes) and divide into 4 equal parts and store.

• Tzatziki Sauce:
• 2 cup plain plant-based yogurt (sugar free)
• 1 cucumber, cubed or shredded
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 t garlic powder
• 2 t dill weed (dried)
• pepper to taste

For the pita wraps: 4 pita

• Pita toppings:
• 40 black olives
• 2 cans rinsed chickpeas
• 2 medium tomatoes (cubed)

Instruction:

Mix all ingredients for the sauce in a bowl. Cut the veggies and mix all toppings together. Then cut one pita in half and toast.

Open each pita half and add 1/4th of the toppings per pita. Use 1/4 of the sauce to fill both pita halves. You can adjust toppings to your needs and likes.

Lunch Recipe #2: Bean Corn Salad (492 calories, 22.4 g protein per serving)

Make the one batch (4 servings) below and divide evenly into 4 meal prep containers:

• 2 cans corn, drained
• 3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 avocado
• 7 tomatoes
• 1 bundle spring onion
• 1 bundle cilantro
• 1 t salt
• 2 t cumin
• 3 t red wine vinegar
• pepper to taste

Lunch Prep:

For the salad, chop all veggies and combine them with all ingredients and mix. Then split into 4 equal servings and store in containers. Prep the sauce for the Pita wraps and divide into 4 servings and store in small containers.

Prep all the toppings for the Pita filling and divide them into 4 containers. When you’re ready to eat lunch, cut Pita wrap in half then use one serving of toppings and 1 serving sauce to fill both halves of one Pita.

Optional: toast the Pita wrap before filling. One serving of toppings and sauce is 1/4th of the recipe.

The salad is easy to grab on the go. Make sure to pack a fork. For the Pita, simply pack one Pita wrap, one veggies mix, a sauce, and a spoon.

You can dump the veggies and sauce into the wrap right before eating. Don’t add this too early or the Pita will get soggy.

80 Grams of Protein a Day: Dinner Recipes

To get 80 grams of protein per day, the dinner recipes are quite large. This meal plan serves 3 meals a day. If the dinner is too much to eat in one sitting you can split it up into 2 servings for that day.

I like to eat half of the meal around 5 pm, then workout at 6 pm, and have the leftovers of the meal shortly after the workout. That way I only have to cook one meal to fuel my body before and after the workout.

DINNER 1: Quick Black Bean Quinoa Chili (910 cal, 44 g protein):

Cook the recipe below and divide into 2 equal servings. Eat the other half of the recipe as one meal for Dinner 5.

Ingredients:

• 3 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup water (or more if desired)
• 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (low sodium)
• 1/2 cup dry quinoa
• 3 green bell peppers, washed and cubed
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 1 avocado to top
• optional: 1/2 t chili powder
• optional: salt to taste

Add the diced tomatoes to a large pot and set on high heat. Add 3/4 cup water to a water boiler and add to pot when water is boiling. Rinse the quinoa under water, add it to the pot, mix it together, and cover the pot with a lid.

Remove the core from the bell peppers, wash, and cut into cubes. Then add them to the pot. Stir everything to combine.

Now add the rinsed beans and spices. Stir the mixture and cover with a lid. Set the heat to medium high and let everything simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add more water if desired. Stir occasionally.

While it cooks, dice the avocado and split into 4 servings. Once the chili is done, split everything into 4 even servings and top with avocado. ENJOY!

DINNER 2: Creamy Tofu Tomato Linguine (850 cal, 48 g protein):

Cook the recipe below and divide into 2 equal servings. Eat the other half of the recipe as one meal for Dinner 6.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked for 10 minutes in warm water
• 8 oz. firm tofu
• 2 cloves garlic
• 16 oz tomato sauce
• 1/4 medium onion, chopped
• 1 t basil, dried
• 1 t oregano, dried
• 8 oz dry whole wheat spaghetti
• 2 boxes (16 oz) sliced mushrooms
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• salt and pepper optional

Instructions:

Soak the cashews for 10-15 minutes in warm water. Cook the pasta according to the package. Before you add the spaghetti to the pot, break the strings in half so you can mix it better later.

Add tomato sauce, garlic, soaked cashews, tofu, and 1/2 cup water into a blender and mix until creamy.

Sauté the onions and mushrooms in 1/4 cup water for 5 minutes in a large pan or pot, then drain the water.

In the meantime, cut the cherry tomatoes in half then add them with the rest of the ingredients into the same large pot. Mix well and heat everything thoroughly.

DINNER 3: Sloppy Joes (850 cal, 46 g protein):

Cook the recipe below and divide into 2 equal servings (One serving is 4 buns). Eat the other half of the recipe as one meal for Dinner 7.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans red lentils (3 cups cooked, 1 cup dry)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 t mustard
• 3 t Worcestershire sauce (vegan)
• 28 oz (1 large can) diced or crushed tomatoes
• 1-2 t apple cider vinegar (or any other)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 Burger buns (whole wheat)

Simply add all ingredients (except the buns) into one pot or instant pot. Cook until the lentils and carrots are soft (about 15 to 20 minutes).

If you use the instant pot, set to “stew – high – 6 minutes” with a closed valve.

Split the meal into 8 parts and serve each part on one bun. One serving equals 2 buns. The nutritional value is only for the sloppy joes mix (not including the bun).

You can get a gluten free bun, if you’d like.

DINNER 4: Taco Elbow Pasta (1000 calories, 46 g protein):

Cook the recipe below and divide into 2 equal servings. Eat the other half of the recipe as one meal for Dinner 8.

• 3 cups dry elbow pasta (whole wheat)
• 3 cups water
• 2 cans black beans (rinsed)
• 3 green bell peppers, cubed
• 4 tomatoes, cubed
• avocado slices (optional topping)

Taco seasoning (or buy one taco seasoning package):

• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• optional: red pepper flakes

Instructions:

You can simply add everything into one pot and cook until noodles are soft (about 10 minutes). Add water if desired.

You can top your bowl with avocado slices (nutritional value not included). To make this in the instant pot, add all ingredients and set on stew – high – 5 minutes (closed valve).

DINNER 5: Second half of Dinner 1 (cauliflower potato stew)

DINNER 6: Second half of Dinner 2 (creamy tofu tomato linguine)

DINNER 7: Second half of Dinner 3 (4 buns of the sloppy joes)

DINNER 8: Second half of Dinner 4 (taco elbow pasta)

Meal Prep Your 80 grams of Protein for the Day:

You can make the chili, sloppy joes, and the one pot taco pasta in the instant pot. All recipes can be cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge.

Prep the lunches as described and have 8 lunch meals (4 Pitas and 4 salads) ready for the week.

The breakfast bowls can be prepped the night before to make overnight oats or in bulk ahead of time.

If you like this meal plan, be sure to also check out the Plant Based Diet Plan For Beginners, and the 90 g protein vegan meal plan.