A free, flexible 7-day meal plan with breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas plus a complete shopping list. All recipes include calorie counts and Weight Watchers Freestyle™ SmartPoints® values to help you plan and track your meals.
Hope you’re enjoying the weekend! Today is my birthday—my eight-year-old brought me coffee in bed this morning, and that made my day. I’m also excited to share that my cookbook, Skinnytaste One and Done, arrives this Tuesday (Oct 9) for those who pre-ordered.
If you’re new to these weekly meal plans, I post free, flexible 7-day healthy meal plans designed to be a helpful guide. There’s plenty of wiggle room: add extra coffee, snacks, fruit, dessert, a glass of wine, or swap recipes for meals you prefer. You can search recipes by course in the recipe index. The sample daily target is about 1,500 calories* per day, but feel free to adjust to your personal needs.
The grocery list included below is organized and precise to make shopping fast and stress-free. Planning ahead saves time and money, reduces food waste, and helps you stay on track with fewer meals eaten on the fly.
If you use Facebook, consider joining the Skinnytaste community where people share photos and variations of the recipes they make—I love seeing everyone’s ideas and swaps.
THE DETAILS:
Breakfasts and lunches Monday through Friday are written to serve one person. Dinners and all weekend meals are scaled to serve a family of four. Some recipes yield leftovers suitable for a second dinner or for lunch the next day. While there’s no single meal plan that fits everyone, this lineup was created to appeal broadly while remaining adaptable. All dishes are Weight Watchers friendly and include the updated Freestyle SmartPoints. Swap any recipes you’d like or use this plan for inspiration.
The shopping list is comprehensive, with pantry and brand suggestions for items I use often. Check your cupboards before shopping—many staples may already be on hand, especially condiments and spices used repeatedly across recipes.
This meal plan is intentionally flexible and realistic. There’s plenty of room for cocktails, snacks, desserts, or dining out. You can easily rearrange meals to fit your schedule. If you’re trying these plans, please let me know—your feedback helps decide whether to keep sharing them.
MONDAY (10/8)
B: 4-Ingredient Flourless Banana-Nut Pancakes (4)
L: Quick Beef Chili (4) with 2 tablespoons reduced-fat cheddar (1)
D: ¾ cup Potato Leek Soup (5) with a green salad* (0) and 2 tablespoons light vinaigrette (2)
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 16, Calories 953**
TUESDAY (10/9)
B: 4-Ingredient Flourless Banana-Nut Pancakes (4)
L: Quick Beef Chili (4) with 2 tablespoons reduced-fat cheddar (1)
D: Blackened Fish Tacos with Cabbage Mango Slaw (4) with Cuban-Style Black Beans (1)
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 14, Calories 1,067**
WEDNESDAY (10/10)
B: Avocado Toast with Sunny Side Egg (4)
L: Quick Beef Chili (4) with 2 tablespoons reduced-fat cheddar (1) and 1 ounce avocado (1)
D: Crispy Togarashi Chicken with Sesame Cucumber Relish (4) over ¾ cup brown rice (5)
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 19, Calories 1,073**
THURSDAY (10/11)
B: Avocado Toast with Sunny Side Egg (4)
L: Quick Beef Chili (4) with 2 tablespoons reduced-fat cheddar (1) and 1 ounce avocado (1)
D: Cajun Chicken Pasta on the Lighter Side (7)
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 17, Calories 955**
FRIDAY (10/12)
B: 2 scrambled eggs (0) with 1 slice whole-grain toast (3) and 1 sliced tomato (0)
L: LEFTOVER Cajun Chicken Pasta (7)
D: Shrimp Cakes (5) with Skinny Garlic Mashed Potatoes (5)
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 20, Calories 1,024**
SATURDAY (10/13)
B: Pumpkin Banana Pecan Bread*** (4) with 1 cup cubed cantaloupe (0)
L: The Skinny Tuna Melt (recipe x2) (4) with an apple (0)
D: Dinner out (enjoy!)
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 8, Calories 524**
SUNDAY (10/14)
B: Pumpkin Banana Pecan Bread (4) with 1 cup mixed berries (0)
L: Houston’s Grilled Chicken Kale Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette (recipe x2) (7)
D: Pasta with Butternut Squash Sauce, Spicy Sausage and Baby Spinach (9)
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 20, Calories 1,002**
*Green salad: 6 cups romaine, ½ cup shredded carrots, ½ cup chopped tomatoes and 2 scallions.
**Guideline only: many women aim for approximately 1,500 calories per day. I’ve left room in these daily totals for extras like coffee, snacks, fruit, dessert or a glass of wine. Use a calorie calculator to determine your personal needs.
***Freeze any leftover bread your family won’t eat immediately.
Shopping List:
Produce
- 5 medium ripe bananas
- 4 apples (any variety)
- ½ small head red cabbage
- ½ small head green cabbage
- 4 medium leeks
- 1 mango
- 8 ounces sliced or whole white mushrooms
- 1 (1-pound) butternut squash
- 2 pounds (about 4) Yukon Gold potatoes
- 2 medium Russet potatoes
- 1 large head (about 6 cups chopped) romaine lettuce
- 1 medium cantaloupe
- 2 pounds fresh berries
- 1 large bunch (about 8 cups chopped) kale
- 1 large English cucumber
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 small bag shredded carrots
- 2 medium heads garlic
- 1 small and 2 medium red bell peppers
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper
- 1 small bunch celery
- 2 bunches scallions
- 1 small container fresh mint
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 small bunch fresh Italian parsley
- 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger
- 1 small Hass avocado
- 1 small bunch baby spinach
- 2 limes
- 1 small and 1 medium lemon
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 large white onion
- 1 medium shallot
- 5 vine-ripened tomatoes
- 1 small container fresh sage
Meat, Poultry and Fish
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 pound peeled, deveined jumbo shrimp
- 1 pound chicken breast tenders
- 11 ounces (about 4 links) spicy chicken Italian sausage
- 1 pound skinless cod or halibut fillet
- 1 pound 93% lean ground beef
Grains
- Quick oats
- All-purpose flour
- Whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
- One package (8) corn tortillas
- Half loaf whole-grain sliced bread
- 16-ounce package small pasta (ditalini or penne)
- 16-ounce package linguine
- Bag of dry brown rice or 3 cups par-cooked brown rice
Condiments and Spices
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Cooking spray or olive oil mister
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Cumin, chili powder, paprika and smoked paprika
- Garlic powder
- Light vinaigrette dressing (or ingredients to make your own)
- Mustard powder, cayenne pepper and oregano
- Bay leaves and red wine vinegar
- Cajun seasoning
- Hot sauce (optional)
- Light mayonnaise and Dijon mustard
- Old Bay seasoning
- Pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and vanilla extract
- Peanut oil and toasted sesame oil
- Unseasoned rice wine vinegar and reduced-sodium soy sauce
- Raw honey, sesame seeds and Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese 7-spice)
Dairy & Refrigerated
- 1 dozen large eggs
- Reduced-fat cheddar cheese
- Small wedge Parmesan cheese
- Salted butter and a small tub whipped butter (or substitute regular butter)
- 8-ounce container 2% milk and 8-ounce container skim milk
- 8-ounce tub light sour cream
- 8-ounce block reduced-fat cream cheese
Canned and Jarred
- Two 4.5-ounce cans tuna in water
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 32-ounce box chicken or vegetable stock
- 15-ounce can black beans
- 15-ounce can reduced-sodium black beans
- 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 15.5-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- Small jar unsweetened applesauce
Misc. Dry Goods
- Small bag chopped pecans
- Light beer (or substitute ¾ cup reduced-sodium beef broth in the beef chili)
- Baking soda and baking essentials
- Small box light brown sugar
- Small container roasted, salted peanuts
- Granulated sugar