A free, flexible 7-day meal plan with breakfast, lunch and dinner plus a complete shopping list. All recipes list calories and Weight Watchers Freestyle™ SmartPoints® to help you stay on track.
Happy October — my favorite month and birthday week! If you pre-ordered, the new Skinnytaste One and Done Cookbook will be arriving soon. For anyone using the cookbooks, the updated Weight Watchers points for recipes across the books are available in the cookbook index.
If you’re new here, I create these free, 7-day flexible healthy meal plans as a guide with plenty of room to customize. You can add extra coffee, snacks, dessert, wine, or swap recipes to suit your tastes. Search recipes by course in the index. The plan is designed around roughly 1,500 calories per day as a starting point, with Weight Watchers SmartPoints included for convenience.
Along with the menus, there’s an organized grocery list to streamline shopping and reduce stress. Planning your week will help save time, cut food waste, and keep you prepared so you’re less likely to eat out last minute.
If you use Facebook, join the Skinnytaste Facebook Community where members share photos and tips for the recipes—it’s a helpful place for ideas and support.
THE DETAILS:
Breakfasts and lunches Monday through Friday are sized for one person. Dinners and all weekend meals are sized for a family of four. Many recipes yield leftovers suitable for a second night or for lunch the next day. There’s no one-size-fits-all plan, but this layout is designed to appeal broadly while remaining flexible. All recipes shown are Weight Watchers friendly and list Freestyle SmartPoints for easy reference. Feel free to substitute recipes or adjust portions to fit your needs.
The grocery list below includes everything you need for the week and suggests brands I often use. Before you shop, check your pantry—many common condiments and spices are used repeatedly, so you may already have several items on hand.
This meal plan is realistic and forgiving—there’s ample wiggle room for cocktails, snacks, desserts, and dining out. You can move meals around if your schedule requires it. If you try these plans, please let me know: your feedback helps decide whether to continue sharing them.
MONDAY (10/1)
B: Petite Crustless Quiche (5) and a banana (0)
L: 2 servings Heirloom Tomato Sandwich (8)
D: Minestrone Soup (2) with Easy Garlic Knots (2)
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 17, Calories 924
TUESDAY (10/2)
B: Petite Crustless Quiche (5) with a pear (0)
L: Leftover Minestrone Soup (2) with Easy Garlic Knots (2)
D: Skillet Cauliflower “Arroz” con Pollo (8)
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 17, Calories 1,060
WEDNESDAY (10/3)
B: Petite Crustless Quiche (5) with a pear (0)
L: Leftover Minestrone Soup (2) with Easy Garlic Knots (2)
D: Cuban Picadillo (3) over ¾ cup brown rice (5) with Quick Cabbage Slaw (2)
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 19, Calories 1,049
THURSDAY (10/4)
B: Petite Crustless Quiche (5) and a banana (0)
L: Picadillo Quesadillas (6) with 2 ounces avocado (3)
D: Chicken Marsala Meatballs (5) with Roasted Spaghetti Squash (0)
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 19, Calories 913
FRIDAY (10/5)
B: Greek Yogurt with Berries, Nuts and Honey (5)
L: Leftover Picadillo Quesadillas (6) with 2 ounces avocado (3)
D: Flounder Milanese with Arugula and Tomatoes (3) and Creamy Cauliflower Purée (1)
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 18, Calories 833
SATURDAY (10/6)
B: Breakfast Burrito Bowl with Spiced Butternut Squash (3)
L: Chicken and Lentil Soup (1)
D: Dinner out
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 4, Calories 490
SUNDAY (10/7)
B: Applesauce Nut Bread (5) with 1 cup mixed berries (0)
L: Leftover Chicken and Lentil Soup (1)
D: Pork Chops and Applesauce (4) with Skinny Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes with Chives (5) and Easy Garlic Broccolini (1)
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 16, Calories 842
*Freeze any leftovers you or your family won’t eat.
**This plan is a guide. Women should aim for around 1,500 calories per day; adjust based on your needs. I’ve left space for extras like coffee, beverages, fruit, snacks, dessert or wine.
***Use leftover Picadillo to make a quesadilla Wednesday night for lunch on Thursday and Friday if desired.
#Make applesauce on Saturday to use in the applesauce nut bread recipe.
Shopping List:
Produce
- 2 medium bananas
- 2 medium pears
- 8 medium and 1 large apples (a mix such as Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala)
- 2 bunches broccolini
- 1 medium (8 oz) zucchini
- ½ small head (about 5 cups) white cabbage
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms
- 3 oz shiitake mushrooms
- 2 lb (6–7 medium) Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 (1½ lb) butternut squash (or about 20 oz cubed)
- Fresh berries: 1 (6 oz) clamshell and two additional clamshells (6 oz and 1 lb options)
- 1 medium head cauliflower
- 1 large shallot
- 1 (5 oz) bag baby arugula
- 1 (5 oz) bag baby spinach
- 1 medium bunch Italian parsley
- 1 large bunch cilantro
- 1 small container or bunch chives (or scallion greens)
- 3 large heads garlic
- 1 small bunch scallions
- 2 small (4 oz) Hass avocados
- 1 medium lime
- 2 small lemons
- 1 small and 1 medium red bell pepper
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 small basil bunch or container
- 1 large heirloom tomato
- 7 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
- 1 small red onion
- 1 small, 1 medium and 1 large yellow onion
- 1 large spaghetti squash
- 1 small bunch fresh rosemary (or dried/substitute)
Meat, Poultry & Fish
- 6 oz turkey kielbasa
- 4 chicken drumsticks
- 1½ lb 93% lean ground beef
- 1 lb 93% lean ground chicken
- 1 lb (4) skinless flounder fillets
- 12 oz (3) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 14 oz (4 thin) boneless center-cut pork loin chops
Grains
- All-purpose flour (or gluten-free alternative)
- White whole wheat flour
- Reduced carb whole wheat tortillas
- Seasoned breadcrumbs (white or whole wheat)
- Dry brown rice
- 1 (4 oz) ciabatta roll
- Small pasta such as ditalini
Condiments & Spices
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Cooking spray
- Olive oil mist or spray
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Bay leaves
- Cumin
- Honey
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
- Better Than Bouillon (chicken base)
- Dried oregano
- Sazon seasoning
- Paprika
- Sage
- Thyme
- Cinnamon sticks
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Agave
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice
- Vanilla extract
Dairy & Refrigerated
- 1 dozen eggs
- 1 (16 oz) carton liquid egg whites
- 1 (17.5 oz) container nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- Butter (small box)
- 1 (8 oz) bag reduced-fat shredded cheddar
- 1 pint 1% buttermilk
- Parmesan cheese wedge
- Pecorino Romano wedge (or extra Parmesan)
- 1 (8 oz) container skim milk or milk of choice
Frozen
- 1 (12 oz) bag riced cauliflower
Canned & Jarred
- 1 (15 oz) can cannellini or navy beans
- 1 (32 oz) carton reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 (28 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 small jar pitted green olives
- 1 (15 oz) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (6 oz) can or 4.5 oz tube tomato paste
Misc. Dry Goods
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- 1 small bottle Marsala wine
- 1 small bag chopped walnuts
- 1 (1 lb) bag dry lentils
- Light brown sugar
Notes: You can substitute gluten-free options for flours and tortillas if needed. Adjust portions and extras to match your calorie goals and household size.