Carb cycling meal plan, four high, three low.
Carb cycling puts more carbs on training days and fewer on rest days, with protein steady all week. Here is a week at 1,900 to 2,600 calories a day. Alma can fit it to your goal.
Built from ISSN and Dietary Guidelines advice.
The rules
Three rules that make it work
Carbs follow training
About 300 g on four training days, 130 g on three rest days.
Protein stays steady
About 150 to 170 g a day, 40 to 55 g at main meals.
Vegetables and fiber every day
The fiber target does not drop on low days.
Sample week
Seven days, four high and three low
About 1,900 to 2,600 calories a day. Scale portions to your needs. Find your number
Day 1Monday
BreakfastHigh day: oats with banana, whey and honey¾ cup dry oats cooked in ¾ cup oat milk, 1 banana, 1 scoop whey, 2 tsp honey
LunchHigh day: chicken, rice and edamame bowl5 oz chicken breast, 1⅓ cups cooked jasmine rice, ⅔ cup edamame, 1 tbsp tamari, 1 tsp sesame oil
SnackHigh day: toast with peanut butter and banana2 slices whole-grain sourdough, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 banana
DinnerHigh day: salmon with rice and broccoli6 oz salmon, 1⅓ cups cooked jasmine rice, 2 cups broccoli, 2 tsp olive oil
About 2,570 kcal157 g protein315 g carbs
Day 2Tuesday
- BreakfastLow day: spinach and feta omelet3 eggs with 2 cups spinach and 1 oz feta in 1 tsp olive oil, ½ cup cottage cheese, ⅓ avocado
- LunchLow day: turkey and avocado salad5 oz turkey breast, ⅓ avocado, 2 cups spinach, 1 tomato, 2 tsp olive oil, 1 slice sourdough
- SnackLow day: Greek yogurt with almonds1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp almonds
- DinnerLow day: sirloin with cauliflower mash5 oz sirloin, 2½ cups cauliflower mash, 1½ cups green beans, 1 cup sweet potato, 1 tbsp olive oil
About 2,110 kcal166 g protein131 g carbs
Day 3Wednesday
- BreakfastHigh day: yogurt with granola and banana1¼ cups plain Greek yogurt, heaped ½ cup granola, 1 large banana, 1 tsp honey
- LunchHigh day: beef and rice bowl with peppers4½ oz sirloin, 1¾ cups cooked jasmine rice, 1 cup peppers, 2 tsp olive oil, lime
- SnackHigh day: rice cakes with cottage cheese4 brown rice cakes, 1 cup cottage cheese, 2 tsp honey, cinnamon
- DinnerHigh day: chicken thigh with pasta5 oz chicken thigh, 2 cups cooked whole-wheat pasta, ½ cup tomato sauce, 1 tbsp Parmesan
About 2,470 kcal168 g protein299 g carbs
Day 4Thursday
- BreakfastLow day: eggs with smoked salmon3 eggs scrambled in 1 tsp olive oil with 2 oz smoked salmon and 2 cups spinach, 1 slice sourdough
- LunchLow day: tuna salad with olive oil2 cans tuna in water, 1 cup cucumber, 2 cups arugula, 1½ tbsp olive oil, lemon, 1 orange
- SnackLow day: cottage cheese with cucumber1 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup cucumber, 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- DinnerLow day: cod with broccoli and almonds6 oz cod, 3 cups broccoli, 2 tbsp almonds, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1½ cups sweet potato, lemon
About 1,930 kcal162 g protein143 g carbs
Day 5Friday
- BreakfastHigh day: bagel with peanut butter and banana1 small whole-grain bagel, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 banana, ¾ cup milk
- LunchHigh day: turkey, rice and avocado wrap5 oz turkey breast, 1 cup cooked jasmine rice, ½ avocado, 1 large whole-grain tortilla
- SnackHigh day: chocolate milk with dates1½ cups chocolate milk, 2 dates, 2 tbsp almonds
- DinnerHigh day: shrimp with rice and peas6 oz shrimp, 1⅓ cups cooked jasmine rice, ½ cup peas, 2 tsp olive oil, lemon
About 2,540 kcal149 g protein320 g carbs
Day 6Saturday
- BreakfastHigh day: pancakes with yogurt and berriesThree pancakes from ½ cup buckwheat flour and 1 egg, 1 cup Greek yogurt, 1 cup berries, 1 tbsp maple syrup
- LunchHigh day: chicken sandwich with fruit2 slices whole-grain sourdough, 5 oz chicken breast, tomato, 1 tbsp olive oil mayonnaise, 1 apple
- SnackHigh day: trail mix with a banana¼ cup trail mix, 1 banana, 1¼ cups chocolate milk
- DinnerHigh day: beef stir-fry with noodles4½ oz sirloin, 1½ cups cooked egg noodles, mixed peppers and bok choy, 2 tsp sesame oil
About 2,560 kcal162 g protein320 g carbs
Day 7Sunday
- BreakfastLow day: frittata with peppers and greens3 eggs with 1 cup peppers and 2 cups spinach, 1½ oz cheddar, 2 tsp olive oil, 1 slice sourdough
- LunchLow day: chicken and vegetable soup5 oz chicken breast, 2 cups mixed vegetables, 1 cup potatoes, 1 tsp olive oil
- SnackLow day: kefir with raspberries1 cup kefir, 1 cup raspberries, 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, 1 apple
- DinnerLow day: salmon with roasted vegetables6 oz salmon, 2 cups roasted peppers and zucchini, 1 cup asparagus, 4 tsp olive oil
About 2,030 kcal149 g protein138 g carbs
Shopping list
What to buy
Most days
Meat and poultryChicken breast, chicken thigh, turkey, sirloinchicken breast
- DairyGreek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, kefirgreek yogurtcottage cheese
Now and then
High days need more rice, bread and fruit. Low days lean on vegetables.
Make it yours
This week is a sample. Alma builds yours.
- Meals fit to your goal and the foods you like
- Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds
- Every meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100
Questions
What people ask
What is carb cycling?
It means eating more carbohydrate on the days you train hard and less on rest days, with protein steady all week. This plan puts four high days near 300 g of carbs and three low days near 130 g, with about 150 to 170 g of protein on all seven.
Does carb cycling work better than a normal diet?
The evidence is thin. Research on carb cycling itself is limited, and this page does not claim it beats a steady diet. What the International Society of Sports Nutrition does say is that as glycogen falls, you hold less training intensity and work output. That is why carbs follow training here.
How many carbs do you eat on high and low days?
About 300 g on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and about 130 g on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Protein stays near 150 to 170 g and calories land between 1,900 and 2,600. The carb count is listed for every day under the meals.
How many calories is this meal plan?
About 1,900 to 2,600 calories a day. Low days sit near 2,000 and high days near 2,550. The gap is mostly rice, bread and fruit placed around training. Your own number depends on your size and how much you train, so scale portions from there.
Can you do carb cycling as a vegetarian?
Yes. Keep the same shape and move the carbs between days using rice, oats, bread, potatoes, fruit and dairy. Protein is the harder part without meat, so lean on Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, tofu, tempeh, lentils and edamame to hold 150 g a day.
Does carb cycling mean cutting carbs to nothing?
No. Even the low days here sit near 130 g of carbs, which is well above a keto plan. Low glycogen makes it harder to hold training intensity, according to the ISSN. The point is to place carbohydrate where it gets used, not to remove it.
How do I keep track of the days?
Log each meal in Alma by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds. Every meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100, drawing on Harvard's Alternate Healthy Eating Index. Alma builds a plan around your goal and the foods you like, and the carb numbers under each day show where it landed.
Sources
Written by Alma from the sources below and reviewed October 28, 2026. Calories and protein are estimates. This is general information, not medical advice. If you manage a health condition or take medication, check changes with your clinician. Editorial standards
- Kerksick CM, et al. ISSN position stand: nutrient timing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2017
- Jager R, et al. ISSN position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2017
- Mayo Clinic: Dietary fiber, essential for a healthy diet
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, USDA and HHS
- USDA FoodData Central, for calorie and protein estimates
Get a week built around you.
Tell Alma your goal and the foods you like. It plans the meals and scores each one.