Beginner meal plan, five ingredients or fewer.
If you rarely cook, start here. Every meal takes 5 main ingredients or fewer, one pan or one pot, and a short cook time. About 1,600 calories a day, built the MyPlate way, and Alma can fit it to your goal.
Built from USDA MyPlate and food safety advice.
The rules
Three skills, then most of this is easy
Skill one: sheet pan roasting
Vegetables and protein on one pan, 425°F, about 25 minutes, stir once.
Skill two: a pot of rice
One cup rice, two cups water, lid on, 18 minutes, then 10 minutes off heat.
Skill three: a two-minute dressing
One part vinegar, two parts olive oil, salt, pepper, shaken in a jar.
Sample week
Seven days of simple beginner meals
About 1,500 to 1,700 calories a day. Scale portions to your needs. Find your number
Day 1Monday
BreakfastCinnamon oatmeal with banana½ cup rolled oats cooked with 1 cup 2% milk, 1 banana, cinnamon
LunchTurkey and cheese sandwich with an apple2 slices whole-grain bread, 3 oz sliced turkey, 1 slice cheddar, mustard, 1 apple, 1 cup carrot sticks
SnackGreek yogurt with honey and walnuts1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 tsp honey, 2 tbsp walnuts
DinnerSheet pan chicken with potatoes and green beans4 oz chicken thigh, 1 cup potato wedges and 1 cup green beans roasted with 2 tsp olive oil
About 1,650 kcal105 g protein26 g fiber
Day 2Tuesday
- BreakfastScrambled eggs with toast and orange2 eggs scrambled in 1 tsp butter, 2 slices whole-grain toast, 1 orange
- LunchRice bowl with chicken and frozen vegetables1 cup cooked white rice, 3 oz rotisserie chicken, 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables microwaved, soy sauce
- SnackBanana with peanut butter1 banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter
- DinnerBaked salmon with rice and broccoli5 oz salmon, 1 cup cooked white rice, 1½ cups broccoli and 1 cup carrots roasted with 1 tsp olive oil
About 1,670 kcal104 g protein27 g fiber
Day 3Wednesday
- BreakfastYogurt parfait with granola and berries1 cup plain Greek yogurt, ⅓ cup granola, ½ cup blueberries
- LunchBean and cheese quesadilla with grapes1 large whole-wheat tortilla, ½ cup black beans, 1 oz cheddar, salsa, 1 cup grapes
- SnackCottage cheese with cherry tomatoes¾ cup 2% cottage cheese, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, pepper
- DinnerOne-pot pasta with tomato and spinach1½ cups cooked penne, 1 cup marinara, 2 cups spinach, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 oz Parmesan
About 1,650 kcal90 g protein25 g fiber
Day 4Thursday
- BreakfastCinnamon oatmeal with banana½ cup rolled oats cooked with 1 cup 2% milk, 1 banana, cinnamon
- LunchTuna salad sandwich with carrot sticks1 can tuna, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 slices whole-grain bread, lettuce, 1 cup carrot sticks
- SnackCheese and crackers with an apple1 oz cheddar, 6 whole-grain crackers, 1 apple
- DinnerGround beef and broccoli over rice4 oz 90% lean ground beef, 2 cups broccoli, 1 tbsp soy sauce, garlic, 1 cup cooked white rice, 1 tsp oil
About 1,650 kcal96 g protein25 g fiber
Day 5Friday
- BreakfastPeanut butter banana toast2 slices whole-grain toast, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 banana
- LunchChicken salad with oil and vinegar4 oz rotisserie chicken, 3 cups mixed greens, cucumber, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp vinegar, ½ whole-wheat pita
- SnackGreek yogurt with honey and walnuts1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 tsp honey, 2 tbsp walnuts
- DinnerBaked potato with chili and cheese1 medium russet potato, ¾ cup canned chili with beans, 1 oz cheddar, 2 tbsp sour cream
About 1,590 kcal96 g protein25 g fiber
Day 6Saturday
- BreakfastBreakfast burrito with eggs and salsa1 medium (8-inch) whole-wheat tortilla, 2 eggs, ¼ cup black beans, 2 tbsp salsa, 1 oz cheddar
- LunchChicken noodle soup with cheese and crackers2 cups chicken noodle soup, 6 whole-grain crackers, 1 oz cheddar, 1 cup grapes
- SnackApple with trail mix1 small apple, ¼ cup trail mix
- DinnerShrimp and rice skillet5 oz shrimp, 1 cup cooked white rice, 1 cup frozen peas, 2 tsp olive oil, garlic and lemon
About 1,660 kcal96 g protein25 g fiber
Day 7Sunday
- BreakfastCinnamon oatmeal with banana½ cup rolled oats cooked with 1 cup 2% milk, 1 banana, cinnamon
- LunchGrilled cheese with tomato soup2 slices whole-grain bread, 1½ oz cheddar, 1 tsp butter, 1½ cups tomato soup
- SnackGreek yogurt with almonds1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 oz almonds
- DinnerVegetable bean soup with toast2 cups minestrone with beans, 1 slice whole-grain bread, 1 oz Parmesan
About 1,650 kcal85 g protein27 g fiber
Shopping list
A short shopping list
Most days
ProteinChicken thighs, rotisserie chicken, ground beef, salmon, shrimp, eggschicken breasteggsalmon
Now and then
One trip covers the week. Buy frozen vegetables if fresh ones go soft before Friday.
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 if I have never cooked before?
Start with the three skills in this plan: roasting on a sheet pan, cooking a pot of rice, and shaking up a dressing. Between them they cover most of the meals here. The rest is assembly, like a sandwich, a quesadilla or a bowl of yogurt.
How many calories is this meal plan?
About 1,500 to 1,700 calories a day, with 85 to 105 grams of protein and 25 to 27 grams of fiber. The portions suit most adults. If you need more, add a slice of bread, a second egg or a glass of milk rather than rebuilding the day.
How do I build a balanced plate?
MyPlate splits the plate in four: half vegetables and fruit, a quarter protein foods, a quarter grains, plus a serving of dairy. Look at the plate, not the numbers. Monday dinner is a good example: a scoop of potatoes, a pile of green beans and a chicken thigh.
How much time does this take each day?
Most meals take 10 minutes, and the two sheet pan dinners take about 35 minutes start to finish, mostly oven time. Cooked rice, rotisserie chicken and frozen vegetables are the shortcuts that keep weeknights short without a takeout order.
Do I need special equipment?
A sheet pan, a pot with a lid and a skillet cover everything this week. No blender, no air fryer, no scale. A $10 instant-read thermometer helps with chicken, which should reach 165°F inside, according to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.
What should I cook first if I am nervous?
Roast a sheet pan of vegetables and chicken thighs. It is one pan, it forgives a few extra minutes, and it teaches you how your oven runs. Cook the rice and the dressing the same evening, and Monday and Tuesday are half done.
How does Alma help when you are starting out?
Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds, and it gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100, drawing on Harvard's Alternate Healthy Eating Index. That turns a week of simple cooking into feedback you can use, and Alma builds a plan around your goal and the foods you like.
Sources
Written by Alma from the sources below and reviewed November 4, 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
Get a week built around you.
Tell Alma your goal and the foods you like. It plans the meals and scores each one.