Whole food meal plan, cook it once.
Whole foods are the ones that come close to how they grow: vegetables, fruit, beans, grains, eggs, fish and meat. Here is a week of short ingredient lists at about 1,650 calories a day. Alma can fit it to your goal.
Built from Dietary Guidelines and FDA advice.
The rules
Three habits do most of the work
Buy foods with one ingredient
Oats, eggs, beans, rice, plain yogurt, vegetables and fruit.
Cook most nights
Five dinners from scratch, and leftovers for lunch the next day.
Sweeten with fruit
Fruit, cinnamon or a date instead of sugar in most breakfasts.
Sample week
Seven days of whole food meals
About 1,550 to 1,750 calories a day. Scale portions to your needs. Find your number
Day 1Monday
BreakfastSteel-cut oats with apple¼ cup dry steel-cut oats cooked in ½ cup milk and water, 1 grated apple, 1 tbsp walnuts, cinnamon
LunchEgg salad on rye2 eggs with 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt, 1 tsp mustard, 2 slices rye bread, side greens with 1 tsp olive oil, 1 orange
SnackPumpkin seeds and a pear3 tbsp pumpkin seeds, 1 pear
DinnerRoast chicken with root vegetables5 oz cooked chicken with skin removed, 1 cup potatoes, 1 cup carrots and onion, 2 tsp olive oil, garlic and thyme
About 1,560 kcal85 g protein31 g fiber
Day 2Tuesday
- BreakfastFried eggs with sautéed kale2 eggs fried in 1 tsp olive oil, 2 cups kale, 1 slice sourdough bread
- LunchChicken and vegetable soup2 cups chicken soup with carrot, celery, onion and ½ cup cooked rice, 1 slice sourdough bread, 1 tsp olive oil
- SnackNuts and raisins¼ cup mixed nuts, 2 tbsp raisins
- DinnerBaked haddock with new potatoes5 oz cooked haddock with lemon, 1 cup new potatoes, 1 cup peas, 2 tsp olive oil
About 1,570 kcal93 g protein23 g fiber
Day 3Wednesday
- BreakfastToast with peanut butter and banana2 slices sourdough bread, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 banana, 1 cup milk
- LunchWhite bean and rosemary soup1½ cups soup with white beans, rosemary and tomato, 1 slice sourdough bread, 2 tsp olive oil
- SnackTomatoes with mozzarella and basil1 cup cherry tomatoes, ½ cup mozzarella, basil, 1 tsp olive oil
- DinnerStuffed peppers with rice and beef1 large bell pepper filled with ½ cup cooked brown rice, 3 oz ground beef, tomato and 1 oz cheese
About 1,750 kcal87 g protein29 g fiber
Day 4Thursday
- BreakfastPepper and onion omelet2 eggs with ½ cup peppers and onion in 1 tsp olive oil, 1 slice sourdough bread, 1 cup grapes
- LunchChickpea and spinach curry¾ cup chickpeas simmered with tomato, spinach, onion and curry powder, 1 cup cooked brown rice, 1 tsp olive oil
- SnackBoiled egg with carrot sticks1 hard-boiled egg, 1 carrot, 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- DinnerChicken drumsticks with corn and slaw2 baked chicken drumsticks (about 5 oz meat), 1 ear of corn, 1 small baked potato, 1 cup cabbage slaw with 2 tsp olive oil and vinegar
About 1,740 kcal97 g protein28 g fiber
Day 5Friday
- BreakfastYogurt with strawberries and seeds1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, 1 cup sliced strawberries, 2 tbsp sunflower seeds, 1 tsp honey
- LunchTuna, potato and green bean salad5 oz canned tuna, drained, 1 cup cooked new potatoes, 1 cup green beans, 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon
- SnackDates with walnuts2 Medjool dates, ½ oz walnuts
- DinnerBeef and vegetable stew1½ cups stew with 4 oz beef, carrot, potato and onion, 1 slice sourdough bread, 1 tsp olive oil
About 1,580 kcal102 g protein22 g fiber
Day 6Saturday
- BreakfastPotato and pepper hash with eggs1 cup diced potato and pepper pan-cooked in 2 tsp olive oil, 2 eggs, 1 slice sourdough bread
- LunchMinestrone with Parmesan2 cups minestrone with beans, tomato, zucchini and pasta, 1 tbsp Parmesan, 1 slice sourdough bread
- SnackKefir with raspberries1 cup plain whole-milk kefir, ½ cup raspberries
- DinnerBaked cod with ratatouille5 oz cod, 1½ cups ratatouille of eggplant, zucchini and tomato with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 slice sourdough bread
About 1,630 kcal91 g protein30 g fiber
Day 7Sunday
- BreakfastPorridge with dates and walnuts½ cup dry rolled oats cooked with 1 cup milk, 2 chopped dates, 1 tbsp walnuts
- LunchRoast chicken and vegetable plate4 oz leftover roast chicken, 1 cup roasted carrots and parsnips, 1 tbsp olive oil, green salad, 1 slice sourdough bread
- SnackPumpkin seeds and dried apricots3 tbsp pumpkin seeds, 6 dried apricot halves
- DinnerLentil shepherd's pie1½ cups lentil and vegetable base topped with 1 cup mashed potato, 1 tsp olive oil
About 1,750 kcal85 g protein32 g fiber
Shopping list
What to buy
Most days
ProteinWhole chicken or parts, beef for stew, haddock or cod, eggs, tunachicken breastegg
Now and then
Canned beans, tomatoes and fish are whole foods too. Look for no added salt when you can.
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 counts as a whole food?
Food close to the form it grew in: vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, eggs, plain dairy, fish and unprocessed meat. Canned beans, frozen vegetables and plain yogurt count. A food with a long list of added ingredients is the one to eat less often.
How many calories is this meal plan?
About 1,550 to 1,750 calories a day, with about 22 to 32 grams of fiber. Your needs depend on your size, age and activity, so scale portions up or down. The calorie calculator gives you a starting number.
Is a whole food meal plan the same as clean eating?
Mostly. Both mean cooking from plain ingredients and eating fewer packaged foods. This plan skips the strict rules that come with some clean eating advice. Bread, dairy, canned beans and frozen vegetables all stay on the list.
Is it expensive to eat this way?
It depends on where you shop. Dried beans, oats, rice, eggs, potatoes, frozen vegetables and seasonal fruit are often the lowest-cost foods in the store. Buy meat in larger cuts and use it in stews, soups and stir-fries across several meals.
How much time does the cooking take?
Most dinners here take 30 to 45 minutes, and several use one pot or one pan. Cook a double batch of soup, stew or roast chicken and the next day's lunch is done. A pot of beans or rice on Sunday saves time all week.
Can I use frozen and canned food?
Yes. The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines list frozen, dried or canned vegetables and fruit with no or very limited added sugars as good options. Canned beans, tomatoes and fish are whole foods too. Rinse canned beans and choose no-salt-added versions when the store has them.
How does Alma help with a whole food plan?
Log a meal by photo, voice or text in about 10 seconds, which is faster than typing a recipe. Every meal gets an Alma Score from 0 to 100, drawing on Harvard's Alternate Healthy Eating Index, which rewards vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans. Alma builds a plan around your goal and the foods you like.
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
Get a week built around you.
Tell Alma your goal and the foods you like. It plans the meals and scores each one.