Plan Overview
5 days, fully dairy-free, high protein (85–100g daily), $44/week. Two proteins anchor the week — chicken tikka for lunches and red lentil coconut soup for dinners — with dairy-free overnight oats covering every breakfast. All sauces and cooking fats are dairy-free. All components verified against the dairy-free hidden ingredient checklist.
Shopping List (~$44)
| Item | Cost (2026 Walmart) | Provides |
|---|---|---|
| Boneless chicken thighs, 1.5 lbs | $4.48–$5.98 | 4 lunch portions |
| Full-fat coconut milk, 3 × 13.5oz cans | $5.67 | Tikka marinade + lentil soup base + oats |
| Dried red lentils, 1 lb | $2.19 | 5 dinner portions (soup) |
| Eggs, 12-count | $3.49 | Snacks + Friday meal |
| Rolled oats, 42oz (amortised) | $0.95/week | 5 dairy-free breakfasts |
| Fortified oat milk, 32oz | $3.29 | Overnight oats liquid (350mg calcium/cup) |
| Brown rice, 5 lb (amortised) | $0.65/week | Grain base all week |
| Broccoli florets, 32oz frozen | $2.18 | Vegetable all week |
| Sweet potatoes, 2 medium | $1.50 | Lentil soup + snack |
| Edamame, frozen 12oz | $2.28 | Protein addition to bowls |
| Tahini, 16oz (amortised) | $1.20/week | Tahini sauce (all week) |
| Canned sardines with bones, 2 × 3.75oz | $2.98 | Calcium + protein (Wed/Fri) |
| Lemons, 3-pack | $1.99 | Sauces + finishing all week |
| Coconut oil, 14oz (amortised) | $0.80/week | Dairy-free cooking fat |
| Chia + hemp seeds (amortised) | $1.20/week | Overnight oat protein boost |
| Garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, paprika, coriander (amortised) | $0.80/week | Seasoning all week |
| TOTAL | ~$38–$44 | 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 5 dinners |
Calcium check: 2 cups fortified oat milk (700mg) + sardines twice/week (325mg per serving) + cooked broccoli daily (62mg/cup) + kale or bok choy (90–160mg) = 1,000mg+ on sardine days, approximately 860mg on other days.
Sunday Prep Timeline (90 Minutes)
- 0:00 — Brown rice on stovetop (40 min unattended). Oven to 400°F (200°C).
- 0:05 — Mix coconut milk tikka marinade. Add chicken thighs. Marinate 30 minutes minimum.
- 0:10 — Start red lentil coconut soup: sauté ½ onion + 3 garlic cloves in coconut oil, 3 min. Add 1 cup dry red lentils + 1 can coconut milk + 1 can diced tomatoes + 2 cups vegetable broth + cumin + turmeric. Simmer 22 min uncovered.
- 0:32 — Add cubed sweet potato to soup. Simmer 10 more min until potato tender.
- 0:35 — Chicken onto lined sheet pan. Into oven. Timer 28 min.
- 0:40 — Make 5 dairy-free overnight oat jars: ½ cup oats + 1 cup oat milk + 1 tbsp chia seeds + 1 tbsp hemp seeds + 1 tsp maple syrup each. Seal. Refrigerate.
- 0:48 — Toss broccoli + red onion in melted coconut oil + salt. Sheet pan 2. Into oven. Timer 18 min.
- 1:00 — Soup done. Remove from heat. Squeeze ½ lemon into soup. Taste, adjust salt.
- 1:03 — Chicken out at 165°F (74°C). Broccoli out at 1:06.
- 1:05 — Make tahini sauce: 3 tbsp tahini + lemon juice + 3 tbsp warm water + ½ tsp cumin + salt. Whisk until smooth. Small jar.
- 1:08 — Rice done. Spread everything to cool 20 min on open surfaces.
- 1:28 — Portion: 4 lunch containers (chicken tikka + rice + broccoli). 5 dinner containers (lentil coconut soup). Tahini jar separate. Label all with date.
- 1:35 — Done.
Daily Meal Plan — Monday Through Friday
Breakfast (all days) — Dairy-Free Overnight Oats
Oat milk overnight oats jar. Add ½ banana sliced fresh each morning. 285 cal, 18g protein, 0g dairy.
Calcium from breakfast: 350mg (from fortified oat milk).
Monday, Tuesday — Chicken Tikka Lunch
Chicken tikka + brown rice + roasted broccoli. Tahini sauce from jar. 480 cal, 28g protein. 4g calcium from broccoli. Edamame as a side (microwave 3 min from frozen): adds 17g protein + 75mg calcium.
Wednesday — Sardine Bowl (Calcium day)
1 can sardines with bones (25g protein, 325mg calcium) over rice + roasted vegetables + tahini. This one meal delivers most of the day's calcium target from a single, cheap source. Cost: $1.49/can.
Monday–Friday Dinner — Lentil Coconut Soup
Red lentil + sweet potato + coconut milk soup. 380 cal, 18g protein per serving. Best flavour on day 3–4 as the spices deepen and the coconut integrates. Reheat stovetop 3 min or microwave 2 min at 70% power.
Snacks
2 hard-boiled eggs (12g protein) + 1oz almonds (76mg calcium, 6g protein). Per USDA FoodKeeper: hard-boiled eggs in shell 7 days.
Storage Reference (USDA FoodKeeper)
| Component | Fridge Life | Hidden Dairy Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Cooked chicken tikka | 4 days | None if using individual spices + plain coconut milk |
| Red lentil coconut soup | 4–5 days | None — all plant-based |
| Brown rice (cooked) | 4–6 days | None |
| Roasted broccoli | 4–5 days | None if using coconut oil — butter is dairy |
| Overnight oats (oat milk) | 4–5 days | Verify oat milk brand has no casein additives |
| Hard-boiled eggs in shell | 7 days | None — eggs are not dairy |
| Tahini sauce | 5 days | None — sesame-based, fully dairy-free |