Plan Overview
5 days, $33/week, 130g protein daily. Ground turkey is the primary protein across all lunches and dinners, running two different flavour profiles to avoid repetition. The budget is the lowest of any meat-based plan in this series because ground turkey at $3.49–$4.99/lb is one of the cheapest complete proteins available.
Shopping List (~$33)
| Item | Cost (2026) | Provides |
|---|---|---|
| Ground turkey 85% lean, 2 lbs | $6.98–$9.98 | 5 lunches + 5 dinners |
| Eggs, 12-count | $3.49 | Breakfasts + snacks |
| Greek yogurt 0%, 32oz | $4.48 | Breakfast base all week |
| Brown rice, 5 lb (amortised) | $0.65/week | Lunch grain base |
| Sweet potatoes, 2 medium | $1.50 | Lunch roasted veg |
| Broccoli florets, 32oz frozen | $2.18 | Dinner vegetable |
| Canned black beans, 2 × 15oz | $1.96 | Dinner addition + protein boost |
| Rolled oats, 42oz (amortised) | $0.95/week | Breakfasts |
| Canned diced tomatoes, 1 × 14.5oz | $0.88 | Italian-style turkey sauce |
| Chicken broth, small carton | $1.89 | Turkey moisture technique + soup |
| Soy sauce, honey, lime (amortised) | $0.60/week | Soy-lime sauce |
| Olive oil, garlic, spices (amortised) | $0.80/week | Cooking + seasoning |
| TOTAL | ~$26–$33 | 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners |
Sunday Prep Timeline (80 Minutes)
- 0:00 — Brown rice on stovetop (40 min unattended). Oven to 425°F (220°C).
- 0:05 — Sweet potato cubed + tossed in olive oil + cumin. Sheet pan. Into oven. Timer 22 min.
- 0:10 — Batch 1 turkey (lunch flavour — soy-lime): 1 lb ground turkey, medium heat, onion and garlic first, then turkey broken fine, cooked to 165°F (74°C) — verified with thermometer. Season with smoked paprika + cumin + soy + lime + broth finish. Cool.
- 0:25 — Sweet potato out. Batch 2 turkey (dinner flavour — Italian): 1 lb ground turkey, same technique, seasoned with Italian seasoning + fennel seed + garlic + canned tomatoes. Add ¼ cup broth, cover 90 sec. Cool.
- 0:38 — Broccoli in microwave (frozen, 3 min + 1 tbsp water). Or sheet pan at 425°F (220°C) for 15 min — better texture. Hard-boil 8 eggs: cold start, 12 min boil, ice bath. Per USDA FoodKeeper: 7 days in shell.
- 0:42 — Make 5 overnight oat jars: ½ cup oats + ¾ cup Greek yogurt + ½ cup milk + 1 tbsp chia seeds + 1 tsp honey. Seal. Refrigerate.
- 0:55 — Rice done. Spread everything to cool 20 min.
- 1:15 — Portion: 5 lunch containers (soy-lime turkey + rice + sweet potato). 5 dinner containers (Italian turkey + broccoli + black beans). Label all with date.
- 1:20 — Done.
Daily Meal Plan — Monday Through Friday
Breakfast (all days)
Greek yogurt overnight oats jar — 320 cal, 35g protein. Make 5 Sunday, lasts through Friday per USDA FoodKeeper (Greek yogurt to printed date, oats 4–5 days assembled).
Lunch (all days) — Soy-Lime Turkey Bowl
4oz soy-lime ground turkey + ¾ cup brown rice + roasted sweet potato. 440 cal, 28g protein, $1.70. Reheat at 70% microwave power 90 sec with 1 tbsp water and lid vented.
Dinner (Mon–Thu) — Italian Turkey and Beans
4oz Italian-style ground turkey + ½ cup black beans (15g protein addition) + broccoli. 420 cal, 34g protein. Best over rice (already prepped) or with a toasted pita.
Friday — Egg-Based Dinner
3-egg scramble with remaining sweet potato and black beans. Remaining turkey if still within day 4. Cooked turkey is safe to day 4 (Sunday = day 0 → Thursday = day 4). Friday = day 5 — freeze Thursday night if you want turkey on Friday.
Snacks (all days)
2 hard-boiled eggs (12g protein) + 1 piece fruit. 170 cal.
Daily Protein Totals
| Meal | Protein |
|---|---|
| Overnight oats breakfast | 35g |
| Soy-lime turkey lunch | 28g |
| Italian turkey + beans dinner | 34g |
| Eggs snack | 12g |
| Background (rice, veg, oats) | ~15g |
| Daily total | ~124g |
Add 1 tbsp hemp seeds to breakfast (3g) or a second snack to reach 130g target.
Storage Reference (USDA FoodKeeper)
| Component | Fridge Life | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cooked ground turkey | 4 days | Must reach 165°F (74°C) — ground poultry safety requirement. Freeze Thu/Fri portions Sunday if doing 5 full days. |
| Brown rice (cooked) | 4–6 days | Cool within 2 hours — Bacillus cereus risk in warm cooked rice. |
| Roasted sweet potato | 4–5 days | Texture softens by day 4 — still safe. |
| Cooked black beans (from can) | 4–5 days | Rinse before storing — reduces sodium. |
| Hard-boiled eggs in shell | 7 days | Peel only at eating time. |
| Overnight oat jars | 4–5 days | Full week covered from Sunday prep. |