This 5-day plan applies the shorter storage window and gentle-reheat rules from our salmon storage guide across a full week, so you get the omega-3 benefits without the smell complaints or dry, overcooked fish by Thursday. Built around one Sunday cook session, split across two batches to respect salmon's real 3-4 day safe window.

The 5-Day Breakdown

Day 1 (Monday): Baked Lemon-Dill Salmon over rice with steamed broccoli. 340 calories, 34g protein.

Day 2 (Tuesday): Same salmon batch, cold over greens — poke-bowl style, no reheat needed.

Day 3 (Wednesday): Same salmon batch, final portion, gently reheated with roasted sweet potato.

Day 4 (Thursday): Second batch — Soy-Ginger Glazed Salmon, freshly baked Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

Day 5 (Friday): Second batch, cold or gently reheated, with a quick cucumber salad.

Weekly Shopping List and Real Cost

  • 2.5 lbs salmon (farmed), split into two batches @ $9-11/lb = $27.00
  • Rice, sweet potato, broccoli, mixed greens = $9.00
  • Soy-ginger and lemon-dill seasoning ingredients = $6.00
  • Cucumber and quick salad ingredients = $3.00

Total: $45.00 for the week, or about $9.00 per serving — genuinely the most expensive protein-based plan in our rotation, reflecting salmon's real cost relative to chicken or ground turkey.

Daily Nutrition Targets

Each day of this plan lands around 340-380 calories and 30-34g of protein for the salmon portion alone, before sides. The omega-3 content is the real nutritional differentiator here versus a chicken-based week — something worth the added cost if that's specifically what you're prioritizing.

Batch cooking shortcut: Split the week into two smaller cook sessions (Sunday and Wednesday) rather than one large Sunday batch. This respects salmon's shorter 3-4 day window without ever pushing a portion past day 3 or 4, and gives you two different flavor directions across the week instead of one.

Storage Notes for the Full Week

Per USDA FoodKeeper guidance, keep all containers refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below. Cooked salmon holds for 3-4 days — this plan's two-batch structure is specifically designed so no portion ever needs to stretch past that window. Cool each batch completely before sealing, and reheat gently (covered pan or 50% power microwave) or serve cold.

Mistake to avoid: Cooking all 2.5 lbs of salmon in one Sunday session to save a step. Splitting into two smaller cook sessions is what actually makes this plan work within salmon's real storage window — one big batch would mean Thursday and Friday's portions are already past the safe 3-4 day line.

This plan works because it treats salmon's shorter timeline as the starting constraint, not an afterthought — the two-batch structure exists specifically to respect it, not to add unnecessary cooking sessions.

Adjusting the Plan for a Lower Budget

Swap 1-2 days to canned salmon mixed into a salad or grain bowl — it's shelf-stable until opened, skips the cooking step entirely, and costs meaningfully less per serving than fresh fillets. This won't replicate the baked-fillet eating experience, but it meaningfully lowers the week's total cost while keeping the same omega-3 benefit that makes salmon worth the premium in the first place.

What to Do If You Want More Than 5 Servings

Scale each batch up proportionally rather than adding a third cook session — two batches of 3-4 portions each still respects the storage window better than one large batch stretched across more days. If you need genuinely more servings than this structure comfortably supports, consider freezing a portion from each batch instead of extending the refrigerated timeline past 3-4 days. Frozen cooked salmon holds for 2-3 months, giving you a legitimate way to bank extra portions without ever risking a fridge portion sitting too long.