Plan Overview
5 days, $44/week, light protein rotation. Shrimp anchors Monday through Wednesday (3-day storage window). Thursday and Friday use eggs and canned tuna — both have longer storage windows and cost less per serving. The shrimp batch takes 10 minutes on Sunday; the Thursday refresh takes 10 minutes mid-week.
Shopping List (~$44)
| Item | Cost (2026) | Provides |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen raw shrimp 16–20ct, 1 lb | $7.49–$9.99 | Mon–Wed lunches (4 portions) |
| Frozen raw shrimp 16–20ct, 0.5 lb | $3.75–$5.00 | Thursday fresh batch dinner |
| Canned light tuna, 3 × 5oz | $2.64 | Thu–Fri lunches |
| Eggs, 12-count | $3.49 | Breakfasts + Fri dinner |
| Greek yogurt 0%, 32oz | $4.48 | Breakfasts |
| Brown rice, 5lb (amortised) | $0.80/week | Grain base all week |
| Broccoli florets, 32oz frozen | $2.18 | Vegetable all week |
| Butter, garlic, lemon (amortised) | $0.80/week | Shrimp seasoning |
| Edamame, frozen 12oz | $2.28 | Protein addition Mon–Wed |
| Rolled oats, 42oz (amortised) | $0.95/week | Breakfast base |
| Olive oil, soy sauce, sesame oil (amortised) | $0.60/week | Cooking + dressings |
| Bananas, bunch | $1.10 | Breakfast addition |
| TOTAL | ~$38–$44 | 5 days all meals |
Sunday Prep Timeline (60 Minutes)
- 0:00 — Brown rice on stovetop (40 min unattended). Thaw 1 lb shrimp in cold water 15 min.
- 0:10 — Make 5 overnight oat jars: ½ cup oats + ¾ cup Greek yogurt + ½ cup milk + 1 tbsp chia + banana. Seal. Refrigerate.
- 0:20 — Blanch broccoli: 2 min boil, ice bath, dry thoroughly.
- 0:28 — Cook shrimp: two batches, medium-high heat, 3–4 min total per batch. Watch for C-curl at 145°F (63°C). Garlic butter + paprika + lemon finish. Cool immediately on tray.
- 0:40 — Rice done. Spread everything to cool 15 min.
- 0:55 — Portion: 3 Mon–Wed shrimp containers (shrimp + rice + broccoli). Keep 1 portion of shrimp separate as Thursday appetizer or snack (day 3–4 of storage is the outer limit).
- 1:00 — Hard-boil 6 eggs (12 min): cold start, full boil, ice bath. Per USDA FoodKeeper: 7 days in shell.
- 1:05 — Done.
Daily Meal Plan
Monday–Wednesday — Garlic Shrimp Bowls
Breakfast: Overnight oats jar — 320 cal, 35g protein
Lunch: Garlic butter shrimp + brown rice + broccoli — 390 cal, 24g protein. Reheat in cold skillet 90 sec only.
Dinner: 3 eggs scrambled + edamame + remaining rice — 380 cal, 30g protein
Snack: 2 hard-boiled eggs — 140 cal, 12g protein
Daily total: ~1,230 cal, 101g protein. Add ½ avocado or 1oz nuts to reach 1,400 cal target.
Thursday — Fresh Shrimp Refresh (10 minutes)
Cook 0.5 lb fresh shrimp Thursday evening (same garlic butter method). This is the mid-week refresh that keeps shrimp within the 3–4 day window. Tuna for lunch Thursday from the can — no cooking.
Thursday–Friday — Tuna Lunches
Canned light tuna (5oz can, 25g protein) over rice with soy sauce and sesame oil. $0.88/serving. No cooking required — open, drain, season, portion over pre-made rice. Completely different texture and flavour profile from the shrimp bowls.
Storage Reference (USDA FoodKeeper)
| Component | Fridge Life | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cooked shrimp | 3–4 days MAX | Batch for Mon–Wed only. Vibrio risk — do not push to day 5. |
| Canned tuna (opened) | 3–4 days | Transfer to airtight container immediately — do not store in the opened tin. |
| Brown rice (cooked) | 4–6 days | Cool within 2 hrs — Bacillus cereus risk in warm rice. |
| Blanched broccoli | 4–5 days | Store dry. |
| Hard-boiled eggs in shell | 7 days | Peel at eating time only. |
| Overnight oats | 4–5 days | Full week covered from Sunday prep. |