Meal prep for weight loss
A two-week dinner rotation for weight loss
Two weeks of dinners can be eight recipes on repeat. Write them down, shop once for the first week, and let the second week be a rerun with a different vegetable.
Weight loss · 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05
In the portions written below, protein is about 32–40 g, calories about 320–490, and sodium about 110–340 mg. Those are rounded kitchen estimates before extra cheese, bread, or a heavy pour of sauce.
A rotation you have not shopped for is a wish. Tie the list to the freezer and the store.
How to run it
- Start with lemon shrimp and zucchini skillet. Plan on about 20 minutes. Sear the shrimp in oil 1–2 minutes a side, until they curl and turn opaque. Pull them out.
- Next, lemon herb chicken with rice. This is the plain roasted chicken you can turn into soup, a salad, or a rice bowl. Do not drown it in dressing on Sunday.
- Keep pork tenderloin with apples and onions for the meal that needs to feel different. Fridge 4 days. Freezer: best quality within 2 months (sliced pork and apples).
- Cool anything you will not eat right away within two hours. For pork tenderloin with apples and onions: Fridge 4 days. Freezer: best quality within 2 months (sliced pork and apples).
Cook these
Lemon shrimp and zucchini skillet
20 min · serves 3
- Protein
- 32 g
- Sodium
- 340 mg
- Calories
- 320
Protein, sodium, and calories are rounded kitchen estimates, not a lab test or a medical plan.
Shrimp carries more natural sodium than chicken. This recipe adds none. If your target is very low, weigh a smaller portion and fill the plate with zucchini and rice.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds peeled shrimp
- 2 zucchini, half-moons
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- a handful of parsley
- cooked rice or bread, if you want more food
Method
- Sear the shrimp in oil 1–2 minutes a side, until they curl and turn opaque. Pull them out.
- Cook the zucchini and garlic 4 minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon.
- Return the shrimp, toss, and finish with parsley. Shrimp go rubbery if they stay in the pan.
Fridge 2 days. Shrimp does not improve with age. Freeze raw shrimp in the marinade, not the finished skillet. If you serve it hot, reheat to 165°F with a food thermometer.
Storage times are general guidance, not a lab test of this recipe. A shorter package or recipe instruction governs. Freezing and reheating do not rescue food left out too long, or a heat-stable toxin that already formed. USDA FSIS: Leftovers and Food Safety.
Chill cooked rice promptly. Vomiting-type Bacillus cereus illness is generally tied to rice and other starchy foods, and that emetic toxin can survive heat that kills the bacteria. FDA Bad Bug Book: Bacillus cereus.
Also used in Breakfast when mornings are hard, Cooking for two, Cooking for two different appetites.
Lemon herb chicken with rice
40 min · serves 4
- Protein
- 40 g
- Sodium
- 180 mg
- Calories
- 490
Protein, sodium, and calories are rounded kitchen estimates, not a lab test or a medical plan.
This is the plain roasted chicken you can turn into soup, a salad, or a rice bowl. Do not drown it in dressing on Sunday.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 lemons
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups cooked rice
- a cucumber, for a side salad
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Toss the chicken with oil, the juice of one lemon, garlic, oregano, and pepper.
- Roast 22–28 minutes, to 165°F in the thickest piece.
- Slice and serve over rice with the second lemon. Cucumber on the side, not mixed in, so tomorrow's lunch is not wet.
Fridge 4 days. Freezer: best quality within 2 months (sliced chicken). If you serve it hot, reheat to 165°F with a food thermometer.
Storage times are general guidance, not a lab test of this recipe. A shorter package or recipe instruction governs. Freezing and reheating do not rescue food left out too long, or a heat-stable toxin that already formed. USDA FSIS: Leftovers and Food Safety and USDA FSIS: Freezing and Food Safety.
Chill cooked rice promptly. Vomiting-type Bacillus cereus illness is generally tied to rice and other starchy foods, and that emetic toxin can survive heat that kills the bacteria. FDA Bad Bug Book: Bacillus cereus.
Also used in A holiday section for the binder, Dinners around 40 grams of protein, Dividers that match how you cook.
Pork tenderloin with apples and onions
35 min · serves 4
- Protein
- 34 g
- Sodium
- 110 mg
- Calories
- 360
Protein, sodium, and calories are rounded kitchen estimates, not a lab test or a medical plan.
Tenderloin is lean. Thin slices stay easier to chew than a thick steak of the same animal. Mustard is optional because even a teaspoon has some sodium.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin
- 2 apples, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional, for serving
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Rub the pork with oil, rosemary, and pepper. Scatter apples and onion around it.
- Roast 18–25 minutes, until the center of the pork is 145°F, then rest 5 minutes.
- Slice thin, against the grain. Spoon the apples over the top.
Fridge 4 days. Freezer: best quality within 2 months (sliced pork and apples). If you serve it hot, reheat to 165°F with a food thermometer.
Storage times are general guidance, not a lab test of this recipe. A shorter package or recipe instruction governs. Freezing and reheating do not rescue food left out too long, or a heat-stable toxin that already formed. USDA FSIS: Leftovers and Food Safety and USDA FSIS: Freezing and Food Safety.
Also used in Breakfast when mornings are hard, Cooking for two on a weeknight, High-protein dinner meal prep.
Details that matter
- Keep one backup meal in the freezer so a bad day does not become a drive-through.
- Sauces on the side let you use less without eating a dry lunch.
- Weigh or measure once, then mark the container. Eyeballing gets generous by Friday.
Easy mistakes
A deficit so steep you raid the pantry at night
Use a moderate cut, not a crash. The calculator on this site defaults to about 15 percent below maintenance for a reason.
Meal prep that is only chicken and broccoli
Boredom is how the plan ends. Rotate sauces, herbs, and at least three proteins.
Grocery starter
- 1 1/4 pounds peeled shrimp
- 2 zucchini, half-moons
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- a handful of parsley
- cooked rice or bread, if you want more food
- 1 3/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 lemons
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
Questions
How should I store lemon shrimp and zucchini skillet?
Fridge 2 days. Shrimp does not improve with age. Freeze raw shrimp in the marinade, not the finished skillet. If you serve it hot, reheat to 165°F with a food thermometer.
How much protein is in a serving?
Lemon shrimp and zucchini skillet is about 32 g; Lemon herb chicken with rice is about 40 g; Pork tenderloin with apples and onions is about 34 g. These are kitchen estimates, not a lab analysis.
What is the easy mistake here?
A rotation you have not shopped for is a wish. Tie the list to the freezer and the store.