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2500-calorie meal plan

A seven-day plan at 2500 kcal, aimed at more active adults, larger frames, or anyone deliberately eating in a surplus. The portions are scaled up rather than piling on extra meals.

This is a template, not a prescription. It is generated to hit a round calorie target from a fixed recipe bank; it cannot see your energy needs, allergies, budget or any medical condition. Check it against your own target and adapt it — or ask a registered dietitian for a plan built for you.

2 500 kcaldaily target
2 490 kcalweek average
≈ 151 g/dayprotein
4meals a day

Higher energyFour meals a day

A 2500 kcal target is a lot of food for a small, sedentary person and barely enough for a large, very active one. Match it to your own expenditure rather than to a plan number.

The week at a glance

Seven days at a 2 500 kcal target. The day total shows the real figure and its gap from the target — portions are scaled to approach 2 500 kcal, not forced onto it.
DayBreakfastLunchDinnerSnackDay total
Day 1Cottage cheese on rye with cucumber
613 kcal · 45 g protein		Lentil and carrot soup
735 kcal · 37 g protein		Oven salmon with broccoli
858 kcal · 61 g protein		Tuna with cucumber
294 kcal · 33 g protein		2 500 kcal
176 g protein · +0 vs target
Day 2Rice porridge with apple and cinnamon
613 kcal · 12 g protein		Beef stir-fry with rice
735 kcal · 51 g protein		Beef steak with potatoes
858 kcal · 56 g protein		Almonds
294 kcal · 10 g protein		2 500 kcal
129 g protein · +0 vs target
Day 3Tofu scramble with pepper
613 kcal · 37 g protein		Tofu bowl with rice and veg
735 kcal · 35 g protein		Skillet cod with vegetables
840 kcal · 67 g protein		Edamame
294 kcal · 26 g protein		2 482 kcal
165 g protein · −18 vs target
Day 4Chia pudding with berries
595 kcal · 18 g protein		Chickpea bowl with quinoa
735 kcal · 29 g protein		Baked turkey with pepper
858 kcal · 70 g protein		Oat bar
294 kcal · 8 g protein		2 482 kcal
125 g protein · −18 vs target
Day 5Chickpea pancake with tomato and herbs
613 kcal · 27 g protein		Chicken with wholegrain pasta
735 kcal · 52 g protein		Tofu stir-fry with vegetables
858 kcal · 42 g protein		Berry smoothie
294 kcal · 9 g protein		2 500 kcal
130 g protein · +0 vs target
Day 6Buckwheat porridge with kefir and berries
613 kcal · 25 g protein		Baked cod with potatoes
735 kcal · 54 g protein		Lentil stew
858 kcal · 43 g protein		Yogurt with honey
294 kcal · 21 g protein		2 500 kcal
143 g protein · +0 vs target
Day 7Turkey and eggs with pepper
613 kcal · 51 g protein		Quinoa chicken bowl
735 kcal · 57 g protein		Roast pork with apple
858 kcal · 53 g protein		Cucumber with cottage cheese
263 kcal · 25 g protein		2 469 kcal
186 g protein · −31 vs target

Across the week this plan averages 2 490 kcal and 151 g of protein a day against its 2 500 kcal target. The day-to-day variation you can see in the table is normal and, for most goals, harmless: what matters is the average over a week, not whether any single day landed on the number.

Every recipe, written out

Each recipe appears once below with the portion this plan uses. A recipe that recurs during the week uses the same portion each time, so these are the amounts to cook.

Breakfast

🍞 Cottage cheese on rye with cucumber

613 kcal · 45 g protein · 58 g carbs · 16 g fat · no-cook · 5 min

You need: cottage cheese, 322 g; rye bread, 113 g; cucumber, 129 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Slice cucumber thin.
  2. 2. Spread cottage cheese on the rye.
  3. 3. Cucumber on top, pinch of salt.
  4. 4. Eat now so the bread stays firm.

Tip: Dill or pepper on top if you want.

🍚 Rice porridge with apple and cinnamon

613 kcal · 12 g protein · 119 g carbs · 6 g fat · pot · 17 min

You need: rice, 107 g; water, 429 g; apple, 184 g; cinnamon, 5 g; honey, 15 g.

  1. 1. Rinse the rice. Pot: rice + water.
  2. 2. Simmer covered 10–12 min until the water is gone and the grain is soft.
  3. 3. Grate the apple in, stir 1 min.
  4. 4. Cinnamon and honey on top. Plate it.

Tip: Leftover goes in the fridge; tomorrow a splash of water and reheat.

🧈 Tofu scramble with pepper

613 kcal · 37 g protein · 24 g carbs · 37 g fat · pan · 14 min

You need: tofu, 306 g; bell pepper, 136 g; onion, 68 g; olive oil, 17 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Press tofu dry with a towel. Crumble by hand.
  2. 2. Medium pan, oil. Onion and pepper 3 min.
  3. 3. Add tofu. Fry 4–5 min until the edges turn gold.
  4. 4. Salt. Plate at once.

Tip: A pinch of turmeric gives an egg-yolk colour.

🥥 Chia pudding with berries

595 kcal · 18 g protein · 49 g carbs · 35 g fat · no-cook · 5 min

You need: chia seeds, 53 g; oat drink, 315 g; berries, 140 g; honey, 14 g.

  1. 1. Stir chia and oat drink in a jar.
  2. 2. Wait 5 min, stir again — or it clumps.
  3. 3. Fridge at least 20 min (better overnight).
  4. 4. Berries and honey on top. Ready when a spoon stands up.

Tip: Too thick? Add 2 tbsp drink.

🥞 Chickpea pancake with tomato and herbs

613 kcal · 27 g protein · 72 g carbs · 18 g fat · pan · 16 min

You need: chickpea flour, 105 g; water, 179 g; tomato, 120 g; olive oil, 12 g; herbs, 7 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Mix flour, water and salt to a lump-free batter. Rest 5 min.
  2. 2. Medium pan, oil. Pour a even round.
  3. 3. Cook 3–4 min until edges are dry and the base is gold. Flip.
  4. 4. Second side 2 min. Plate, tomato and herbs on top.

Tip: Batter should be like thick cream.

🥣 Buckwheat porridge with kefir and berries

613 kcal · 25 g protein · 97 g carbs · 9 g fat · pot · 15 min

You need: buckwheat, 110 g; water, 346 g; kefir, 236 g; berries, 126 g.

  1. 1. Rinse the buckwheat.
  2. 2. Simmer covered 8–10 min until the grain is soft and the water is gone.
  3. 3. Bowl it, pour kefir over.
  4. 4. Berries on top. Eat warm.

Tip: You can swap kefir for skyr.

🦃 Turkey and eggs with pepper

613 kcal · 51 g protein · 24 g carbs · 32 g fat · pan · 16 min

You need: turkey, 133 g; eggs, 160 g; bell pepper, 93 g; olive oil, 11 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Cut turkey into strips.
  2. 2. Medium-high pan, oil. Fry meat 4 min until the surface is light brown.
  3. 3. Add pepper 2 min.
  4. 4. Crack eggs in. Stir 2 min until the egg is set but still moist.

Tip: Do not cook the egg dry.

Lunch

🍲 Lentil and carrot soup

735 kcal · 37 g protein · 95 g carbs · 12 g fat · pot · 35 min

You need: lentils, 138 g; carrot, 184 g; onion, 92 g; garlic, 8 g; olive oil, 12 g; water, 1072 g.

  1. 1. Chop onion, carrot, garlic.
  2. 2. Pot on medium, oil. Fry 4 min.
  3. 3. Add lentils and water. Simmer 20 min until the lentils are soft.
  4. 4. Salt. Blend half if you want it thicker. Serve hot.

Tip: A squeeze of lemon at the end wakes the soup up.

🥩 Beef stir-fry with rice

735 kcal · 51 g protein · 61 g carbs · 25 g fat · pan · 20 min

You need: beef, 190 g; rice, 89 g; bell pepper, 127 g; onion, 63 g; soy sauce, 15 g; olive oil, 10 g.

  1. 1. Boil rice 12 min, drain.
  2. 2. Slice beef thin, pat dry.
  3. 3. Pan very hot, oil. Meat 90 s, set aside.
  4. 4. Veg 3 min. Meat back, soy 30 s. Plate with rice.

Tip: A hot pan matters more than a long fry.

🥡 Tofu bowl with rice and veg

735 kcal · 35 g protein · 82 g carbs · 24 g fat · pan · 20 min

You need: tofu, 235 g; rice, 103 g; broccoli, 176 g; carrot, 118 g; olive oil, 15 g; soy sauce, 15 g.

  1. 1. Boil rice 12 min. Broccoli and carrot 4 min.
  2. 2. Press tofu dry, cube it.
  3. 3. Medium-high pan, oil. Tofu 6–7 min, turn until all sides are brown.
  4. 4. Soy 20 s. Bowl: rice, veg, tofu.

Tip: The drier the tofu, the crisper it gets.

🫘 Chickpea bowl with quinoa

735 kcal · 29 g protein · 92 g carbs · 23 g fat · pan · 18 min

You need: chickpeas, 231 g; quinoa, 87 g; tomato, 115 g; cucumber, 115 g; olive oil, 14 g; lemon, 14 g.

  1. 1. Rinse quinoa. Simmer 12 min, drain.
  2. 2. Drain chickpeas, pat dry.
  3. 3. Medium pan, oil. Chickpeas 6 min until the skins blister.
  4. 4. Bowl quinoa, chickpeas, tomato, cucumber. Oil and lemon.

Tip: A pinch of cinnamon on the chickpeas is good.

🍝 Chicken with wholegrain pasta

735 kcal · 52 g protein · 77 g carbs · 20 g fat · pot · 22 min

You need: chicken breast, 187 g; wholegrain pasta, 100 g; tomato sauce, 150 g; garlic, 6 g; olive oil, 10 g; herbs, 5 g.

  1. 1. Boil pasta in salted water 1 min less than the pack. Drain, keep 2 tbsp water.
  2. 2. Fry chicken in oil 6 min until gold and white inside.
  3. 3. Garlic 20 s, tomato sauce 2 min.
  4. 4. Pasta and pasta water in. Toss 1 min. Herbs.

Tip: Pasta water makes the sauce glossy.

🐟 Baked cod with potatoes

735 kcal · 54 g protein · 62 g carbs · 23 g fat · oven · 30 min

You need: cod, 240 g; potato, 283 g; olive oil, 14 g; lemon, 17 g; herbs, 6 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Oven 200 °C. Potato slices with oil and salt on a tray, 12 min.
  2. 2. Pat the cod dry, salt, lemon on top.
  3. 3. Fish next to the potatoes. Another 8–10 min.
  4. 4. Done when the fish flakes and a fork goes into the potato.

Tip: Do not overbake the fish — 10 min is usually enough.

🐔 Quinoa chicken bowl

735 kcal · 57 g protein · 63 g carbs · 22 g fat · pan · 26 min

You need: chicken breast, 204 g; quinoa, 82 g; bell pepper, 109 g; cucumber, 82 g; olive oil, 11 g; lemon, 14 g.

  1. 1. Simmer quinoa 12 min, drain, cool a little.
  2. 2. Fry chicken 6 min until gold.
  3. 3. Chop pepper and cucumber.
  4. 4. Everything in a bowl, oil and lemon, toss.

Tip: Cooled quinoa does not clump.

Dinner

🐟 Oven salmon with broccoli

858 kcal · 61 g protein · 43 g carbs · 43 g fat · oven · 24 min

You need: salmon fillet, 260 g; broccoli, 276 g; olive oil, 15 g; lemon, 18 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Oven 200 °C. Broccoli with oil and salt on a tray.
  2. 2. Pat salmon dry, salt, lemon. Next to the broccoli.
  3. 3. Bake 14–16 min.
  4. 4. Done when the salmon flakes and the broccoli edges are brown.

Tip: Thick fillet +2 min, thin −2 min.

🥩 Beef steak with potatoes

858 kcal · 56 g protein · 59 g carbs · 35 g fat · pan · 28 min

You need: beef, 228 g; potato, 295 g; olive oil, 13 g; garlic, 7 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Boil potatoes 12 min, drain.
  2. 2. Meat to room temp, pat dry, salt.
  3. 3. Pan very hot, oil. Steak 3 min per side (medium). Do not move it before flipping.
  4. 4. Garlic 20 s. Rest meat 4 min. Potatoes on the side.

Tip: Slice against the grain or it is chewy.

🐟 Skillet cod with vegetables

840 kcal · 67 g protein · 42 g carbs · 32 g fat · pan · 20 min

You need: cod, 315 g; bell pepper, 175 g; onion, 88 g; olive oil, 18 g; lemon, 18 g.

  1. 1. Pat the cod dry, salt.
  2. 2. Medium pan, oil. Veg 4 min. Set aside.
  3. 3. Fish 3 min, flip 2–3 min. Done when it flakes.
  4. 4. Veg back, lemon on top.

Tip: Fish sticks if the pan is not hot enough.

🦃 Baked turkey with pepper

858 kcal · 70 g protein · 51 g carbs · 29 g fat · oven · 30 min

You need: turkey, 286 g; bell pepper, 238 g; onion, 95 g; olive oil, 16 g; herbs, 6 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Oven 200 °C.
  2. 2. Turkey and veg with oil, salt, herbs on a tray.
  3. 3. Bake 18–20 min.
  4. 4. Done when the meat juices are clear and the pepper is soft.

Tip: Turkey dries out easily — do not leave it longer.

🥡 Tofu stir-fry with vegetables

858 kcal · 42 g protein · 84 g carbs · 35 g fat · pan · 20 min

You need: tofu, 315 g; rice, 123 g; broccoli, 210 g; bell pepper, 140 g; soy sauce, 21 g; olive oil, 18 g.

  1. 1. Boil rice 12 min.
  2. 2. Tofu dry, cubes. Fry 6 min until crisp. Set aside.
  3. 3. Veg in the same pan 4 min.
  4. 4. Tofu back, soy 30 s. Plate with rice.

Tip: No lid — or the tofu goes soft.

🍲 Lentil stew

858 kcal · 43 g protein · 112 g carbs · 16 g fat · pot · 38 min

You need: lentils, 165 g; carrot, 165 g; onion, 115 g; tomato sauce, 231 g; olive oil, 13 g; garlic, 8 g.

  1. 1. Fry onion, carrot, garlic 5 min.
  2. 2. Add lentils, sauce and 400 ml water.
  3. 3. Low heat 25 min until lentils are soft and the liquid is thick.
  4. 4. Salt. Eat hot from a bowl.

Tip: If it dries, add water, not oil.

🥩 Roast pork with apple

858 kcal · 53 g protein · 55 g carbs · 36 g fat · oven · 32 min

You need: pork, 235 g; apple, 166 g; potato, 249 g; olive oil, 14 g; herbs, 6 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Oven 200 °C.
  2. 2. Pork, potato and apple slices with oil and salt on a tray.
  3. 3. Bake 20–22 min.
  4. 4. Done when the meat centre is 70 °C and the apple is soft.

Tip: The apple keeps the pork juicy.

Snack

🥒 Tuna with cucumber

294 kcal · 33 g protein · 7 g carbs · 13 g fat · no-cook · 4 min

You need: tuna, 131 g; cucumber, 163 g; lemon, 10 g.

  1. 1. Drain the tuna.
  2. 2. Slice cucumber, bowl with tuna and lemon.
  3. 3. Toss, eat.

Tip: A good salty snack instead of sweet.

🥜 Almonds

294 kcal · 10 g protein · 10 g carbs · 26 g fat · no-cook · 1 min

You need: almonds, 44 g.

  1. 1. Count 20–22 almonds (about 30 g). Eat slowly.

Tip: Do not eat from the bag — the portion disappears.

🟢 Edamame

294 kcal · 26 g protein · 20 g carbs · 10 g fat · pot · 9 min

You need: edamame, 196 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Boil pods 5–6 min in salted water.
  2. 2. Drain. Salt on top.
  3. 3. Squeeze beans out with your teeth. Do not eat the pod.

Tip: Frozen straight into water, do not thaw.

🍫 Oat bar

294 kcal · 8 g protein · 39 g carbs · 11 g fat · no-cook · 1 min

You need: oat bar, 70 g.

  1. 1. Open and eat. Have water with it.

Tip: Check sugar — pick under 10 g per bar.

🥤 Berry smoothie

294 kcal · 9 g protein · 50 g carbs · 6 g fat · blend · 4 min

You need: berries, 186 g; banana, 93 g; oat drink, 232 g.

  1. 1. Everything in the blender.
  2. 2. Blend 30 s. Drink now.

Tip: If too thick, a splash more oat drink.

🍯 Yogurt with honey

294 kcal · 21 g protein · 31 g carbs · 7 g fat · no-cook · 2 min

You need: Greek yogurt, 311 g; honey, 17 g.

  1. 1. Yogurt in a bowl, honey on top. Stir. Eat.

Tip: Go easy on the honey — the yogurt already carries it.

🥒 Cucumber with cottage cheese

263 kcal · 25 g protein · 11 g carbs · 11 g fat · no-cook · 3 min

You need: cucumber, 210 g; cottage cheese, 175 g; salt and pepper, 5 g.

  1. 1. Slice the cucumber.
  2. 2. Cottage cheese on top, pinch of salt.
  3. 3. Eat.

Tip: Dill fits.

Shopping list for the week

Every ingredient across all seven days, added up. Quantities are in grams to match the recipes; round up to the nearest pack when you shop.

Produce

IngredientTotal for the week
Bell pepper1.02 kg
Potato827 g
Cucumber699 g
Broccoli662 g
Onion521 g
Carrot467 g
Berries452 g
Apple350 g
Tomato235 g
Banana93 g
Lemon91 g
Herbs30 g
Garlic29 g

Meat and fish

IngredientTotal for the week
Cod555 g
Turkey419 g
Beef418 g
Chicken breast391 g
Salmon fillet260 g
Pork235 g
Tuna131 g

Dairy and eggs

IngredientTotal for the week
Cottage cheese497 g
Greek yogurt311 g
Kefir236 g
Eggs160 g

Plant proteins

IngredientTotal for the week
Tofu856 g
Lentils303 g
Chickpeas231 g
Edamame196 g
Chickpea flour105 g
Almonds44 g

Grains and bread

IngredientTotal for the week
Rice422 g
Quinoa169 g
Rye bread113 g
Buckwheat110 g
Wholegrain pasta100 g
Oat bar70 g
Chia seeds53 g

Pantry

IngredientTotal for the week
Oat drink547 g
Tomato sauce381 g
Olive oil233 g
Salt and pepper55 g
Soy sauce51 g
Honey46 g
Cinnamon5 g

Source: Recipes, portions and macros: TempoLife recipe bank (lib/recipe_bank.php), the same tested data the in-app meal planner uses · checked 2026-09-02

Frequently asked questions

How many calories is the 2500-calorie meal plan?

It targets 2 500 kcal a day and works out to about 2 490 kcal on average across the week, with 151 g of protein. Each day's real total is in the table above — portions are scaled to approach the target, not forced to hit it exactly.

Do I have to follow it in order?

No. The days are interchangeable and any meal can be swapped for another recipe in the same slot. The plan is a template; the order is just a way to spread variety across the week.

Is the shopping list for the whole week?

Yes. The list at the bottom adds up every ingredient across all seven days, so it is a single shop for the week. Quantities are in grams to match the recipes.

Other plans

1500-calorie plan

A lighter day around 1500 kcal, kept to four small meals so it does not feel like a starvation plan.

1 500 kcal · Weight loss

1800-calorie plan

A middle-of-the-road day at 1800 kcal — a common maintenance level for smaller adults and a gentle deficit for many others.

1 800 kcal · Moderate

2000-calorie plan

The 2000 kcal day used as the reference on food labels — a realistic maintenance level for many adults.

2 000 kcal · Reference

High-protein plan

A 2000 kcal week that leans on the highest-protein recipes in the bank — useful when training or losing weight.

2 000 kcal · Protein

16:8 time-restricted plan

A 2000 kcal day packed into an eight-hour eating window — no breakfast, a midday first meal, dinner and one snack.

2 000 kcal · Time-restricted

Vegetarian plan

A 2000 kcal week with no meat or fish — eggs, dairy, legumes, tofu and grains carry the protein.

2 000 kcal · No meat or fish

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