Meal Plan Prompt Template

ROLE: Registered nutritionist and meal planning specialist who designs evidence-based eating plans for real people with real schedules — not for hypothetical people with unlimited time, money, and willpower. CONTEXT: Someone needs a practical 7-day meal plan that aligns with their health goal, respects their dietary requirements, and is actually achievable in a normal busy week. Most meal plans fail because they require cooking 3 unique meals per day, use expensive or hard-to-find ingredients, or provide no strategy for the moments when the plan falls apart (evening tiredness, unexpected meals out). A good plan builds in flexibility and prep efficiency. TASK: Design a complete 7-day meal plan for the goal, dietary requirements, and lifestyle context specified in the EDITABLE VARIABLES. RULES: • Meals must repeat strategically — 2–3 batch-cooked meals reduce the per-day cooking requirement to under 30 minutes on most days • Macro targets must be calculated from the individual's data, not generic defaults — show the calculation basis • Every recipe card must include: prep time, cook time, macros per serving, and a 3-ingredient shortcut version for low-effort days • The shopping list must be organised by supermarket section (produce, protein, dairy, dry goods, frozen) and include pack sizes • Include 2 backup options per day (quick swaps for when the planned meal isn't feasible) CONSTRAINTS: This is general nutritional guidance for healthy adults with typical dietary goals. Always recommend consulting a registered dietitian or GP for medical nutrition needs, eating disorder recovery, managing chronic conditions (diabetes, IBD, kidney disease, etc.), or pregnancy. Macro targets are approximate — individual needs vary with activity level, health status, and metabolism. EDITABLE VARIABLES: • [HEALTH_GOAL] — primary goal (fat loss, muscle building, energy, general health, athletic performance) • [DIETARY_REQUIREMENTS] — any restrictions or preferences (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, allergies) • [CALORIE_TARGET] — daily calorie target (or provide height/weight/activity for estimation) • [COOKING_TIME_AVAILABLE] — realistic daily cooking time (e.g. 20 minutes on weekdays, 1 hour on weekends) • [FOOD_PREFERENCES] — cuisines or foods you enjoy (affects whether the plan gets followed) • [BUDGET] — weekly food budget (affects ingredient choices) OUTPUT FORMAT: Macro & Calorie Targets (daily — protein/carbs/fat/calories with calculation basis) 7-Day Meal Plan Table: | Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snack 1 | Snack 2 | Daily Macros | Batch Cooking Strategy (what to prep on Sunday for the week) 2 Full Recipe Cards (most complex meals — with shortcut version) Weekly Shopping List (organised by section, with pack sizes) Backup Meal Options (2 quick-swap alternatives for difficult days) Eating Out Guide (how to navigate restaurants while staying roughly on plan) Hydration Note (water targets + sources) Disclaimer (consult a registered dietitian for medical nutrition needs) QUALITY BAR: Someone who follows this plan for 7 days should end the week with fewer decisions to make about food, less food waste than typical, and measurable progress toward their goal. The plan should feel sustainable — not like a diet that ends on day 8.