This 4-Week Healthy Meal Plan is FREE for everyone and includes a done-for-you Grocery List and everything you need to have four weeks of healthy, fresh, high-protein dinners ready to go! The recipes included in this free meal plan are flavorful, simple, nutritious, and family-friendly. You can use this meal plan any time of the year, but it is especially great for summer since it calls for in-season summer foods and features many grilling recipes.
This meal plan was created in partnership with the Minnesota Beef Council and the Minnesota Pork Board.
What Is A Healthy Summer Meal Plan?
The 4-Week Healthy Eating Meal Plan includes four weeks of healthy recipes planned for you and created by registered dietitians. The meal plan consists of 4 healthy dinners each week (with weekly grocery lists) plus suggestions for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. If you are a family of 4 or less, then the dinner recipes also provide enough leftovers to be used for easy lunches during the week.
This meal plan is meant to be flexible in order to fit your lifestyle and preferences. We leave breakfasts, lunches, and snacks open for you to plan because we know that many individuals have their go-to’s when it comes to these meals. For example, you could enjoy a smoothie or baked oatmeal for breakfast every morning and a big salad or leftovers for lunch. We want this plan to work for you, so we’ve kept it flexible and easy to follow.
Our ultimate goal with this meal plan is that it is realistic for you to follow and that it doesn’t require you to make a new recipe for every meal of the day. We’ve instead decided to focus on the biggest pain point when it comes to meal planning – dinners that work and everyone looks forward to eating!
What You Get In This Free Summer Meal Plan
In this 4-Week Healthy Summer Meal Plan you’ll get:
- 4 delicious, family-friendly dinner recipes each week – to make in whatever way works best for you – whether that’s weekend batch-cooking, prepping some of the ingredients ahead so they’re ready when you are, or making the recipes start to finish on each day as you go
- Weekly grocery shopping list – one new grocery list for each of the four weeks in the plan featuring summery ingredients
- Suggestions for healthy breakfasts, lunches, and snacks
- Flexibility – we’ve built in days for using leftovers, making your own favorite recipes, or even getting takeout or delivery (because we all like a break from cooking once in a while). Feel free to move days around, double a recipe or two so you have more leftovers, or swap out some of the recipes altogether to use your family’s favorites.
- BYOM – On Sunday’s it’s a “Build Your Own Meal (BYOM)”. We encourage you to use what you have leftover from the week.
- All recipes are high protein, high fiber, and gluten-free and have suggestions for other dietary modifications
- An optional 4-Week Workout Plan that you could pair with this meal plan for four weeks of planned fitness and healthful eating (aka: your best summer!)
Also! Get 4 Weeks Of Planned Workouts
Looking for a 4-Week Workout Challenge to Go Along with Your 4-Week Summer Meal Plan? We’ve got you covered! You can’t beat the feeling of eating well and moving your body on a regular basis and sometimes it takes a good challenge to make it a habit. We’ve partnered with our friend Lindsey Bomgren of Nourish Move Love to provide a 4-Week Workout Challenge that coordinates with this 4-Week Meal Plan.
Nourish Move Love Workouts:
- Are totally free and accessible to all fitness levels
- Require minimal equipment and can be done in the comfort of your own home
- Include full-length follow-along videos for each workout where Lindsey and team demonstrate every exercise and provides suggestions for modifications
Who Is This Free Summer Meal Plan For?
This healthy summer meal plan is for free for anyone and perfect for someone who wants to take the guesswork out of healthy meal planning.
Our recipes are designed to be short on ingredients but big on flavor and easy enough for anyone to make. All of the recipes are gluten-free and we give suggestions for making them dairy-free whenever possible – but feel free to make your own ingredient swaps to suit your needs or use what you have on hand. This meal plan is also high in fiber and protein, and features in-season ingredients for summer.
We’re here to make healthy eating doable and fun – and this 4-Week Healthy Meal Plan is the perfect way to help you feel better inside out and on your way to achieving your goals of healthy and homemade dinners at home, saving you money and improving health.
Nutrition Benefits Of Beef
Beef is a highly nutritious ingredient that we incorporate into our own weekly meal plans. Here are some of the nutrition highlights of beef:
- A 3-ounce serving of beef contains 25 grams and 10 essential nutrients
- Beef is one of the richest sources of iron and it provides four essential vitamins (niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12), and many cuts are certified as heart-healthy by the American Heart Association
- An excellent source of zinc, which is necessary to support hair, skin, and nail health, as well as cognitive function, fertility, and reproduction
Summer Meal Plan Week 1
Here’s what’s on the menu for your Week 1 Dinners. Within the meal plan, click on the recipe images to be taken to the recipe blog post, or click on the links below to access each recipe.
- Monday (Day 1) – Grilled Pork Tenderloin With Pineapple Salsa | Total Time: 45 minutes | Serves: 4 | Tender seasoned pork tenderloin gets grilled and topped with fresh pineapple salsa | Serve with rice and garnish with cilantro and lime
- Tuesday (Day 2) – Grilled Steak Kebabs | Total Time: 25 minutes (plus marinating time) | A high-protein grilled dinner with BBQ flavors | Serves: 4 | May sub in other veggies, such as zucchini or cherry tomatoes, if desired
- Wednesday (Day 3) – Summer Pasta Salad with Chicken and Berries | Total Time: 30 minutes | Serves: 8 | A fresh and light easy meal that features in-season berries and summery flavors | Cook the chicken and pasta ahead of time for quick assembly
- Thursday (Day 4) – Leftovers
- Friday (Day 5) – Greek Quinoa Salad with Avocado | Total Time: 10 minutes | Serves: 4 as a main dish | Only 10 minutes to assemble when the quinoa is cooked ahead of time | Optional to add cooked chicken, shrimp, or chickpeas for more protein, if desired
- Saturday (Day 6) – Leftovers or Takeout
- Sunday (Day 7) – Build Your Own Meal (use up any leftovers from the week)
Nutrition Benefits of Pork
Yes, pork can definitely be part of a healthful eating plan, and we often include pork in our own weekly meal plans. Here are some of the nutrition benefits of pork:
- an excellent protein source that contains all essential amino acids for building and repairing muscles and body tissue from everyday wear and tear. Lean cuts of pork, such as the tenderloin or pork chop, for example, contain 24 g of protein per 3 oz serving
- pork is a good source of certain B vitamins (needed to convert food to energy and promote immunity) as well as key minerals (to help regulate body fluids)
- pork that you buy to eat is always free of added hormones. Hormones are not approved for use in pigs raised for meat, therefore all the pork you buy at the store is without added hormones
Summer Meal Plan Week 2
Here’s what’s on the menu for your Week 2 Dinners. Within the meal plan, click on the recipe images to be taken to the recipe blog post, or click on the links below to access each recipe.
- Monday (Day 8) – Grilled Honey Garlic Pork Chops with Quinoa Kale Salad with Blueberries | Total Time to make both recipes is around 1 hour | Serves: 4-6 | The fresh salad tastes great paired with these easy grilled pork chops that get topped with honey mustard sauce | Prep the marinade, sauce, quinoa, and the olive oil-lemon juice vinaigrette ahead of time
- Tuesday (Day 9) – Easy Thai-Inspired Steak Salad | Total Time: 35 minutes | Serves: 4 | This summery grilled salad delivers a satisfying punch of flavor, protein, and fiber in a quick dinner you’ll love to put together | Once you taste the flavor in this one, it will become a regular weeknight dinner in your rotation
- Wednesday (Day 10) – Grilled Salmon Kebabs with Creamy Curry Yogurt Sauce | Total Time: 25 minutes | Serves: 4 | Will become one of your go-to summer recipes | A delicious way to enjoy salmon | Optional: Turn them into salmon tacos by serving them in corn or flour tortillas topped with slaw and the creamy yogurt sauce
- Thursday (Day 11) – Leftovers
- Friday (Day 12) – Strawberry Spinach Salad with Chicken | Total Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 4 | A stunning main-dish salad that features chicken, spinach, plus strawberries and goat cheese (or feta)
- Saturday (Day 13) – Leftovers or Takeout
- Sunday (Day 14) – Build Your Own Meal (use up any leftovers from the week)
Summer Meal Plan Week 3
Here’s what’s on the menu for your Week 3 Dinners. Within the meal plan, click on the recipe images to be taken to the recipe blog post, or click on the links below to access each recipe.
- Monday (Day 15) – Grilled Pork Burgers With Creamy Thai-Inspired Slaw | Total Time: 30 minutes | Serves: 4 | Juicy and tender pork burgers featuring Thai flavors of ginger, garlic, jalapeño, and lime | A flavorful burger recipe the whole family will love | Don’t skip the delicious slaw with a creamy Thai peanut dressing
- Tuesday (Day 16) – Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri with Quinoa Arugula Salad with Peaches | Total Time for both recipes: about 1 hour | Serves: 5 | A fresh arugula salad topped with farmers market peaches is the perfect side dish for tender grilled steak and an herby sauce for drizzling
- Wednesday (Day 17) – Teriyaki Salmon Bowls | Total Time: 30 minutes | Serves: 4 | A nutrient-dense salmon dinner that will be one of your favorite new recipes in this meal plan | Meal prep the rice and other salad components ahead of time, if desired
- Thursday (Day 18) – Leftovers
- Friday (Day 19) – Greek Chicken Kebabs | Total Time: 60 minutes | Serves: 4 | Meal prep the marinade and marinate the chicken ahead of time for faster weeknight dinner | Keep it low-carb or serve with cooked rice, cooked orzo, or a fresh summer salad
- Saturday (Day 20) – Leftovers or Takeout
- Sunday (Day 21) – Build Your Own Meal (use up any leftovers from the week)
Summer Meal Plan Week 4
Here’s what’s on the menu for your Week 4 Dinners. Within the meal plan, click on the recipe images to be taken to the recipe blog post, or click on the links below to access each recipe.
- Monday (Day 22) – Grilled Pork Kebabs with Peanut Sauce | Total Time: 35 minutes | Serves: 4 | Easy to prep ahead, if desired, for an effortless healthy recipe | Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro and lime
- Tuesday (Day 23) – Mediterranean Steak Bowls | Total Time: 45 minutes | Serves: 4 | Tender sliced grilled steak sits atop bowls of crunchy crispy lettuce, creamy hummus, and grilled fajita veggies | Grill steaks ahead of time while grilling other foods for this week of the summer meal plan
- Wednesday (Day 24) – Grilled Shrimp Tacos With Mango-Avocado Salsa | Total Time: 30 minutes | Serves: 4 | A little smoky, a little spicy, and a little sweet, these shrimp tacos grill steaks and prep dressing ahead for faster assembly | If you’d rather cook inside, this can be converted to a sheet pan meal or the shrimp can be cooked in an air fryer
- Thursday (Day 25) – Leftovers
- Friday (Day 26) – Creamy BBQ Chicken Salad | Total Time: 40 minutes | Serves: 4 | A satisfying salad made with tender chicken, smoked almonds, juicy cherry tomatoes, sweet corn kernels, curly kale, and onion all toasted together with mayonnaise and BBQ sauce. A great way to use up leftover chicken!
- Saturday (Day 27) – Leftovers or Takeout
- Sunday (Day 28) – Build Your Own Meal (use up any leftovers from the week)
Add These: Breakfast, Lunch & Snack Recipes
Here are some meal suggestions for your breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. They would make great additions to your 4-week meal plan.
Pair This Meal Plan With A 4-Week Workout Challenge
We’ve made it easy for you to pair this free healthy meal plan with a free daily workout. Our friends at Nourish Move Love have crafted a thoughtful workout challenge that will get you moving every day and feeling good. Every workout includes a free guided video and a huge virtual community to support you.
Pin It Now To Reference Later
This is a sponsored post. Although we received compensation for this post, the opinions expressed here are – as always – 100% our own. Thank you for supporting the great companies we work with thereby allowing us to continue creating high-quality recipes and content for you.
About our sponsors: The Minnesota Beef Council is dedicated to strengthening beef demand by responsibly providing a safe, wholesome, healthy, and delicious eating experience. The Minnesota Pork Board oversees research, education, and promotion of pork and pork farmers in Minnesota.
For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words. Link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!
