A beginner meal plan built on four numbers

By Chris Mann Dip.IOPN, Sports nutritionist and personal trainerChecked against published guidance 11 August 20267 min read

You do not need a diet with a name. Set your energy target, hit your protein, eat enough carbohydrate to train well, and keep meals repeatable enough that you do not have to think about them. Here is how to work out your numbers, a full day of normal food, and the portion cues to use when you have not weighed anything.

In short

A beginner meal plan needs four numbers: your daily energy target, protein of about 1.6 g per kilogram of bodyweight, enough carbohydrate to train well, and fat of at least 0.6 g per kilogram. Build three or four repeatable meals that hit those numbers using food you already like.

Estimate energy from bodyweight, then adjust from your real weekly weight trend rather than a calculator.
Protein is the number that matters most while you are gaining strength.
Change your food by no more than one meal at a time — repeatable beats perfect.
Use hand and plate portion cues when you have not weighed anything.

Before you start

This is general fitness and nutrition guidance for healthy adults aged 18 and over, not medical advice. Speak to a health professional first if you are pregnant or recently gave birth, recovering from surgery, injury or illness, taking medication, living with a heart, lung, metabolic or joint condition, or have a history of disordered eating.

If food or weight has stopped feeling straightforward

Targets and numbers help most people, but not everyone, and not at every point in their life. If counting food, weighing yourself or thinking about your body has become distressing or hard to control, put the numbers down and speak to someone: in the UK, Beat runs a helpline on 0808 801 0677 and your GP can help. If you cannot gain or lose weight despite genuinely changing what you eat over a couple of months, that is also worth a GP appointment rather than a stricter plan. This page is general information for healthy adults 18 and over, not medical advice.

How to set your calorie and protein targets

1. Estimate your daily energy need
Multiply your bodyweight in kilograms by 22 for a rough resting figure, then multiply that by 1.4 if you are mostly sitting and training two or three times a week, or 1.6 if you are on your feet most days. It is an estimate, not a verdict — you adjust it from real results.
2. Decide the direction, gently
To lose fat, take about 15 per cent off that figure. To gain muscle as a beginner, add about 10 to 15 per cent. Sharper changes than that cost you sleep, training quality and consistency without speeding much up.
3. Set protein first
Aim for 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, towards the higher end if you are eating less to lose fat. The evidence puts the point where extra protein stops helping at about 1.6 g/kg, and 2.2 g/kg is the cautious top of the uncertainty around that estimate rather than a better dose. Protein is the one target worth hitting every day.
4. Fill the rest with carbohydrate and fat you enjoy
Keep fat at roughly a quarter to a third of your calories and let carbohydrate take the remainder. Carbohydrate is what fuels your sets, so do not cut it on training days.

A simple day of meals

This day lands at roughly 130 grams of protein — a sensible target for someone around 70 kg. Scale the carbohydrate portions up or down to match your energy target.

Meal	Example	Protein
Breakfast	Greek yoghurt with oats, berries and a spoon of peanut butter	~30 g protein
Lunch	Chicken or tofu wrap with salad, plus a piece of fruit	~35 g protein
Snack	Cottage cheese or a protein shake with a banana	~25 g protein
Dinner	Salmon, mince or lentils with rice or potatoes and two veg	~40 g protein

Protein in common foods

Figures are approximate and rounded, based on typical cooked portions.

Food	Portion	Protein
Chicken breast, cooked	150 g	45 g
Salmon fillet, cooked	140 g	35 g
Lean beef mince, 5% fat, cooked	150 g	39 g
Greek yoghurt, 0% fat	200 g	20 g
Eggs	2 large	13 g
Cottage cheese	200 g	22 g
Firm tofu	200 g	24 g
Red lentils, cooked	200 g	18 g
Semi-skimmed milk	300 ml	10 g
Whey protein powder	1 scoop (30 g)	24 g

Food supports training, so pair this with beginner gym workout plan.

Portion cues when you are not weighing food

Protein: A palm-sized piece at each main meal
Carbohydrate: A cupped-handful of rice, pasta or potatoes, more on training days
Vegetables: Two fist-sized portions at lunch and dinner
Fats: A thumb-sized portion of oil, nuts, cheese or nut butter per meal

Beginner nutrition questions, answered

How many calories should a beginner eat?: Estimate your resting need as bodyweight in kilograms times 22, multiply by 1.4 to 1.6 for daily activity, then adjust by about 15 per cent down to lose fat or 10 per cent up to gain muscle. Track your weekly average bodyweight for two to three weeks and change the figure only if the trend is not going where you want.
How much protein does a beginner need to build muscle?: Between 1.6 and 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight a day is the range supported by the research for people doing resistance training, where 1.6 g/kg is the estimated point at which more protein stopped adding anything and 2.2 g/kg is the cautious upper edge of that estimate. Someone at 70 kg would aim for roughly 112 to 154 grams, spread across three or four meals.
Do I need to count every calorie?: No. Most beginners do better hitting a protein target, keeping meal structure consistent and using hand portions, then checking weekly weight trends. Detailed logging is a tool for when the trend stalls, not a permanent requirement.
Should I eat before or after training?: Both work. Have a meal containing carbohydrate and protein within a few hours either side of your session. If you train early, a small snack such as yoghurt and fruit beforehand is usually enough.
Do I need protein shakes?: No. They are convenient, not magic. If you reach your protein target from meals, a shake adds nothing, and if you struggle to, it is a cheap and easy way to close the gap.
Can I still eat takeaways and sweets?: Yes. Meeting your protein target and your overall energy total matters far more than avoiding any single food. Leaving room for meals you enjoy is what makes a plan last past week three.
How fast should I lose weight as a beginner?: Around 0.5 to 1 per cent of bodyweight a week is sustainable. Faster than that while learning to train usually means worse sessions, more muscle lost and a plan you abandon.