Clean-Eating Meal Plan for Beginners, Created by a Dietitian

This simple clean-eating meal plan lays out a week of recipes that work well for both beginners and seasoned cooks looking to simplify their routine and up their intake of healthy foods.

Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans. She's worked with clients who struggle with diabetes, weight loss, digestive issues and more. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying all that Vermont has to offer with her family and her dog, Winston.

Elizabeth Ward is a registered dietitian and award-winning nutrition communicator and writer. She has authored or co-authored 10 books for consumers about nutrition at all stages of life.

The term "clean eating" perhaps implies that other foods are "dirty," but in reality, that's not the case. To us, "clean eating" means filling your plate with nutritious whole foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats and legumes—all of which deliver important nutrients, like fiber—while keeping things like added sugars, sodium and saturated fats to a minimum, nutrients that can harm our health when we eat too much.

The goal is to help you feel your best, and sometimes you need a kick to get started. If you're new to cooking or just feeling swamped right now, this easy-to-follow meal plan is for you. We focus on simple recipes with short ingredient lists, incorporate plenty of pantry staples and repeat meals throughout the week to streamline your time in the kitchen.

How We Create Meal Plans

Registered dietitians thoughtfully create EatingWell’s meal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.

Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You

Whether you make one recipe or a few, this meal plan is meant to provide inspiration and motivation—it is not meant to be binding. Listen to your hunger and fullness cues rather than sticking to a specific calorie count or serving size, and don't totally ignore your cravings! It's completely OK and healthy to enjoy a sweet treat or glass of wine here and there, and not restricting these things can actually make it easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle in the long run.

This 1,500-calorie meal plan has modifications for 2,000 calories to support those with different calorie needs. While we previously included meal plans and modifications for 1,200 calories, we no longer do. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting your calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions

We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.

What Is a Clean-Eating Meal Plan?

A clean-eating meal plan includes tons of fresh fruits and veggies, high-fiber whole grains and legumes, healthy fats and lean proteins (like fish and chicken). It skips added sugars and minimizes sodium and saturated fats that can damage our hearts when we eat too much of them. While we are certainly not against sweets, according to the American Heart Association, the average American consumes way more added sugar than the recommended upper limit of 6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 for men. Often, a lot of the added sugar we consume comes from non-dessert foods, like cereals and bars. While we left these foods out of this plan, you can certainly add them back in where you see fit.

This plan will leave you feeling satisfied because it includes plenty of nutrients that keep us full, like fiber (from fruits, vegetables and legumes), lean proteins (from Greek yogurt, fish and chicken) and healthy fats (from nuts and avocado). Regular meals and snacks from nutritious sources, plenty of water to help you stay hydrated and moderate exercise throughout the week means more lasting energy.

What to Eat on a Clean-Eating Diet

• Vegetables: The more, the better, especially when it comes to leafy greens. Plain frozen vegetables are a great option too.
• Fruit: Opt for fresh or plain frozen fruit. If looking at canned fruit, opt for options canned in water or fruit juice instead of sugary syrup. Drain and rinse fruit canned in syrup.
• Whole Grains: Oats, whole-wheat bread, barley and quinoa are great options.
• Nuts and Seeds: Choose plain, raw, roasted or salted nuts but skip most other flavors (like honey) as they contain added sugars. When choosing peanut butter, opt for brands with just two ingredients: peanuts and salt.
• Healthy Fats: Fatty fish, like salmon, as well as olive oil, canola and avocado, are great healthy fat options.
• Legumes: Beans and lentils are high in fiber and protein, plus the canned options are convenient pantry staples.
• Lean Proteins: When choosing proteins, opt for more chicken, turkey, fish, low-fat Greek yogurt and legumes.

How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals:

A little prep at the beginning of the week goes a long way to make the rest of the week easy.

1. Make Vegan Superfood Grain Bowls to have for lunch on Days 2 through 5.
2. Prepare Citrus Vinaigrette to have with dinner throughout the week.

Day 1

Breakfast (490 calories)

• 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt (179 calories)
• 1/4 cup raspberries (19 calories)
• 3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts (292 calories)

A.M. Snack (77 calories)

• 1 medium orange

Lunch (360 calories)

• 1 serving White Bean & Veggie Salad