7-Day 1800 Calorie Meal Plan (With Grocery List) — 2026

Updated September 2026

An 1800 calorie meal plan sits in the useful middle ground of calorie targets — a moderate deficit for many adults whose maintenance is around 2,200–2,400 calories, and close to maintenance for many smaller or less active adults. This guide lays out a full 7-day 1800 calorie menu with per-meal calories and protein, a complete grocery list, and a way to generate a personalised version automatically.

Worth knowing: 1800 calories is a common target, not a prescription. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans estimate adult needs at roughly 1,600–2,400 calories a day for women and 2,000–3,000 for men, depending on age and activity. For guidance specific to you — especially around a medical condition, pregnancy, or a significant weight goal — talk to a doctor or registered dietitian.

The 7-Day 1800 Calorie Meal Plan at a Glance

Each day lands at approximately 1,800 calories with roughly 90–110g of protein. The daily breakdowns below show per-meal calories, so you can swap a meal from one day into another without losing the total.

How this plan was built: the FoodiePrep team assembled this menu around whole foods, a filling dinner every night, and enough protein at each meal to keep hunger quiet on a moderate deficit. Calorie and protein figures are estimates rounded for readability — exact values depend on portions, brands, and swaps. FoodiePrep (foodieprep.ai) can build a plan like this automatically: give it an 1800-calorie target and it splits the target across the day's meals, portioning each recipe to hit the numbers. Not sure 1,800 is your number? Work out your own target with our free calorie calculator, then let the AI meal planner build the week around it.

Day 1 — approx. 1,800 kcal, 111g protein

• Breakfast: Cinnamon apple porridge (~400 kcal, 15g protein) — Oats simmered in milk with grated apple, cinnamon, and a spoonful of chopped walnuts.
• Lunch: Chicken and hummus grain bowl (~500 kcal, 38g protein) — Grilled chicken over bulgur wheat with cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and a scoop of hummus.
• Snack: Skyr with berries (~200 kcal, 18g protein) — Thick, high-protein yogurt with a handful of mixed berries.
• Dinner: Garlic prawn linguine with rocket (~700 kcal, 40g protein) — Prawns tossed through linguine with garlic, chilli, lemon, and olive oil, finished with peppery rocket.

Day 2 — approx. 1,800 kcal, 98g protein

• Breakfast: Smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel (~420 kcal, 24g protein) — A toasted wholegrain bagel with light cream cheese, smoked salmon, and a squeeze of lemon.
• Lunch: Black bean and sweetcorn quesadilla (~520 kcal, 24g protein) — A crisp tortilla filled with black beans, sweetcorn, and cheese, served with salsa.
• Snack: Banana with almond butter (~230 kcal, 5g protein) — One banana, one tablespoon of almond butter.
• Dinner: Chicken tikka traybake with basmati rice (~630 kcal, 45g protein) — Yogurt-marinated chicken roasted with peppers and red onion, served over basmati with a spoon of raita.

Day 3 — approx. 1,800 kcal, 106g protein

• Breakfast: Spinach and feta egg muffins with toast (~400 kcal, 26g protein) — Three baked egg muffins with a slice of wholegrain toast. Batch them on Sunday.
• Lunch: Beef and barley soup with a roll (~480 kcal, 30g protein) — A chunky, filling soup of lean beef, pearl barley, and root vegetables.
• Snack: Cottage cheese on rye crackers (~220 kcal, 18g protein) — Topped with sliced cucumber and black pepper.
• Dinner: Sesame tofu stir-fry with rice noodles (~700 kcal, 32g protein) — Crispy tofu with pak choi, peppers, and rice noodles in a soy-ginger-sesame sauce.

Day 4 — approx. 1,800 kcal, 101g protein

• Breakfast: Peanut butter toast with banana (~430 kcal, 16g protein) — Two slices of wholegrain toast, peanut butter, sliced banana, and a glass of milk.
• Lunch: Greek chicken salad with feta and pitta (~520 kcal, 40g protein) — Chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and feta with a warm wholemeal pitta.
• Snack: Roasted chickpeas (~200 kcal, 9g protein) — Oven-crisped with smoked paprika.
• Dinner: Sausage and white bean casserole (~650 kcal, 36g protein) — Good-quality sausages braised with cannellini beans, tomatoes, and kale.

Day 5 — approx. 1,800 kcal, 98g protein

• Breakfast: Mango chia pudding with yogurt (~380 kcal, 18g protein) — Chia seeds soaked overnight in milk, layered with Greek yogurt and chopped mango.
• Lunch: Egg and cress sandwich with fruit (~500 kcal, 24g protein) — A classic on wholegrain bread with an apple on the side.
• Snack: Edamame with rice cakes (~220 kcal, 14g protein) — Steamed, salted edamame and two rice cakes.
• Dinner: Lamb kofta with couscous and tomato salad (~700 kcal, 42g protein) — Spiced lamb kofta over lemony couscous with tomato-cucumber salad and mint yogurt.

Day 6 — approx. 1,800 kcal, 102g protein

• Breakfast: Mushroom and cheese omelette with toast (~430 kcal, 28g protein) — A three-egg omelette with sautéed mushrooms, a little cheddar, and wholegrain toast.
• Lunch: Prawn and avocado brown rice bowl (~520 kcal, 30g protein) — Prawns, avocado, shredded carrot, and cucumber over brown rice with a lime-soy dressing.
• Snack: Pear with walnuts (~220 kcal, 4g protein) — One pear, a small handful of walnuts.
• Dinner: Thai green chicken curry with jasmine rice (~630 kcal, 40g protein) — Chicken, green beans, and courgette in a light coconut green curry over jasmine rice.

Day 7 — approx. 1,800 kcal, 90g protein

• Breakfast: Blueberry waffles with yogurt (~450 kcal, 18g protein) — Two waffles topped with Greek yogurt and warm blueberries. Weekend food.
• Lunch: Roast vegetable and goat's cheese tart with salad (~500 kcal, 16g protein) — A slice of puff-pastry tart with a dressed green salad.
• Snack: Yogurt-dipped strawberries (~200 kcal, 8g protein) — Strawberries dipped in Greek yogurt and frozen until set.
• Dinner: Roast chicken with potatoes, carrots and gravy (~650 kcal, 48g protein) — A proper Sunday roast that still fits the plan.

Your 1800 Calorie Plan Grocery List

A starter list for the full week — scale quantities to your household.

Protein: chicken breast and thighs, a whole chicken or chicken crown, raw prawns, smoked salmon, lean stewing beef, lamb mince, good-quality sausages, firm tofu, eggs Dairy: milk, Greek yogurt, skyr, cottage cheese, light cream cheese, cheddar, feta, goat's cheese Produce: apples, bananas, pears, mango, blueberries, strawberries, mixed berries, lemons, limes, avocado, rocket, spinach, kale, pak choi, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, red onions, mushrooms, carrots, courgette, green beans, potatoes, root vegetables, garlic, ginger, fresh mint, cress Pantry: rolled oats, chia seeds, bulgur wheat, pearl barley, couscous, basmati rice, jasmine rice, brown rice, linguine, rice noodles, wholegrain bread and bagels, tortillas, wholemeal pittas, rye crackers, rice cakes, waffles, puff pastry, black beans, cannellini beans, chickpeas, sweetcorn, chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, green curry paste, tikka paste, hummus, salsa, olives, peanut butter, almond butter, walnuts, frozen edamame, soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, smoked paprika, cinnamon, gravy granules

FoodiePrep generates this list straight from the plan — sorted by aisle, with anything already in your pantry flagged so you don't double-buy — and in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand it can send the list to your supermarket's online cart. Our review of meal planning apps with built-in grocery lists compares how the main apps handle this.

Who an 1800 Calorie Plan Suits

• A moderate, sustainable deficit for many adults whose maintenance sits around 2,200–2,400 calories.
• Maintenance for many smaller or less active adults — particularly those who found 2000 calories slowly adding weight.
• Anyone who found 1500 too tight. Moving up 300 calories often makes a plan livable for months rather than weeks (compare the 7-day 1500 calorie meal plan).
• Anyone easing down from 2000 who wants a gentler step than a hard cut (see the 7-day 2000 calorie meal plan).

Prefer it built for you? Tell Chef Foodie, FoodiePrep's AI assistant, "plan my week at 1800 calories" — the calendar fills itself with meals portioned to your target, and every slot can be swapped for a different idea or one of your saved recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 1800 calories a day enough?

For many adults, yes — 1800 calories covers needs or creates a moderate deficit. It is close to maintenance for many smaller or less active adults, and a gentle cut for larger or more active ones. If you are very active, tall, pregnant, or breastfeeding, you will likely need more — check with a professional.

Can you lose weight on 1800 calories a day?

Yes, if 1800 is below your maintenance — which it is for many moderately active adults. Someone maintaining at 2,300 calories would run a deficit of about 500 a day. Track your weight trend for two to three weeks and adjust, or use our calorie calculator to estimate your own maintenance first.

How much protein should an 1800 calorie meal plan include?

Aim for roughly 90–120g of protein a day on 1800 calories. This plan averages about 100g using normal food — prawns, chicken, eggs, yogurt, beans, and tofu. If you want to push protein higher, see our 150 grams of protein a day meal plan.

What does 1800 calories look like in a day?

Four real meals: a ~415-calorie breakfast, ~505-calorie lunch, ~215-calorie snack, and ~665-calorie dinner. In practice that's porridge or eggs, a proper lunch bowl or sandwich, an afternoon snack, and a full dinner like curry and rice or a roast — no tiny portions required.

Is 1800 calories better than 1500 for weight loss?

1800 is slower than 1500 but usually far easier to sustain. A smaller deficit means more food, better training energy, and fewer abandoned weeks — and consistency is what drives results. If 1500 leaves you hungry or irritable, 1800 is the sensible next step up.

What's the best app for an 1800 calorie meal plan?

FoodiePrep builds 1800-calorie meal plans automatically and turns them into an aisle-sorted grocery list. Give Chef Foodie your calorie target and the week fills itself: recipes portioned to the numbers, meals scheduled on your planner, missing ingredients added to the shopping list. Free to start on iOS, Android, and the web.

The Bottom Line

Eating 1800 calories a day well is mostly a planning problem: four satisfying meals, protein at each one, and a grocery list that matches the week. Get the plan right and the deficit stops feeling like one.

FoodiePrep generates calorie-target meal plans, portions every recipe to your numbers, and hands you the grocery list — free to start on iOS and Android.

One planning session. Seven good days of eating.