A 7-day intermittent fasting meal plan for 16:8, with protein at every meal

1. Know what the eating window does on its own

An eight-hour window does less on its own than most meal plans suggest. In the TREAT trial, 116 US adults with overweight or obesity ate either freely between noon and 8 pm or in three set meals a day for 12 weeks. Both groups lost under 1 kg on average, and the small gap between them could have been chance. In the clinic subgroup, the window group lost more lean mass in the arms and legs.

A 12-month trial in China gave 139 adults with obesity the same calorie target, and half also ate only between 8 am and 4 pm. They lost 8.0 kg with the window and 6.3 kg without it, again a gap that could have been chance. What goes on the plate matters more than the clock, and results vary a lot between people.

2. Set your window and the shape of each day

The plan uses noon to 8 pm, a common US schedule because it skips breakfast and keeps dinner with the family. Lunch at noon carries the most protein. A 3:30 pm snack with at least 10 g of protein covers the afternoon, and dinner starts around 7 so it is done by 8.

New to fasting? Start at 12 or 14 hours and add an hour every few days, as our intermittent fasting guide for beginners lays out.

3. Put 30 to 40 g of protein in each meal

With two meals and a snack, protein easily piles up at dinner. In a small crossover study, eight adults ate the same daily protein for a week, spread at about 30 g per meal or skewed to about 11, 16 and 63 g. Spreading it raised 24-hour muscle protein synthesis by about 25%, though the study was short and did not measure muscle size.

Protein also helps when you eat a little less. In a review of 24 trials with 1,063 adults, higher-protein diets at equal calories kept about 0.4 kg more lean mass over roughly 12 weeks, and three of the five trials that asked about fullness found people felt fuller. Strength training helps too, as our article on intermittent fasting and muscle loss explains.

When a usual meal falls short:

Usual meal	Protein, about	Change	After, about
Bagel with cream cheese	12 g	Add 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt	32 g
Sandwich with 2 oz of deli turkey	19 g	Double the turkey to 4 oz	29 g
2 oz of dry spaghetti with marinara	10 g	Toss in 6 oz of shrimp	34 g
Bagged salad kit, nothing added	5 g	Top with 4 oz of rotisserie chicken	38 g

4. Follow the 7-day intermittent fasting meal plan

Figures are USDA-based estimates. Most days come to about 1,400 to 1,600 calories and 90 to 110 g of protein.

Monday

• Noon: burrito bowl with 4 oz rotisserie chicken, 1/2 cup black beans, 1 cup brown rice, salsa and a quarter avocado (about 45 g protein).
• 3:30 pm: 1 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup blueberries and 2 tablespoons granola (about 22 g).
• 7 pm: a 6-oz salmon fillet, a baked sweet potato with butter and 2 cups roasted broccoli (about 42 g).

Tuesday

• Noon: whole-wheat wrap with 3 oz rotisserie chicken, Swiss, lettuce and tomato, plus baby carrots and 1/4 cup hummus (about 42 g).
• 3:30 pm: an apple and 2 string cheese sticks (about 14 g).
• 7 pm: turkey and bean chili topped with cheddar and Greek yogurt, plus a cornbread muffin (about 44 g).

Wednesday

• Noon: leftover chili with the same toppings and a cup of grapes (about 42 g).
• 3:30 pm: 3/4 cup 2% cottage cheese with 1/2 cup pineapple (about 20 g).
• 7 pm: stir-fry with 5 oz chicken breast and half a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables over 1 cup brown rice (about 40 g).

Thursday

• Noon: leftover stir-fry (about 40 g).
• 3:30 pm: 2 hard-boiled eggs and a banana (about 13 g).
• 7 pm: three corn tortilla tacos with 4 oz 90% lean ground beef, 1/4 cup cheddar and salsa, with 1/2 cup black beans (about 40 g).

Friday

• Noon: sandwich with a 5-oz can of tuna, light mayo and 2 slices whole-wheat bread, plus grapes (about 35 g).
• 3:30 pm: 1 oz beef jerky and a small handful of almonds (about 15 g).
• 7 pm: 6 oz shrimp with 3 oz dry whole-wheat spaghetti, marinara and parmesan, plus a bagged side salad (about 40 g).

Saturday

• Noon: 3-egg omelet with spinach, bell pepper and 1/4 cup cheddar, an English muffin and strawberries (about 32 g).
• 3:30 pm: a 12-oz latte with 2% milk and a banana (about 11 g).
• 7 pm: dinner out, a single cheeseburger with a side salad or half the fries (about 30 g). The FastTrack meal scan estimates calories and macros from a photo if you want a number.

Sunday

• Noon: chili from the freezer over a baked potato (about 40 g).
• 3:30 pm: 3/4 cup Greek yogurt and 1 oz almonds (about 21 g).
• 7 pm: 5 oz roast pork tenderloin, 1 1/2 cups roasted potatoes and green beans (about 44 g).

Saturday dips to about 75 g of protein, fine once a week. Larger or very active people can add a cup of rice or a potato at dinner, and if portions feel too big, trim the starch and keep the protein.

5. Shop and prep once for the week

For one person. Shop on Sunday so the rotisserie chicken is fresh for Monday and Tuesday.

• Meat and fish: rotisserie chicken, 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey, a 10-oz chicken breast, 1 lb 90% lean ground beef, a 6-oz salmon fillet, frozen raw shrimp, pork tenderloin, canned tuna, beef jerky.
• Dairy and eggs: eggs, 32 oz plain 2% Greek yogurt, 2% cottage cheese, string cheese, shredded cheddar, sliced Swiss, parmesan, butter.
• Produce: avocado, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, an apple, 2 bananas, pineapple, baby carrots, romaine, a tomato, side salad, spinach, 2 bell peppers, onion, garlic, a sweet potato, 3 russet potatoes, broccoli, green beans.
• Freezer and pantry: stir-fry vegetables, 2 cans black beans, a can of kidney beans, 28 oz crushed tomatoes, salsa, brown rice, whole-wheat and corn tortillas, whole-wheat bread, English muffins, whole-wheat spaghetti, marinara, hummus, stir-fry sauce, light mayo, granola, cornbread mix, almonds, olive oil, chili powder, cumin.

On Sunday, spend an hour cooking 1 cup of dry brown rice, hard-boiling 2 eggs and pulling the chicken off the bone. Tuesday's chili makes four bowls in 45 minutes; freeze two, along with the ground beef you won't use.

6. Move the plan to an earlier or later window

Keep the meals in order and shift the clock by about an hour every two or three days.

Window	First meal	Snack	Last meal	Fits
8 am to 4 pm	8 am	11:30 am	3:30 pm	Early shifts or anyone home by 3
10 am to 6 pm	10 am	2 pm	5:30 pm	Families who eat dinner early
Noon to 8 pm	Noon	3:30 pm	7 pm	Office hours with dinner at 7
2 pm to 10 pm	2 pm	6 pm	9:30 pm	Late risers and evening workouts

If chicken and rice at 8 am feels wrong, swap in Saturday's omelet and eat the planned lunch at 11:30 instead of the snack.

Earlier windows have some support. In a 14-week trial in Alabama, 90 adults with obesity all cut calories; those eating between 7 am and 3 pm lost about 2.3 kg more than those eating over 12 hours or more, and their diastolic blood pressure fell about 4 mm Hg more. The Chinese trial also used an early window and found no clear difference, so pick the window you can keep for months. FastTrack can start and stop your fast automatically around the new hours.

7. Get through the 16 fasting hours

From 8 pm to noon, drink water, black coffee, plain tea or unsweetened sparkling water. The usual slip is creamer in the morning coffee: it adds calories, and the flavored kinds add sugar, as our page on whether coffee creamer breaks a fast explains. Drink the first cup black and save the creamer for noon.

The hour after dinner is the other weak spot, and brushing your teeth right after the last bite closes the kitchen. If you are starving by 10 am every day, add protein or fiber to dinner before you shorten the fast.

8. Know when to stop and see a doctor

Some hunger and a slow afternoon in the first week or two are common. Stop the fast, eat and call your doctor if you feel dizzy or faint, or if shakiness, sweating or confusion shows up while you take insulin or a sulfonylurea.

Talk to your doctor before you start if:

• you take diabetes medication, since 16 hours without food can push blood sugar too low;
• you are pregnant or breastfeeding;
• you have a history of an eating disorder;
• you are under 18;
• you have kidney disease, since this much protein may be too much for you.

Your week in short

The pattern is simple: 30 to 40 g of protein at lunch and at dinner, with the kitchen closed at 8. Cook chili and stir-fry so leftovers cover two lunches, and judge the week by how easily you can repeat it, since the window alone changes little.