How this meal planner works
The planner runs in two stages. First it works out your daily targets the same calorie-first way as our calculator, so the two tools always agree. Then it fills those targets with real food.
- Maintenance calories (TDEE). Your basal metabolic rate is estimated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplied by your activity level.
- Calorie target. For fat loss the target is set roughly 18% below maintenance, for muscle gain about 10% above, and for maintenance it matches your TDEE. Pregnancy or breastfeeding adds a general energy allowance on top.
- Protein. Protein is set from your body size and goal (about 1.8–2.2 g per kg), using a capped reference weight so very high body weights don't produce extreme figures, with a hard cap of 220 g per day.
- Fat. Fat fills the calories that remain after protein. Your carnivore style nudges it up or down, with floors and ceilings so the result is never near-zero fat or implausibly fat-heavy.
- Building the plate. The planner picks protein anchors to reach your protein target, then tops up with fat sources (tallow, butter, cream, or fattier cuts) to reach your calories, snapping every portion to practical sizes. It rotates foods for variety, keeps liver within safe limits, and respects your budget, presets, and any foods you remove.
The plan is a starting point, not a prescription. Adjust by how you feel, your energy, and your bloodwork over a few weeks. Hunger and results matter more than hitting a gram target exactly.
How the shopping list is built
The shopping list adds up every portion across your whole plan, food by food, then rounds up to amounts that are realistic to buy:
- Meat and fish are totalled in grams and rounded up to the nearest 50 g (shown in kg once the total passes 1 kg).
- Eggs are listed as whole eggs; butter, tallow, and cream as whole tablespoons (with an approximate gram weight).
- Canned fish is shown as whole tins with an approximate drained weight, so you know how many to grab.
Shopping quantities use purchase weight for meat and fish and approximate drained weight for canned fish, with whole units for eggs and tablespoons for fats. You can copy the list to your phone or print the whole plan with one tap.
Why are my fat grams so high?
Because fat fills the calories left after protein. If your calorie target is high relative to your protein, the remaining energy comes from fat, which pushes fat grams up and adds more tallow, butter, or fattier cuts to your plate. A leaner carnivore style or a smaller deficit will bring it down. This is the same behaviour as the calculator, just shown as food.
Key takeaways
- Calories are anchored to your real energy needs, so the plan's protein and fat reconcile with your target.
- Protein is hit first; fat fills the rest of your calories.
- Liver is capped at 150 g per serving and at most twice a week for safety.
- You control the foods: remove anything, use presets, and set a budget.
- Meat and fish use purchase weight, with cooked-weight notes, and the shopping list rounds up to what you actually buy.
Frequently asked questions
How does the meal planner decide my calories and macros?
It uses the same calorie-first method as our calculator: it estimates your maintenance calories with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and your activity level, adjusts for your goal, sets protein from your body size and goal (about 1.8–2.2 g per kg, capped), and lets fat fill the remaining calories. It then builds meals from real foods to match those targets.
Are the food weights raw or cooked?
Meat and fish portions use their purchase weight before cooking, which is what you weigh out and buy, and an approximate cooked weight is shown next to them since meat loses water as it cooks. Canned fish uses an approximate drained weight, and ready-to-eat foods like eggs, butter, cream, and cheese are shown as they are.
Why does the planner add so much fat like tallow or butter?
Fat fills the calories that remain after protein, so a higher calorie target means more added fat. If that feels like too much, choose a leaner carnivore style, a smaller deficit, or lower-fat cuts and the added fat will drop.
How does the shopping list work?
It adds up every portion across your whole plan, then rounds up to practical amounts to buy: to the nearest 50 g for meat and fish, whole eggs, whole tablespoons for butter, tallow, and cream, and whole tins (with an approximate drained weight) for canned fish.
Why is liver limited in the plan?
Liver is very rich in vitamin A, which can build up if eaten in large amounts. The planner caps liver at 150 g per serving and at most twice a week, in line with common guidance to enjoy it as an occasional nutrient boost rather than a daily staple.
Can I leave out foods I do not eat?
Yes. Uncheck any food you want to avoid, or use the dairy-free, egg-free, or beef-only presets. Foods you remove by hand are always left out, even if a preset would otherwise include them.
Is this meal planner medical advice?
No. It is a general educational estimate and cannot account for your individual medical situation. Speak with a qualified doctor or registered dietitian before changing your diet, especially if you have any health condition.
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