🌱🐟 Week 4: Plant-Based & Seafood - High-Protein Meal Prep
Welcome to Week 4 — the final week of your 4-week high-protein meal prep series! This week celebrates flavor, variety, and balance with nutrient-rich plant proteins and omega-3-packed seafood.
From hearty Lentil & Mushroom Stew to flaky Air Fryer Salmon and no-cook Tuna & White Bean Salad, these meals are designed for real life: one-pot cooking, minimal cleanup, and 20–30g of protein per serving.
Many recipes are inspired by my cookbooks: Stockpot Cookbook: 139 Simple and Hearty Recipes and 100 Beginner’s Instant Pot Bean and Grain Cookbook.
🛒 Shopping List (Serves 4, 5 meals)
- 1 cup dried green or brown lentils (or 2 cans)
- 1 block tempeh (8 oz)
- 2 cans (5 oz each) tuna in water or olive oil
- 1 lb salmon fillet (or 2 portions)
- 1 can white beans or chickpeas
- 1 cup brown rice or quinoa
- Onions, carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, spinach
- Spices: smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, chili flakes
- Peanut butter or tahini (for sauce)
📅 Meal Plan Snapshot
- Mon: Lentil & Mushroom Stew (Stockpot!)
- Tue: Tuna & White Bean Salad (No-Cook)
- Wed: Air Fryer Salmon + Roasted Veggies
- Thu: Tempeh Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce
- Fri: Lentil Tacos with Shawarma Sauce
- Sat: Flex Day (leftovers or takeout)
- Sun: Wrap-Up & Plan Ahead
🔥 Featured Recipe: Lentil & Mushroom Stew (Stockpot!)
Servings: 6 | Protein: 22g | Time: 50 mins
- 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp thyme, 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Sauté onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms for 5–7 mins.
- Add garlic, tomato paste, spices — cook 1 min.
- Stir in lentils, broth, tomatoes, bay leaf.
- Simmer 40–45 mins until tender.
- Remove bay leaf. Adjust seasoning. Serve with bread.
💡 Double and freeze half — it tastes even better next week! For more stockpot inspiration, see my Stockpot Cookbook post.
🥣 Prep Day Tips
- Cook the full batch of lentil stew — freeze half for future use
- Make a big jar of peanut sauce or shawarma yogurt sauce
- Chop all veggies for quick access during the week
- Prep tuna salad base (mix dry ingredients) — add tuna day-of
- Batch-cook rice or quinoa for stir-fries and tacos
📘 More from Rossi Voss
- Stockpot Cookbook: 139 Simple and Hearty Recipes – Your go-to for soups, stews, and one-pot wonders.
- 100 Beginner’s Instant Pot Bean and Grain Cookbook – Fast, filling meals using pantry staples.
- 82 Essential Instant Pot Fermentation Recipes – Make yogurt, kefir, and probiotic foods at home.
🎉 You Did It! You’ve completed all 4 weeks of high-protein meal prep. If you missed any, go back and explore:
Thank you for following along. I hope this series helped you eat better, stress less, and fall in love with simple, hearty meals.
— Rossi Voss
Author of the $0.99 Cookbook Series
rossivoss.blogspot.com