What is a metabolic-health meal plan?

A metabolic-health meal plan prioritizes whole, unprocessed foods — pastured meat, eggs, fish, non-starchy vegetables, and healthy fats like butter, olive oil, and avocado — while avoiding sugar, refined grains, and industrial seed oils (soybean, corn, canola, sunflower).

Industrial seed oils are high in omega-6 linoleic acid and are chemically processed. Many metabolic-health physicians, including Dr. Philip Ovadia, argue they contribute to inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. Butter, ghee, olive oil, avocado oil, and tallow are preferred.

How many meals per day?

This plan uses 3 meals per day with no snacking, allowing a natural 12–16 hour overnight fast. Eating higher-satiety meals of protein and fat makes constant snacking unnecessary.

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Metabolic-Health Meal Plan for Your Calorie Target

A ready-to-eat 5-day rotation of real food — pastured meat, eggs, fish, non-starchy vegetables, butter, and olive oil. No sugar, no refined grains, no seed oils.

Inspired by principles from Stay Off My Operating Table by Philip Ovadia, MD.

The 5-day sample rotation below is inspired by those principles, not copied directly from the book. For the full protocol and a complete 4-week structured plan, see Dr. Ovadia's follow-up book, Stay Off My Kitchen Table.

Daily calorie target

Units

Don't know your target? Use the Calorie Calculator.

Portions scale automatically. Range: 1,000 – 4,500 kcal.

Day 1 — Classic

≈ 2,573 kcal · 3 meals · no snacks

Breakfast

678 kcal

4¼ large — Pasture-raised eggs, cooked in butter
4¼ strips — Turkey bacon
¾ medium — Avocado
1½ cup — Black coffee or tea (unsweetened)

Lunch

1,066 kcal

8¼ oz — Grass-fed ribeye steak
2¾ cups — Mixed greens with olive oil & vinegar
¾ cup — Cherry tomatoes & cucumber
1½ oz — Feta or aged cheddar

Dinner

830 kcal

8¼ oz — Wild-caught salmon, pan-seared in butter
1½ cup — Roasted asparagus in olive oil
1½ cup — Cauliflower mash with butter
1½ glass — Sparkling water with lemon

Day 2 — Poultry & Greens

≈ 2,573 kcal · 3 meals · no snacks

Breakfast

633 kcal

4 large — Scrambled eggs in butter
1¼ cup — Sautéed spinach & mushrooms
2¾ oz — Smoked salmon
1¼ cup — Black coffee with heavy cream

Lunch

903 kcal

8 oz — Roasted chicken thighs (skin-on)
1¼ cup — Roasted Brussels sprouts in olive oil
¾ medium — Avocado slices

Dinner

1,037 kcal

8 oz — Grass-fed ground beef burger patty (no bun)
¾ cup — Sautéed onions & mushrooms in butter
2¾ cups — Side salad with olive oil
1¼ oz — Aged cheddar

Day 3 — Seafood Focus

≈ 2,573 kcal · 3 meals · no snacks

Breakfast

627 kcal

1¼ cup — Full-fat Greek yogurt (unsweetened)
1½ oz — Walnuts & pecans
½ cup — Fresh berries
1½ cup — Black coffee or tea

Lunch

949 kcal

9½ oz — Tuna or sardine salad (olive oil, not seed-oil mayo)
9½ leaves — Butter lettuce cups
¾ medium — Avocado
15¾ pieces — Olives

Dinner

996 kcal

12½ oz — Pan-seared shrimp in butter & garlic
1½ ½ cups — Zucchini noodles sautéed in olive oil
¾ oz — Parmesan
1½ cup — Side of roasted broccoli

Day 4 — Beef & Roots

≈ 2,573 kcal · 3 meals · no snacks

Breakfast

745 kcal

3¾ large — Pasture-raised eggs over-easy in butter
3¾ oz — Chicken sausage (no sugar, no seed oils)
1¼ cup — Sautéed kale in olive oil
1¼ cup — Black coffee or tea (unsweetened)

Lunch

996 kcal

7½ oz — Slow-roasted beef brisket
1¼ cup — Roasted radishes in butter
2½ cups — Arugula salad with olive oil & lemon
1¼ oz — Goat cheese

Dinner

833 kcal

7½ oz — Grass-fed beef short ribs
1¼ cup — Roasted carrots & parsnips in ghee
1¼ cup — Steamed green beans with butter
1¼ glass — Sparkling water with lemon

Day 5 — Liver & Legacy Fats

≈ 2,573 kcal · 3 meals · no snacks

Breakfast

830 kcal

1½ omelet — Omelet (3 eggs) with cheddar & chives, cooked in butter
¾ medium — Avocado
2¾ strips — Turkey bacon
1½ cup — Black coffee with heavy cream

Lunch

886 kcal

5½ oz — Grass-fed beef liver, pan-seared in butter with onions
2¾ cups — Mixed greens with olive oil & vinegar
2¾ large — Hard-boiled eggs
11 pieces — Olives

Dinner

859 kcal

9¾ oz — Wild-caught cod baked in butter & herbs
1½ cup — Roasted cauliflower in olive oil
1½ cup — Sautéed spinach with garlic
¾ oz — Small square dark chocolate (85%+)

The 5 metabolic-health markers

Dr. Ovadia defines metabolic health by five simple markers. Meet all five and your risk of heart disease, stroke, and type-2 diabetes drops dramatically.

Waist size
< half your height
Triglycerides
< 150 mg/dL (ideally < 100)
HDL cholesterol
> 40 (men) / > 50 (women) mg/dL
Blood pressure
< 130/80 mmHg
Fasting glucose
< 100 mg/dL

Guiding principles

• Eat real food. If it has an ingredient label with more than a few items, skip it.
• Prioritize protein and healthy fats. Meat, eggs, fish, butter, olive oil, avocado.
• Avoid seed oils. Soybean, corn, canola, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, grapeseed.
• Cut sugar and refined grains. The biggest lever for reversing insulin resistance.
• Fiber from vegetables, not grains. Leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables.
• Stop snacking. Three satisfying meals a day, then let your body rest and burn fat overnight.

Educational content only. Not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, especially if you take medication for diabetes, blood pressure, or heart disease.