April 2026

Target: 1,800–2,000 cal/day | Structure: Monday batch cook · 3 meals + 1 snack

Anchors: Lemon Pepper Chicken · Garlic Herb Beef Skillet · Overnight Oats

Month-Start Bulk Shopping

Full itemized list with quantities: April Month-Start Bulk Shop →

Costco / Sam's: Chicken thighs (10–12 lbs), ground beef 90/10 (3–4 lbs), shrimp (4–5 lbs), oats, brown rice, olive oil, butter, chicken broth, chia seeds, honey, almond butter, frozen cauliflower rice (stock up — used in 2 recipes), frozen blueberries, Greek yogurt multi-pack, parmesan.

HEB — Spices: Lemon pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, Cajun seasoning.

Thaw weekly protein portions in the fridge each Friday night for Monday batch prep.

Week 1 — April 7–11

Proteins: Lemon Pepper Chicken · Garlic Herb Beef Skillet · Shrimp · Overnight Oats

Daily Meal Plan

Day	Breakfast (~380)	Lunch (~490)	Snack (~200)	Dinner (~360–490)	~Total
Mon 4/7	Overnight Oats	Lemon Pepper Chicken & Rice Bowl	Greek yogurt + blueberries	Garlic Herb Beef & Cauliflower Rice Skillet	~1,730
Tue 4/8	Overnight Oats	Garlic Herb Beef & Cauliflower Rice Skillet	Apple + almond butter	Garlic Butter Shrimp & Cauliflower Rice	~1,740
Wed 4/9	Overnight Oats	Lemon Pepper Chicken & Rice Bowl	Greek yogurt + blueberries	Garlic Herb Beef & Cauliflower Rice Skillet	~1,730
Thu 4/10	Overnight Oats	Garlic Butter Shrimp & Cauliflower Rice	Apple + almond butter	Lemon Pepper Chicken & Rice Bowl	~1,850
Fri 4/11	Overnight Oats	Garlic Herb Beef & Cauliflower Rice Skillet	Greek yogurt + blueberries	Lemon Pepper Chicken & Rice Bowl	~1,850

Calorie note: Beef skillet days run ~1,730–1,740. Add ½ cup brown rice as a side (+~110 cal) on those meals to hit the 1,800 floor if tracking closely.

Gout note: Beef appears 4x this week — on the higher end. Watch how you feel; pull Fri lunch to something else in future weeks if needed.

Batch Cook Timing — Monday (~90 min)

Task	Method	Time
Brown rice	Stovetop/rice cooker — start first, runs parallel	35–40 min
Overnight oats — 5 jars	No cook, prep while rice cooks	10–15 min
Lemon pepper chicken — 4 thighs	Ninja Crispi 380°F, flip halfway	18–22 min
Garlic Herb Beef Skillet	Stovetop (runs while Crispi is going)	25 min
Roasted veggies	Ninja Crispi 375°F, shake halfway	18–20 min
Shrimp	Cook fresh Tue + Thu — do not batch	10–12 min per cook

Weekly Grocery — April 6 (HEB Fresh)

Bulk staples should be on hand from Costco month-start run.

Ground beef 90/10 — 1.5 lbs (if not already stocked from Costco)

Zucchini — 4–5 medium (Beef Skillet + Roasted Veggies)

Bell peppers — 4 (any color) (Beef Skillet + Roasted Veggies)

Broccoli — 1 large head or 12 oz florets

Lemons — 3 (Lemon Pepper Bowls + Shrimp finish)

Apples (Gala or Honeycrisp) — 4–5

Mixed greens — 1 bag (side salad)

Eggs — 1 dozen (backup / snack)

Weeks 2–4 — April 14 – May 2

Rotate same recipe set · swap proteins weekly · Monday batch cook structure

Rotate shrimp to max 2x per week for gout management.

Weekly plans and grocery lists to be added.

Health Notes — April 2026

Shrimp max 1–2x per week — moderate purine, do not exceed.

Ground beef max 2–3x per week — moderate purine, stagger with shrimp days.

Lemon pepper chicken is the safe daily anchor — low purine, batch-cook friendly.

Brown rice only for rice bowls — no white rice this month.

Plain Greek yogurt only — no flavored varieties.

Reheat standard: 375°F for 5–8 minutes in Ninja Crispi, shake halfway through.

Shrimp reheat: 375°F for 3–4 minutes only — do not overheat.

Beef skillet reheat: stovetop with a splash of broth, or microwave covered 2 min.

Target daily calorie range: 1,800–2,000 cal. Track against this weekly.

April 2026 Meal Plan