FREE Menu Plan for Skin and Hair

by Simrun Chopra
Free · 7 days · 80 g+ protein a day

Free 7-Day High-Protein, Collagen-Boosting Meal Plan for Hair & Skin

An Indian-kitchen menu with spirulina, vitamin C in every single meal and a hibiscus water you sip all day. Built to give your hair and skin the raw materials they need, one easy week at a time.

See the 7-day plan Book a free strategy call

If your hair is shedding, your skin looks dull, or you just feel like you are ageing faster than you should, there is a good chance food is part of the story. Hair is built from protein. Your skin’s collagen is built from protein too, and your body cannot finish the job without vitamin C and a few key minerals.

So I put together one full week of meals that does the boring-but-important things consistently: at least 80 g of protein every day, vitamin C in every meal, a little spirulina, and a hibiscus water in your bottle all day. The menu is mostly Indian, with a few easy non-Indian meals thrown in so the week never gets boring.

Please read first: this menu is NOT personalised

This is a general plan for a healthy adult. It does not know your weight, age, medical history, hormones (PCOS, thyroid), allergies, medicines, blood reports, budget or food preferences. Your ideal protein, portions and food choices can look very different from this menu.

If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take regular medication, check with your doctor before following it. If you would like a plan built around you, grab a free strategy call at the end of this page.

How this plan supports collagen (the honest version)

No food or drink delivers collagen straight to your skin. When you eat collagen, your gut breaks it down into amino acids like any other protein. What your body actually does is build its own collagen from those amino acids, and that build needs vitamin C, zinc and copper to work properly. So the smart move is to supply every raw material, every day. That is exactly what this plan does.

1

80 g+ protein, daily

Protein supplies the amino acids for collagen and for keratin, the protein hair is made of. Every day in this plan clears 80 g even when we count only the main protein foods.

2

Vitamin C in every meal

Vitamin C is essential for making collagen and it helps you absorb plant iron. Each meal has a lime, amla, guava, orange, kiwi, tomato or capsicum built in.

3

Spirulina, once a day

A small spoon adds a little extra protein plus antioxidants. It goes into a lime shot or a smoothie so you barely taste it.

4

Hibiscus water, all day

A tangy, caffeine-free, sugar-free sipper rich in plant antioxidants. It keeps you hydrated, which your skin will thank you for.

Seeds, nuts, pulses, paneer, curd and leafy greens in the plan also bring zinc, copper and iron. This is food support, not a magic fix. Hormones, gut health, stress, sleep and nutrient deficiencies matter just as much, which is why I always say test first and personalise. You can read the full picture in my guide to Secrets to Hair Growth.

Your two daily rituals

1. The spirulina–lime shot

Mix: ½ to 1 tsp (about 3 g) spirulina powder + juice of ½ lime + a glass of water. Stir fast and drink it right away on an empty stomach or with breakfast.

  • Start with ½ tsp for the first few days and work up to 1 tsp.
  • Not a fan of the taste? Blend it into a smoothie or stir it into curd. Day 3 shows you how.
  • Buy a lab-tested brand from a trusted seller, since quality varies a lot.
  • Spirulina is not a B12 source you can rely on. If you are vegetarian, get your B12 checked.
  • Check with your doctor first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have an autoimmune condition, PKU, or take blood thinners.

2. The hibiscus water bottle

Make: 1 tbsp dried hibiscus petals (or 2 hibiscus tea bags) in 1 litre of hot water. Steep for 10 minutes, strain, cool, then add a few lime slices and mint leaves. Keep it in a bottle and sip 1 to 1.5 litres through the day, with no sugar.

  • Want a change? Try the Citrus Burst Infused Water.
  • Hibiscus can lower blood pressure. Skip it or ask your doctor first if you have low BP, take blood pressure or diabetes medicines, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • It is tangy, so sip it between meals rather than with iron-rich meals if it upsets your stomach.

How we counted the protein

All numbers are approximate. We count only the main protein foods listed in each meal. Vegetables, fruit and salad add a little more, but we leave them out so you never fall short. Where a recipe on my site lists its own protein (like the Curd Dosa, Chola Palak Pulav and Ramen), we used that. Where it does not, we only counted the extra protein we tell you to add.

Food Portion Protein (approx.)
Paneer 100 g 18 g
Hung curd (thick, Greek-style) 100 g 8 g
Regular curd 150 g (¾ cup) 5 g
Chaas 1 glass (200 ml) 3 g
Milk 1 glass (200 ml) 6 g
Thick cooked dal 1 cup 12 g
Rajma or chana, cooked 1 cup 14 g
Besan 50 g dry (2 chillas) 11 g
Moong dal, dry (cheela) 50 g (2 cheelas) 12 g
Soya chunks 30 g dry 15 g
Firm tofu 150 g 12 g
Quinoa, cooked 1 cup 8 g
Roasted chana 30 g 6 g
Sattu 2 tbsp (30 g) 6 g
Peanuts 25 g / 15 g 6 g / 4 g
Pumpkin seeds 15 g (2 tbsp) 4 g
Almonds 10 2 g
Seed powder 1 tbsp 2 g
Spirulina 1 tsp (3 g) 2 g
Phulka 1 3 g
Multigrain toast / peanut butter 1 slice / 1 tbsp 3 g / 4 g

Is 80 g right for you? Treat it as a floor. My rule of thumb is at least 1 g of protein per kg of body weight every day, so if you weigh more than 80 kg, add another protein serving (for example 100 g paneer, or a glass of milk with 30 g roasted chana). If you have kidney problems or high uric acid, check your protein target with your doctor first.

Your weekly shopping list

Protein

  • Paneer
  • Curd (hang about half of it)
  • Milk
  • Firm tofu
  • Soya chunks
  • Moong dal (split and whole), toor dal
  • Rajma, chana (dry or cooked), sattu
  • Quinoa

Vitamin C and fresh

  • Limes (lots, at least 15)
  • Oranges, guavas, kiwi or strawberries, papaya
  • Amla (or amla powder)
  • Tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicum
  • Spinach, lauki, cabbage or beans, peas, broccoli
  • Mint, coriander, ginger, green chillies

Pantry

  • Spirulina powder
  • Dried hibiscus petals or tea bags
  • Besan, atta, brown rice, basmati rice, multigrain bread
  • Almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, chia, makhana, roasted chana
  • Peanut butter, hummus ingredients (or ready hummus)
  • Seed powder ingredients, see the Super Seed Powder

Sunday prep (30 minutes that make the week easy)

  • Make your seed powder and a batch of hibiscus water concentrate.
  • Hang a big bowl of curd overnight for thick hung curd.
  • Boil a big batch of chana and rajma. Soak the moong dal for the cheelas on Day 4.
  • Make mint-coriander chutney and chop salad veg for the first two days.

The 7-day menu

Each meal shows the protein it adds, and a green tag shows where your vitamin C comes from. Squeeze lime on after cooking, because heat destroys vitamin C. Keep tea and coffee at least an hour away from iron-rich meals. Eat the menu in portions that suit your appetite, and keep your hibiscus water going all day.

Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7

Print this plan or save it as a PDF

Day 1

Chilla & Dal Comfort

≈ 84 g protein
On waking
Spirulina–lime shot (1 tsp spirulina). Fill your hibiscus water bottle for the day.
Vitamin C: lime
2 g
Breakfast
2 besan chillas (50 g besan) stuffed with 50 g crumbled paneer, tomato and coriander, with mint chutney. Papaya cubes with a squeeze of lime on the side.
Vitamin C: tomatopapayalime
20 g
Mid-morning
1 guava with 30 g roasted chana.
Vitamin C: guava
6 g
Lunch
1 cup moong dal tadka, 2 phulkas, lauki sabzi and 150 g curd (or have Lauki ki Kadhi in place of the plain curd). Kachumber salad finished with lime.
Vitamin C: lime kachumber
23 g
Evening snack
Makhana Chat topped with 3 tbsp boiled chana, plus 1 glass chaas with a squeeze of lime.
Vitamin C: lemon in the chatlime
9 g
Dinner
Paneer–capsicum bhurji (100 g paneer) with 2 phulkas and stir-fried greens. Squeeze lime over just before eating.
Vitamin C: capsicumlime
24 g
Day 2

Curd Dosa & Palak Paneer

≈ 90 g protein
On waking
Spirulina–lime shot. Sip hibiscus water through the morning.
Vitamin C: lime
2 g
Breakfast
2 Curd Dosas (4 g protein each) with coconut chutney, 1 bowl dal-sambar, and 100 g hung curd mixed with 1 tbsp seed powder. Finish with a kiwi or an orange.
Vitamin C: kiwi or orange
25 g
Mid-morning
Sattu–nimbu sharbat: 2 tbsp sattu, juice of 1 lime, roasted jeera and black salt in a glass of water. Plus 10 almonds.
Vitamin C: lime
8 g
Lunch
Sprouts Pulao with 75 g paneer cubes pan-tossed with spices, 150 g curd raita and a kachumber salad with lime.
Vitamin C: lemon in the pulaolime kachumber
18 g
Evening snack
Easy Hummus with Tomato and Cucumber Salad (about ¼ cup hummus) and 15 g pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top.
Vitamin C: lemon in the hummustomato
8 g
Dinner
1 cup toor dal, palak paneer (60 g paneer) and 2 phulkas. Squeeze lime over the palak, which also helps you absorb its iron.
Vitamin C: limetomato in the gravy
29 g
Day 3

Green Smoothie & Chola Pulav

≈ 85 g protein
On waking
Plain lime water today (the spirulina goes into your smoothie). Start your hibiscus water bottle.
Vitamin C: lime
0 g
Breakfast
Spirulina–orange protein smoothie: 200 ml milk, 100 g hung curd, 1 tsp spirulina, 1 tbsp seed powder, 1 orange and a handful of strawberries or a kiwi. Have it with 1 multigrain toast and 1 tbsp peanut butter.
Vitamin C: orangestrawberries or kiwi
25 g
Mid-morning
Peanut chaat: 25 g roasted peanuts with onion, tomato, cucumber and lime. Add 1 small amla, or 1 tsp amla powder in water.
Vitamin C: amlalime
6 g
Lunch
Chola Palak Pulav (1½ cups, 8 g protein per cup) with 100 g hung curd raita and a cucumber–tomato salad with lime.
Vitamin C: tomatolime
20 g
Evening snack
Barley Veg Soup with a squeeze of lime and 15 g pumpkin seeds on top (the soup’s own protein is a bonus we do not count).
Vitamin C: broccolilime
4 g
Dinner
(non-Indian)
High Protein Low Calorie Ramen, the konjac noodle version (about 30 g protein as per the recipe). Use chicken, or tofu to keep it vegetarian. Add sliced bell pepper or extra bok choy and finish with a lime wedge.
Vitamin C: bell pepper or bok choylime
30 g
Day 4

Moong Cheela & Rajma

≈ 85 g protein
On waking
Spirulina–lime shot. Keep sipping hibiscus water.
Vitamin C: lime
2 g
Breakfast
2 moong dal cheelas (50 g dry moong dal, soaked and ground) with a mint–curd chutney made from 100 g hung curd, and an orange on the side.
Vitamin C: orangelime in the chutney
20 g
Mid-morning
Boiled chana chaat: ½ cup chana with tomato, onion, cucumber, chaat masala and lime.
Vitamin C: tomatolime
7 g
Lunch
Rajma (1 cup cooked) with 1 cup brown rice, 150 g curd and a tomato–cucumber salad with lime.
Vitamin C: tomatolime
23 g
Evening snack
Fruit chaat (guava or papaya with lime and chaat masala) topped with 100 g hung curd and 15 g pumpkin seeds.
Vitamin C: guava or papayalime
12 g
Dinner
Soya chunk–capsicum masala (30 g dry soya chunks) with 2 phulkas and stir-fried cabbage or beans. Finish with lime. Prefer to skip soya? Use 100 g paneer instead (18 g).
Vitamin C: capsicumlime
21 g
Day 5

Quinoa Bowl & Khichdi

≈ 84 g protein
On waking
Spirulina–lime shot. Hibiscus water bottle at your desk.
Vitamin C: lime
2 g
Breakfast
Bread Upma with peas, tomato and a squeeze of lime, 1 glass milk, and 100 g hung curd with 1 tbsp seed powder. Add an orange on the side.
Vitamin C: tomatoorangelime
16 g
Mid-morning
Sprouts chaat: 1 cup sprouted moong with tomato, cucumber, onion and lime, plus 10 almonds.
Vitamin C: tomatolime
8 g
Lunch
(non-Indian)
Quinoa–chickpea power bowl: 1 cup cooked quinoa, ½ cup boiled chickpeas, 75 g paneer or tofu cubes, cucumber, tomato and bell pepper. Dress with lime juice, a little olive oil and black pepper.
Vitamin C: bell peppertomatolime
28 g
Evening snack
(non-Indian)
Baked Beans (½ cup) on 1 multigrain toast. Go easy on the ketchup and sugar. Half an orange on the side.
Vitamin C: tomatoorange
8 g
Dinner
Moong dal khichdi (1½ cups) loaded with vegetables, 150 g hung curd on the side, and a tomato–onion salad with lime.
Vitamin C: tomatolime
22 g
Day 6

Muesli, Chana & Lentil Chili

≈ 86 g protein
On waking
Spirulina–lime shot. Hibiscus water starts now.
Vitamin C: lime
2 g
Breakfast
(non-Indian)
Muesli curd bowl: 150 g hung curd, a few spoons of Cranberry Pista Muesli, 1 tbsp chia, 15 g pumpkin seeds and 10 almonds. Top with kiwi or strawberries.
Vitamin C: kiwi or strawberries
20 g
Mid-morning
Paneer–cucumber–tomato cubes (50 g paneer) with lime and black pepper.
Vitamin C: tomatolime
9 g
Lunch
Chana masala (1 cup cooked chickpeas), 2 phulkas, 150 g curd and a kachumber salad with lime.
Vitamin C: tomato in the masalalime
25 g
Evening snack
Guava chaat with lime and chaat masala, 1 glass chaas and 15 g roasted peanuts.
Vitamin C: guavalime
7 g
Dinner
(non-Indian)
Quick Classic Lentils Chili (1½ cups) topped with 100 g hung curd in place of sour cream, with 2 multigrain toast slices on the side. Squeeze lime over the chili.
Vitamin C: tomatobell pepperlime
23 g
Day 7

Sunday Paneer Tikka Feast

≈ 84 g protein
On waking
Spirulina–lime shot. Keep the hibiscus water going.
Vitamin C: lime
2 g
Breakfast
Tofu bhurji (150 g crumbled tofu with onion, tomato, capsicum and turmeric) on 2 multigrain toasts, with an orange on the side and lime squeezed over the bhurji.
Vitamin C: capsicumtomatoorange
18 g
Mid-morning
1 guava, 1 glass chaas with lime and 15 g roasted peanuts.
Vitamin C: guavalime
7 g
Lunch
Paneer tikka (100 g paneer) with capsicum and onion, 1 cup thick dal, 1 phulka, mint chutney and an onion–lime salad.
Vitamin C: capsicumlime
33 g
Evening snack
Fruit-and-seed curd cup: 100 g hung curd with strawberries, kiwi or pomegranate and a sprinkle of chia.
Vitamin C: strawberries or kiwi
8 g
Dinner
Channa (Chickpea) Sandwich with a small bowl of Barley Veg Soup (soup protein is a bonus, not counted) and 1 glass chaas. Add tomato slices and a squeeze of lime.
Vitamin C: tomatolime
16 g

Want to make it non-vegetarian?

The base plan is vegetarian so it works for most Indian homes. If you eat eggs, chicken or fish, these swaps keep your protein at or above 80 g. Cook eggs fully, since raw egg white blocks biotin.

In the plan Swap with
100 g paneer (18 g) 100 g cooked chicken breast (about 28 g) or 120 g cooked fish (about 24 g)
50 g paneer (9 g) 2 boiled eggs (about 12 g)
150 g tofu (12 g) 2 whole eggs as a masala scramble (about 12 g)
Soya chunks (15 g) 100 g paneer (18 g) or 60 g cooked chicken (about 17 g)
Dal and sabzi dinner A fish or chicken curry with 1 phulka or a small portion of rice, plus your lime and salad

Make it work in real life

  • Missed a meal? Do not stress or “make up” with a huge meal. Add a protein snack from the portion guide and carry on.
  • Swap freely. Any lunch can swap with another day’s lunch, as long as the protein and the vitamin C stay in.
  • Bloated at first? Increase pulses and seeds gradually and drink your water. Soaked pulses are easier to digest.
  • Eating out? Choose a dal, paneer, chicken, fish or chana dish, add a curd, and squeeze lime on your salad.
  • Be patient. Hair and skin respond slowly. Think in months, not days, and track how you feel each week.
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Disclaimer: This meal plan is for general education and is not medical advice or a personalised diet. Protein figures are approximate and vary with brands, recipes and portion sizes. Results vary with your age, hormones, health conditions, lifestyle and starting nutrient levels. Please speak to a qualified doctor or dietitian before changing your diet, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have kidney disease, high uric acid, diabetes, thyroid or blood pressure issues, food allergies, or take regular medicines. Do not start spirulina, hibiscus or any supplement without checking it is right for you.

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