5-Day Meal Plan for People With Thyroid Disease

While there is no specific diet for thyroid disease, eating well means focusing on balanced meals full of whole foods, including fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, and lean proteins.

An underactive thyroid can slow down your metabolism (the process in which your body converts the food you eat into energy) and cause fatigue, constipation, and weight gain. Choosing more nutritionally dense foods and exercising can help you feel more energized, support a healthy weight, and stay on top of your health.

This article provides a meal plan, shopping list, and instructions to help you prepare for the week.

What Is Thyroid Disease?

There are several types of thyroid diseases that can cause your thyroid to make too little or too much of the thyroid hormones.

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck that makes hormones that control your body's most important functions, including breathing, heart rate, weight, digestion, and mood.

Some of the different thyroid diseases include:

• Goiter: an enlargement of the thyroid gland
• Hyperthyroidism: the thyroid gland makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs
• Hypothyroidism: the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormones
• Thyroid cancer
• Thyroid nodules: lumps in the thyroid gland
• Thyroiditis: swelling and inflammation of the thyroid

Symptoms of hypothyroidism include weight gain, fatigue, dry skin, and sensitivity to cold. Thyroid hormones heavily influence your metabolism, body temperature, and appetite regulation. Having an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) slows down your body's processes, which can lead to weight gain.

Foods That Can Affect the Thyroid

Certain foods have been found to affect the thyroid. Goitrogens are compounds in plant-based foods released when raw cruciferous veggies like kale and broccoli are digested. They can inhibit your body's ability to use iodine, which is necessary for thyroid hormone production.

Goitrogens can cause issues if you have an iodine deficiency, one of the main causes of hypothyroidism. However, cooking these vegetables can help deactivate goitrogens, minimizing their impact. If you have an iodine deficiency, your healthcare provider will work with you to correct it.

Isoflavones in soy may interact with your medications and affect the thyroid. Talk to your healthcare provider about possible interactions and confirm whether you should follow a soy-free diet.

This meal plan is entirely soy-free, and all recipes, although they contain cruciferous veggies, are cooked, reducing the potential for goitrogens being released when the food is digested. While there is a reasonable amount of evidence to show iodine benefits thyroid health, excessive iodine consumption can worsen thyroid disease.

Dietary Considerations

The relationship between thyroid disease, metabolism, and body weight is highly complex. Those with underactive thyroids often burn fewer calories at rest, while those with overactive thyroids tend to burn more calories at rest.

Here are a few healthy diet tips to follow when you have thyroid disease:

Avoid Low-Calorie Diets

Your calorie needs will depend on height, weight, activity level, and gender. It's important to avoid going on a strict, very low-calorie diet as they often do more harm than good and may slow down your metabolism.

Eat Nutrient-Rich Foods

Instead of focusing on calories to satiate your hunger, focus on eating nutrient-rich foods to promote satiety while nourishing your body and supporting healthy energy levels.

Stay Hydrated

Pair your meals with refreshing beverages and keep sipping throughout the day. Water is always a smart choice. If you want to switch up the flavors, try peach mint iced green tea, freshly steeped mint and lemon tea, or a light strawberry basil sparkler.

Work With a Dietitian

Because thyroid disease can present unique challenges, it's important to work closely with your healthcare team and registered dietitian to develop a plan tailored to your individual needs.

Meal Plan Overview

This 5-day meal plan provides healthy amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fats to optimize your health and support a healthy weight. Depending on your body's fullness or hunger, you may omit a snack or add one.

Here's a glimpse of what you'll be enjoying throughout the week. The meal plan is designed for two people. Detailed prep instructions are below.

Grocery List

Review the list and cross out items you already have on-hand to save you time and money at the supermarket.

Do your best to buy everything you need in one trip. Substitutions are noted where you can omit or swap an ingredient in order to avoid unused food and food waste. At home, prepare what you can to save time on weekdays. See detailed instructions below. 

Preparation Plan

This plan is designed for two people. In some cases, where noted, a recipe needs to be doubled or halved.

Use sturdy Tupperware and Mason jars to keep pre-chopped veggies and leftovers fresh. Store ingredients that weren't used where they belong, like your pantry or the fridge.

Shopping Day (You can split these tasks into 2 days if needed)

Monday Breakfast Prep:

• Measure out the mixed berries, cherries, carrots, and almonds (you can use sliced, whole, or another nut—whatever you have available) for your cherry berry smoothie bowl. Store in a zip-top bag in the freezer until the next morning, so you don't have to measure as much.

Monday Lunch Prep:

• Prepare the tuna salad according to recipe instructions. Note that you can omit the celery (it isn't listed on the shopping list because this is the only recipe that uses it). You can use cilantro or parsley, depending on what you bought.
• If you don't have mayonnaise on hand substitute some of the Greek yogurt you bought.
• Keep the rest of the white beans stored in Tupperware in the fridge for the potato soup you'll make later in the week.
• Pack the salad for lunch, along with one pita each.
• Note: Double the recipe for two people.

Monday Dinner Prep:

• Chop cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, and olives to prepare for your ultimate chopped salad. Store in the fridge until Monday's dinner.

Monday

Breakfast:

• Combine the ingredients frozen on shopping day with the rest of the ingredients listed in the recipe.

Lunch:

• Stuff pitas with the pre-prepped tuna salad and enjoy. Pair with fresh fruit.

Dinner:

• Finish putting together the ultimate chopped salad according to directions. Note that you can use dry oregano instead of fresh (we omitted it from the shopping list because this is the only recipe that uses it).
• Enjoy the salad with a whole pita bread.
• Store leftovers for lunch the next day.

Snack/Dessert:

• Prepare dark chocolate cake for two according to directions.
• Note that oat flour is not listed on the shopping list. You can blend or grind some rolled oats to make oat flour instead of buying a bag that you may not use again. This will save you a few dollars.
• Enjoy 2-3 Brazil nuts as a snack.

Tuesday

Breakfast:

• Prepare a savory spinach and feta oatmeal bowl according to directions.
• Note: Double this recipe, for two people.

Lunch:

• Enjoy leftover ultimate chopped salad.

Dinner:

• Prepare vegetable enchiladas according to directions.
• You can use some cilantro or parsley, whichever one you bought, and Greek yogurt and olives as garnishes.
• Pack leftovers for lunch the next day.

Snack/Dessert:

• Prepare garlic parmesan popcorn according to directions.
• Cut apples into slices and pair with 1 tablespoon of nut butter of your choice

Wednesday

Breakfast:

• Prepare brown sugar-baked citrus with honeyed yogurt bowl according to directions.

Lunch:

• Enjoy leftover vegetable enchiladas.

Dinner:

• Prepare pesto-crusted salmon according to directions. If basil leaves have the stem intact, place the rest into a small vase (it'll keep for up to a week). Alternatively, you can chop it up and freeze or dry it for later use.
• Prepare potato soup according to instructions. You can omit the bacon if you prefer.
• Note: Cut the potato soup recipe in half, to make only 4 cups.
• Enjoy 1 cup of soup with 3 ounces of salmon for dinner.
• Pack leftovers for Thursday's lunch.

Snack/Dessert:

• Prepare whole grain mini berry crisps according to directions.
• Note: If you don't have whole wheat flour, swap in some oat flour by grinding or blending two tablespoons of rolled oats. Use any nut you have on hand. The cinnamon and nutmeg add a nice flavor profile. You can buy a package of them if you think you'll use them down the line, but omit them if you'll only be using them for this recipe.
• Note: Halve the recipe to make only two servings.
• Pair eight baby carrots with 1-2 tablespoons of hummus.

Thursday Breakfast Prep:

• Prepare peanut butter cup chia pudding according to directions for a grab-and-go breakfast.
• Note: Double the recipe for two.

Thursday Dinner Prep:

• Place chicken for the tabouli salad in the oven at the same time as the salmon, to have it ready for use for Thursday's dinner. Simply prepare it and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. When cooked, store in Tupperware.

Thursday

Breakfast:

• Enjoy the peanut butter cup chia pudding prepared the night before.

Lunch:

• Enjoy leftover pesto-crusted salmon with a cup of potato soup.

Dinner:

• Prepare tabouli salad according to instructions, using the chicken from the day before. Tip: chop up the vegetables while the quinoa is cooking. Use parsley or cilantro, whichever you bought.
• Serve with fresh fruit
• Pack leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

Snack/Dessert:

• Prepare peanut butter banana yogurt parfait according to instructions. Break up the dark chocolate bar and use it instead of the cacao nibs called for in the recipe.
• Popcorn

Friday Breakfast Prep:

• Chop up the onion, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro (or parsley, if that's what you bought), and tomato to have on hand for quick-cooking your Mexican scramble in the morning.

Friday

Breakfast:

• Prepare Mexican scramble according to directions, using pre-chopped veggies from the night before. Enjoy with a cup of creamy cocoa matcha latte, prepared according to instructions.
• Note: double the latte recipe for two people.

Lunch:

• Enjoy leftover tabouli salad with a piece of fruit.

Dinner:

• Prepare black bean tostadas according to directions. Use the rest of your spinach instead of arugula. Omit the red onion.
• Enjoy two tostadas per person.

Snack/Dessert:

• Prepare dark chocolate avocado mousse according to directions.
• Note: Halve the recipe to make only two servings.

Summary

While there is no specific diet for thyroid disease, a balanced diet will help you manage weight and achieve your nutrient goals. A dietary supplement isn't usually necessary in most cases, but discuss this with your healthcare provider.

The goal is to be prepared with a healthy meal plan and plan ahead to lighten your workload throughout the week. It's OK if the plan doesn't go exactly as outlined. Feel free to modify steps to fit your personal needs and cooking style. Scheduling cooking time is helpful for some people, and you may find that it helps you follow the meal plan too.