- This week’s dinners feature recipes for cozy meals that contain 500 calories or less per serving.
- Dishes packed with lean proteins, healthy fats and ample vegetables will help you feel your best.
- From creamy pastas to bean enchiladas, these recipes can help you stay nourished while aligning with your goals.
After a week of holiday celebrations, it can feel difficult to get back into a routine. Especially if you were traveling, being out of your routine might leave you feeling bloated or low on energy. Luckily, these balanced dinners can help you get back on track. They showcase some of winter’s best produce, from vibrant leafy greens to hearty winter squash. Plus, each dish has no more than 500 calories per serving, so you can stay nourished while aligning with your goals. Let’s dig in!
Your Weekly Plan
Sunday: One-Pan Chicken Florentine
Monday: Thai Sweet Chili Salmon Bowls
Tuesday: Creamy Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts
Wednesday: Copycat Olive Garden’s Chicken & Gnocchi Soup
Thursday: Quick Gochujang Pork & Rice Bowls
Friday: Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchilada Skillet
Our column, ThePrep, has everything you’ll need to make dinner planning and grocery shopping as easy as can be. Nutritional needs differ from one individual to another, and we invite you to use these dinner plans as inspiration and adjust them as you see fit. Sign up to get a dinner plan delivered to your inbox every Saturday!
Sunday: One-Pan Chicken Florentine
Photographer: Kelsey Hansen, Prop Stylist Natalie Ghazali, Food Stylist: Shannon Goforth.
This skillet dinner featuring chicken and spinach comes together in three easy steps. The chicken is packed with lean protein that will help you feel satisfied for longer and supports muscle and bone health. I’ll serve it with whole-wheat pasta to make it more balanced.
Monday: Thai Sweet Chili Salmon Bowls
Food: Sammy Mila, Photos: Jason Donnelly, Props: Breanna Ghazali
Salmon is a great source of inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids, which are a type of unsaturated fat linked to better heart health, brain health and more. Here it’s paired with crunchy cabbage, hearty whole grains and a flavorful sauce for a nourishing main. This dinner makes two servings but can easily be scaled up if you have more people to feed.
Tuesday: Creamy Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hausser.
I love a creamy pasta, and this vegetarian main is perfect for busy weeknights. It comes together in just 40 minutes and can be stored for up to four days, so it’s a good make-ahead option. The whole-wheat pasta, cheese and hearty vegetables provide 16 grams of protein per serving, proving you don’t need meat for a satisfying meal.
Wednesday: Copycat Olive Garden’s Chicken & Gnocchi Soup
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hausser, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling.
Olive Garden has some fan-favorite dishes, including their chicken and gnocchi soup. Here it gets a diabetes-friendly makeover, meaning it’s lower in saturated fat and sodium and mindful of total carbohydrates and calories. Plus, it’s packed with protein and fiber—two nutrients that help keep your blood sugar more steady for longer.
Thursday: Quick Gochujang Pork & Rice Bowls
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickeyt, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Gochujang is a condiment made from fermented red pepper paste, and this recipe is a perfect introduction if you haven’t tried it before. It adds a deeply savory and lightly sweet flavor to the lean ground pork. The whole dish takes just 20 minutes. To make it a meal, I’ll serve it with mixed greens dressed with Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette.
Friday: Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchilada Skillet
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle.
This flavorful dinner comes together in just one skillet for something that’s easy and nourishing. The black beans and deeply colored vegetables, like the squash and bell peppers, help support healthy aging. To add more heart-healthy fat to the dish, I’ll top each serving with ½ an avocado.
I wish you all a great week, and I hope you enjoy this dinner plan. If you try a recipe, remember to add a review.
