In an effort to jump back into healthier eating, I took some time to plan out our meals for the week yesterday morning and took Chase along for a much more organized trip to the grocery store in the early evening. I figured this week’s meal plan might make a decent blog post just in case you are anything like me and are always looking for healthy and easy dinner ideas. This meal plan is comprised of recipes I’ve made in the past so I can vouch for them and assure you they’re all delicious, clean and quite nutritious, too!
Meal Plan: 5 Healthy Weeknight Dinners
- Monday: Rotisserie Chicken with Green Beans and Leftover Lentils
Since we were running out to do our grocery store shopping immediately before dinner yesterday, I was tempted to grab a frozen pizza and call it a night but thankfully the meal planner in me knew I’d be tempted by convenient food, so I planned to make Monday night’s dinner a ready-to-go rotisserie chicken. I paired it with Brittany’s easy green beans and leftover lentils and garbanzo beans we had in the fridge from a weekend cookout.
- Tuesday: Easy BBQ Meatloaf with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Asparagus
When Ryan and I first moved in together, we ate SO MUCH meat loaf. We’d often let it cook in the oven while we took Sadie on a walk after work and loved coming home to a hot and tasty dinner that was ready for us to eat! BBQ meatloaf is both of our favorite and I love this easy BBQ meatloaf recipe since it makes it easy to incorporate veggies into the mix as well. I’m planning to pair the meatloaf with asparagus and roasted sweet potatoes topped with a little butter and a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Wednesday: Paleo Pizza Spaghetti Pie + Fresh Fruit Salad
In my blog post about Healthy Meals to Make For Others, I mentioned this recipe because it’s a go-to for me to bring to someone after they had a baby. I’m bringing my friend Lauren dinner on Wednesday and since I know her family tries to eat healthy, I am hoping this will be a welcomed dish for them to enjoy as they adjust to life as a family of four. Since I’m already planning to make this dish for Lauren’s family, doubling the recipe will be easy and we’ll have the same thing for dinner in our house that night, too!
- Thursday: Crock Pot Shredded Pork Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
I made this dinner last week on a rainy day and it was the ultimate comfort food! I altered the recipe quite a bit from the original and added a chopped onion, potato and carrots to the crock pot with additional broth and it was SO good. I’m already excited to make it again this week, especially since it was so easy.
- Friday: Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce and Side Salads
There’s something about Friday nights that often cause me to crave pizza, spaghetti and lasagna. Anything with red sauce and lots of cheese! I’m already looking forward to digging into a big bowl of spaghetti with Bolognese sauce and love Gina’s delicious lightened-up sauce recipe which is easy to adapt to your own preferences (I love adding sweet peppers to mine). I’m planning to serve this topped with freshly-grated parmesan cheese and side salads. An added bonus: Chase LOVES Bolognese sauce so this one is almost always a hit with our toddler!
Question of the Day
What is one thing on the menu for dinner at your house this week?
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I made buffalo chicken spaghetti squash bake, always a favorite topped with avocado. I also made chili because to me that is the best food when we have cooler, rainy weather. Best part is I made both on Sunday and don’t have to worry about it after work.
Crock pot shredded roasts are the BEST! The meat is so tender and delicious. I completely forgot about how easy a meal like that would be until you posted it. I will definitely be incorporating it into my fall meals, thank you!
totally agree! it’s not something i tend to make a lot in the summer but it’s something we absolutely love in our house, especially in the colder months!
These are all so comforting! Down for the meatloaf. Tonight Im making tuna steaks with asian stir fry and salads!
oooh! that sounds awesome! i never seem to make tuna at home which is kind of odd since ryan and i love it and make other kinds of fish ALL the time. i think it’s because tuna intimidates me for some reason! how do you like to cook yours?
I’ll marinate it in the morning with different things (this morning I did soy sauce, liquid smoke and fresh thyme), then I just grill it on a pan so it gets a nice sear! The marinade is the best part- adds so much flavor!
I agree — there’s just something about pizza on a Friday night that helps to kick off the weekend on a high note!
Pretty please keep posting these weekly. I love the ideas!
Me too! I need some inspiration on easy (low ingredient count), healthy dinner ideas. I get overwhelmed with too many ingredients – these were nice and simple ideas but look super tasty. Thank you!
Kabobs have been a favorite in our house lately! I’m also excited to move into soup/stew season.
I’m right there with you on soup + stew season! In New Orleans, it’s gumbo season. 😉
Have you made the PALEOMG Taco casserole? If you haven’t yet.. you need to! I sub’d the almond flour tortillas for regular tortillas and added refried beans.. it’s SO Good.
I made your sweet potato/apple/chicken sausage bake last night and it was SO good! I’ll be making it again later in the week! 🙂
I love this post and would love to see more of these, please. I’m trying to be a better meal planner and shifting towards eating clean. It definitely takes advance work, but is worth it. These recipes sound great! I’m going to try a roasted brussels sprouts & cauliflower soup from Skinnytaste this week.
Thank you for sharing these easy dinner ideas – I love that none of them require a ton of ingredients!
Last night we had smoked chicken, roasted potatoes, and a big salad full of all the vegetables in our house that were about to go bad. Simple but delicious 🙂
Enjoy your day!
great ideas!!!!! Now I want to put meatloaf on my meal plan which currently includes pizza stuffed spaghetti squash as well!
Meal plan posts are always a favorite of mine to get new ideas. It would be awesome in future if you could incorporate some vegetarian friendly meals you love as well! 🙂
Yummy! All of these meals, especially the spaghetti squash bake, are speaking to my soul! Last night, we had homemade falafel on pita bread with hummus, salad and sautéed chickpeas with paprika! It was SO GOOD and inspired by a delicious falafel and hummus pita I had this weekend at the USAF Air Show in DC!
Another meal on the agenda is roasted acorn squash stuffed with rice, tofu and feta and baked! Top it with a little nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and a dab of hot sauce and you’ve got yourself a delicious veg-friendly meal that’s packed with protein and nutrients! I also might throw some cornbread in the oven for a little extra somethin’. 😉
http://www.poweredbysass.com
Love meal plan posts- they always inspire me! I feel like I get stuck in a rut, quite often, and need inspiration to get me trying new things! This week’s agenda includes: spinach egg crust less quiche, bean soup, and homemade chicken nuggets with roasted sweet potato ‘fries.’
Love this post, thank you! I struggle every week to plan ahead and come up with easy meals. Since I’m away from my son at work all day, I don’t want to pick him up from daycare and head right to the store or immediately spend an hour in the kitchen every night. One go-to meal we like is turkey sausage links, chopped up with peppers and onions in the skillet. We’ll pair it with an brown rice, whole wheat stuffing or a potato dish.
We do homemade pizza quite often on Fridays. I figure if it’s homemade its a bit better than the store bought greasy stuff?! My husband is gone hunting all week so that means I get to eat what I want — I made a huge batch of vegetable soup on Sunday to eat throughout the week. Soup/stew/chili are the best as the weather starts to turn!
Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Hi Julie! Do you ever try to incorporate vegetarian dishes at all? As a vegetarian myself, I highly suggest you watch the documentary “What the Health?” on Netflix. Totally not telling you what to eat or how to feed your family, but just wanted to share, as the documentary is very eye opening on the dangers of eating too much meat!
I have a spaghetti squash at home I’ve been meaning to use. Love having ingredients I can use for multiple recipes. Rotisserie chicken is such a game changer!
Very helpful post! It’s easy to get stuck in the work week dinner rut – I just printed off 4 of these recipes! I like that there aren’t a ton of ingredients in each one 🙂 Thanks!
Korean beef bowls over cauliflower rice- used ground been ready in 15 minutes! I used stevia brown sugar as well. So yummy
Would you mind sharing how you made the pork roast in the crock pot?
Thank you.
Since I only cook for one, I usually eat the same meal (or basically the same thing) for dinner for the whole week. This week is some version of eggs (scrambled, over easy, etc) with veggies and sweet potatoes. I have a bunch of veggies my parents sent me home with that are fresh from their garden so I’m working through that which is fun and allowing for a lot of veggie variety which I’m LOVING!
I have had your bbq meatloaf recipe saved to my bookmarks for so long now and I finally made it about two weeks ago and oh em gee. It is definitely a new staple in our house. My husband and I loved it so much! I paired it with egg noodles and some sauteed spinach and it was a great combo. Love how simple and delish your recipes are that you share!
This makes me so happy!!!! So glad you guys like it!
Your list looks like mine this week! Meatloaf, Crock Pot Pulled Pork, Spaghetti Squash with pesto and chicken.
Love your healthy comfort foods!
These all sound like perfect dinners! I love having cauliflower fried “rice” for dinner!
Pork chops with sauteed apples and onions! I add a little cinnamon and nutmeg to the apples and onions to give it a nice spice and fall flavor 🙂
My mom used to make a dish like that when I was growing up. SO good. Love the sweet and savory.
My life seems so out of sorts when I don’t menu plan and I find myself having to run to the store all the time. Life is so much easier when I take the time to organize meals. We’re in the midst of moving, so making real meals is a little tough. Thankfully, my mom brought over some homemade meatballs and marinara sauce, so we’ll be eating that this week!
This is so on point for me right now! After running to the grocery store 6 out of 7 days last week (ridic!) I too am trying to meal plan better for this week. So far so good. I made chicken tortilla soup last night and def have enough to eat again later this week and freeze which is a total score. I always love getting new ideas!
I you mind sharing the recipe?
These are great recipe ideas! This week, I’m looking to incorporate Fall squash into my dinner recipes now that they’re back in season! In particular, delicata squash is my favorite!
Great post! I love meal planning stuff and always appreciate easy family recipes! We do most our cooking on the weekend and then have leftovers supplemented with extra veggies, rice, etc during the week. Last weekend my husband cooked both days (go him!) and made us Asian inspired steamed beef meatballs with cabbage and grilled chicken thigh tacos with cabbage slaw. So tonight is leftover chicken tacos, probably with some green beans 🙂
My husband and I love your BBQ meatloaf!
This week I’m busting out my new food processor and making spinach & basil pesto with brown rice pasta, roasted veggies, and cannelini beans.
And you’re right, Friday nights are totally for something carby, hot and cheesy!
Ancient harvest green lentil spaghetti noodles, 20 + grams of protein per serving! Add a little turkey bolognese and spinach and you have a meal I will probably eat on repeat for a few days.
I always do a platter of steamed or stir-fried seasoned vegetables with baked or pan-fried tofu on a bed of greens. The combination is amazing all the time!
Could you go into a little more detail about how you did the crockpot pork roast? It sounds right up our alley, but I’d be afraid of under/overcooking, lack of flavor, etc. if I just threw some stuff into the pot and crossed my fingers! 😉
These meal planning ideas are fab! I’m always looking for ways to make it simpler without being boring 😉
~Julia
http://www.thepetitefastinista.com
We make your BBQ meatloaf all the time! And the funny this is I always serve it with sweet potatoes too. A go to meal for us is tacos or fajitas. Plus they can always be repurposed for at least another meal or two!
I did a beef roast in my instant pot on Sunday and we used the leftovers tonight to make stroganoff! So yummy!
I make so many of your recipes, so I love seeing this meal planning week! I’ve been trying to save money lately, so I’ve been trying to raid my own house for something to cook, and this reminded me I have package of green beans in the fridge that’s about to turn! (It got buried behind other things). I always feel inspired when I see meal planning like this. It seems doable!
I love that bbq meatloaf, and think of you every time I make it. It’s so good! Thanks for all these great recipes and all these great ideas.
Sounds odd but the fridge was looking a bit bare so I just went with it and my family ended up raving about the meal! Lemon pepper (and of course garlic) organic chicken, savory herb polenta, & cinnamon honey butternut squash! 🙂 Strange combo but it was A HIT!!! 🙂
That meatloaf, even though I’ve seen you post it before, looks especially good and simple today! Bookmarked and can’t wait to try it out!
how do you organize your meal plans? do you use a journal or a calendar so you don’t have to re-invent the wheel in a future week?
I like this question! I was wondering the same thing.
I love how you laid out just the ingredients to share your plan!
Your bbq meatloaf is a favorite in our house! On Sunday I’m having a couple of girlfriends over for breaded pork chops, mashed potatoes, & green beans. Thanks for posting about Brittany’s green beans because now that’s what I’m going to make!
I am so glad you like the meatloaf! And those green beans are right up my alley — so easy and always so tasty!
I’m using a couple of your past recipes but one think I am making this weekend that I am super excited about is my homemade sweet n sour chicken with rice and stir fry veggies! I was wondering, I am trying to make sure I am getting enough protein in my diet, what’s your favorite protein packed snack?!
Julie, do you know?. Actually, I’m crazy about cooking. I can plan a meal for a few days, even a week. Weekly cooking what to eat is a big question. Thank heaven, for I found your article. From suggestions from you I solved part of my troubles.