Meal Plan #8: 5 Easy Weeknight Dinners

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Jump to Meal Plan & Grocery List

This meal plan includes 5 easy & healthy dinners to feed a family of 4. Each dinner was designed with The Plate Method in mind & the week overall was balanced using the Mediterranean Diet principles. (More details on both of those included below.)

Ready to see what’s on the menu…?

Now that I have your attention, let’s go over the details. Or skip right to the Meal Plan & Grocery List documents.

Why Meal Plan?

If you have never meal planned before, there’s no better time to start! It may seem daunting at first, but I promise, it is so worth it. By meal planning on a regular basis I’ve been able to …

  • decrease our family’s food waste
  • incorporate a large variety of flavors & cuisines
  • stick to a food budget of my choice
  • decrease our costs
  • eat healthier
  • increase my cooking skills & confidence

Meal Plans are rarely a ‘one size fits all’ kind of deal but a pre-set plan is a good starting point for you to jump from. Pay close attention to the serving sizes & cook times so you can adjust the meal plan to best fit your family’s needs & your weekly schedule. Always cross-reference a meal plan with your calendar to make sure it works well for whatever you have planned.

The Details – What You Need to Know

My meal plans & grocery lists are typically designed to provide breakfast and lunch for one person only.  Dinners will feed a family of four unless otherwise noted. This particular meal plan however, as noted previously, only includes dinner for 5 days.

Always double check the grocery list against what you already have. You’ll notice most recipes tend to use the same spices & seasonings repeatedely, so you may have those on hand already.

This is the first meal plan where every recipe comes from This & That. So you know right where to go if you need to find any of them.

How I Choose the Recipes

I use 2 main principles for creating meal plans: The Plate Method & The Mediterranean Diet.

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The Plate Method is pictured above. You want to fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables and fruit. One quarter of your plate is for carbs, in the form of grains or a starchy vegetable. The last quarter of your plate is for a lean protein. You can also include a thumb sized portion of healthy fat & a small amount of dairy to cover all the food groups.

Setting your meals up this way ensures you get plenty of fruit & veggies, without overdoing the carbs or protein. If this is a new way of eating for you, it may leave you feeling hungry between meals at first, but give your body time to adjust to the portions. If you are consistently hungry between meals, consider increasing your fat or protein portions to keep you feeling full longer. Try to refrain from snacking between meals.

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The Mediterranean Diet focuses on having fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts, herbs & spices everyday. Fish & seafood are eaten often, at least twice a week. Chicken, eggs, cheese & yogurt are eaten frequently in moderate portions. Red meats and sweet treats are rarely eaten.

I use this pyramid as a guide for the meal plans … it is a great visual reminder of how to balance our diets without depriving ourselves. I am a firm believer that you should never eliminate entire food groups from your diet, but instead you should find the healthy balance to incorporate ‘indulgences’ without sacrificing nutrition.

The Goods – with Final Tips

Okay, okay, enough fine print – onto the good stuff!

Click the buttons below to open the documents & save or print as needed. Please read the * notes at the bottom of the meal plan before grocery shopping – the grocery list will make more sense if you do this.

The grocery list includes the day the ingredient is for so that you can easily shop for a few days at a time or remove certain recipes you don’t like or need. If an item is used in multiple recipes, it is considered a ‘staple’ item & I will not include the day or meal. Spices & olive oil, for example, are ‘staple’ items.

If you try this meal plan or any recipes on it, please comment below & tell me all about it! If you have any questions or notice any mistakes, don’t hesitate to contact me however you prefer … message on Instagram or Facebook or comment below.

Stay safe & eat well! Happy cooking!

Open Grocery List

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