Easy Healthy Weeknight Dinners + My Weekly Grocery List

by Sally Rychlak

I grocery shop early every Sunday morning. It's one of my favorite routines of the week. The stores are quiet, everything is freshly stocked, and I can get in and out before most people have finished their coffee.

If I'm cooking just for myself, my meals are actually offensively simple and random. Girl dinner, totally intuitive, minimal cooking, and nothing worthy of a recipe.

I’m not a fan of eating alone, so I usually whip up dinner for two whenever I can, even if it’s just for my best friend on a random weeknight. Because of that, my grocery cart usually ends up looking a bit different. I’m shopping for myself, anyone who might drop by for a meal, and let’s be real... the male appetite calls for doubled, tripled portions.

I also try to cook with leftovers in mind. Extra chicken becomes lunch salads. Leftover rice finds its way into meatballs. Nothing feels better than realizing Wednesday's dinner is already halfway made because of something you cooked on Monday.

Here's what a pretty typical week looks like.

Sunday: Salmon Night

Sunday is almost always salmon because it's the freshest fish I'll buy all week. It also feels like a lighter reset after a weekend of eating out.

I rotate between a few different versions, and have recipes linked:

• Teriyaki salmon

• Pecan crusted salmon

• Mediterranean salmon

• Pesto salmon

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  Greek salmon - my fav

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  pesto salmon with blistered tomatoes

Monday: Chicken Breast, Sweet Potato & Green Beans

Monday is my workhorse dinner. I make extra chicken using my Juicy Chicken Breast guide and sometimes roast a couple of sweet potatoes with a veggie. The leftovers become lunches Tuesday through Thursday.

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  chicken and japanese sweet potato

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  Cilantro Lime Chicken

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  Guide to Juicy Chicken Breast

Tuesday: Egg Roll Bowl

One pan, lots of vegetables, high protein. I almost always serve my Egg Roll Bowl over rice and intentionally make extra. Bonus points add an egg on top.

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  Egg Roll Bowl

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  Egg Roll Bowl Recipe Linked

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  High Protein Egg Roll Bowl Linked

Wednesday: Lean Bison Meatballs

The leftover rice or quinoa from Tuesday becomes the binder for my Lean Bison Meatballs instead of breadcrumbs. It's one of my favorite ways to use leftovers instead of letting them disappear into the back of the refrigerator.

Just don't forget to move the frozen bison into the refrigerator the day before.

PS - By Thursday, you're likely low on your chicken lunch reserves, so plan to eat this for lunch the next day. The quinoa salad will be even better on day 2.

these lean bison meatballs are so high in protein and surprisingly lean

Thursday: Turkey Burrito Bowls or Stuffed Peppers

By Thursday, the avocados that were green on Sunday have now ripened and are ready for their shining moment in my homemade guac. So naturally I prepare some sort of complimentary Mexican cuisine featuring ground turkey.

Usually that's either:

• Ground turkey burrito bowls

• Healthy Stuffed Peppers

  
  

Both are easy to customize based on whatever vegetables or pantry staples are left.

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  Healthy Stuffed Peppers

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  Ground turkey stuffed peppers

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  Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Friday: Dinner Out

Friday is usually sushi, Thai, or Tex Mex. No recipes, no dishes.

Dessert

Most nights there's something sweet. Usually it's whatever gluten free cookie, brownie, or muffin I've been testing lately. My Date Sweetened Chocolate Chip Cookies are still my favorite, but a Yasso bar is probably the most common backup plan. The chocolate strawberry flavor has a special place in my heart.

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  Date-sweetened chocolate chip cookies

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  Chocolate Strawberry Yasso Bar

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  Apple Pie Cookies

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  Summer Lemon Cookies

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  Four Ingredient Somoa

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  High Protein Fudgy Brownie

My Typical Weekly Grocery List

Everything is organic whenever possible.

Fresh Herbs

• Dill

• Parsley

• Cilantro

• Basil

Protein

• Wild caught king salmon

• Ground turkey

• Ground chicken

• Ground bison (frozen)

• 2 to 3 packs chicken breasts

• Greek yogurt

• Egg whites

Produce

• Spinach

• Arugula or spring mix

• Zucchini

• 2 to 3 bell peppers

• 1 to 2 cucumbers

• Baby tomatoes

• Large carrots

• Radishes

• Green onions

• 1 yellow onion

• 1 red onion

• 3 to 4 lemons

• 2 limes

• Garlic

• 2 to 3 avocados

• 2 sweet potatoes (Japanese if they're available)

Fruit

I usually buy whatever is in season, but almost every week includes:

• Blueberries

• Peaches

• Honeycrisp apples

Dairy

• Feta

• Goat cheese

• Parmesan (if I'm out)

Freezer

• Frozen riced cauliflower

• Frozen peas

• Yasso bars

Pantry

Before I leave, I check what I'm running low on:

• Rice

• Quinoa

• Beans

• Chicken broth

• Grass fed butter

• Medjool dates

• Any spices or baking staples that need replacing

I don't follow this list perfectly every week, but it's close enough that I can walk into the grocery store without much of a plan and leave knowing dinners are basically handled.