Meal planning can often feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to stick to a budget or limit food waste. But what if you could create five delicious, balanced dinners with just one bag of groceries? With a little strategic planning, you can stretch ingredients across multiple recipes, reducing waste while maximizing flavor and nutrition. Each dinner in this menu plan calls for no more than five ingredients, not including basics like oil, salt and pepper. From a chickpea salad to a sheet-pan chicken recipe, here are five days’ worth of dinners for you to enjoy in any order you want.
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Avocado & Chickpea Salad
Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Sammy Mila, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco.
This salad is a quick and easy meal option, perfect for busy Monday nights. Packed with plant-based protein and fiber from chickpeas and healthy fats from avocado, this salad is on the table in just 20 minutes. This dish includes a simple dressing made from lemon juice and olive oil that ties everything together, enhancing the flavors while keeping the dish light and fresh.
For this plan, you’ll end up buying 3 containers of grape tomatoes. Half of the tomatoes will get used in this no-cook salad while the remaining are used in the sheet-pan chicken dinner. Remember that avocados naturally oxidize when cut and left unprotected. If you’re chopping ingredients in advance, try applying a thin layer of lemon or lime juice to the cut surface and wrap the avocado tightly in plastic wrap until ready to serve.
Ground Beef & Sweet Potato Skillet
Ground Beef & Sweet Potato Skillet
Who doesn’t love a hearty, one-pan meal that delivers on both flavor and convenience? This ground beef and sweet potato skillet is the dish to make when you want something satisfying. The combination of savory ground beef and tender sweet potatoes creates the perfect balance of flavors in every bite. Not only do they add natural sweetness, but sweet potatoes are also packed with fiber, vitamin A and potassium, making this dish as nourishing as it is delicious.
This skillet dinner calls for half of a red onion—but don’t worry, we’re not wasting the second half. That’ll go in the chickpea salad above for some nice crunch, so by the end of the week, you’ll use it up. If you have any leftovers, store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them as is or use a filling for tacos or a breakfast hash.
Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes & Zucchini
Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Sammy Mila, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco.
Sheet-pan meals are a lifesaver on busy weeknights, and this Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes & Zucchini is no exception. With just a single pan, you can easily create a flavorful, well-balanced meal. Bonus: You’ll have minimal cleanup! As the ingredients roast together, the tomatoes burst and mix with the balsamic marinade, creating a naturally sweet and savory sauce that coats the chicken and vegetables. The vegetables provide several nutrients, including vitamin C and antioxidants. While we love zucchini in this recipe, you could swap it out for yellow summer squash if you prefer.
Honey Salmon with Potatoes & Spinach
Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Sammy Mila, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco.
This simple, yet elegant, dish perfectly combines sweet and savory flavors, making it a go-to meal for both weeknights and special occasions. The baby potatoes are roasted until golden brown, while the salmon fillets are seared to create a crispy skin. Before cooking the salmon, pat it dry and let it rest for about 10 minutes at room temperature to ensure even cooking. Fresh spinach rounds out the meal, adding a pop of green to the dish but also nutrients including iron, folate and antioxidants. The result is a well-rounded dinner that everyone will love.
Garlic-Thyme Chicken with Green Beans & Rice
Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Sammy Mila, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco.
Rounding out the meal plan is this flavorful Garlic-Thyme Chicken with Green Beans & Rice. Juicy pan-seared chicken thighs are seasoned with fragrant thyme, salt and pepper for a dish that’s packed with flavor. Green beans add freshness and a nice crisp-tender bite to the dish while the brown rice provides a hearty base and a satisfying source of fiber. If you have leftover cooked brown rice on hand or prefer white rice, you can use that instead. Either way, you’ll have an effortless, filling dinner.
