This meal plan includes breakfast and dinner recipes and has less than an hour of prep work for the week. These recipes come together in less than 30 minutes and make it easy to have delicious, flavorful meals in no time!
I did use quite a few things from the pantry for this meal plan, so I’ll include a list of things I used for easy reference. I made a few different sauces using a variety of items but if you’re short on ingredients, I highly recommend at least picking up some Hoisin sauce, if you don’t have any on hand. A bottle is currently less than $3 from Aldi or Walmart (this price will vary depending on your location, of course.)
Items I used from the pantry – You can pick up anything you’re missing or make substitutions with what you have on hand!
Oats or Flour | Cocoa Powder | Baking Powder |
Yogurt or Applesauce (oil can be used instead) | Baking Soda | Vanilla Extract |
| Sugar | Salt | Garlic Powder |
| Paprika | Pepper | Soy Sauce |
| Ground Ginger | Sesame Oil | Oyster Sauce |
| Rice Wine Vinegar | Brown Sugar | Cornstarch |
| Honey | Fish Sauce | Hoisin (around $2.75 at Aldi if you don’t have it) |
Table of Contents
- Grocery List
- Recipes
- Chocolate Banana Protein Muffins
- Chocolate Banana Protein Muffins
- Cottage Cheese Scrambled Eggs
- Cottage Cheese Scrambled Eggs
- Instant Pot Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken
- Easy Chicken and Cabbage
- Easy Chicken and Cabbage
- Egg Roll in a bowl
- Egg Roll in a bowl
- Beef Lo Mein
- Beef Lo Mein
- Lazy Macaroni and Cheese
- Crazy Easy Macaroni and Cheese
- Tofu Noodle Stir Fry
- Tofu Noodle Stir Fry
- Turkey Lettuce Wraps
- Turkey Lettuce Wraps
- Sausage Gnocchi
- Sausage Gnocchi
For faster assembly of meals during the week, prep all onions and carrots in advance and keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Grocery List
For step-by-step instructions, watch my video on YouTube here:
Recipes
Chocolate Banana Protein Muffins
Chocolate Banana Protein Muffins
Ingredients
- 4 cups Blended Oats about 440g
- ¾ cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
- 3 Very Ripe Bananas
- 8 Eggs
- 1 cup Yogurt or applesauce
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
- Butter or Oil for greasing the muffin tin
Instructions
- Line muffin tins with liners or grease with oil or butter. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the blended oats, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder until combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, smash the bananas. Add eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract and stir until completely combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until completely combined.
- Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin tins, about ¾ full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes and enjoy! These can be frozen for up to 3 months and reheated when ready to enjoy.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Trina Holden
Cottage Cheese Scrambled Eggs
Cottage Cheese Scrambled Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Butter or Oil
- 8 Eggs
- 1 cup Cottage Cheese
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and cottage cheese.
- In a large pan, melt butter or heat oil over medium heat. Add egg mixture and cook, pushing the eggs around, until cooked through.
- Serve with pepper to taste and enjoy!
Notes
Serving Suggestions:
Serve with a muffin on the side or just as is! If you have any leftover meat from another meal, like bacon or ham, you can serve that on the side as well.
Instant Pot Chicken
Instant Pot Chicken
Ingredients
- 3½ lbs Chicken Leg Quarters
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
- Place chicken in instant pot and season all over with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Add 1 cup of water. Close, seal, and pressure cook at normal pressure for 12 minutes.
- Allow to natural release for 10 minutes. Release the steam. Once the pin has dropped, open and remove the chicken. Shred the chicken and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Save the bones and skin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Easy Chicken and Cabbage
Easy Chicken and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- ½ Onion diced
- ½ head Cabbage shredded
- Salt
- Pepper
- Paprika
- 2 cups Chicken cooked and shredded
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
Instructions
- In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until soft and translucent.
- Add cabbage and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.
- Add cooked chicken and garlic and sauté until heated through, about 2 minutes more. Season with more salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe adapted from Salt&Lavender
Egg Roll in a bowl
Egg Roll in a bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground Turkey, Beef, or Pork
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- ½ head Cabbage shredded
- 4 Carrots shredded
- ¼ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- 2 eggs
- Sriracha optional
- Green onions sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add ground beef, pork, or turkey (if using ground turkey or pork, use oil in the pan before adding meat). Saute until meat is cooked through.
- Add cabbage and continue to cook, stirring, until cabbage is slightly wilted. Add carrots, stir, and continue to cook until vegetables are soft. Stir in soy sauce, ground ginger, and pepper and sauté until cooked down, about 1-2 minutes more.
- Move everything to the sides of the pan, creating a well in the center. Turn the heat on low, crack the eggs into the well, and scramble until cooked through.
- Stir the eggs and meat mixture together and serve topped with sriracha (if desired) and green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
Add additional eggs to stretch this dish. I’ve used 4 eggs instead of 2 and it works perfectly!
Beef Lo Mein
Beef Lo Mein
Ingredients
- Oil
- 1½ lb Flank Steak sliced thinly
- 1 Onion sliced or chopped
- 4 Carrots shredded
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce
- Pepper
- 8 oz Spaghetti or Lo Mein Noodles
- Sriracha optional
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook spaghetti as directed on the packaging.
- In a large pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add steak and sauté until cooked through, flipping the steak as it cooks.
- In the meantime, in a small bowl or jar, mix together the brown sugar, hoisin, sesame oil, ground ginger, soy sauce, and pepper. Set aside.
- Add onions to the steak and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent.
- Add carrots and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add cooked noodles and sauce and stir.
- Serve with hot sauce, if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Recipe Critic
Lazy Macaroni and Cheese
Crazy Easy Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups Milk
- 1 cup Cottage Cheese
- 8 oz Cheddar shredded
- 1 tsp Ground Mustard
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- 1 lb Macaroni Noodles
- 1 cup Pasta Water reserved from cooking pasta
Instructions
- In a medium pot, boil water and cook noodles as directed on the packaging. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water for later.
- In a blender, add milk, cottage cheese, half the cheddar cheese, ground mustard, garlic powder, and pepper, and blend until smooth.
- In a large pot, add cheese mixture and heat on medium until hot but not boiling, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the rest of the cheddar cheese until melted.
- Stir in pasta and add ½ cup pasta water. Let mixture set for 5 minutes before serving. If desired, add any additional pasta water until sauce reaches desired consistency. Serve and enjoy!
Tofu Noodle Stir Fry
Tofu Noodle Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 12 oz Extra Firm Tofu chopped into small cubes
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- For Sauce:
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Honey
- 2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- ½ cup Water
- For Stir Fry:
- Oil
- ½ Onion sliced
- ½ cup Mushrooms sliced
- 4 Carrots shredded
- 8 oz Spaghetti
- 2 Green Onions sliced
Instructions
- Place tofu on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and top with another towel. Place something heavy on top and allow to sit until most of the moisture has been released from the tofu. Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, in a small jar or mixing bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, honey, oyster sauce, garlic, and water. Set aside.
- Once tofu is dry, place in a medium mixing bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Sprinkle with cornstarch and toss until coated. Place in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes. Toss and cook for 5-10 minutes more or until tofu is crispy.
- In a large pot, boil water and cook spaghetti as directed on the packaging.
- Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are soft. Add carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add cooked spaghetti, crispy tofu, and the soy sauce mixture. Toss and cook for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve with green onions and enjoy!
Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- Oil
- ½ Onion diced
- ¼ cup Mushrooms diced
- 1 lb Ground Turkey, Ground Chicken, or Ground Pork
- ¼ cup Hoisin
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar or any vinegar
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 2 Carrots shredded
- 2 Green Onions sliced, reserve some green parts for garnish
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 head Iceberg Lettuce washed and separated into large pieces for wraps
Instructions
- In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until soft, about 3-4 minutes more.
- Add ground turkey and sauté until cooked through, breaking apart as it cooks.
- Add hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil and stir. Add carrots, onions, and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve 2-3 tablespoons of mixture on each lettuce wrap, topped with green onions and sriracha, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe adapted from Lil’ Luna
Sausage Gnocchi
Sausage Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 12 oz Italian Sausage without casings
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- ½ cup Chicken Broth
- 1 cup Milk
- Juice from half a lime or lemon
- 1 lb Potato Gnocchi
- 6 oz Fresh Spinach
- Parmesan Cheese optional
Instructions
- In a large pan, brown sausage on medium heat until cooked through, breaking apart as it cooks. Strain fat.
- Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.
- Add broth, milk, lime or lemon juice, and gnocchi and stir. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir, add spinach, and cover for 2 minutes. Stir and cook until spinach is wilted.
- Serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe adapted from Julia’s Album
I hope you love the recipes and at least got a few ideas for meals for your family! If you try anything, be sure to let me know in the comments below!
Disclaimer: This post is the opinion of the author. Always speak to your doctor before beginning any exercise plan or changes to your lifestyle or diet. The information provided in this post is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to provide medical, legal, or other professional advice. Read and/or use any of the information from this post at your own risk. Some or all of the links displayed on this site may be affiliate links.
These look great Laura. I’ll have to try them out.
Thank you! I hope you love them!
What store(s) do you shop at? I know prices vary everywhere!
I usually shop at Aldi! It’s our least expensive store here but I know prices are different in each city 😄