500-Calorie Dinners in 3 Steps or Less (Weekly Plan & Shopping List!)

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When your week is particularly busy, sitting down to a healthy and delicious dinner might seem impossible. But you don't need to spend hours in the kitchen or buy lots of fancy ingredients to whip up a meal that's both nutritious and tasty. This week's recipes—made in three steps or less—are proof.

Your Meal Plan

The meals this week are all around 500 calories per serving. When it comes to how many calories to eat in a day, each of us has individual needs. It's best to listen to your hunger and fullness cues whenever you're enjoying a meal to help you know how much you need, rather than strictly focusing on calorie content.

I believe that cheesy dinners are the best dinners, and Monday's Cheesy Marinara Beans are no exception. If lasagna is in your weekly rotation, you should definitely give this quick, fiber-packed alternative a try. While this recipe calls for making the marinara sauce from scratch, you can opt for a store-bought one, which could shave 15 to 20 minutes off the total time. However, I recommend buying one that's lower in sodium, since some options can have as much as 570 milligrams per ½-cup serving—almost 25% of the DV for sodium. Beans, which are the star of this dish, pack tons of nutrients, like protein, fiber, potassium and iron, just to name a few. For a quick veggie side, I'll toss mixed greens drizzled with Creamy Lemon-Pepper Dressing, which I can easily whisk up while the beans simmer in the tomato sauce.

Sunday: Chicken Nachos (514 calories)
Monday: Cheesy Marinara Beans with a side of 2 cups mixed greens tossed with 2 Tbsp. Creamy Lemon-Pepper Dressing (470 calories)
Tuesday: One-Pot Spinach, Chicken Sausage & Feta Pasta (487 calories)
Wednesday: Garlic Roasted Salmon & Brussels Sprouts with ⅔ cup cooked quinoa (490 calories)
Thursday: Chicken & Zucchini Casserole paired with 1 large (8-inch) whole-wheat pita bread (475 calories)
Friday: Shrimp & Broccoli Stir-Fry (455 calories)

Something to Sip On

What I drink on a daily basis comes down to three simple beverages: coffee, water and seltzer. But sometimes I like to have a special coffee or tea drink. Those can quickly put a dent in my weekly budget, so I've taken to making some at home—like this refreshing Thai Iced Tea. Thai tea blends can include different spices, such as cinnamon, vanilla and star anise. In addition to the tea mix, this slightly sweet drink uses ingredients I typically have on hand, including granulated sugar, half-and-half and milk. Bonus: This recipe has much less added sugar than typical versions.

Get the Recipe: ​Thai Iced Tea

What's Inspiring Me This Week

For centuries, spices and herbs have traditionally been used for their healing properties. Ginger is one of the most widely known—mainly to ease digestive issues and support our immune function. And recent research suggests that people with autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, can also benefit from it. More specifically, taking ginger supplements may help manage inflammation, which is associated with these diseases, according to the study published in JCI Insight. Ginger's anti-inflammatory properties may be beneficial to most people, regardless of their health status (always talk to your health care provider before beginning any supplement). It sounds like a good reason to keep adding fresh ginger to my smoothies.

Find Out More: Ginger Supplements May Reduce Inflammation Related to Autoimmune Disease, According to New Research