Meal Plans ThePrep 450-Calorie Dinners to Prep in 20 Minutes or Less (Weekly Plan & Shopping List!) You don't need to spend hours in the kitchen to make a healthy and delicious meal! By Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia Maria Laura is EatingWell's senior nutrition & news editor. As part of the nutrition team, she edits and assigns nutrition-related content and provides nutrition reviews for articles. Maria Laura is a trained dietitian, almond butter lover and food enthusiast with over seven years of experience in nutrition counseling. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 15, 2023 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines In This Article View All In This Article Your Meal Plan Something Sweet What’s Inspiring Me This Week Trending Videos Close this video player Our column, ThePrep, has everything you'll need to make meal planning and meal prep as easy as can be. Nutritional needs differ from one individual to another, and we invite you to use these dinner plans as inspiration and tweak them as you see fit. Sign up to get a meal plan delivered to your inbox every Saturday! Cooking is a creative outlet for me. I love to explore different ingredients and flavor combinations and even challenge myself to use what I have at home to create something new and delicious. Yet, during the week, when my time is precious, I like to follow quick recipes to make things easier. This week, I’m making flavorful dinners that only require 20 minutes or less of active time. Your Meal Plan Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Julia Levy, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle This week’s meals not only help me save time, but they also come in at around 450 calories per serving, which is a level that will help most people feel satisfied. However, that number should be used only as guidance since how many calories you should eat in a day depends on your individual needs. As a dietitian, I recommend that you listen to your hunger and fullness cues rather than focusing on how many calories you eat at each meal. While all of these recipes sound totally delicious, I’m particularly excited about Monday’s Baked Feta & Tomato Spaghetti Squash. Inspired by the baked tomato-and-feta pasta trend, this recipe is as easy as it can get. Prep time is quick—just 15 minutes—and then the oven takes care of the rest. A drizzle of balsamic glaze at the end adds a lovely, sweet touch, perfectly balancing the acidity of the tomatoes. To round out the meal, I’ll serve it with toasted whole-wheat baguette. Sunday: 5-Ingredient Roasted Lemon Chicken & Vegetables with ⅔ cup cooked quinoa (482 calories)Monday: Baked Feta & Tomato Spaghetti Squash with 1½ slices toasted whole-wheat baguette (424 calories) Tuesday: Shrimp and Cauliflower Bake with ¾ cup cooked whole-wheat pasta (434 calories)Wednesday: Skillet Pork Chops with Peas, Carrots & Pearl Onions with 1 cup cooked barley (487 calories)Thursday: Winter Chicken Parmesan (442 calories)Friday: Creamy Salmon Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes (458 calories) Get the Shopping List Something Sweet Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster These Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies feature one of my favorite flavor combinations ever—chocolate and peanut butter. Not only is this recipe so easy to make, but each serving (2 cookies) delivers 8 grams of protein, making it the perfect pick-me-up snack. And the best part is that one batch makes 24 cookies, so I’ll have plenty on hand when company comes over. Get the Recipe: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies What’s Inspiring Me This Week Getty Images Christmas is right around the corner, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m heading to my hometown to spend some time with my family. I can’t wait to enjoy my mom’s delicious roasted turkey, strawberry & spinach salad, wild rice and buttery green beans. This year, my mom has asked me to come up with an appetizer the whole family will enjoy. And this burrata caprese snowmen recipe is perfect: tomatoes, burrata cheese, olive oil and balsamic glaze—yes, please! It’s not only super cute, but it’s also easy to whip up. And I’m sure my nephews will love the idea of eating a snowman. Find Out More: This Caprese with Burrata Snowmen Is the Cutest (and Easiest) Holiday Appetizer Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit