One-Pot Mediterranean Diet Dinners for Busy Weeknights (& Shopping List)
If there’s one eating pattern that seems to have endless health benefits, it’s the Mediterranean diet. Plus, with a focus on whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and lean proteins, it’s easy to adjust for personal preferences or individual needs. This week’s dinners all align with the Mediterranean diet and can be made in one pot, so you can easily make healthy meals all week long. Let’s get cooking!
Your Weekly Plan
Sunday: Thai Red Curry with Cod & Sweet Potatoes
Monday: White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi
Tuesday: Cheesy One-Pot Chicken-Broccoli Orzo
Wednesday: Marry Me Chickpea Soup with Kale
Thursday: Creamy Garlic-Parmesan Butter Beans
Friday: Cheesy Chicken & White Bean Skillet
Our column, ThePrep, has everything you’ll need to make dinner planning and grocery shopping 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 adjust them as you see fit. Sign up to get a dinner plan delivered to your inbox every Saturday!
Sunday: Thai Red Curry with Cod & Sweet Potatoes
Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
This dish calls for black cod, a fish that has a luxurious texture and lots of omega-3 fatty acids (you can also use salmon). Omega-3s can help improve your brain health as you age. The cod swims in a delicious broth of red curry paste and coconut milk and is joined by fiber-rich sweet potatoes, to help support your gut health, and green peas, a source of heart-healthy protein.
Monday: White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi
Shelf-stable gnocchi is such a great shortcut in this dish; you don’t even have to boil it before adding it to the pan. The beans, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes ensure that this meal is packed with nutrients, from fiber to antioxidants to vitamins C and K. The combination makes this dish great for supporting gut health, heart health, your immune system and more.
Tuesday: Cheesy One-Pot Chicken-Broccoli Orzo
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell
Chicken, broccoli and pasta is a classic combo, and when you combine it all in one pot with three kinds of cheese, it becomes a home-run dinner. Chicken provides lean protein to help support muscle growth and maintenance, while broccoli contains compounds such as sulforaphane that can help reduce inflammation. Using whole-wheat orzo gives the dish additional fiber to support your digestion.
Wednesday: Marry Me Chickpea Soup with Kale
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
This cozy soup features chickpeas, kale and sun-dried tomatoes in a rich, creamy, tomatoey broth. The sun-dried tomato oil and some tomato paste give a burst of flavor to the vegetable broth, and cream cheese and Parmesan cheese add richness. The chickpeas offer a good dose of plant-based protein and gut health-supporting fiber. And kale adds more fiber and lots of antioxidants, which can help lower your risk of cancer and heart disease.
Thursday: Creamy Garlic-Parmesan Butter Beans
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Craig Huff, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong
Simmering butter beans in broth with lots of garlic, cream cheese and Parmesan turns them into a flavor-packed, creamy stew-like dish. You’ll want to have a crusty whole-wheat baguette on hand to dip into your bowl. This comforting plant-based dinner comes together in just 25 minutes, and each serving offers 23 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber.
Friday: Cheesy Chicken & White Bean Skillet
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell
Chicken, pepper Jack cheese and white beans plus a bit of cumin and green chiles make for an exciting, flavorful dinner to end the week. Seared chicken cutlets offer protein as well as B vitamins to support your metabolic health. Some cilantro sprinkled on top adds a fresh note, while tortilla strips add crunch.
I wish you all a great week, and I hope you enjoy this dinner plan. If you try a recipe, remember to add a review.
