Table of Contents
Dinners for 500 Calories in 3 Steps or Less
Your Weekly Schedule
Sunday: Pasta e Fagioli Inspired by Olive Garden
Monday: Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet Cooked in 20 Minutes
Tuesday: The Greatest Veggie Enchiladas onÂ
Wednesday: Mushrooms, spinach, and creamy skillet chicken
Thursday: The Greatest Grits & Shrimp
Friday: Chicken Salad with Sesame Kohlrabi
Sunday: Pasta e Fagioli Inspired by Olive Garden
At my house, soup Sunday has been a tradition throughout the winter, and this weekend is no different. This soup will be our dinner tonight, and we’ll have leftovers for lunch later in the week. I can’t wait to attempt this imitation recipe because I used to frequent the Olive Garden growing up! To help us reach our 500 calorie target, I’ll serve larger 2-cup portions.
Monday: Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet Cooked in 20 Minutes
We try to eat salmon once a week since it’s a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce inflammation. However, we’ve been stuck in a rut, consistently preparing the same dishes. Our daughter loved the creamy tomato spaghetti my mom prepared when we were in Florida, so I have a feeling she’ll appreciate this recipe as well. For each of us, I’ll reheat a sizable whole-wheat pita so we can mop up every last drop of the delicious sauce.
Tuesday: The Greatest Veggie Enchiladas on
I’ll have our daughter make this recipe (thanks, Lila!). She loves to cook, and her favorite food to make is enchiladas. This vegetarian version is loaded with a rainbow of vegetables, including orange bell pepper, zucchini, and maize, all of which provide nutrients that reduce inflammation. To go with it, we’ll toss some salad greens in a Sherry Dijon vinaigrette.
Wednesday: Mushrooms, spinach, and creamy skillet chicken
Wednesday is predicted to be rainy, so a creamy skillet meal sounds ideal! Plus, my family always enjoys spinach and mushrooms together. I’ll serve it with farro, which is my new favorite whole grain. It has a delicious nutty flavor, a chewy texture, and cooks quickly. Furthermore, it’s a good source of fiber—something that most of us don’t get enough of.
Thursday: The Greatest Grits & Shrimp
It brought back memories of how much I adore this plump shellfish, and I had the best shrimp of my life in Florida. With shrimp mixed in a fiery blackening spice, grilled, and served atop smoky, cheesy grits, this recipe is a definite hit. Shrimp also contain a lot of selenium, which is healthy for the thyroid, heart, and immunological systems. Is there anything not to love? I’ll offer some broccoli alongside that I steam.
Friday: Chicken Salad with Sesame Kohlrabi
It appears that Vermont will experience unusually high temperatures for the majority of the week, so making a large salad for dinner makes sense. I greatly suggest trying kohlrabi if you haven’t tasted it before. This vegetable resembles a bulb and can have either green or purple skin. The meat resembles the stem of broccoli, which is my favorite portion of the vegetable, and is extremely crispy and mildly sweet.