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Here is the deal. Every Friday morning I hand you five easy dinners for the week ahead, one treat for the weekend, and a one page shopping list you can print and carry into the store. This is week four, and it is our first GLP-1 edition. If you are on a GLP-1 medication, you already know the trick: the plate gets smaller, so every bite has to pull its weight in protein. Every dinner this week comes straight off our GLP-1 recipes page and averages about 29 grams of protein per serving. And if you are not on one, this is still just a really good week of dinners.
Why This Week Works
- Protein comes first. 44 grams Monday, 25 Tuesday, 32 Wednesday, 24 Thursday and 19 Friday, per serving. The number is in every serving note below.
- Five different proteins. Chicken Monday, pork belly and tofu Tuesday, mahi mahi Wednesday, shrimp Thursday, tuna Friday.
- Lemons and garlic pull triple duty. One bag of lemons covers Monday’s chicken, Wednesday’s mahi marinade and Thursday’s shrimp, and one big head of garlic covers Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
- One pot of rice, two dinners. Make it Tuesday for the stew and the leftovers go under Thursday’s shrimp.
- Two nights barely need you. Monday cooks itself in the slow cooker and Friday is no cook, ten minutes in a bowl.
- A lighter treat. A warm apple and blackberry crumble where the fruit does most of the work.
Protein and calorie numbers come from the nutrition estimates on each recipe card. Your own targets are a conversation for your doctor or dietitian.
Monday: Lemon Chicken Thighs
Tender slow cooker lemon chicken thighs in butter, garlic, and bright lemon. Set it, forget it, and dinner’s done by the time everyone walks in the door. Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Thighs
Serving note: About 44 grams of protein and 345 calories per serving, two thighs each. Load the slow cooker in the morning and it cooks all day. Serve it over a small nest of spaghetti or a pile of steamed green beans and spoon the lemon butter over the top. It makes six servings, so Tuesday’s lunch is covered.
Tuesday: Kimchi Jjigae
This kimchi jjigae is a spicy, savory Korean kimchi stew with pork belly and silky tofu. The ultimate one pot comfort food, ready in about an hour. Kimchi Jjigae
Serving note: About 25 grams of protein per serving between the pork belly and the tofu. This is the richest night of the week at about 750 calories, so a small scoop of rice is plenty. Make a full pot of rice tonight and save half for Thursday.
Wednesday: Grilled Mahi
This Italian grilled mahi mahi is a light, flaky dinner marinated in zesty lemon and herbs, then grilled in minutes. Easy, healthy, and gluten free! Italian Marinated Grilled Mahi Recipe
Serving note: About 32 grams of protein and only 267 calories per serving. Stir the marinade together in the morning and the fish grills in about ten minutes. A big salad or roasted vegetables on the side and you are done.
Thursday: New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
This New Orleans BBQ Shrimp simmers juicy shrimp in a rich, buttery creole sauce with garlic, lemon, and cajun spice. One skillet and 20 minutes! New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
Serving note: About 24 grams of protein and 347 calories per serving. The recipe card calls this one an appetizer, but spooned over Tuesday’s leftover rice it eats like a full dinner. Keep a little crusty bread around for that butter sauce.
Friday: Avocado Tuna Salad
This Avocado Tuna Salad is creamy, no cook, and loaded with flaky tuna, ripe avocado, crunchy veggies, and tangy pickled onion. Ten minutes, start to finish. Easy Avocado Tuna Salad Recipe
Serving note: About 19 grams of protein per serving. The card makes two servings, so double it for four, which is how the shopping list is written. No stove and no oven, just ten minutes and a bowl. Pile it on lettuce cups or crackers.
The Treat: Apple Blackberry Crumble
This Apple and Blackberry Crumble has a jammy cinnamon apple and blackberry filling under a buttery oat topping. An easy, cozy dessert best served warm. Apple and Blackberry Crumble Recipe
Serving note: About 326 calories per serving, with apples and blackberries doing most of the work. Bake it Saturday afternoon. Keep the scoop of ice cream small, or swap it for a spoonful of Greek yogurt.
The Shopping List
One page, grouped the way the store is laid out, with a box next to every line so you can check things off as they land in the cart. The tuna is already doubled for a family of four. Print it Saturday morning and go.
Want More GLP-1 Friendly Dinners?
All five of this week’s dinners live on our GLP-1 recipes page, along with the rest of the high protein meals that keep you full on a smaller plate. Bookmark it for the weeks you want to build your own plan.
Get These Plans in Your Inbox
A new plan goes up here every Friday morning. If you would rather have it land in your inbox than remember to come looking for it, grab one of the free recipe packs and you are on the list.
