Heart-Healthy Mains with 5 Ingredients or Less (Weekly Plan & Shopping List!)

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I used to think that I needed lots of ingredients (and time) to make healthy and delicious dinners on a daily basis—which felt impossible during the week. But I’ve since learned that I can easily whip a tasty meal with just the right ingredients and pantry staples. This week, I’m prepping main dishes that use five ingredients (not counting basics like oil, salt and pepper) to make cooking a breeze. Plus, in honor of February being American Heart Month, these dinners meet our heart-health parameters.

Your Meal Plan

Thursday’s Shrimp Oreganata Cauliflower Gnocchi uses convenient items like ready-to-use frozen cauliflower gnocchi and cooked shrimp, resulting in a mouthwatering dish that’s ready in 15 minutes, from start to finish. Another thing I love about this recipe is using the microwave to cook the tomatoes mixed with garlic, oil, salt and oregano, which saves me from cleaning splattered tomatoes from my stovetop afterward. To scoop up the delicious blistered tomatoes and complete the meal, I’m pairing this dish with whole-wheat baguette drizzled with olive oil. You’ll notice a few of these dinners include really simple sides like this (and I mean really simple) to help round out the meal.

Something to note: The Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing recipe on Monday and the 3-Ingredient Farro Bowl with Rotisserie Chicken recipe on Friday make 1 and 2 servings, respectively, but they're easy to adjust to serve more. I included enough ingredients on the shopping list for each of those dinners to serve 4 people.

Sunday: 5-Ingredient Roasted Lemon Chicken & Vegetables with brown rice
Monday: Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing 
Tuesday: Oven-Baked Salmon with roasted red-skinned potatoes
Wednesday: Chicken & White Bean Soup with mixed greens tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and black pepper
Thursday: Shrimp Oreganata Cauliflower Gnocchi with whole-wheat baguette drizzled with olive oil
Friday: 3-Ingredient Farro Bowl with Rotisserie Chicken with an apple as a dessert fruit

Something to Sip On

Smoothies make not only a great breakfast but also a perfect grab-and-go snack. And I love enjoying this Banana-Mango Smoothie in the winter because it transports me to the beach with its tropical flavor. Mango and banana pack lots of natural sweetness, plus nutrients like fiber, potassium and vitamin C. So, only half a teaspoon of honey is needed per serving to balance out the tartness. However, you could leave that out and still have a delicious and slightly sweet smoothie. 

Get the Recipe: Banana-Mango Smoothie

What’s Inspiring Me This Week

While I don’t shop much at Costco (we are a family of two and don’t have tons of storage space), some of the sale items for February warrant a visit. My husband and I are sparkling-water lovers, so getting the San Pellegrino deal for $5.50 off a 24-count case catches my eye. And the That's It mini fruit bars, Wonderful salt & pepper pistachios and Oikos Greek yogurt cups are nutritious and easy-to-pack snacks we can take to work. 

Find Out More: The 9 Best Sale Items At Costco in February