Next Week’s Meal Plan: 5 Simple, Veggie-Heavy Dinners for Two or More

While Meghan and her family embark on their cross-country move and get settled in their new city, I’m jumping in to give you a glimpse of what meal planning for my little family of two looks like.

As has been the case most weeks since early June, my meal plan for the week is all about dinners that will use up this week’s veggie haul from the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) we belong to. And because I have a stacked schedule this week (read: little ambition or energy to cook), I’m leaning on low-effort recipes that are super simple to pull together.

Planning my weekly meals is a habit I enjoy. Since I’m frequently asked by friends and family what I’m cooking for dinner each week, I thought it’d be useful to share my weekly meal plan here. Whether you’re just learning to meal plan and looking for a real-life example of how this works or you’re an old pro on the hunt for inspiration, here’s a peek at how I’m feeding my family of two this week.

• The Beginner’s Guide to Meal Planning: What to Know, How to Succeed, and What to Skip
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• 5 Strategies for Picking Recipes for a Week of Meal Planning

This is the second week I’ve received tomatoes in my CSA, and they are so amazing. I have a plump red tomato and a basket of sungolds, as well as some cucumbers to use up. I’m going to mix in some spinach with the arugula and toss in some purple basil for a pop of color. My husband will appreciate the flank steak to make our dinner salad more filling.

Grain bowls are a favorite in my meal plan rotation. They’re quick and easy to pull together, and a fun way to have a little of everything. I got a couple Japanese eggplants, which I’m really excited to use here. I have some cherries (which I’m going to use in place of pomegranate), leftover rice for the base, and I’ll top our bowls off with some feta.

I’ve accumulated several arrowhead cabbages over the past couple weeks and have been so slow to use them up, but tonight is the night it will finally happen. This is one of my favorite stir-fries, and it’s been a while since I’ve made it so I’m excited to get it back in the rotation. I’ll also plan to bulk it up with some cubed tofu.

As is to be expected this time of year, I’m currently getting inundated with green and yellow zucchini and a mix of different summer squash. This recipe has been a favorite since I first tested it, and I’ll plan to use all the varieties of squash I have on hand. Also, “one-skillet” is pretty much code for easy cooking and cleanup, so I’m counting it a double win.

I saved this recipe for the end of the week because it will be the meal that uses up all the lingering bits of CSA veggies, as well as some basil, mint, and parsley. I can count on mixing in summer squash, eggplant, rainbow chard, and purple and red peppers. The buttery white wine sauce is also perfect for summer.