Weekly Meal Plan | Week of 9/29

Every Sunday I prep a few things to get me through the week. Since I only cook for myself, I stick with one breakfast, one lunch, and one dinner. These are just my main meals. I don’t include snacks, which I change up throughout the week depending on what I’m craving.

Breakfast: Banana Oat Protein Muffins with Greek Yogurt

Ingredients (10 muffins):

• 6 ripe bananas, mashed

• 3 cups rolled oats

• 3 servings protein powder (about ½–¾ cup)

• ½–¾ cup chocolate chips (optional)

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

How to make it:

1. Preheat oven to 405°F and spray a baking sheet with oil.

2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas until smooth.

3. Stir in oats, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, and chocolate chips if using.

4. Scoop batter onto the baking sheet into 10 even portions.

5. Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly golden and set.

6. Store in the fridge and pair with a Greek yogurt cup for a quick breakfast.

Lunch: Shrimp Fried Rice

Ingredients (5 servings):

• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 2 medium zucchini, diced

• 1 bag frozen chopped onions and bell peppers

• 2 bags frozen white rice (about 4 cups cooked rice)

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

• 2–3 cloves garlic, minced

• 3-4 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

• Salt and pepper, to taste

How to make it:

1. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.

2. Add shrimp and cook until pink, about 2–3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.

3. Add frozen onion and pepper mix, zucchini, and garlic to the same pan. Sauté until tender, about 5–7 minutes.

4. Push the vegetables to one side of the pan and pour in the beaten eggs. Scramble until cooked through.

5. Add rice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and shrimp back into the pan. Stir until everything is well combined.

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then portion into containers.

Dinner: Chili with Cornbread Muffins

Chili Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 3 carrots, diced

• 6 cloves garlic, minced (jarred)

• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced

• 1 jalapeño, diced

• 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes

• 1 can crushed tomatoes

• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 ½ cups beef broth

• 2 tablespoons chili powder

• ½ tablespoon cumin

• ½ tablespoon oregano

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Olive oil for cooking

Instructions:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1–2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 5–7 minutes.

2. Add carrots, jalapeño, and bell pepper to the pot. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for another minute.

3. Stir in diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, beans, and spices. Stir, then pour in broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 45–120 minutes, stirring occasionally. (I cooked mine for 2 hours.)

4. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve topped with shredded cheddar and cornbread muffins.

Cornbread Muffins (from the Jiffy box):

• 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

• Ingredients listed on the box (milk and eggs)

Bake according to package directions while the chili simmers.

Grocery List

Produce

• Bananas

• Zucchini (2)

• Onion (1 medium)

• Yellow bell pepper (1)

• Jalapeño (1)

• Garlic (fresh or jarred)

Frozen

• Frozen white rice

• Frozen chopped onions and bell peppers (1 bag)

Protein

• Shrimp (1 lb)

• Ground beef (1 lb)

• Eggs

• Greek yogurt

• Protein powder

Pantry

• Rolled oats

• Chocolate chips (optional)

• Baking powder

• Baking soda

• Soy sauce

• Fire roasted diced tomatoes (1 can)

• Crushed tomatoes (1 can)

• Kidney beans (1 can)

• Black beans (1 can)

• Beef broth

• Chili powder

• Cumin

• Oregano

• Jiffy corn muffin mix

Dairy

• Shredded cheddar (for topping chili)

Prep time: about 2 hours
Cost: under $100 for the week