Looking for a healthy weekly meal plan for two? No matter how long you’ve been together, there comes the time when you just want to sit back and enjoy a peaceful dinner with your partner. Planning ahead can be the answer to this and an easy recipe is just what you need to get started.
Our 10 Most Popular Meal Plans for Two
Cooking for two — especially when you don’t want to be swamped with leftovers — has the potential to be really tricky, as most recipes are written to feed at least four people. That’s why I think it’s especially helpful to meal plan when cooking for two. And we did the work for you, so you don’t have to tackle the mental math of scaling down recipes on your own!
Here, you’ll find 10 weeks’ worth of recipes and smart tricks to minimize leftover ingredients and ways to repurpose leftovers into entirely different meals. Follow the plans as written, or mix and match recipes for a plan that fits your needs.
1. How I Prep a Week of Easy Sheet Pan Dinners in Just 1 Hour
Assemble dinner components in reusable containers or zip-top bags. Each evening, spread the contents of the day’s bag on a sheet pan; toss with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper; and then bake. It’s a lazy meal-prepper’s dream.
2. How I Prep a Week of Instant Pot Meals for Two
In case you need more proof about the versatility of your Instant Pot, this week of meals is it. Tackle chicken Cacciatore, pulled pork, and spaghetti with meat sauce, plus breakfast and lunch for the week using the Instant Pot as your guide.
3. 5 Cheap and Healthy Vegetarian Dinners for Two from Liz Moody
Cookbook author Liz Moody shares a week of veggie-packed plant-based dinners. The plan is packed with super-smart tips to keep dinners budget-friendly and easy and includes recipes for dinners you’re sure to love like a chopped Thai salad and healthy-ish quesadillas.
4. A Week of 30-Minute Meals for 2
For weeks where you need no-fuss dinners that get on the table in a flash (but still taste really good!), this is the plan for you. There’s 20-minute chow mein, and sheet pan salmon with potatoes and asparagus that comes together from start to finish in 30 minutes or less.
5. How I Prep a Week of Whole30 Meals for 2
Set yourself up with a week of easy, satisfying, and wholesome Whole30-approved meals from breakfast through dinner. Start your days with a filling frittata, eat Whole30 chili midday, and finish up with creamy coconut cauliflower soup.
6. A Week of Easy Meals for 2
This easy plan is a nice place to get started for meal prep newbies. These meals lean on staple items — like salad greens, rotisserie chicken, and beans — that are repurposed into lunches and dinners throughout the week. Take it to the next step with an easy meal prep session. This plan walks you through one-hour prep that will set you up for the week.
Get the plan: A Week of Easy Meals for 2
7. A Week of Easy Healthy Meals for Two
Looking for easy, wholesome meals beyond dinner? This five-day meal plan has a make-ahead breakfast, grain bowl for lunch, and a variety of dinners. To top it all off, we’re sharing a step-by-step guide for how to meal prep it all.
8. 5 Flexitarian Plant-Forward Dinners for Two
Does mealtime includes one eater who wants meaty meals, while the other prefers to keep things vegetarian? This menu is an ideal solution, leaning on flexible plant-based meals, like a zucchini stir-fry and grain bowls, where a piece of chicken (home-cooked or rotisserie), shredded meat, or fish can easily be added or served on the side.
9. How I Prep a Week of Easy Vegan Meals for Two
This five-day vegan meal plan has you totally covered with ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can even get a jump-start on the week ahead with about two hours of meal prep.
10. A Meal Plan for Two
Food waste is always a concern when cooking for just a couple of people, but this meal plan for one to two eaters won’t leave you swimming in leftovers. The menu includes pork and broccoli rice bowls that are meant to serve two, while the leftover lemon chicken thighs are repurposed to round out a pasta skillet later in the week.
Clean-Eating Meal Plan for Beginners
This meal plan lays out a week of healthy, easy recipes that work well for both beginners and seasoned cooks looking to simplify their routine and up their intake of healthy foods.
The term “clean eating” perhaps implies that other foods are “dirty,” but in reality that’s not the case. To us, “clean eating” means filling your plate with healthy whole foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats and legumes—all of which deliver important nutrients, like fiber—while keeping things like added sugars and saturated fats to a minimum, two nutrients that can harm our health when we eat too much.
The goal is to help you feel your best, and sometimes you need a kick to get started. If you’re new to cooking or just feeling swamped right now, this easy-to-follow meal plan is for you. We focus on simple recipes with short ingredient lists, incorporate plenty of pantry staples, and repeat meals throughout the week to streamline your time in the kitchen.
Whether you make one recipe or a few, this meal plan is meant to provide inspiration and motivation, but is not meant to be binding. Listen to your hunger and fullness cues, rather than sticking to a specific calorie limit or serving size, and don’t totally ignore your cravings! It’s completely okay and healthy to enjoy a sweet treat glass of wine here and there, and not restricting these things can actually make it easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle in the long run.
What Is a Clean-Eating Meal Plan?
A clean-eating meal plan includes tons of fresh fruits and veggies, high-fiber whole grains and legumes, healthy fats and lean proteins, like fish and chicken. It skips added sugars and keeps fats that can damage our heart when we eat too much to a minimum (think saturated fats). While we are certainly not against dessert, according to the American Heart Association the average American eats 28 teaspoons of added sugars per day—way more than the recommended amount of no more than 6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 for men. A lot of which comes from non-dessert foods, like cereals and bars. While we left it out of this plan, you can certainly add it back in where you see fit.
This plan will leave you feeling satisfied because it includes plenty of nutrients that keep us full, like fiber (from fruits, vegetables and legumes), lean proteins (from Greek yogurt, fish and chicken) and healthy fats (from nuts and avocado). Regular meals and snacks from nutritious sources, plenty of water to help you stay hydrated and moderate exercise throughout the week, means more lasting energy.
If you’re following this clean-eating meal plan for weight loss, we set the calorie level at 1,500 per day, which is a level where most people lose weight, plus included modifications for 1,200 and 2,000 calories a day, depending on your calorie needs.
What to Eat on a Clean-Eating Diet
- Vegetables: The more the better, especially when it comes to leafy greens. Frozen vegetables are a great option too.
- Fruit: Opt for fresh or frozen fruit. If looking at canned fruit, opt for options canned in their own fruit juice instead of sugary syrup.
- Whole Grains: Oats, whole-wheat, barley and quinoa are great options.
- Nuts and Seeds: Choose plain, raw, roasted or salted nuts but skip most other flavors (like honey) as they contained added sugars. When choosing peanut butter, choose options with just two ingredients: peanuts and salt.
- Healthy Fats: Fatty fish, like salmon, as well as olive oil and avocado are great healthy fat options.
- Legumes: Beans and lentils are high in fiber and protein, plus the canned options are a convenient pantry staples.
- Lean Proteins: When choosing proteins, opt for more chicken, turkey, fish, Greek yogurt and legumes.
How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals:
A little prep at the beginning of the week goes a long way to make rest of the week easy.
- Make Vegan Superfood Buddha Bowls to have for lunch on Days 2 through 5.
- Prepare Citrus Vinaigrette to have with dinner throughout the week.
Day 1
Breakfast (325 calories)
- 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup raspberries
- 3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
A.M. Snack (62 calories)
- 1 medium orange
Lunch (360 calories)
- 1 serving White Bean & Veggie Salad
P.M. Snack (326 calories)
- 1 large apple
- 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
Dinner (422 calories)
- 1 serving Greek Roasted Fish with Vegetables
Meal-Prep Tip: Gather ingredients for tomorrow’s dinner, Slow-Cooker Vegetable Minestrone Soup, so it’s ready to start cooking on Low tomorrow morning for 6 to 8 hours.
Daily Totals: 1,495 calories, 78 g protein, 129 g carbohydrates, 33 g fiber, 79 g fat, 819 mg sodium
To Make It 1,200 Calories: Reduce to 1 Tbsp. walnuts at breakfast and omit the peanut butter at the P.M. snack.
To Make It 2,000 Calories: Increase to 1 1/2 cups yogurt and 4 Tbsp. chopped walnuts at breakfast, add 1/3 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to A.M. snack, and increase to 3 Tbsp. natural peanut butter at P.M. snack.
Day 2
Breakfast (324 calories)
- 1 serving Spinach, Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie
A.M. Snack (206 calories)
- 1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds
Lunch (381 calories)
- 1 serving Vegan Superfood Buddha Bowls
P.M. Snack (37 calories)
- 1 medium bell pepper, sliced
Dinner (532 calories)
- 1 serving Slow-Cooker Vegetable Minestrone Soup
- 2 cups mixed greens
- 1/2 avocado, sliced
- 1 serving Citrus Vinaigrette
Meal-Prep Tip: Reserve leftover Slow-Cooker Vegetable Minestrone Soup to have for dinner tomorrow night.
Daily Totals: 1,479 calories, 56 g protein, 160 g carbohydrates, 47 g fiber, 79 g fat, 1,136 mg sodium
To Make It 1,200 Calories: Change the A.M. snack to 1/3 cup sliced cucumber and reduce to 1/4 avocado at dinner.
To Make It 2,000 Calories: Add 1 slice whole-wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to breakfast, increase to 1/3 cup almonds at A.M. snack, add 1/4 cup hummus to P.M. snack and increase to 1 whole avocado at dinner.
Day 3
Breakfast (325 calories)
- 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup raspberries
- 3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
A.M. Snack (206 calories)
- 1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds
Lunch (381 calories)
- 1 serving Vegan Superfood Buddha Bowls
P.M. Snack (62 calories)
- 1 medium orange
Dinner (532 calories)
- 1 serving Slow-Cooker Vegetable Minestrone Soup
- 2 cups mixed greens
- 1/2 avocado, sliced
- 1 serving Citrus Vinaigrette
Daily Totals: 1,505 calories, 66 g protein, 140 g carbohydrates, 46 g fiber, 87 g fat, 989 mg sodium
To Make It 1,200 Calories: Change the A.M. snack to 1/3 cup sliced cucumber and reduce to 1/4 avocado at dinner.
To Make It 2,000 Calories: Increase to 4 Tbsp. chopped walnuts at breakfast and 1/3 cup almonds at A.M. snack, add 1/3 cup dried walnut halves to P.M. snack and increase to 1 whole avocado at dinner.
Day 4
Breakfast (324 calories)
- 1 serving Spinach, Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie
A.M. Snack (141 calories)
- 1 medium bell pepper, sliced
- 1/4 cup hummus
Lunch (381 calories)
- 1 serving Vegan Superfood Buddha Bowls
P.M. Snack (206 calories)
- 1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds
Dinner (436 calories)
- 1 serving Hummus-Crusted Chicken
- 1 serving Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Daily Totals: 1,488 calories, 91 g protein, 127 g carbohydrates, 35 g fiber, 76 g fat, 1,326 mg sodium
To Make It 1,200 Calories: Omit the hummus at the A.M. snack and change the P.M. snack to 1 clementine.
To Make It 2,000 Calories: Add 1 slice whole-wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to breakfast, increase to 1/3 cup almonds and add 1 clementine to P.M. snack, and add 1 serving Guacamole Chopped Salad to dinner.
Day 5
Breakfast (325 calories)
- 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup raspberries
- 3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
A.M. Snack (305 calories)
- 1 medium apple
- 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
Lunch (381 calories)
- 1 serving Vegan Superfood Buddha Bowls
P.M. Snack (62 calories)
- 1 medium orange
Dinner (420 calories)
- 1 serving Chicken & Kale Soup
- 2 cups mixed greens
- 1 serving Citrus Vinaigrette
Meal-Prep Tip: Reserve two servings Chicken & Kale Soup to have for lunch on Days 6 and 7.
Daily Totals: 1,492 calories, 79 g protein, 140 g carbohydrates, 36 g fiber, 73 g fat, 1,094 mg sodium
To Make It 1,200 Calories: Reduce the walnuts to 1 Tbsp. at breakfast and omit the peanut butter at the A.M. snack.
To Make It 2,000 Calories: Add 1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to P.M. snack and 1 avocado to dinner.
Day 6
CREDIT: TED & CHELSEA CAVANAUGH
Breakfast (324 calories)
- 1 serving Spinach, Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie
A.M. Snack (305 calories)
- 1 medium apple
- 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
Lunch (376 calories)
- 1 serving Chicken & Kale Soup
- 1 medium banana
P.M. Snack (109 calories)
- 1/3 cup cucumber, sliced
- 1/4 cup hummus
Dinner (399 calories)
- 1 serving Sheet-Pan Balsamic-Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas & Vegetables
Daily Totals: 1,513 calories, 68 g protein, 177 g carbohydrates, 34 g fiber, 63 g fat, 1,527 mg sodium
To Make It 1,200 Calories: Omit the peanut butter at the A.M. snack and omit the hummus at the P.M. snack.
To Make It 2,000 Calories: Add 1 slice whole-wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to breakfast, add 1 orange to P.M. snack, and add 1 serving Guacamole Chopped Salad to dinner.
Day 7
Breakfast (324 calories)
- 1 serving Spinach, Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie
A.M. Snack (206 calories)
- 1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds
Lunch (376 calories)
- 1 serving Chicken & Kale Soup
- 1 medium banana
P.M. Snack (141 calories)
- 1 medium bell pepper
- 1/4 cup hummus
Dinner (438 calories)
- 1 serving Greek Salad with Edamame
- 1 medium apple
Daily Totals: 1,485 calories, 74 g protein, 170 g carbohydrates, 38 g fiber, 65 g fat, 1,482 mg sodium
To Make It 1,200 Calories: Change the A.M. snack to 1 clementine and omit the hummus at the P.M. snack.
Planning Meals
You eat in a variety of places – your home, work, restaurants, maybe even your car. For some of these places, you have more control over what choices are available than others. Since high-calorie foods are everywhere, it’s important to take the time to plan ahead to make sure you have healthy options available.
Meals at Home
Whether you are cooking for just yourself, one to two people, or a larger group, planning meals is a good place to start improving your food choices. Taking the time to plan a healthy evening meal can help you avoid a less healthful “drive-through” dinner.
To start, grab a pencil and paper and list your favorite meals. It may help to talk to your family or thumb through a favorite cook book. Some of the meals will be healthier than others, but for now, just write them all down.
Once you’ve planned your meals, make a grocery list. Take some time on your visit to the grocery store to choose lower-calorie ingredients. Here are some ideas that may help:
- Many casseroles and meat sauces use cream soups as a base. Use a low-fat cream soup.
- Substitute a low-fat cheese in casseroles and vegetable sauces. When using sharply flavored cheese, such as cheddar and parmesan, you can usually reduce the amount in a recipe to save calories without sacrificing flavor.
- Try a non-stick cooking spray or a small amount of cooking oil for sautéing instead of frying with solid fat.
- If you’re using ground beef for tacos or meat sauce for spaghetti, look for a lower-fat variety such as ground round or ground sirloin or try using skinless ground turkey breast. Once you’ve browned the meat, drain to remove excess fat.
- Instead of full-fat versions of mayonnaises, butter, and salad dressings, try those that are lower in calories, total fat, saturated fat, and trans fat.
- Check out the frozen food aisles for quick, low-calorie vegetable side dishes. You can find cut green beans, sliced carrots, and other chopped vegetables in the frozen food section. Avoid the ones with added cream, butter, or cheese sauces as these ingredients can add calories. You can steam these vegetables quickly in the microwave.
- In some soups and entrees, you may also be able to add dry beans to extend the recipe and improve the nutritional value. This is easy to do in vegetable-based soups and chili. You can just add a cup of canned white beans, kidney beans, or pinto beans to the recipe. As another example, if you are making enchiladas, rinse a can of black beans and add these to the ground meat.
At first, you may find you only get a lower calorie meal planned for one or two nights a week. Don’t criticize yourself; you’re making steps in the right direction. Over time, you’ll figure out meal-preparation short-cuts and it will become easier to make healthy family meals a regular occurrence.
Meals on the Go
For the places where you might grab a snack or have a meal on the go (such as the car or at your desk), make sure you have nutritious snacks available or at home that you can take with you. For example:
- “Grab-and-go” fruits: apples, oranges, bananas, canned fruit without added sugars, and raisins
- Washed and chopped fresh vegetables: celery, carrots, and cucumbers
- Low-fat and fat-free milk products: yogurt without added sugars, milk, and low-fat cheeses
- Whole-grain crackers and breads
- Protein choices such as low-fat deli turkey slices or almonds and other nuts and seeds
Take the time to make a shopping list and re-stock your cabinets and fridge with healthy options. It’s also a good idea to think about stocking your office cabinet or car glove box with healthy shelf-stable treats if these are places where you snack. You’ll find it’s easier to make better choices when you have a good variety of nutritious foods available in the places where you eat.