Easy One-Pan Heart-Healthy Dinners (& Shopping List!)

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Staying active and eating healthy are important goals for anyone, and I’m always trying to work them into my daily lifestyle—whether that’s being less sedentary or preparing wholesome meals. This week’s lineup focuses on heart-healthy dinners, which means they are all low in sodium and saturated fat. This is important for those who are managing conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, as well as for anyone who’s just trying to support their heart health in the long run. Plus, since these meals are made in one pan, they’re simple to make and easy to clean up after, so you can get back to watching the Olympics.

Your Weekly Plan

Sunday: One-Pot White Bean, Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo with Lemon & Feta
Monday: Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale
Tuesday: One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Spinach
Wednesday: Spicy Chicken and Snow Pea Skillet
Thursday: Chipotle-Orange Broccoli & Tofu
Friday: Lemon-Garlic Steak with Green Beans

Sunday: One-Pot White Bean, Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo with Lemon & Feta

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

This dish is not only healthy and delicious, but it’s also vibrant and eye-catching, so everyone at the table will be excited to dig in. Toasting the orzo deepens its flavor, while the sun-dried tomatoes add a little intensity of their own. White beans and spinach contribute plenty of fiber, which is beneficial for heart health.

Monday: Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale

Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

Chicken breasts get a lot of attention, but I really love chicken thighs, which don’t dry out as easily. They star in this easy skillet dinner, along with potatoes, which have fiber, potassium and vitamin C, and kale, which offers several health benefits, including potentially reducing the risk of heart disease. I’ll serve this meal with some whole-grain bread.

Tuesday: One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Spinach

Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist:Christine Keely, Food Stylist:Chelsea Zimmer

Any dinner with shrimp feels like a special-occasion meal to me because I don’t have it very often even though it’s such an easy protein to cook. Shrimp and spinach are both quick-cooking, so you can have this “fancy” dinner on the table in just 25 minutes. Serve it with whole-wheat baguette to sop up the garlicky sauce.

Wednesday: Spicy Chicken and Snow Pea Skillet

Tonight, let’s add a little spice—in the form of harissa paste, a garlicky North African condiment made with dried chiles. It contributes complex flavor to this simple combination of chicken, snow peas, chickpeas and cherry tomatoes. A scoop of strained (Greek-style) yogurt on each serving adds both protein and a creamy, cooling element. Serve it with toasted French bread for a crunchy element.

Thursday: Chipotle-Orange Broccoli & Tofu

Thursday is when my energy for cooking dinner every night starts to wane, so some stir-fried broccoli and tofu is a good choice. Orange juice and chipotle peppers form the base of a sweet, smoky sauce for the main components. Serve it all with some precooked brown rice, which you can find in the freezer section at most supermarkets or in shelf-stable packages in the rice aisle, so there’s one less thing to make.

Friday: Lemon-Garlic Steak with Green Beans

Jason Donnelly

Admittedly, my favorite steak is a rib-eye, but when I’m looking for something leaner, I’ll turn to strip steak, which has less saturated fat. After cooking the steak, you’ll cook the green beans in the same pan, so they can pick up a little richness from the steak drippings. To mimic a steakhouse dinner (it is Friday, after all), serve baked potatoes on the side.

I wish you all a great week, and I hope you enjoy this dinner plan. If you try a recipe, remember to add a review.

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