The craziness begins! Tomorrow both kids start school and life becomes a bit more chaotic while we all settle into our new schedules. With both kids at the same school this year, and my daughter driving, our mornings just got a bit easier. Our afternoons? Not so much. With the start of school comes the start of fall sports and extracurriculars. So from football to soccer to theater and more, we’ll all be working through the new schedule and working out when/how homework gets done and what time we’ll have dinner (we eat dinner as a family every night). So with that in mind, dinner this week is incredibly easy. Nothing fancy. Nothing requiring significant prep, shopping, or new cooking methods. Because when life is busy, the last thing you need is a stressful dinner.

As with all of my weekly meal plans, proteins can be swapped out if you don’t like the protein in the recipe. I’m a pescatarian so if we’re having pork or chicken, I will usually substitute it for some white fish. Eat the protein you like. A meal plan will only work long term (and any fitness or wellness program) if you like the foods you’re eating. So take this and adjust as necessary to fit your macros.

Let me know what you’ll be eating this week! And if you make anything from this post, tag me on Instagram so I can share it with my followers (@kimberleykasper).

Monday

Monday night is a low carb dinner night and tonight’s dinner comes in at 4 net carbs. This Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad is loaded with good-for-you protein and healthy fats and goes from prep to plate in under 20 minutes.

Tuesday

Another low carb night calls for this amazing Keto Key West Chicken. Coming it at 1 net carb, this chicken is loaded with flavor and will make the whole family happy. The recipe calls for 30 minutes to marinade so what I’ll usually do is marinate it the night prior (I do this as we’re doing dinner dishes). It’s a simple marinade and if you can’t do it the night prior, no big deal. Just get this going 45 minutes before you want to eat and you’ll be set. Pair this with some cauliflower rice and some green beans to balance the meal out.

Wednesday

It’s supposed to be another hot week so Wednesday we’ll be making these Ginger Chicken Scallion Bowls. Have leftover chicken from Tuesday night? Shred that up and use it here! Or else make an extra breast or two so all you’re doing on Wednesday night is making the salad and dressing. Instead of steamed white rice, I use brown rice or quinoa. Or, on a low carb day, you could make a variation of this using cauliflower rice.

Thursday

The perfect summer salad! The Corn, Tomato, Avocado, and Chickpea Salad screams summer and if you’re using fresh veggies, really celebrates all those amazing summer veggies. I double this recipe and have it for lunch Friday and going into the weekend. Yum!

Friday

If it’s Friday, we’re having pizza and this week it’s this amazing BLT and Grilled Peach Pizza. The recipe includes homemade pizza dough and if you’re gluten-free, replace the flour with your favorite 1-for-1 gluten-free flour. Otherwise, use a cauliflower crust. I skip the mozzarella and instead use burrata but again, if you’re dairy-free, skip the cheese all together - I promise you won’t miss it! Add a salad and this is a perfect end of summer dinner!

Saturday

Saturday promises to be filled with all sorts of sports, so I’m keeping dinner simple with one of my all time favorite salmon recipes, Steamed Salmon with Garlic, Herbs and Lemon. This is a crowd pleaser and is the easiest recipe to make. About 15 minutes from prep-to-plate also makes this the perfect recipe for a low carb night or anytime you need a quick, easy, impressive dinner.