7 healthy one-pot meals to make tonight

Healthy and delicious meals don’t have to involve expensive grocery store purchases or complicated cooking directions. They can be straightforward and simple to prepare, especially with a little planning.

To set yourself up for week-long success, spend a few minutes each weekend planning your meals and building a grocery list. For each meal you make, choose a lean protein source, like chicken breast, beans, salmon, tofu, or shrimp. Then pair it with a vegetable and high-fiber starch, recommends Christine Patorniti, RD, CDCES, MBA, a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, and owner of Nutrition Center of Colorado in Centennial, Colorado.

Need ideas? Try these recipes, recommended by Patorniti.

Quinoa is a whole grain, rich in protein and fiber, and its mild taste makes it an ideal base for flavorful ingredients like chicken, scallions, and hot sauce. To pull this one-pot meal together, dice 1 pound of chicken breast and brown in a pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove and add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of dry, rinsed quinoa to the same pan. The grain should simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, at which time you can toss the chicken back in. Mix in 1 cup of shredded cabbage, 1/4 cup of chopped green onions, 1/2 cup of hot sauce, and 2 tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese.

The batch can be spilt into four servings, each with just under 327 calories and 32 grams of protein. If you're watching your sodium intake, consider cutting back on the hot sauce, since it has almost 200 milligrams per teaspoon.

What's simpler than sticking your ingredients in the oven and eating 30 minutes later? And this particular dish is pre-portioned, too.

In a 12-inch piece of aluminum foil, layer 3 ounces of chicken breast, 1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet potato, and 1 cup of veggies, such as zucchini. Drizzle on just a touch of olive oil—about 1 teaspoon—and season your ingredients. Sprinkle on any of your favorite herbs and spices; garlic powder, paprika, and even a touch of cinnamon are tasty options.

"Olive oil is great, full of monounsaturated fat as well as polyunsaturated fat," Patorniti says. "However, a tablespoon of any oil is 120 calories, so if calorie reduction is one of your goals, be cognizant of how much you're using."

Bake your foil packet at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until your veggies are tender and chicken cooked through. The meal contains just 254 calories, plus about 28 grams of protein.

If you're not a fan of sweet potatoes or summer squash, lay down slices of russet potato and string beans and top with a thin layer of no-sugar-added barbecue sauce. For more variety, Patorniti recommends adding bell pepper strips or fiber-boosting green peas to your chicken and seasoning with a tablespoon of tomato salsa.

In a heated frying pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 pound of raw, cleaned, and deveined shrimp. Cook the shrimp for about 5 minutes, stirring all the while, until they're plump and pink.

Next, throw in 4 cups of zucchini noodles, which can be purchased at your local grocery store or made at home using a spiralizing tool. Veggie noodles are a healthy replacement for pasta, and can eliminate calories and refined carbohydrates from your dish.

To add flavor, spoon in homemade pesto sauce: a blend of one garlic clove, 1 cup of basil leaves, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir until combined. A quarter of the mixture contains about 225 calories and 27 grams of protein. Zucchini also adds a dose of immune-boosting vitamin C and touch of fiber.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil (for easy cleanup), spread 4 chopped medium russet potatoes. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Place 12 ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breast on the same pan, sprinkle with black pepper, garlic powder, and plenty of fresh rosemary. Place in a 400°F oven for 30 minutes. After that time has elapsed, add 4 cups of chopped broccoli, red onions, and/or bell peppers—no need to add more oil. Bake for another 15 minutes.

This recipe is as simple as chop, toss, and bake. "There's a certain finesse when you do this, though" Patorniti says. "I usually put the potatoes down first in the pan and let that cook with the chicken." The other veggies can be enjoyed al dente. They only take 15 minutes to soften up, allowing the meal to be ready in under an hour.

A quarter of the tray of chicken and potatoes contain 290 calories and 24 grams of protein.

To create this Mexican-inspired meal, begin by sautéing 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1/4 cup of chopped white onion with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once translucent and fragrant, add 1 cup of dry and rinsed quinoa, a 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, and 1 cup each of low-sodium vegetable broth, black beans, and yellow corn. If you use canned beans and corn, drain and rinse them first.

Next, add a few tablespoons of taco seasoning. Many store-bought seasoning blends contain hidden sodium, Patorniti warns, but mixing your own can be simple. In a pinch, you can sprinkle in cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Or, elevate the flavor by adding a dash of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and chili flakes.

Once the seasoning has been added, give your skillet ingredients a stir and cook, covered, for 30 minutes or until the grains are tender.

The recipe makes four servings. Each contains 336 calories and almost 12 grams of protein, plus vitamins A and C, iron, and folate. You can top your bowl with shredded cheddar cheese or a bit of avocado.

Patorniti has a special method for cooking her salmon, which keeps the filet moist while crisping the skin. Before laying the fish on a baking sheet (skin side down), heat the sheet in the oven for a few minutes. Then top each 3-ounce fish with a teaspoon of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, a little lemon zest, and a few thin slices of lemon. "It steams while cooking and the lemon gets infused in the process," she says.

If you're pairing this nutritious meal with potatoes, like tender fingerlings, drizzle them in a touch of olive oil and arrange them on the tray with the salmon. Green beans (also tossed in a little olive oil) can be added a few minutes into cooking. The meal should cook at 350°F for at least 30 minutes.

Per serving—3 ounces of salmon, 1 cup of green beans, and 1/2 cup of herb-roasted potatoes cooked with 1 tablespoon of oil—this dinner contains about 325 calories and around 21 grams of protein. 

Patorniti offers another tip to save you time throughout the week. If you know Tuesday is going to be busy, cook two one-pan meals on Monday, when you already have the oven hot.

To start, on a baking sheet, arrange 2 cups each of chopped bell peppers, zucchini, and sugar snap peas.

"Really any vegetable goes, and the more variety, the better," Patorniti says. She recommends trying asparagus, artichoke hearts, and peppers to add different flavors and nutrients to your plate. You can also toss broccoli florets, carrots, mushrooms, onion or any other in-season veggies on your pan.

Coat your veggies in 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger, a sprinkle of pepper, and 1/4 cup of coconut aminos (a lower-sodium alternative to soy sauce). Like a little kick? Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Then, add 1 pound of cleaned, deveined shrimp to the pan and bake for another 10.

Divide the batch into four even servings, each with 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice if you’d like. Including the rice, this meal contains 348 calories and almost 28 grams of protein.