Simple, Satisfying 500-Calorie Skillet Dinners (& Shopping List!)

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On May 3, 2025

Since the days are longer and warmer, I’ve been prioritizing spending time outside over spending time in the kitchen, so I’ve been making easy dinners that are also easy to clean up after. This week’s meals are all made in a skillet, so I don’t have to spend a lot of time doing dishes, and I can be headed out on an after-dinner walk in no time. These dinners also have around 500 calories per serving. This is a number at which most people feel satisfied, but it’s just meant to be a guide, so be sure to take your own calorie needs into account. Grab your skillet, and let’s go!

Your Weekly Plan

Sunday: Spinach-Artichoke Gnocchi Skillet with Feta
Monday: Cauliflower alla Vodka
Tuesday: Tajín Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw
Wednesday: Lemon Chicken Orzo
Thursday: Stuffed Pepper Skillet
Friday: Marry Me White Bean & Spinach Skillet

Our column, ThePrep, has everything you’ll need to make dinner planning and grocery shopping as easy as can be. Nutritional needs differ from one individual to another, and we invite you to use these dinner plans as inspiration and adjust them as you see fit. Sign up to get a dinner plan delivered to your inbox every Saturday!

Sunday: Spinach-Artichoke Gnocchi Skillet with Feta

Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Christina Daley

This combination of spinach, artichokes and feta with crispy gnocchi is the perfect way to transform spinach-artichoke dip into a meal. Toasting the gnocchi in the skillet crisps it up for a crunchy contrast to the other components. The spinach and artichokes both contribute some plant-based fiber to the dish, which can help you feel full longer.

Total Calories: 490

Monday: Cauliflower alla Vodka

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Clarie Spollen

Pasta alla vodka is beloved for its creamy, tangy sauce. This dish keeps the flavor but swaps in cauliflower for the pasta. The cauliflower, which is a good source of gut-supporting fiber, is cooked until tender, making it the perfect texture to grab onto the sauce. I’ll toss together our Herb & Arugula Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette to go with it.

Total Calories: 506 (including 1 serving Herb & Arugula Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette)

Tuesday: Tajín Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

Greg DuPree

For boldly flavored shrimp tacos, we toss the shrimp in chile-lime seasoning before sautéing them in a skillet. Then we pile the shrimp onto warmed corn tortillas and top them with a quick slaw made with pineapple and coleslaw mix. Shrimp provide lean protein while also being lower in calories than some other sources of protein, like red meat. Serve the tacos with some warmed black beans.

Total Calories: 506 (including ½-cup serving black beans)

Wednesday: Lemon Chicken Orzo

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong

This cozy skillet dinner features tender chicken and orzo, plus lots of baby spinach, in a bright and creamy lemony sauce. Chicken breast is a great source of lean protein, and using whole-wheat orzo adds some fiber too. The combination of protein and fiber will keep you feeling satisfied long after dinner is over.

Total Calories: 541

Thursday: Stuffed Pepper Skillet

Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist Tucker Vines

Here, we turned stuffed peppers into a skillet meal by cutting the peppers into strips, instead of filling them, and cooking them with the ground beef and rice. Crowned with a layer of gooey mozzarella, this meal is one you’ll make again and again.

Total Calories: 494

Friday: Marry Me White Bean & Spinach Skillet

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

For a plant-based version of the ever-popular Marry Me Chicken, we trade the chicken for white beans. The white beans are a perfect match for the creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. In addition to supplying plant-based protein, the beans also add fiber to help support your gut health. And the sun-dried tomatoes add vitamin A and vitamin C to help support immune health.

Total Calories: 493

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.