Meal Plans ThePrep Fall Mediterranean Diet Dinners You Can Make in 30 Minutes or Less (Weekly Plan & Shopping List!) Embrace the beginning of fall with these quick and easy Mediterranean Diet dinners. By Megan Ginsberg Megan Ginsberg Megan Ginsberg is the Senior Editor for EatingWell. She has a keen eye for grammar, is always looking for new recipes to try and loves the satisfaction that comes from meal planning. Most of her 20-plus-year editing career has been focused on food-related content. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 20, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close 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 is officially the first day of fall. I don’t know about you, but I am ready for it! I’m thinking about colorful foliage, hikes in the woods and apple picking. I’m also thinking about how to spend less time in the kitchen and still have nourishing meals at this busier time of year. This week’s dinners, which range from a hearty stew to a robust salad to a cozy stuffed squash, can all be made in 30 minutes or less. This means there’s more time to enjoy all the activities fall has to offer. The dinners also all fit our nutrition parameters for the Mediterranean Diet, an eating pattern that focuses on filling your plate with fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans and lean protein and healthy fats to help keep you feeling your best. Let’s dig in! Your Weekly Plan Sunday: Hearty Chickpea & Spinach Stew Monday: Beet Salad with Goat Cheese & Balsamic Vinaigrette Tuesday: White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi Wednesday: Herby Fish with Wilted Greens & Mushrooms Thursday: Cheesy Spinach-&-Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Friday: Chicken Thighs with Couscous & Kale Get the Shopping List 01 of 06 Sunday: Hearty Chickpea & Spinach Stew Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen I love making a big pot of soup or stew on a fall Sunday. This one is full of protein and fiber to keep you feeling full and satisfied and to help improve your gut health. It’s a hearty mix of chickpeas, ground turkey, vegetables and seasonings. Mashing some of the chickpeas gives the stew body. Serve it with some whole-wheat baguette. Get the Recipe 02 of 06 Monday: Beet Salad with Goat Cheese & Balsamic Vinaigrette Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Addelyn Evans Beets can be polarizing because of their earthy flavor—try golden beets for a milder flavor—but they’re so good for you: They’re a great source of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants like betalains, which decrease inflammation and help reduce your risk for cancer and heart disease. I’ll add some rotisserie chicken to the mix of beets, peppery arugula and orange segments to round out the salad. Get the Recipe 03 of 06 Tuesday: White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi Jacob Fox The spinach and sun-dried tomatoes in this simple skillet dinner contribute vitamin C, which supports your immune system, and vitamin K, which helps keep your bones strong. The beans add plant-based protein, and a little heavy cream creates a silky sauce that coats the gnocchi and brings all the components together. Get the Recipe 04 of 06 Wednesday: Herby Fish with Wilted Greens & Mushrooms I’m always trying to eat more fish because I know it can lead to many health benefits, but if I’m being honest, sometimes I find it a little boring compared with other proteins. That’s not the case with this dish, where cod fillets are seasoned with Mediterranean Herb Mix and paired with sautéed onion, mushrooms, kale and tomato. A little brown rice on the side is all it needs. Get the Recipe 05 of 06 Thursday: Cheesy Spinach-&-Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Many people think of spaghetti squash as a replacement for pasta, but I appreciate spaghetti squash for what it is: a delicious vegetable that takes well to many different flavors. Here it’s transformed into a calcium-packed, creamy dish with baby spinach, artichokes, cream cheese and Parmesan. Don’t skip popping it under the broiler to get a golden-brown cheesy crust on top! Serve it with whole-grain bread. Get the Recipe 06 of 06 Friday: Chicken Thighs with Couscous & Kale This cozy bowl of cumin-spiced boneless chicken thighs in a brothy mixture of pearl couscous and kale is the perfect thing to dip into on a cool fall evening. The chicken offers lots of protein to ensure that the dish is filling while the kale is packed with vitamins and nutrients your body needs, like vitamin A for eye health and calcium for bone health. Serve it with our bright Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad on the side. Get the Recipe 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. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit