Weekly Meal Plan for July 16–20: A Week of Paleo-Friendly Dinners

A five-day meal plan of easy dinners for a family of four, complete with grocery list and prep-ahead tricks.

This weekly meal plan is Paleo-compliant and Whole30-friendly. But it's also delicious—and easy to pull off, too. You'll start the week with two spatchcocked chickens on the grill. You'll eat the dark meat Monday night and use the leftover breasts in a Caesar salad that manages to have lots of crispy bits—no croutons required. Mid-week, you'll have salmon skewers alongside a simple-and-summery smashed cucumber salad and a snack-y dinner that consists entirely of dipping things in mayo. Finally, Friday night is steak and crispy potato night, because no one said eating Paleo couldn't be indulgent. Read on for a grocery list, and a guide to pulling the whole thing off.

Pantry:

• Coconut sugar

• Kosher salt

• Flaky sea salt

• Pepper

• Dijon mustard

• Whole grain mustard

• Extra-virgin olive oil (you'll need a full 3/4 cup for the aioli plus smaller amounts for cooking all week, so make sure you've got a full bottle)

• Apple cider vinegar

• Sherry or red wine vinegar

• 1/2 cup pine nuts

• 1/2 cup walnuts

• Sesame seeds

• Ground cumin

• Crushed red pepper flakes

• Celery salt

• Aleppo-style pepper

• Cornichons

• Capers

Produce:

• 5 garlic

• 1 bunch curly kale

• 1 cup Brussels sprouts (buy pre-shredded if it's available)

• 2 heads romaine lettuce

• 3 cups (about 24 ounces) baby spinach

• Vegetables for grilling (such as: red onion, eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini, and tomato)

• Vegetables for crudité (such as: wax beans, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, and radishes)

• 1 pound fingerling potatoes or 1/2 pound sweet potatoes

• 4 lemons

• Small bunch fresh oregano

• Small bunch fresh thyme

• Small bunch basil (optional)

• Small bunch parsley (optional)

• 10 mini seedless or Persian cucumbers

• 12 scallions

Dairy

• A dozen eggs

Butcher's Counter:

• 2 whole chickens

• 1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet

• 1 (1 1/2 pound) hanger steak

Special Equipment

• 16 bamboo skewers

Monday: Grilled Chicken and Vegetables

Monday night your mind is fresh from a weekend of rest, so we trust you to freewheel it. Make two spatchcocked grilled chickens following this guide. Season them with your favorite spice mixture: The guide suggests a combo of ground coriander, lime zest, black pepper and cayenne. Or try jerk seasoning. Or curry powder. Or bring Italian flare with a mix of finely chopped fresh rosemary, garlic powder, pepper, and red-pepper flakes. You're free-styling here, so go with your gut. (One note: the guide calls for a tablespoon of brown sugar in your seasoning: skip it if you're following Whole30 and substitute coconut sugar if you're paleo.) You'll eat the dark meat from both birds tonight, and set aside the breasts for tomorrow's dinner so you won't have to cook anything. Throw whatever vegetables you like to grill on toward the end. The onion, eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini, and tomatoes this recipe calls for make great choices. Top them with fresh parsley and basil for an extra pop of fresh flavor.

Tuesday: Chicken Caesar Salad with Crispy Kale

Tonight, you'll slice those leftover chicken breasts and serve them in a crispy and creamy caesar salad. Instead of croutons, this salad gets its appealing crunch from crispy kale chips that you'll roast in olive oil on a sheet-pan (The recipe actually calls for coating them in Parmesan as well—skip that to keep things Paleo, but if you don't care, go for it!).

Wednesday: Salmon Skewers with Smashed Cucumber Salad

For tonight's quick, summery dinner, you'll follow this recipe and cut salmon fillet into 1" pieces, toss the pieces in olive oil and lemon along with seasoning, and thread them through two skewers (the meat stays together and is easier to flip this way). To serve alongside, make a simple smashed cucumber salad dressed in lemon, zest, olive oil, and celery salt. While you're at it with the cucumber, slice the remaining mini cucumbers you bought in half length-wise and set them aside for tomorrow's crudité.

Thursday: Grand Aioli

Grand aioli is an excuse to dip things in mayonnaise and call it an elegant French dinner. And it's easy to boot. Make an aioli according to the recipe. Steam 1 1/2 pounds of shrimp as well. Hard boil some eggs and slice them in half. (Steam the fingerling potatoes and reserve half for tomorrow night if you're doing Whole30. If you're Paleo, skip the fingerling potatoes; instead steam 1/2 pound of sweet potatoes wedges to get ahead on tomorrow night's dinner.) Then, serve the aioli in a pretty bowl alongside the shrimp, eggs, and a platter of vegetables, including those mini cucumbers you prepped last night. (Radishes, wax beans, sugar snap peas, and cherry tomatoes are all great options for additional veggies.) Dip the finger food in the mayo and have a grand time.

Friday: Steak with Charred Scallion sauce and Crispy Potatoes

Friday night of a paleo meal plan calls for steak and crispy potatoes. The secret to the crispiest potatoes? Steaming, smashing, and then lightly frying. Luckily you've got either fingerling potatoes or sweet potato wedges pre-steamed from last night. Place them between two clean towels and give them a smash with the palm of your hand. Then, cook the potatoes in a heavy skillet with oil according to the recipe instructions. Cook the steak with charred scallion sauce according to the recipe instructions as well. Let the weekend commence.