You can eat
- White fish (hake, cod) and smoked salmon: the base of several dinners this week
- Ready-cooked pulses (chickpeas, lentils): satisfying plant protein prepared in minutes
- Eggs: boiled, poached or in an omelette, they solve dinner when time is short
- Varied vegetables (squash, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, onion, carrot, pepper): the main feature of almost every dish
- Salad leaves (mixed leaves, chicory, lettuce): a light, high-volume base
- Grilled or stir-fried chicken and turkey: easy-to-prepare lean protein
- Brown rice and wholemeal pitta bread: slow-release carbohydrates in moderate portions
- Extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, herbs and spices: the basis of flavour without empty calories
What to avoid
- Commercial sauces, processed spreads and plenty of mature cheese: they add many calories without satisfying
- Fried and battered foods: swap them for grilling, baking or steaming without losing flavour
- Dinners based on cured meats or cold cuts as the main dish: little satisfaction and lots of salt
- Skipping dinner because “you ate badly at lunchtime”: adjust the next day, not that same night
- Serving pasta or rice portions without weighing them at least the first few times: it is easy to serve double
- Snacking while cooking what should be dinner
Habits that help
- On Sunday, cook the pulses and brown rice and roast a tray of vegetables.
- Build the salad directly in the bowl and save on washing up
- Have dinner at the table and without a screen, so you notice in time that you have eaten enough.
“I’ll just have whatever for dinner.” “I’m not having dinner tonight, I ate a lot.” These are two phrases we often hear in consultation. They almost always come from the same thing: reaching the evening without having decided anything. These seven dinners are designed so that decision is already made, with ingredients from any supermarket and few steps.
Who are these dinners for, and who are they not for?
They are designed for an adult who eats everything, has no medical restrictions, and wants to lose weight gradually. They are not calculated for you specifically.
They are not calculated for pregnancy or breastfeeding, for anyone under 18, or for anyone who needs to gain weight. Nor are they for people with diabetes treated with insulin or with medicines that can lower blood sugar too much, or with chronic kidney disease. Nor are they for anyone who has, or has had, an eating disorder.
If you have a condition with its own plan (coeliac disease, diagnosed allergy, heart or liver failure), your own plan comes first. If food causes you anxiety, you alternate restriction and binges, or you compensate for what you eat, the first step is specialist psychological support, before a lighter menu.
The dinners work within a day of complete meals. At Alimmenta we recommend having breakfast if it suits you and fits your lifestyle. The whole approach, with what to eat the rest of the day and how to lose weight without the rebound effect, is in the weight loss diet guide.
The whole week, dinner by dinner
| Day | Dinner | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Hake in vegetable sauce (onion, carrot, green pepper, garlic) with a handful of brown rice and roasted vegetables (squash and Brussels sprouts with Provençal herbs) | White fish, vegetables and a wholegrain cereal, the classic balance of a well-rounded dinner |
| Tuesday | Squash purée with oven-roasted chickpeas or chickpeas sautéed with garlic and parsley, and a boiled egg | Pulses and egg cover protein well; the purée adds volume and is filling |
| Wednesday | Complete salad: spinach, chicory, tomato, cooked lentils, fresh cheese and grilled turkey with garlic and parsley; dressing of olive oil, apple cider vinegar and oregano | A one-dish meal with pulses, lean protein and leaves. Quick to put together if you have the lentils cooked |
| Thursday | Wok of mushrooms, onion, broccoli and carrot with chicken marinated in natural tomato, curry, garlic and turmeric; wholegrain bread toast with cream cheese and avocado | Stir-fried vegetables with lean protein and a little wholegrain bread. Ready in about 15 minutes |
| Friday | Homemade pitta pizza (wholemeal flour, plain yoghurt, oil) with natural tomato, courgette, chicken, smoked salmon and pepper; lettuce, tomato and red onion salad | Homemade pizza with a wholegrain base and plenty of vegetables for Friday |
| Saturday | Chickpea and squash burgers (cooked chickpeas, boiled quinoa, roasted squash, red onion, garlic, spices), grilled or baked | Plant protein that is prepared in advance and keeps for two days in the fridge |
| Sunday | Mixed sprout salad, brown rice, smoked salmon, cherry tomatoes, red onion, mango and avocado, with fresh coriander, lime, apple cider vinegar and olive oil | A cold dish with cereal, protein and quality fat, put together in minutes if you already have the rice cooked |
The table does not give calories per dish, because they depend on the portion you serve and an uncalculated figure would give false precision. What makes these dinners light is the proportion of the plate. Half is vegetables, a quarter protein and a quarter wholegrain cereal or pulses, with the oil measured by the spoonful.
If you want more dinner ideas without repeating, 9 dinners for weight loss gives you nine others, different from these.
The weekly shopping list
It is organised by supermarket section, with guideline quantities for one person and seven dinners. Adjust them to your appetite and to what you already have at home.
Fishmonger and butcher
- Fresh or frozen hake, 150 g (Monday)
- Smoked salmon, 150 g (Friday and Sunday)
- Chicken breast, 250 g (Thursday and Friday)
- Turkey breast fillets, 120 g (Wednesday)
Greengrocer
- Squash, 700 g (Monday, Tuesday and Saturday)
- Onion, 3
- Red onion, 2
- Carrot, 3
- Green pepper, 1, and red pepper, 1
- Broccoli, 1 small head
- Mushrooms, 200 g
- Brussels sprouts, 200 g
- Courgette, 1
- Fresh spinach, 150 g
- Chicory or rocket, 100 g
- Lettuce, 1 (Friday)
- Mixed sprouts, 1 bag (Sunday)
- Tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, 500 g
- Avocado, 1 (half on Thursday and half on Sunday)
- Mango, 1
- Lime, 1
- Garlic, 1 bulb
- Fresh parsley and coriander, 1 bunch of each
Pulses, grains and bread
- Cooked chickpeas, 1 large jar (400 g drained; Tuesday and Saturday)
- Cooked lentils, 1 small jar (Wednesday)
- Quinoa, 40 g uncooked (Saturday)
- Brown rice, 120 g uncooked (Monday and Sunday)
- Wholemeal flour, 100 g, for the pitta dough (Friday)
- Wholegrain bread, 2 slices (Thursday)
Dairy and eggs
- Eggs, 6 (Tuesday and to have on hand)
- Plain yoghurt, 1 (pitta dough)
- Fresh cheese, 100 g (Wednesday)
- Cream cheese, 1 small tub (Thursday)
Pantry
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Crushed natural tomato, 1 small jar
- Provençal herbs, oregano, sweet paprika, curry, turmeric and cumin
- Hot paprika (optional, for the burgers)
Why does a light dinner help?
For weight loss, the balance of the whole day is what counts, and the evening is when it is easiest to eat more than you need. You arrive hungry, tired and with the fridge close by. A dinner planned in advance, with plenty of vegetables and protein, closes the day without feeling shortchanged.
All the dinners include protein, whether fish, pulses, egg, chicken or turkey. A review on how to lose weight safely reports that higher-protein plans may increase fullness and help preserve muscle mass while losing weight [1]. Half of the plate is vegetables, which provide volume and fibre with little energy.
The easiest dinner to get right is the one already decided before you get home.
What mistakes do we see in consultations?
Skipping dinner to compensate. This is what we see most after a big lunch. It usually ends in snacking before bed or in hunger that is hard to manage at breakfast. Have a light dinner and carry on as normal the next day.
Nibbling while you cook. What was meant for the plate is eaten standing up, and then dinner is served in full anyway. Serve your portion before you start tasting.
Serving pasta or rice by eye. The first few times it is easy to put on quite a bit more than you think. Weigh the uncooked portion for a couple of days and after that you will recognise it at a glance.
Having cured meats or mature cheese as the main dish. They are not very filling and contain a lot of salt. If there is nothing ready, a tin of tuna in water, some rinsed jarred chickpeas and ready-washed leaves make a complete dinner in five minutes.
If the scale has not moved for weeks even though you are doing things well, or you have a pre-existing illness, it is time to sit down with someone who has your information in front of them. Alimmenta’s team of registered dietitian-nutritionists for weight loss sees people in Barcelona and online, and at the first appointment we work out which adjustment makes the most sense.
Changes that help
When you do not eat fish
Instead of hake (Monday) or salmon (Friday and Sunday), try grilled chicken or turkey breast, or a hard-boiled egg: the protein does not change; the fat profile does, and that is not a problem if you eat fish at other times in the week.
When you have no time to cook
Instead of Thursday's wok or Friday's pizza, put together a complete salad like Wednesday's with what you have in the fridge: a tin of tuna in spring water, rinsed jarred chickpeas and cleaned leaves are enough.
When pulses make you bloated
Instead of whole chickpeas (Tuesday and Saturday) or lentils (Wednesday), try them blended in purée or hummus: skinless chickpeas suit most people better. Saturday's burgers already use the blended mixture.
When you cook for more than one person
Multiply the quantities of the quickest dishes —the wok, salads and purée— without changing anything else; burgers and pitta pizza take more or fewer portions without complication.
When Wednesday is late
On Tuesday you can cook double the lentils and keep half: Wednesday's salad takes five minutes if they are ready in the fridge.
When Friday dinner does not suit you
Instead of pitta pizza, a courgette omelette with a small salad solves Friday in half the preparation time.
Your first step this week
Start with two dinners
You don't need to make all seven this week. Pick the two you most want to try, buy only the ingredients you need and put them on your calendar.
Your week of meals, ready for the fridge
- 7-day menu with the shopping list
- 8 recipes: cook once, eat twice
- What to do when the week goes off track
Where should we send it?
Free PDF, in your inbox in a moment.
Data controller: Alimmenta Tu Vida, S.L. Purpose: to send you the guide and, only if you tick the second box, tips by email on the topic. You can withdraw your consent and exercise your rights at [email protected]. Legal basis, recipients and retention periods are in our privacy policy.
When to see a doctor
These dinners are a general proposal, not an individual plan, and do not replace a consultation or medical treatment. If you have a chronic illness or take medication that affects your diet, check with your doctor before following them.
If you notice this sign while following these dinners, do not wait to change what you eat:
- You faint, feel dizzy when standing up or notice palpitations while following a very-low-calorie diet [2].
If this happens, go to the emergency department today.
The complete list of signs for which you should book a medical appointment is in the weight loss diet guide.
Tell us what your week looks like and what you would like to change
At the first visit we talk about your schedule, who cooks at home and what you have tried before. At the second visit you receive your plan in writing.
Keep reading
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Recipes for this goal
Sources
- Koliaki C, Spinos T, Spinou M, et al. Defining the optimal dietary approach for safe, effective and sustainable weight loss in overweight and obese adults. Healthcare (Basel). 2018;6(3):73. doi:10.3390/healthcare6030073
- Lecube A, Azriel S, Barreiro E, et al. The Spanish GIRO guideline: a paradigm shift in the management of obesity in adults. Obes Facts. 2025;18(4):375-387. doi:10.1159/000544880
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