Seven-Day Menu Planner

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons coarse-grain mustard

1 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger

1 (1-pound) lean T-bone steak, trimmed (about 1 1/2 inches thick)

Coat grill rack with cooking spray. Heat grill to high. For barbecue sauce, in a small bowl, mix together chili sauce, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, mustard and ginger. Brush some of the sauce on both sides of steak. Place on grill rack; grill, brushing with remaining sauce often, 6 minutes per side or until internal temperature is 145 degrees. Transfer steak to cutting board; let stand 10 minutes before slicing in thin slices across grain. (Adapted from “Weight Watchers Family Meals”; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016.) Serves 4.

Per serving: 173 calories, 19 grams protein, 7 grams fat (37 percent calories from fat), 2.5 grams saturated fat, 7 grams carbohydrate, 41 milligrams cholesterol, 247 milligrams sodium, no fiber.

CHICKEN ALPHABET SOUP (Wednesday)

1 1/2 cups alphabet or other small pasta

1 tablespoon butter

3 medium carrots, finely chopped

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

6 cups unsalted chicken broth

1 1/2 cups cooked chopped chicken

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

Coarse salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to directions; drain and set aside. Melt butter in a medium pan. Add carrots and celery and cook on medium 7 to 10 minutes or until softened. Stir in broth, chicken, cooked pasta and peas. Bring to boil; season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve. Serves 6.

Per serving: 260 calories, 17 grams protein, 5 grams fat (17 percent calories from fat), 1.9 grams saturated fat, 34 grams carbohydrate, 35 milligrams cholesterol, 216 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.

LEMON ORZO WITH PEAS AND MINT (Saturday)

1 1/2 cups orzo

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup frozen tiny green peas, thawed

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon minced fresh mint

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring 3 cups water to boil. Stir in orzo and salt; cover, reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes. Add peas and cook 5 more minutes or until water is absorbed and pasta is tender. Add butter, lemon juice and lemon zest; stir to blend. Sprinkle with mint. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Per serving: 209 calories, 7 grams protein, 5 grams fat (20 percent calories from fat), 2.5 grams saturated fat, 35 grams carbohydrate, 10 milligrams cholesterol, 381 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.

6/12

Family Sunday

Treat the family to Grilled T-Bone Steak with Barbecue Sauce (see recipe). Serve the steak with roasted red potatoes and onions. Add a Boston lettuce salad and crusty bread. For dessert, lemon sherbet is summery.

Plan ahead: Grill another pound of steak for Monday.

6/13

Heat-and-Eat Monday

Using sliced leftover beef and a packaged salad mix, make Steak and Caesar Salad for a quick dinner. Keep it cool with sliced tomatoes with fresh basil and olive oil alongside. Add whole-grain rolls. Chocolate pudding with light whipped cream makes a good dessert.

6/14

Meatless Tuesday

Make this easy Mediterranean Wrap and forget about meat tonight. For each wrap: Put a 12-inch piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface. Place a fat-free burrito-sized flour tortilla on plastic wrap. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup salad greens, 1/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1/4 peeled, seeded and chopped cucumber, 2 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives and 1 thinly sliced red onion; mix well and spread on tortilla. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese and 2 tablespoons light vinaigrette. Bring bottom of tortilla to top. Fold sides over; enclose with plastic wrap for easier handling.

Serve the vegetable combo with deli potato salad and hard-cooked egg wedges. Slice Asian pears for a crunchy dessert.

6/15

Kids WednesdaKids can have a spelling bee with Chicken Alphabet Soup (see recipe). Serve the fun soup with celery sticks stuffed with reduced-fat peanut butter. Add cheese toast. Slices of seedless baby watermelon make a slurpy dessert.

6/16

Express Thursday

Make a Barbecue Pizza for a quick meal. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spoon refrigerated honey hickory barbecue sauce with shredded pork from a 20-ounce container (such as Lloyd's or another brand) onto a large, ready-to-heat pizza crust. Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded 50 percent light jalapeno cheese and 6 green bell pepper rings. Bake according to pizza crust directions. Serve with a packaged salad greens and peaches.

Plan ahead: Save 1 cup shredded pork for Friday.

6/17

Budget Friday

Combine and heat 1 cup leftover shredded pork with 1 (15-ounce) can chili beans for Pork-Bean Burgers. Spoon onto toasted sesame seed buns. Top with dill pickle slices. Serve with potato wedges (frozen) and a lettuce and tomato salad. Plums are dessert.

6/18

Easy Entertaining Saturday

Invite special friends for Sea Scallops with Pineapple Salsa. Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Coat 1 pound sea scallops with cooking spray and then with coarse salt and pepper. Add half the scallops to skillet; sear 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Repeat with remaining scallops.

For the salsa: Combine 1 cup diced (small) fresh pineapple, 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper, 2 tablespoons diced red onion, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, 1 tablespoon minced ginger and 1 tablespoon olive oil; mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill at least one hour and serve with scallops.

Add Lemon Orzo with Peas and Mint (see recipe), a Boston lettuce salad and baguettes to your guests' meal. Buy a coconut cake for dessert.