Planning a week’s worth of healthy meals can feel overwhelming and time consuming yet we know that a little planning can make a big difference in our ability to achieve our healthy eating goals. To simplify this task, I put together a some breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas that would be easy and achievable in a week. Let’s be honest, we rarely eat something different every single day so by embracing some batch cooking you can cook a few things so they are available all week long! I have included a shopping list that serves 2-3 people! Happy eating!
Breakfast:
Frittata with ¼ avocado and fruit
Quinoa breakfast cereal with 2 tablespoons nuts and seeds
Toast with nut butter, banana slices and 1 tablespoon of seeds
Lunch:
Quinoa Tabbouleh with roasted chicken, 2 tablespoons hummus, carrots + peppers
Frittata with salad, 2 tablespoons nuts and seeds
Salad with roasted salmon, ¼ cups beans, 2 tablespoons nuts and seeds
Moroccan root vegetable stew
Dinner:
Roasted Chicken with quinoa tabbouleh + roasted asparagus (save leftover chicken for dinner)
Orange Dijon salmon + roasted delicata squash+ roasted green beans (save leftover salmon for lunch)
Moroccan root vegetable stew + Sautéed Greens (save leftover for lunch)
Parmesan Dijon chicken + brown rice with leeks and hemp seed + fresh or frozen broccoli (save leftover chicken for lunch)
Shrimp Saganaki with roasted zucchini
Snacks:
½ avocado with sea salt + lime juice
¼ cup raw nuts and seeds
Apple with nut butter
Vegetables with hummus
Grocery List (buy organic, wild, pastured and grass-fed options when feasible):
· 1 1/2 pounds Shrimp
· 4, bone-in chicken breasts
· 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
· 1 ½ pounds wild salmon
· Dozen eggs
· Milk of choice
· 1 pint shredded parmesan cheese
· ½ pint of crumbled feta
· 1 avocado
· Hummus
· Bakery fresh whole grain bread
· 2 bananas
· 2 apples
· Grapes and/or berries
· 2 cucumber
· Fresh dill
· Fresh parsley
· 4 lemons
· 1 lime
· Fresh oregano
· 1 bag carrots
· 1 turnip
· Small butternut squash
· 1 sweet potatoes
· 1 onion
· ½ pint kalamata olives
· 2 pints grape or tomatoes
· 2 bell peppers
· 1 bunch asparagus
· 2 zucchini
· ½ pound mushrooms
· 1 delicata squash
· 1 head of leafy greens like kale or chard
· Lettuce
· 2 bunches broccoli (fresh or frozen)
· 1 bag of trimmed green beans (fresh or frozen)
· 2 leeks
· Garlic
Pantry Staples:
· Country Dijon Mustard
· Smoked paprika
· Cumin
· Cayenne pepper
· Coriander
· Cinnamon
· Red pepper flakes
· 2 quarts low sodium vegetable stock
· 1, 15-ounce jar crushed tomatoes
· 2 cups chickpeas (if canned, organic and BPA free)
· 1 -2 cups navy beans (if canned, organic and BPA free)
· Quinoa (need two cups)
· Wild and brown rice blend (need one cup)
· Variety or nuts and seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, almonds, walnuts, chia)
· Hemp seeds
· Nut butter
· Olive oil
· Grade B Maple Syrup
Sunday Meal Prep:
· Mix a variety of nuts and seeds in a mason jar and store in the fridge
· Make Frittata (use one leek, one zucchini, 1 cup of greens, ½ cup diced pepper, 1 cup broccoli)
· Make 2 cups of quinoa and use half for Tabbouleh and the other half for breakfast cereal
· Make the quinoa tabbouleh
· Make 1 cup brown + wild rice (sauté with leeks the night of)
· Roast delicata squash
· Cut vegetables for hummus and recipes
· Pre-portion 2-3 Salads for the week (vegetables only)—lettuce + tomato + cucumber + carrot + peppers + olives + leftover cooked vegetables
· Make a salad dressing: ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup vinegar or lemon juice and 2 teaspoons mustard
· Roast the chicken—use two pieces for dinner and the rest for lunches
· Peel and dice root vegetables for stew
Additional Recipes:
Quinoa Breakfast Cereal: heat cooked quinoa with milk of choice and cinnamon. Top with nuts and seeds.
Parmesan Dijon Chicken: coat chicken in mustard then “bread” with shredded parmesan cheese. Broil about 12 inches from the flame for 10-12 minutes
Roasted Asparagus: Trim asparagus and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking dish. Place in oven when the chicken has about 10 minutes left to bake.
Roasted Green Beans: Toss the green beans with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking dish. Place in oven with the salmon—bake for 10 minutes.
Sautéed Greens: Sauté 2-3 cups of greens with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic for 3-5 minutes.
Roasted Zucchini: halve and slice zucchini. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking dish. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes.
Brown + Wild Rice with Leeks: sauté a leek with olive oil, salt and pepper. After 3-4 minutes add the cooked rice and 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds and heat through.
By: Katie Cavuto, MS, RD