Welcome to get started TODAY. Subscribe to our free newsletter Start TODAY to receive daily inspiration sent to your inbox.
Here’s a meal plan designed by a dietitian that will help you learn the building blocks of a healthy diet, while giving you the opportunity to enjoy your favorite comfort foods.
This week’s meals focus on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, like extra virgin olive oil. But the theme is convenience, showing you how to nourish your body without spending endless hours in the kitchen.
You’ll find plenty of easy staples, like eggs, tuna, canned beans, roasted chicken and low sugar barbecue sauce. From a Greek scrambled egg to a barbecue chicken and quinoa salad to sheet pan flounder and turkey bolognese, you’ll enjoy healthy meals that require little effort. Dinners consist primarily of sheet pan and one-pot meals, and most require less than 20 minutes of work. Appreciate!
What to eat this week, September 18, 2023
>>Download this week’s meal plan
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
THURSDAY
Friday
- Breakfast: 3 Ingredient Scrambled Greek Omelet with fruit
- Lunch: Leftovers
- Dinner: Weekday Turkey Bolognese
- Snack of your choice
Breakfast
Many people wonder if eggs are OK as part of a heart-healthy diet. According to American Heart Association (AHA), they are. Most people can safely eat one whole egg per day or seven per week, although including them in a meal is also helpful. plant-based diet which limits saturated fats, sodium and added sugars. We’ve featured an easy two-egg scramble recipe on this week’s menu, so you can eat it up to three times and still meet the AHA limits.
3 Ingredient Scrambled Greek Omelet
Grace Parisi
No need to bother with an omelet when you get the same flavor from a scrambled recipe. The recipe makes two servings, but you can modify it to eat it several times throughout the week. It will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. Serve your scramble with a cup or piece of fruit.
Sweet potato parfait
Joy Bauer
Rather than choosing processed carbs, like a bagel, sugary cereal, or a piece of white toast, for breakfast, give them Yam A try. It’s a better choice for controlling hunger and giving your body the nutrients it needs to thrive. Meal Prepare the sweet potato puree in advance then assemble the rest of the parfait the same morning.
Lunch
Two minimal meal prep options save you time and money this week. Quinoa – like other whole grains – will keep in the refrigerator for several days and freezes well, so consider making a large batch to use throughout the week and freezing for later.
Chickpea and tuna salad
Laura Vitale
Tuna is one of our favorite pantry staples because it’s a quick, economical source of protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fish fatty acids. Here, it’s mixed with another star ingredient, chickpeas, to boost fiber and nutritional value. This combo makes a versatile salad, so stuff it into a whole grain pita with a baby side. carrots one day and serve it over arugula another. If you were cooking quinoa in batches, a spoonful would add a hearty, grainy element to the chickpea, tuna, and arugula salad.
Barbecue Chicken Quinoa Salad
Gaby Dalkin
Barbecue chicken and quinoa are prepared in advance then mixed with a few ingredients to create a flavorful and hearty lunch. If you don’t want to prepare the chicken, use a store-bought rotisserie chicken instead. And choose a barbecue sauce containing no more than 6 grams of added sugar per serving. You can also swap unsalted canned or frozen corn for corn on the cob to further streamline the recipe.
Dinner
This week’s dinner lineup features meals full of flavor but little hands-on time. Whether you want a cozy casserole or a fish dish that will amaze your guests, there is something for everyone.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Casey Barbier
Spend 15 minutes chopping and combining ingredients in your slow cooker in the morning and come home to a comforting casserole later in the day. Although the recipe says any type of milk will work, we recommend low-fat or fat-free milk to keep saturated fat levels low. Serve with sautéed green beans.
One-Pot Vegetarian Chili
Lauren Witonsky
Plenty of beans make this chili more heart-healthy than a meat-based version, but it’s just as hearty, flavorful, and satisfying as a traditional version. Keep the sides simple and serve it with a basic green salad.
Just 10 minutes of preparation and your job is done. Every night should be this easy! Serve your chicken and vegetables with a side of quinoa that you batch-cooked to make the BBQ Chicken and Quinoa Salad Lunch.
Plaice sheet with roasted tomatoes and black olives
Julia Turshen
The rich blend of roasted tomatoes and black olives pairs perfectly with the sweet and flaky flounder. Although it’s an easy meal to prepare, the results are impressive. And the best part is that it only dirty one pan. Serve it with an arugula salad and crusty wholemeal bread to soak up the juicy tomatoes.
Weekday Turkey Bolognese
Katie Stilo
This pasta dish gets a few healthy upgrades, like replacing lean ground white meat turkey with ground beef and adding shredded meat. zucchini in the sauce. Serve it over pasta (ideally whole grain or bean based) with roasted broccoli or another vegetable of your choice.
Snacks
Snacks that contain whole food sources of protein and fiber offer a winning formula that keeps you full for hours. Here are some ideas:
- apple slices with a hazelnut dip. To make the dip, mix plain Greek yogurt with nut or nut-free butter.
- Ricotta cheese garnished with grape tomatoes.
- Red peppers with goat cheese and pesto dip. To make the dip, mix store-bought pesto with goat cheese. Dilute with olive oil if necessary.
- Frozen spicy bananas with tahini. To prepare, sprinkle cinnamon and cocoa powder over banana slices and freeze until firm. Drizzle with tahini.
- Baby carrots with hummus.