Shrimp skewers, cereal bowl recipe

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Labor Day weekend unofficially marks the start of summer and the start of fall, making it the perfect time to reaffirm your commitment to a healthy diet.

And eating the right foods not only benefits your physical health, but also gives your mental health a boost as we embark on a new season. Like before reported by TODAY, research links fruit and vegetable consumption to happiness levels. Consuming omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium-rich foods and limiting red meat and added sugars have also been shown to improve mental health markers such as stress levels, mood and energy.

This dietitian-designed meal plan will help you learn the building blocks of a healthy diet and give you the flexibility to get back into a healthy fall routine.

This week’s focus is on a nutritious, plant-rich diet that includes healthy sources of fats (such as seedsnuts, lawyers, and extra virgin olive oil), as well as a few servings of seafood per week. We also have some creative ways to reduce your meat intake (hello, magnesium-rich meats). Lenses!) and added sugars.

Whether you’re just trying to eat healthier or actively working on habits to boost your energymood, brain capacity and quality of life, we know you will appreciate the menu we have selected for the week to come.

>>Download this week’s meal plan

• Breakfast: Coffee and chia parfait
• Lunch: Bowl of green cereal
• Dinner: Lentil Tacos with Sautéed Kale
• Snack of your choice

• Breakfast: Pumpkin and Greek Yogurt Overnight Oats
• Lunch: Open-faced smoked salmon sandwich with cucumber slices
• Dinner: Cashew Chicken and Asparagus and brown rice
• Snack of your choice

• Breakfast: Coffee and chia parfait
• Lunch: Bowl of green cereal
• Dinner: 4 Ingredient Air Fryer Salmon with broccoli and brown rice
• Snack of your choice

• Breakfast: Pumpkin and Greek Yogurt Overnight Oats
• Lunch: Open-faced smoked salmon sandwich with cucumber slices
• Dinner: Baked Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs with Broccolini
• Snack of your choice

• Breakfast: Joy Bauer’s broccoli with eggs and fruit
• Lunch: Leftovers or takeout
• Dinner: Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad with Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Skewers
• Snack of your choice

Make mornings easier by spending five to 10 minutes getting ready the night before. Come at breakfast time, you’ll be glad you did.

Using leftover coffee, make the coffee chia topping before bed. Then assemble the rest of the parfait in the morning.

To prepare, mix 1/2 cup rolled oats and unsweetened almond milk with 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon chia seeds, 1 teaspoon pie spice pumpkin and 1 teaspoon of maple syrup. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with Greek yogurt on top or on the side.

Serve toddlers with Hard eggs and a cup or piece of fruit.

Continuing the theme of mental health, we’ve incorporated several smart strategies into the lunch selections. For example, smoked salmon is a convenient way to get omega-3 fatty acids. We prepared the meal like a bagel, but made it healthier by using a whole grain English muffin and Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese. If you don’t like smoked salmon, you can try canned or bagged. salmon Or tuna, which appeared in previous menus. Plus, the cereal bowl is full of antioxidant-rich produce and healthy fats to protect your brain and support your mood and energy levels.

Need inspiration? Choose one of Healthiest Things to Eat at Starbucks.

Here’s a hearty bowl of cereal, high in fiber and protein that you can prepare in advance. To do this, prepare the quinoa and vinaigrette and slice your roast chicken. Assemble the cereal bowl and add your vegetables when ready to serve. If you are trying to reduce your meat consumption or if exclusively plant-baseduse canned, rinsed beans in place of chicken.

Toast a whole grain English muffin and spread with Greek yogurt. Garnish each half with capers, red onions, lettuce, tomato slices and smoked salmon. Serve with cucumber slices.

Dinners include several healthy substitutes, like ground chicken and lentils instead of ground beef and whole grains instead of refined grains. But the best part about this week’s dinner lineup is that you’ll be too tuned into the flavors to think about how healthy the meals are.

Eat one meatless meal at least once a week helps you increase your intake of plant foods, and lentils are full of magnesium, a nutrient involved in regulating your stress response. We chose tacos for this menu because they’re an easy way to ease yourself into meatless meals. This version requires making guacamole, but if you don’t have time, you can swap it out with a store-bought variety and top with cubed mango for a special touch. While you’re taking out the kale, sauté some to serve with your tacos.

A Chinese takeaway could contain 77% more sodium than recommended in a day. We’re not saying this dish is low in sodium, but making a Chinese dish at home will save you tons of salt and sugar. You’ll also get more vegetarian benefits when you cook for yourself, as restaurants tend to serve lean portions. For an even bigger vegetarian boost, double the amount of red pepper and asparagus and make more sauce if necessary. Serve your stir-fry with brown rice.

Salmon is full of omega-3 fatty acids, and this easy marinade makes it the perfect thing to cook when you don’t want to mess around in the kitchen. The recipe calls for soy sauce, but we suggest swapping it with low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos – a milder, less salty alternative. Serve your salmon with broccoli and brown rice (frozen or microwave to save time).

Making meatballs with ground chicken instead of ground beef reduces saturated fats, the kind that can increase your risk of harmful LDL cholesterol. And you won’t miss the beef in this incredibly flavorful meal. Feel free to substitute broccoli for broccolini and serve your meatballs over whole grain, chickpea or lentil pasta with a low-sugar jarred pasta sauce.

Shrimp is a perfect weekday protein because it’s easy to thaw in ice water and it helps you meet the recommended goal of eating seafood twice a week. The cilantro-lime vinaigrette brings it all together here; it serves as a marinade for corn and shrimp and as a dressing for salad. The salad comes with a fun surprise: tortilla chips. The different textures add an element of interest to this easy meal, and many tortilla chips are made from whole grain corn.

Snacks that contain whole food sources of protein and fiber offer a winning formula that keeps you full for hours. Here are some ideas:

• Grape Tomatoes with Creamy Taco Dip. To make the dip, add some taco seasoning to the Greek yogurt and mix.
• Red Pepper Strips with Egg Salad
• Cucumber and edamame slices
• Freeze-dried apple or strawberry chips with walnuts
• ½ grapefruit with Greek yogurt