Healthy Weekly Meal Plan: Fajita Stuffed Peppers and Chicken Recipes

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You asked, we answered! Hundreds of Start TODAY members told us they wanted healthier, more balanced meal ideas to help them reach their health goals. This nutritionist-designed meal plan gives you the flexibility to enjoy summer while learning the basics of healthy eating.

Meal planning isn’t as daunting as it seems. Spend just 10 or 15 minutes mapping out your meals, write down what you need, and head to the store. And that. Since you’re busy enough and don’t need anything else on your to-do list, we also have suggestions for speeding up meal prep, and best of all, you can even take the weekends off if you’re dining out or getting together with friends. family and friends.

What to eat this week October 9, 2023

Somehow it’s October and we were all also busy. Easy meal prep will help you prepare for the things at the top of your to-do list. For breakfast, you’ll cook healthy sweet potatoes and add a variety of toppings to keep things interesting. For lunch, you’ll alternate between a slow-cooker soup and a few prepared options. Dinner includes some cozy yet healthy meals, with options ranging from tacos to an easy-to-bake pasta that uses up the last of the late summer vegetables.

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Monday

Breakfast:Slow Cooker Breakfast Sweet Potatoes

Lunch: Cottage cheese toast with tomato

To have lunch: Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Snack of choice

Tuesday

Breakfast:Slow Cooker Breakfast Sweet Potatoes

Lunch: Edamame Brown Rice Bowl

To have lunch: Fish Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Coleslaw

Snack of choice

Wednesday

Breakfast:Slow Cooker Breakfast Sweet Potatoes

Lunch: Cottage cheese toast with tomato

To have lunch: Honey Hoisin Chicken Thighs and Fried Kale with Brown Rice

Snack of choice

Thursday

Breakfast:Slow Cooker Breakfast Sweet Potatoes

Lunch: Edamame Brown Rice Bowl

To have lunch: Leftovers

Snack of choice

Friday

Breakfast: Breakfast snack plate

Lunch: Pesto Salmon Pita Salad with Raw Vegetables

To have lunch: Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers

Snack of choice

Breakfast

Cook once, eat four times with this versatile breakfast recipe. Then, pack a quick snack on Friday morning.

The recipe makes four sweet potatoes, so cook them in advance and make the topping the next morning.

Breakfast snack plate

Eat two boiled eggs, fruit, and nuts or seeds (such as pumpkin seeds).

Lunch

Talk about low maintenance: You can whip up these no-recipe lunch options in minutes.

Edamame Brown Rice Bowl

Hot frozen edamame and frozen brown rice according to package instructions. Mix the edamame with pre-grated carrots and chopped red peppers. (Pro tip: Cut extra strips of red pepper for this week’s snack.) Season the mixture with soy sauce or coconut aminos and sriracha to taste. Serve with brown rice.

Cottage cheese toast with tomato

Protein-packed cottage cheese is on the rise. Here, it’s used on top of toast to make a filling, nutritious and easy lunch. Toast 1-2 slices of whole grain bread and spread cottage cheese over each piece. Top each with thickly sliced ​​tomatoes or sliced ​​cherry tomatoes, pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Serve with a cup of canned or boxed low-sodium vegetable soup.

Pesto Salmon Pita Salad

Mix canned or packaged salmon with pesto. Stuff the mixture into a whole-grain pita filled with green salad. Serve with raw vegetables.

To have lunch

We have prepared simple dinners to make this week. If you have a busy week or just want to spend less time cooking, double one (or more) of the recipes to serve as leftovers later this week. Don’t forget to also include the suggested side dish to keep your meal nutritionally balanced.

This dish is a light and warm version of our favorite comfort food: pasta! It gives lasagna vibes, while packing in some veggies with seasonal zucchini and asparagus. Up the ante by serving with an easy spinach salad on the side. To make it, drizzle the spinach with extra virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon. Sprinkle with parmesan and mix well to serve.

A rainbow of plant-based foods dominates the plate in these fish tacos topped with sautéed vegetables and coleslaw. You can speed up the prep time by purchasing pre-shredded coleslaw. Meanwhile, grab an extra red pepper to make a simple black bean and red pepper salad. To make it, cut the red pepper and red onion into cubes and mix with the rinsed and drained canned black beans and freshly squeezed lemon.

This sweet and spicy meal takes just 10 minutes to prepare and the results are more nutritious than typical Chinese takeout. If you’re not in the mood for chicken, the no-fuss marinade also pairs well with pork loin. This recipe calls for fried kale, but this dish would also be delicious with peas or bok choy. No matter where you go, serve this meal with brown rice.

Adding black beans to the chicken in these stuffed peppers helps you eat more plant-based foods and increases your fiber and antioxidant intake while reducing your meat consumption. This is a win-win situation. Serve this meal with frozen brown rice or cooked earlier in the week to save time. Once you cut into the cooked pepper, it will all come together to form a delicious, balanced meal.

Snacks

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

• Baby carrots dipped in protein-packed avocado puree. To make the sauce, mash the chickpeas or white beans into the avocado.
• Apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled with tahini.
• Frozen (thawed) blueberries with ricotta.
• Red pepper strips with goat cheese.
• Unsweetened dried fruit and nuts or roasted chickpeas.