Plan a weekly menu ahead of time! o Keep it simple & build with your family Make a shopping list based off menu Prepare meals in advance o Avoid unhealthy food choices by having quick and healthy options available. o Prepare meals in bulk and store them for quick access during the week Healthy Meals in a Hurry o Slice extra vegetables to store in the refrigerator for easy use Keep food staples stocked to make meal planning quick and easy o Aim to have food items from each food group stocked at home to meet recommendations Add legumes to any meal to make a meatless Monday Have a fun meal once per week! Sample Menu with Prep List Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Turkey & Veggie Meatballs V: Use 1c cooked quinoa or oats as binder Thai Farro Power Bowl with meat of choice (optional) Pineapple and Black Bean Fajitas Healthier Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles V: Add tofu Mediterranean Zucchini Boats with Kefir- Mint Topping V: Omit Chicken and add legume Leftovers! Flatbread Veggie Pizza -Prep vegetables for tomorrow -Thaw shrimp if frozen -Lunch prep w/leftovers -Prep fruit for tomorrow -Thaw chicken for Thursday -Prep zoodles for tomorrow -Cut/Prepare zucchini boats for tomorrow -Plan menu, prep list and shopping list for next week Wellness Meal is featured on the April Newsletter.
Shopping List Meat: 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken, 1lb shrimp, 1lb lean ground turkey. Meatless: Tofu and 1c quinoa Refrigerated: eggs, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, low-fat kefir, plain greek yogurt Frozen: Mukimame Fresh: broccoli, spinach or kale, cilantro, carrots, garlic cloves, lemon x 2, lime, red bell pepper x 3, orange bell pepper, mushrooms, basil, zucchini x 6, chives, mint, cucumber, red onion x 2 Dry: raw cashews, multi-grain flatbread, crushed tomatoes, chickpea, corn, black beans, farro (1c buy in bulk), sesame seeds, corn tortilla Spices: garlic powder, paprika, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper Staples: avocado oil, red wine vinegar, peanut butter, sesame oil, Dijon mustard Recipes Turkey & Veggie Meatballs Yields 28-30 small meatballs Serving: 4 meatballs Per serving: 355 Calories, 4.2g fat, 68g Carbs, 13g protein 1-pound lean ground turkey 1/2 cup lightly steamed broccoli florets, finely chopped 1/2 cup spinach or kale, finely chopped 1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped 1 egg, beaten 2 tbsp avocado oil 1 tbsp ground raw cashews 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp garlic powder pepper, to taste Preheat oven to 400 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine broccoli, spinach or kale, carrots, and cilantro into a food processor and grind. Add to a large bowl. Combine the remainder of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well incorporated. Roll into about 28-30 small meatballs and place onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until baked through and slightly golden. Serve with grain and vegetable of choice.
Healthier Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles Yields 3 Servings Serving size: 3oz shrimp + 1c zoodles Per serving: 280 Calories, 12g fat, 7g Carbs, 33g protein 2 Tbsp avocado oil 2 garlic cloves minced 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1 lb. shrimp no shell & deveined Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 tsp paprika 1/4 cup red wine vinegar Juice of half a lemon 3 zucchinis spiralized 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes Shaved Parmesan cheese for serving Fresh basil for serving In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil, then add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add shrimp to the pan and season with salt, pepper and paprika; cook until shrimp turns pink, 2-4 minutes, depending on their size, and remove with a slotted spoon. Add the red wine vinegar and lemon juice to the sauce leftover in the pan, scraping the sides, and cook until sauce thickens slightly. Add the zucchini and cherry tomatoes to the pan and stir fry for a couple minutes until the tomatoes soften. Toss the cooked shrimp with the zucchini and serve with Parmesan cheese, fresh basil and lemon, if desired Flatbread Veggie Pizza Serving size: ½ Pizza Per serving: 285 calories, 17g fat, 22g carbs, 12g protein 1 multi-grain flatbread 1/3c crushed tomatoes 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2c shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 2 slices 1/2c sliced mushrooms 1 tbsp avocado oil 3 tbsp basil, chopped Any other veggies or protein desired Preheat over to 400 degrees. Place flatbread on parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread crushed tomatoes on top of the bread. Sprinkle with shopped garlic. Salt and Pepper lightly (if desired). Sprinkle cheese, and
vegetables on top plus any additional items you may desire. Drizzle with avocado oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese begins to bubble and edges are golden brown. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and enjoy! Mediterranean Zucchini Boats with Kefir-Mint Topping Yields 4 servings. Serving size: 2 zucchini boats Per serving: 170 calories, 5g fat, 4g carbs, 27g protein 4 medium zucchinis, halved lengthwise 3 tsp avocado oil 1 carrot, chopped 1 red pepper, diced 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into tiny pieces 2 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes Kosher salt 3 tbsp. chopped fresh chives Topping 1/2 c. plain low-fat kefir 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 1/3 c. finely chopped fresh mint leaves 1/4 seedless cucumber, cut into 1/4- inch pieces Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and heat to 450 F. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and, using a teaspoon, hollow out each half, transferring the insides to a cutting board; chop. Brush the cut sides with 1 teaspoon oil, then place on the heated baking sheet, cut sides down. Roast 6 minutes. Heat remaining 2 tsp oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add carrot, pepper, tomatoes, and chopped zucchini and cook, tossing often, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Season chicken with paprika, oregano, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt; add to the skillet and stir, then remove from heat. Stir in chives. Turn zucchini cut sides up and divide chicken mixture among zucchini boats. Roast until zucchini are tender and chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the topping: In a small bowl, combine kefir and lemon juice; fold in mint and cucumber. Serve with zucchini and a grain option.
Pineapple and Black Bean Fajitas Yields 4 servings Serving size: 2 Fajitas Per serving: 230 calories, 2g fat, 48g carbs, 9g protein 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed 1 tbsp. finely chopped chipotles in adobo 1/4 small pineapple, cored and cut into thin 1/2" pieces 1 red peppers, sliced 1 orange pepper, sliced 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 8 small corn tortillas, warmed Fresh cilantro, for serving Plain Greek Yogurt, for serving Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with foil. Toss together the beans and chipotles, then place on foil in a single layer. Top with the pineapple, peppers and onion. Cover with another piece of foil and seal. Roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, warm corn tortillas, place cilantro and greek yogurt in a dish for serving. When ingredients are finished roasting, be careful when removing top foil sheet, as steam will come out the sides. Spoon the mixture into tortillas and top desired toppings. Farro Thai Power Bowl Yields 6-8 servings Serving size: 1 cup Per serving: 235 calories, 8g fat, 38g carbs, 11g protein 1c Farro, dry (2c cooked) 3c Water 1c Chickpeas (canned and rinsed) 1c corn (fresh, frozen or canned) 2 small zucchinis, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1/2c Mukimame (shelled soybeans/edamame) 1/4c red onion, chopped 1/4c Fresh Basil, minced Salt and pepper to taste Sesame seeds to garnish Dressing 1T Peanut butter (chunky or smooth) 2T sesame oil 1 lime, juiced 2 cloves garlic, minced Optional: 1T Dijon Mustard (Gives it a zing!)
Bring 3c of water to a boil, add Farro to boiling mixture, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain off excess liquid and run cold water over the top to stop the cooking process. Allow to drain during next two steps. Prepare the dressing. Add peanut butter to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds or until soften. Add in sesame oil, juice from lime and two cloves of garlic. Let sit during next step. Rinse, chop and prepare zucchini, red bell pepper, red onion and fresh basil. Add to a bowl. Pour dressing over mixture. Add in Farro and toss. Refrigerate overnight or serve immediately.