16 Weeks of Lightened Up Meals.
Happy New Year!
Last year I shared 20 weeks worth of lightened up meals… and I’m doing it again right now.
These are some of our FAVORITE dinners – they spill over into lunches and leftovers, they can be modified to be ever healthier (or not healthier) if you wish, you can remove the meat (um, and cheese?) or add some in – they are so customizable. There are more than enough ideas here for each week, but I find that in my perfect world, planning about three meals per week works best for us. This way, we don’t end up with too much food at the end of the week. And it still leaves me with a few days to eat whatever the heck we want on that day because I prefer to be spontaneous with my meals. And it leaves us with just the right amount of leftovers.
Below you’ll find 112 different meal ideas that I freak out over. Like totally love them ALL.
Leave some of your favorites in the comments! As a product of the internet generation, I ALWAYS need a new idea for dinner.
1. soba noodle salad with caramelized chicken and chili oilÂ
2. smoky gruyere butternut squash soup with chickpeas
3. 30 minute portobello fried brown rice
5. honey chipotle chicken bowls
6. 30 minute shallot, spinach and goat cheese pasta
7. shaved asparagus + whipped ricotta whole wheat pizza
2. mushroom chicken noodle soup
3. gruyere, fig jam and arugula breakfast sandwiches
4. toasted coconut tilapia with pomegranate salsa
5. brussels sprouts tacos with caramelized shallot salsa
6. chipotle lime chicken skewers with avocado ranch
7. butternut squash skillet lasagna
1. smoky white bean chicken chiliÂ
2. chili garlic beef stir fry with coconut rice
3. red wine roasted mushroom toasts
4. cashew chicken chopped salad
5. cheesy double bean quesadillas with avocado ranch
6. shrimp burgers with chipotle cream
7. stuffed peppers with tomato basil cream sauce
1. garlic brown sugar flank steak with chimichurriÂ
2. black bean and cornbread panzanellaÂ
3. goat cheese whole roasted chicken
4. bang bang shrimp with napa cabbage slaw
5. 30 minute buffalo chicken soup
6. roasted red pepper quinoa burgers
3. 30 minutes white bean chicken soup
4. baked falafel with spicy feta dip
5. lightened up beef enchiladas
6. roasted almond crusted salmon
3. oven crisped cheddar chicken fingers
4. minestrone pot pie with whole wheat biscuits
6. broiled fontina toasts with poached eggs
1. toasted sesame quinoa with chicken
2. spicy parmesan shrimp skillet
5. marinated flank steak with caprese salsa
6. pineapple cashew fried rice
7. asian turkey burgers with spicy lime mayo
1. smoky sweet potato + black bean tacos
3. toasted sesame ginger salmon
4. sweet potato cream pasta with crispy kale
5. roasted grape + goat cheese stuffed sweet potatoes
6. braised short rib beef stew
1. butternut squash enchiladas
3. roasted chipotle chicken taco stacks
4. crab cake sliders with pineapple kiwi salsa
6. crockpot pulled pork chiliÂ
7. thai curry pomegranate chicken
1. ginger garlic steak tacos with pineapple pico
2. spicy greens and parmesan white bean stew
4. chipotle lime whole roast chicken
5. pan crisp salmon with light dijon cream
6. whole what roasted red pepper pizza
1. tilapia burgers with watermelon salsa
3. spicy lime chicken enchiladas
4. butternut squash lettuce wraps
5. white chicken quinoa chiliÂ
7. black bean stuffed sweet potatoes with arugula + poached eggs
1. mushroom melts with mustard aioliÂ
2. honey ginger chicken tostadas
7. pulled pork tacos with chili slaw
2. BBQ salmon crispy chickpea salad
5. white bean + chicken enchilada stuffed peppers
6. balsamic brussels sprouts grilled cheese
7. crockpot smoky brisket tacos
2. spinach red pepper bacon wrapped eggs
3. crockpot mini turkey meatballs
5. crispy shrimp mango spring rolls
6. 20 minute turkey taco nachos
1. brussels sprouts breakfast hash
2. grilled blueberry BBQ salmonÂ
4. roasted corn caesar salads with yogurt dressing
5. buffalo style quinoa sliders
6. simple summer chickpea salad
1. roasted jalapeño cheddar turkey burgers
3. coconut baked shrimp with pineapple peach salsa
4. greek grilled chicken salad
51 Comments on “16 Weeks of Lightened Up Meals.”
YUM!! Saving this post for later. I can’t wait to dig into these recipes.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year, Jessica!
One can never have enough dinner recipes!
Ok, this will last 100 days, so on day 101, I’ll be looking for you to supply me with the next 100 days and then another 165 to get me through to 2016. ;-)
That Thai Crunch Chicken Salad is going at the top of my list!
Wow, so many awesome ideas! It’s almost overwhelming. I want them all NOW. :)
Happy New Year, Jessica! Pinned!
The Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls are a favorite in our house – we eat them at least once a week!
mmmmmmmmn! They look delicious! x
http://charlottesophiaroberts.blogspot.co.uk
Happy New Year !!! I love these round up posts and last year, I came back to last year’s post a few times to get recipe ideas.
One of my favorite recipes is this creamy chicken and salad – something I toss out he salad and mix the creamy chicken with pasta or serve it over brown rice with some veggies.
http://www.tablewithaviewblog.com/blog/2014/10/15/creamy-chicken-grape-and-almond-salad
I also love this butternut squash soup with toasted walnut feta cheese.
http://www.tablewithaviewblog.com/blog/2014/10/2/toasted-walnuts-and-feta-butternut-squash-soup
THANK YOU! I’m pinning this for the days when I have meal planning amnesia! Haha.
Love this list!! I just finished going through last year’s version. I printed it out and it was my go to whenever I was out of dinner ideas. can’t wait to do the same for this year.
Superhelpful, they all sound delicious and who isn’t always looking for new recipes :) Definitely going to cook some of these in 2015
That chimmichurri sauce is screaming me! Love it! Happy New Year!!
The Crispy Buffalo Style Quinoa Sliders, Spicy Parmesan Shrimp Skillet, and Shrimp Burgers with Chipotle Cream sound so, so amazing! I can’t wait to try them! Happy New Year to you and your sweet family.
Will be needing lightened up meals like this after all the splurging that happened in December! ha :)
So many amazing meals to make! I’ve marked a few for future Real Food Meal Plans. Yum!
Love it all!
I’m so excited to try this recipe. So inspirational!
Happy new year!
http://www.trangscorner.com
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Lightened up but full of AMAZING flavor. Awesome!
Thanks for these recipes because we need them now.
Happy new year!!!
http://inatrendytown.blogspot.com.es
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Wow, those are a lot of awesome ideas. I think I’m all set for the year basically. Haha! This is a fabulous list. Some of our favorite healthy meals are using up rotisserie chicken to make fajitas, soups, and stir ‘fry’! :) Happy New Year, Jessica! I hope yours was wonderful!
I have been trying to eat healthy for so long, but I had the hardest time finding recipes that looked and sounded delicious and were easy to make. This checks off all three. Thank you! I will save this post so I can come back to it!!! Have a wonderful New Year!!
http://sweetheartsofthesouth.blogspot.com
I want to thank you for this great post. I am veg and my fiance is not and I am always looking for interesting recipes. I have added so many of these to my recipe app this morning!
I’m sheepishly putting aside the nutella container and putting my apron on. Thanks for sharing! Happy New Year!
Now I’m hungry. The pictures are great and the meals look delicious!
x Kate
http://www.the-little-day-dreamer.blogspot.com
I’m desperately in need of this round-up after the last 2 weeks of Hanukkah/holiday indulgence. Love!
This list is brilliant, I want everything on it! Yuuum! I hope you have a great 2015!
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I LOVE these posts of yours! I refer back to your 1/1/14 post all the time and randomly pick recipes to make when I can’t decide what to cook. right now I’m especially loving your saucy pulled pork recipe (made it yesterday!) and the garlic brown sugar flank steak with chimichurri. soooo good! gotta try some of the seafood burgers soon..
Yum! You make everything look delicious, can’t wait to try out so many of these! Happy New Year!
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What a collection! I seriously need to make some of these!
This meals looks lovely! I’m usually someone that likes to eat everything and nothing and at the same time wants to be healthy so I will definately going to try to cook one of these meals or even more x
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So many amazing recipes, can’t wait to make them all!!!
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That toasted coconut fish with pomegranate salsa blew my mind. It was even toddler approved.
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Oh my gosh. They all look so good! I’m going to have to try a few of these out!
Alhana
http://ibelievesoidid.blogspot.com
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It looks amazzzingggggg! So delicious! Need to try this recipe.
Happy new year!
http://www.trangscorner.com
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Oh my god Jessica. I’ve been following your blog for a little while now but I must admit that I have never cooked any of the recipes that you posted up until last weekend. Your recipes just always seemed like they’d be too much effort and too expensive to make.
Was I ever wrong. So far i have only tried a couple of recipes from this post but oh em gee everything has been to die for. Your chickpea curry must have been the most flavorful meal I have tasted in ages. And don’t get me started on the pulled pork or your chili oil soba noodle salad….. everything has been fabulous and it came together in no time at all. I’ve already recommended your blog to all my Co workers.
Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes and I am sure to get a copy of your cookbook now.
Keep up the great work.
Ummm… what is that meat with what looks like pesto on it? I’ve been trying to figure out which recipe that might go with and just can’t. Any clues?
it’s the flank steak with chimichurri!!
Oh yum, the chicken at the top with the avocado and quinoa looks delicious. That is exactly the sort of thing I love to eat.
asiago portobello burgers sounds great :)
Just bookmarked half this list and re-realized why you’re my favorite food blogger. Anything you create with a crockpot, steak or shrimp completes me (we’re taco soul mates, in that regard). Dying to try the chicken mushroom noodle soup and chicken ramen. It’s summer but I need more warmth and comfort. :)
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I love this, thank you very much for sharing, you have some wonderful and very tasty healthy looking ideas. I will definitely be trying some of these. Great Blog. x