Menu Planning for the New Year: 154 Healthier Meal Ideas. (22 Weeks Worth!)
Happy New Year!
Are you champagned out? Ready for a spinach smoothie? Starting on Monday? <not me, not ever, nooooo…>
This is one of my favorite posts to put together, if even for selfish reasons. Easy meal planning is something I definitely need, especially now that we have a third eater in the house. And I’ve compiled lists like this in the past (with some repeats) that you can find right here:
…so there are TONS of options.
We have 22 weeks worth of menu ideas (154 dishes!) – mostly healthy, some slightly indulgent. But the best part is that you can easily make swaps if desired. Zoodles for noodles, greek yogurt for sour cream (I almost always do this), use only half the cheese (ugh, sad face), double up on the veg (whhhhy), more chicken, less chicken, . Most of my recipes are super adaptable and I say, use this as your guide.
This coming month I’m going to share some tips on how I do some meal prep on the weekends (only 1 hour worth so I don’t “lose” my weekend) and plan out some dishes for ease during the work week. And remember, whatever you make, show me on instagram with the hashtag #howsweeteats. Let’s do it.
1. easy weeknight chicken tacos
2. pineapple chorizo rice bowls
3. marinated zucchini ribbon salad
4. roast garlic bucatini with burst tomatoes
5. veggie fajita stuffed sweet potatoes
6. slow cooker short rib sauce
1. drunken thai zucchini noodles with honey chicken
4. grilled flank steak fajitas (3 ways!)
5. chicken chili with pumpkin biscuits
7. slow cooker sweet and spicy pork shoulder
1. smoky grilled chicken flatbreads with creamy feta
2. arugula kale reggiano salad
3. green chili sloppy joes with greek yogurt slaw
4. garlic kale cashew fried rice
5. one pot mushroom swiss chard pasta
6. grilled buffalo chicken caesar salad
7. chorizo and egg breakfast tacos
1. BBQ chicken pineapple lettuce wraps
2. blackened broccoli pasta with goat cheese and charred lemon
3. fiery baked eggs in spicy arrabbiataÂ
4. winter chopped salad with roasted sweet potato
5. gruyere, fig jam and arugula breakfast sandwiches
6. cider braised chicken with butternut
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. chili garlic chicken skewers with greek yogurt dip
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. 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. 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
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
3. 30 minutes white bean chicken soup
4. baked falafel with spicy feta dip
5. lightened up beef enchiladas
6. roasted almond crusted salmon
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
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. roasted jalapeño cheddar turkey burgers
3. coconut baked shrimp with pineapple peach salsa
4. greek grilled chicken salad
6. skillet chicken with peppers + peanuts
7. caramelized peach caprese salad
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. 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
1. mushroom melts with mustard aioliÂ
2. honey ginger chicken tostadas
7. pulled pork tacos with chili slaw
1. toasted sesame quinoa with chicken
2. spicy parmesan shrimp skillet
5. marinated flank steak with caprese salsa
6. pineapple cashew fried rice
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. 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
32 Comments on “Menu Planning for the New Year: 154 Healthier Meal Ideas. (22 Weeks Worth!)”
I love this post of yours every year! Meal planning is definitely a challenge for me every week, but I also enjoy it when I’m on top of it and would love any tips you have. Love your site! Happy New Year!!
(And I’m still enjoying the champagne and fun food until at least Monday ?).
This is awesome! What a beautiful, healthy round up of dishes! 2016 is going to be a yummy one ;)
Love those tips and so many of these recipes!!!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Wow!! What an amazing resource to make healthy and nourishing meals for so many weeks to come Jessica. Can’t wait to explore all your recipes when I have a little more time – for now: bookmarked!Â
Happy New Year, Jessica! And thanks for the inspiration, I want to make it all! :DÂ
Nooooooo! You switched to truncated posts! ?
wasn’t intentional! it’s fixed now!Â
I can’t wait to read your meal prep post!Â
This morning I really wanted a bagel but our favorite place was closed. SO, I turned last night’s leftover stuffed mushrooms into a omelette and was all proud of my choices. Then I had a slice of leftover banana cake. Balance for 2016, right?
winning.Â
Hi Jessica,
This is so sweet of you to post all of these amazing recipes for us to make. I don’t have a lot of time to make a nice dinner once we are home. I am enjoying looking thru them and I see so many that I will make time for!Â
Happy New Year to your sweet little family!
Wow wow wow! Thanks so much for quite an impressive list of delicious recipes!
Great meal ideas! Can’t wait to read all about your prep tips! I’m always looking for ways to simplify without sacrificing on taste! :D Happy New Year! (Also your new site design looks great!)
Thanks for these amazing sounding meals! I can’t wait to get started. I have 3 picky eaters in my house so my goal for 2016 is healthy and not pre-packaged! Fingers crossed! Looking forward to your prep post. And I am so loving all of your beauty finds! I just ordered the Elizabeth and James dry shampoo! Here’s to an awesome 2016!
Jessica! Thank you!!! (All of the exclamation points). I’ve been hoping to make it a resolution to do more planning, less shopping, and less food wasting. I make your recipes all of the time, but I usually just pick and choose willy nilly (do people actually say that?).
Important question: do your meal plans take into account common ingredients and using up what you have in the fridge? I would love you (that) forever if they did. Thanks!
me, personally, yes! i try to do that as much as possible, but sometimes i have some leftover wacko ingredients from a freelance project or something and don’t want them to go to waste. it just depends on what it’s my fridge!Â
Yum! Can’t wait to try some of these! Chomp!!!
These recipes seem so delicious
Xoxo
http://fashionbackyard.blogspot.fr
LOVE the new layout! I’ve been checking your blog regularly (like basically every single day) since you posted cake batter pancakes FOUR years ago, and I’ve really enjoyed seeing how your blog has transformed since then. We make recipes from your book and blog at least 2x per week, sometimes even 5x per week. Thank you for this amazing menu plan, theres a lot of recipes I’ve been wanting to try and havent gotten around to it. Happy new year to you, Eddie, and Max. Can’t wait to see what amazing recipes and stories you share with us this year!!! <3Â
thank you so so so so much!
UGH. Just realized its 2016, not 2015. So I’ve been following your blog for five years not four! Also whenever you respond to me I feel like a celebrity is talking to me!!!Â
I look forward to this list every year!! Thanks for sharing!Â
Would be great if you could do a SEASONAL meal plan! Â Thx!
love this idea!Â
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http://www.patagoniaoutletshop.com
Enjoy reading your blog. Have a nice week. Â
Really impressed with your blog. Thanks for sharing the ideas for the new year. Not only for the new year we can also note down the points to implement them on any occasions .
Keep updating..
I’ve been trying to find the recipe for the 4th picture down. Â Looks like some sort of bbq chicken salad. Please let me know which one! Â Looks delicious.
it’s the honey chipotle chicken bowls! http://www.howsweeteats.com/2014/01/honey-chipotle-chicken-bowls/
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Eating leftovers of the thai drunken noodles – just as good, if not better, the day after!! yum :)
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