18 Weeks of Healthier Meal Ideas! 126 of my Favorite Weeknight Meals.
Happy 2018! How did we get here?!
This is one of my most favorite posts to share every year. Each year it’s similar but I add in/swap at least 40 to 50 of lightened meals that I really loved over the previous year and then remove the ones I wasn’t as drawn to making. I reference this post approximately ten million times over the the course of the year, especially when I’m really struggling for dinner ideas!
I’ve mentioned often that in our perfect weeks, planning and shopping for three full meals works best for us. This way, we don’t get sick of our “plan,” we always end up with leftovers (but not too many leftovers), it allows for a night or two of eating out on the fly, whether it’s both of us or one of us for work, and usually will allow one night of breakfast for dinner, which we adore.
This year, perhaps my biggest goal is to make sure our meals are super balanced, always including a vegetable, consistent and most of all, PLANNED! Our meal planning service, Sweet Peas Meals, helps me with this a ton, but I have to be better this year now that Max is completely aware of what is going on all day, everyday. I want him to remember us eating balanced, delicious meals together at the table as a family.
I’d love to hear some of your favorite meals below, along with your meal planning tips and how you plan your weeks! xo
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
3. sesame crusted shrimp with mango quinoa
4. baked falafel with spicy feta dip
5. lightened up beef enchiladas
6. zoodles with cherry tomato sauce
7. slow roasted sweet potatoes with spicy garlic chickpeas
1. garlic brown sugar flank steak with chimichurri
2. 30 minute thai chili salmon skewers
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
7. potato wedges with squash and lentils
1. salmon with thai curry peanut sauce
2. rosemary chicken, bacon and avocado salad
4. BBQ shrimp and lime avocado toast
5. late summer corn tortilla soup
6. burrata pesto whole wheat pasta
7. kale caesar salad on parmesan pizza crust
2. spinach red pepper bacon wrapped eggs
3. crockpot mini turkey meatballs
5. crispy shrimp mango spring rolls
6. 20 minute turkey taco nachos
3. oven crisped cheddar chicken fingers
4. minestrone pot pie with whole wheat biscuits
5. 30 minute greek chicken lettuce wraps
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. mushroom melts with mustard aioli
2. winter citrus butter salmon
3. slow cooker buffalo chicken chili
7. pulled pork tacos with chili slaw
1. smoky white bean chicken chili
2. chili garlic beef stir fry with coconut rice
3. crunchy chicken spring rolls with blood orange sauce
4. cashew chicken chopped salad
6. shrimp burgers with chipotle cream
7. stuffed peppers with tomato basil cream sauce
2. chicken avocado salad with peanut dressing
3. gruyere, fig jam and arugula breakfast sandwiches
4. grain bowls with maple chipotle sweet potatoes
5. brussels sprouts tacos with caramelized shallot salsa
6. chipotle lime chicken skewers with avocado ranch
7. butternut squash skillet lasagna
1. open face steak sandwich with avocado horseradish
2. 30 minute asian chicken soup
4. chipotle lime whole roast chicken
5. pan crisp salmon with light dijon cream
6. whole what roasted red pepper pizza
1. marinated chickpea panzanella
2. thai coconut curry shrimp noodle bowls
3. grilled chicken artichoke skewers
4. farfalle with marinated feta and arugula
5. chipotle kale and mushroom tacos
6. pulled chicken guacamole sliders
7. zoodles with chicken feta meatballs
1. smoky sweet potato + black bean tacos
3. toasted sesame ginger salmon
4. sweet potato cream pasta with crispy kale
5. salmon citrus avocado salad
6. braised short rib beef stew
1. butternut squash enchiladas
3. roasted chipotle chicken taco stacks
4. crab cake sliders with pineapple kiwi salsa
7. thai curry pomegranate chicken
1. 20 minute cajun salmon with salted lime butter
3. spicy lime chicken enchiladas
4. butternut squash lettuce wraps
7. black bean stuffed sweet potatoes with arugula + poached eggs
1. roasted jalapeño cheddar turkey burgers
6. skillet chicken with peppers + peanuts
7. caramelized peach caprese salad
1. honey mustard chicken chopped salad
2. BBQ salmon crispy chickpea salad
4. pizza supreme on cauliflower crust
5. white bean + chicken enchilada stuffed peppers
6. balsamic brussels sprouts grilled cheese
7. crockpot smoky brisket tacos
1. brussels sprouts breakfast hash
2. green goddess salmon sliders
4. roasted corn caesar salads with yogurt dressing
5. buffalo style quinoa sliders
6. simple summer chickpea salad
29 Comments on “18 Weeks of Healthier Meal Ideas! 126 of my Favorite Weeknight Meals.”
Holy amazing extensive meal roundup! Thank you for sharing this!
you are so welcome!
Pingback: 18 Weeks of Healthier Meal Ideas! 126 of my Favorite Weeknight Meals. – Fruitide
I’ve made numerous of these recipes and all of them have always turned out great! Thanks so much for all the great ideas; I’m looking forward to creating many more of them in the coming year. Happy New Year!
thank you so much melissa!
This is an amazing round-up! One thing I noticed is that a lot of them are very summery. Since I live in Maine (and our winters last forever) I would love to see more healthy winter meals, especially lighter ones. Winter meals just seem to be so heavy. Just a suggestion. Keep doing what you are doing. :)
thanks brittany!! if you scroll down on the right sidebar of the site, you can choose posts by month and should be able to find healthier seasonal recipes there! i usually only cook seasonally, so there are a few scattered in here but i know it’s an overwhelming list, so searching by month would be perfect. :)
Thank you! :)
Everything sounds so good, thank you!!! Pin!
thank you!
I’m definitely craving all the healthy food right now. Not sure my body can take more cheese and cream and wine (ok, who am I kidding? Of course it can).
SAME!
I love cooking and food blogging. I am always looking for new recipe. Food blog like yours is an inspiration for me to try new cooking method and amazing Recipe.Thank For this wonderful Post !
Hi – thank you for sharing this! Can you add tags to each photo? I would love to make the salads in the photos you added near the bottom of the list, but I’m not positive which salad is which.
Had a party the other day, the thai beef bowls were a smash hit with the guests and I’ll be trying out the beef stew in my next family dinner, thanks for the great recipes Jessica. Since some of these dishes use rice, I thought you might want to look at some of these rice cookers I’ve found that you could recommend to your users https://www.eathealthyandthrive.com/best-rice-cooker/
Hey Jessica,
Such a delicious and colorful recipes. I always come to you your blog to check out such a interesting stuff to try and I always found very healthy dishes to try. Thanks a lot for sharing this.
Love from India Jessica! I am a big time foodie and my whole life revolves around food, seriously. Good food is everything. My busy schedule leaves me no time but I just can’t resist to cook by myself. I always try something new and these recipes are next on my list. Thanks for sharing. Keep writing more!
hi jessica, thanx for this all recipe, your all posts are awesome, am follow your blog for last 2 year
wow, all meals are awesome
Hello, Jessica
so much tasty style of writing of content. I am feeling that every meal is waiting for me while reading your content. I am real night foodie after doing a lot of work in all day this is the very enjoying moment while we are taking the meal.
Thanks for sharing such many new tastes for me. i will definitely try it , so lovely
Hi, Jessica thanx for sharing the wonderful list of the recipe. You are writing in such a way that individual feel that all recipes are made for them. You are truly amazing and inspiration for many so India loves you because we are a big foodie but somehow we left it because of the busy schedule but I will try some recipe form it by myself surely then I will tell you how it is but you are too good to keep continuing good work.
Wow, all these Dishes are so yummy I like it.
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