20 Weeks of Healthier Meal Ideas! 140 of my Favorite Weeknight Meals.
Hiiii! Hello! Happy New Year! I have all of the weeknight meal ideas you need.
This is one of my favorite posts to share every year… and it’s for selfish reasons. This post helps me out with meal planning SO MUCH throughout the year! One of my goals every week is to plan our meals as much as I can. I want weeknight meal ideas to be easy. This wasn’t quite a priority before I had kids, but now, it makes life so much easier and assures that we are getting some great meals in. I also want to set examples for these little mouths I’m feeding now. I want the kids to enjoy vegetables, I want them to expect all sorts of different foods at our table and I want them to get used to us eating dinner as a family. It doesn’t always happen right now, but we try as much as we can!
Weeknight meal ideas will be different for everyone, but I’ve included all sorts of suggestions below, from vegetarian meals, to ones that even include a little bacon! Take these ideas and put your own spin on them. Make them your own.
I’ve mentioned before that in my perfect week, planning and shopping for about three meals works best for us. This way, we don’t get sick of our menu, 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 it may even allow one night of breakfast for dinner, which we all adore.
I want to hear all of your meal planning and prep tips below! xo
My Favorite Weeknight Meal Ideas
1. the best lemon roasted chicken
3. sheet pan sausage and peppers
5. honey garlic sheet pan salmon and brussels
2. sausage and kale skillet lasagna
3. chipotle chicken cobb salad
4. buffalo cauliflower flatbread
5. chicken salad stuffed avocados
3. toasted sesame ginger salmon
4. sweet potato cream pasta with crispy kale
5. salmon citrus avocado salad
6. braised short rib beef stew
3. roasted chipotle chicken taco stacks
4. crab cake sliders with pineapple kiwi salsa
6. pulled pork stuffed peppers
7. thai curry pomegranate chicken
1. 20 minute cajun salmon with salted lime butter
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. slow cooker barbacoa tacos
2. chicken avocado salad with peanut dressing
3. harvest butternut squash pasta sauce
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
7. BBQ quinoa salad
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. toasted sesame quinoa with chicken
2. spicy parmesan shrimp skillet
4. crispy kale grilled cheese
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 aioliÂ
2. winter citrus butter salmon
3. slow cooker buffalo chicken chiliÂ
4. beer glazed citrus chicken
5. spinach artichoke linguine
6. warm brussels caesar salad
7. pulled pork tacos with chili slaw
1. smoky white bean chicken chiliÂ
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
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
1. grilled avocado kale saladÂ
2. spinach red pepper bacon wrapped eggs
3. crockpot mini turkey meatballs
6. 20 minute turkey taco nachos
2. chili cheese polenta bowls
3. oven crisped cheddar chicken fingers
5. 30 minute greek chicken lettuce wraps
6. broiled fontina toasts with poached eggs
2. smoky gruyere butternut squash soup with chickpeas
3. 30 minute portobello fried brown rice
4. chipotle lime shrimp tacos
5. honey chipotle chicken bowls
6. 30 minute shallot, spinach and goat cheese pasta
7. thai beef bowls
1. smoky sweet potato burgers
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 chimichurriÂ
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. sheet pan sweet potato breakfast hash
7. potato wedges with squash and lentils
1. roasted jalapeño cheddar turkey burgers
5. thai butternut squash soup
6. skillet chicken with peppers + peanuts
7. chickpea wedge salads with avocado ranch
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. mediterranean turkey burgers
6. simple summer chickpea salad
7. mini chicken meatball soup
29 Comments on “20 Weeks of Healthier Meal Ideas! 140 of my Favorite Weeknight Meals.”
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Goodness thank you I feel set for the year these recipes look fresh & amazing – following you is my NewYear’s Resolution!!!
thank you debbie!
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All look delicious!! Thank you!! Another question~ I am getting married this summer, could you do a post on your favorite/must have kitchen/cooking essentials? Just a fun suggestion! :)
I know you did not ask for my opinion, but from one Sara to another, two of the things I use daily are a good quality chef’s knife and a cutting board big enough that my veggies aren’t falling off the edge. Stuff I don’t use that we got for our wedding: garlic peeler/slicer, mango slicer, Vitamix, a salad spinner, a mandolin, a kitchen scale, and citrus squeezers. When I go to my in-laws, they have a thousand flimsy cutting boards, dull knives, and a ton of gadgets and it makes me crazy :) Congratulations!!
amazing suggestions from sara B too!
i will work on this!! xo
I have a couple questions about that meyer lemon roasted chicken. Can you use chicken breasts? Also, do you have any tips on how to clean the silpat lol? I keep meaning to make this but I’m afraid the clean up is going to take forever!
Hi Holly! I make the meyer lemon roasted chicken all the time. I’ve never made it with breasts but I imagine you would have to adjust the cooking time so the breasts don’t dry out. It’s so good with thighs though! and in terms of cleanup, I always bake it in a baking dish that I line with tinfoil! Cleanup is simple because I can wrap up the leftovers in a dish in the tinfoil and wash the baking dish easily. Pretty much no mess at all!
Ugh, cleaning silpat is the worst! Here is what works for me: I do a rinse in soapy water (getting rid of any thing on it) run under warm water and drape over something to dry.
I’m so OCD about things being greasy but silpat will always have that film on it.
Once dry (I usually leave overnight) I put paper towel on it and roll up. I believe actual storage suggestions is to lay flat but I do not have the space for that.
you can use chicken breasts, but they won’t get quite the crisped herb topping – and you do want to bake for less! i would start at maybe 25 minutes and check the chicken from there?? :)
oh oh and regarding silpat!! i know, mine get so gross.
i do similar clean up, i do wash mine with warm water and dawn, then let it air dry!
What a fantastic post! I only wish you had included captions on the photos so we knew which ones were highlighted with those mouthwatering photos!
thanks annette! the photos from top to bottom are:
best lemon roasted chicken
chicken bruschetta
honey garlic salmon and brussels
chicken tortellini soup
cilantro lime flank steak
slow roasted sweet potatoes with spicy chickpeas
banh mi tacos
wedge salads with crispy chickpeas
fish taco bowls
what a wonderful and inspiring list all set to bookmark in one place! thank you for all of these, including sweet potato burgers wow!
thanks so much sabrina!
This is one of my favorite posts that you do!! I also meal plan each week, and it’s so great to have so many suggestions at my fingertips. We also cook about 3-4 times a week, with leftovers and going out the rest of the time. (I never seem to remember to include a lunch for Saturday, that meal is almost always eaten out.) I’ve made so many of your recipes from this list! The Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon is amazing, and the Thai Curry Pom Chicken is perfect for when I’m craving takeout but don’t want the calories and $$$. I also make my own shrimp version of this dish based on your recipe, and it’s delish. Your chicken avo peanut salad is one of my husband’s favorites, and your greek chicken lettuce wraps are one of MY favorites. I actually serve that as a salad since I can’t seem to eat lettuce wraps without getting sauce all over myself, lol. For as many recipes on here that I’ve tried, though, there are so many others I can’t wait to try!! Maybe 2019 is my year to finally embrace the “zoodle.” All your recipes using these look so good!!
i love this!! thank you so so much!
I just got your cookbook as a Christmas gift from a friend, started following you on Instagram and now feel like I struck food planning gold. Thank you!
yay! thank you so much brittany!!
That soup looks amazing.
thanks!
I have a hunch that your kids are going to be very well fed ;)
xoxox thank you bella
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Yes!!!! I just started nursing school in Oakland. I’m on Pittsburgh public transit from the suburbs way, way too much. Home cooked meals have become like unicorns. I’ve made a list from this post, and I’m going to meal prep and slow cook and have stuff like tacos and soup and linguine. I don’t even have to look at a variety of pages! Just this one! Thank you for this!
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