After our trip to Dallas for Thanksgiving, I got home and desperately felt the need to hit reset. We had so much fun, but I only worked out once, drank far too much wine and ate a whole lot of turkey, honey-baked ham and pie.
And, that’s okay! I loved every second of the trip, but got home and felt bloated and my energy was low, so I knew I needed a little boost. So this was our meal plan from this past week—a mix of vegetarian, vegan and meals with animal protein.
Earlier this year, I tried out going plant-based for a week, while I don’t think I could go 100% plant-based, it definitely made me feel amazing and encouraged me to eat more plants than animal protein. For the most part, when I do eat meat, it’s with dinner because I cook for the whole family andI don’t want to have to make 2 separate meals. My breakfasts and lunch are where I try to stick to plants!
Healthy Weekly Meal Plan
Meal 1: Chickpea & Chicken Curry with Rice
One of our family favorites! Owen requests this one on the regular and the chickpeas are actually his favorite part of it. Sometimes I’ll swap the chicken for cauliflower (aka, white broccoli if you’re Owen) but he loves it just the same.
Recipe
- 1 jar Maya Kaimal Madras Curry Simmer Sauce
- 1 lb. chicken breasts
- 1 can chickpeas
Saute chicken in a bit of oil until browned, doesn’t have to be cooked through. Add chickpeas and sauce and simmer for 10-15 minutes until cooked through. Serve over rice.
Meal 2: Veggie Pad Thai
Rob and I love this and I’m hoping Owen does too! I’ll report back!
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
Dish:
- 1/2 pack of thin rice noodles
- 1 long carrot, shredded
- 1/2 small bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 egg
- Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set
- aside.
- Cook noodles according to directions and set aside.
- In a sauté pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add carrot, bell pepper and green onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add noodles and stir to combine. Push noodles to one side and
- pour egg in and cook through.
- Add the sauce to the sauté pan and stir everything to heat
- through and cook.
- Add cilantro right at the end and serve!
Meal 3: Pulled Chicken Tacos
Who else does Taco Tuesday every week?! I switch it up occasionally, but usually we do shredded chicken tacos in the Instant Pot.
We use this recipe easy shredded chicken and then serve it with cilantro, cabbage tossed with lime, and guacamole and salsa. So easy and a favorite every week.
Meal 4: Falafel & Greek Salad
Owen actually loves falafel—he calls them green meatballs, haha! But, such an easy way to sneak in more veggies. He doesn’t love the Greek salad, so I usually make some broccoli, carrots or sweet potatoes for him.
We use this recipe from the Minimalist Baker. It does take a little time, but it is so worth it as they are DELICIOUS! I serve it with Cava’s spicy hummus, which Owen also loves.
For the greek salad, I just chop up cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, fresh dill and add pepperoncini and then a squeeze of lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper! You can totally add feta, but we typically don’t eat much dairy so I skip it.
Meal 5: Salmon in Tomato Broth with Broccoli
We haven’t had this recipe in forever, but it’s one of our favorites and easy to make. In fact, I found it years ago in a Cooking Light magazine. I also make some steamed broccoli with lemon as a side for some extra veggies!
Whether you make all of these, or just a few, I hope this gives you some new ideas for dinner this week!
BTW, my gut-healing smoothie recipe, and the best essential oils for immune support.
