Cook once, eat well all week! For a healthy meal prep strategy, it’s all about remixing and refreshing. Here’s a superfood menu, featuring wild salmon, fluffy quinoa, and lots of awesome veggies. Prep all of the ingredients on Sunday, then spin them into five easy and delicious dinners this week.
Each recipe makes 2 servings, but you can easily double up if you’ve got more mouths to feed. This plan covers Sunday through Thursday, and leaves the weekend open for leftovers. There’s a shopping list for what to buy, with a few pantry staples at the bottom—check to make sure you have those on hand.
SHOPPING LIST
4 sweet potatoes
1 bunch kale
½ lb (250 g) green beans
1 head broccoli
1 avocado
1 pint cherry tomatoes
4 oz (125 g) mixed greens
1 bunch green onions
1.5 lb (750 g) wild salmon fillet
4 large eggs
Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat
Salsa fresca
Quinoa
1 can (15 oz/470 g) black beans, no salt added
Teriyaki sauce, reduced sodium
Frozen corn
PANTRY STAPLES
Salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Sesame oil
Sesame seeds
MEAL PREP
Sear the salmon: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Season the salmon with salt and freshly ground pepper. In a large ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Add the salmon, flesh side down, and sear until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the salmon, transfer the pan to the oven, and cook until the salmon is nearly firm to the touch and flakes easily when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes longer, depending on the thickness of the fillet.
Hard-boil the eggs: Put 2 large eggs in a saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by a couple of inches. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes. Drain the eggs and rinse under cold water.
Cook a pot of quinoa: In a pot, combine 2 cups (12 oz/375 g) quinoa and 3 cups (24 fl oz/750 ml) water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes or according to package directions.
Roast the sweet potatoes: Chop the sweet potatoes into bite-size pieces. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast until tender and golden, about 30 minutes.
Prep the green veggies: Remove and discard the tough stems and tear the kale leaves into bite-size pieces. Trim the ends from the green beans. Cut the broccoli into florets.
Transfer all of the prepped ingredients to storage containers, organizing by weeknight, if you like. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
RECIPES
Sunday: Seared Salmon with Roasted Sweet Potato & Kale
On Sunday, enjoy seared salmon and roasted sweet potatoes while still warm. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Add half of the torn kale leaves, season lightly with salt, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Take one third of the salmon and half of the roasted sweet potatoes and rewarm in the oven or microwave, if necessary. Place the salmon, sweet potatoes, and kale on plates and serve warm, with ½ avocado, sliced, if you like.
421 calories, 30 g protein, 19 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 35 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 6 g total sugars, 0 g added sugars, 229 mg sodium
Tuesday: Superfood Niçoise with Cherry Tomatoes & Green Beans
Take one third of the salmon and flake with a fork. Peel and halve the 2 hardboiled eggs. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Steam the green beans in a saucepan or the microwave and let cool. Divide the mixed greens between two bowls or plates. Arrange the salmon, eggs, cherry tomatoes, and green beans on top. Drizzle each with 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and serve.
425 calories, 35 g protein, 25 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 16 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 7 g total sugars, 0 g added sugars, 233 mg sodium
Wednesday: Quinoa Burrito Bowls with Black Beans & Corn
Drain and rinse the black beans, reserving half for later in the week. Defrost 1 cup (6 oz/185 g) yellow corn. Divide 2 cups (12 oz/375 g) cooked quinoa between two bowls, and top with the beans and corn. Warm in the microwave. Top each with 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon salsa fresca, and ¼ sliced avocado. Sprinkle with sliced green onions and serve warm.
461 calories, 19 g protein, 10 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 79 g carbs, 17 g fiber, 6 g total sugars, 0 g added sugars, 236 mg sodium
Thursday: Teriyaki Salmon with Quinoa & Steamed Broccoli
In a saucepan fitted with a steamer rack, steam the broccoli florets, 2 to 3 minutes. Warm the remaining salmon and 2 cups (12 oz/375 g) cooked quinoa in the oven or microwave. Place the salmon, quinoa, and broccoli on plates. Drizzle each with 1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce and ½ teaspoon sesame oil. Sprinkle with sliced green onions and sesame seeds and serve warm.
472 calories, 37 g protein, 14 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 50 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 6 g total sugars, 2 g added sugars, 458 mg sodium
Friday: Black Bean & Sweet Potato Hash with Fried Eggs
In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Add the remaining kale leaves, season lightly with salt, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining sweet potatoes and black beans. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon cumin and ½ teaspoon ground chili and stir to warm through. Transfer to plates, sprinkle with sliced green onions, and keep warm. Return the pan to the heat and add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Crack 2 large eggs into the pan and cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 3 minutes. Slide the eggs on top of the hash and serve warm.
398 calories, 18 g protein, 15 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 51 g carbs, 13 g fiber, 6 g total sugars, 0 g added sugars, 217 mg sodium
Looking for for more meal prepping tips? Here’s how to do it the healthy way.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine.
Perfect recipes! You are such an inspiration! Thank you!
Looks very tasty and will not have you in the kitchen for hours. I will be tryng these next week.
Thank you.
Is there a printer friendly version of the meal plan, recipes and shopping list? Thanks
I am eating by your plan this week, and I have to say that every recipe is DELICIOUS! The grocery list was perfect. I seared my salmon in a cast iron and it was wonderful. Please make more lists like this!
Please do more of these! This meal prep made eating well so much easier.
i wish you had a printable version 🙁
The recipes look doable and tasty. Thanks
nks