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Our column, ThePrep, has everything you’ll need to make dinner planning and grocery shopping as easy as can be. Nutritional needs differ from one individual to another, and we invite you to use these dinner plans as inspiration and adjust them as you see fit. Sign up to get a dinner plan delivered to your inbox every Saturday!
When I plan out my meals for the week, I always make sure I get enough protein because I know it supports muscle and bone health, but I don’t always pay attention to fiber. But fiber has a ton of great benefits too. It helps keep you regular, it helps you feel full after meals (which supports healthy weight maintenance), it can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease and so much more. With all those health benefits, fiber is an important part of any eating pattern. And it’s so easy to incorporate this powerhouse nutrient into your meals (something I need to remember when meal planning!). This week’s recipes are all packed with at least 6 grams of fiber (20% of the Daily Value), and they’re all on the table in 30 minutes or less.
Your Weekly Plan
Sunday: Greek Salad with Edamame
Monday: Zucchini-Chickpea Veggie Burgers with Tahini-Ranch Sauce
Tuesday: Fish Tacos with Jalapeño Slaw
Wednesday: Chicken Hummus Bowls
Thursday: Marry Me Chickpeas
Friday: Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Italian Turkey Sausage, Arugula & Tomato Sauce
Sunday: Greek Salad with Edamame
On Sunday night, I’ll toss together a crisp and crunchy salad. Romaine, tomatoes and cucumbers form the base of the salad, and some shelled edamame adds both fiber and protein to ensure that it’s filling and satisfying. To finish it off, I’ll crumble some pita chips on top—a fun alternative to croutons.
Monday: Zucchini-Chickpea Veggie Burgers with Tahini-Ranch Sauce
With a base of chickpeas and oats, these veggie burgers are full of fiber. And they’re also really tasty. Shredded zucchini lightens them up, while a handful of spices and some miso and tahini ensure that they’re plenty flavorful. Serve them on whole-grain hamburger buns alongside our Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad to celebrate summertime.
Tuesday: Fish Tacos with Jalapeño Slaw
Tuesdays always have me thinking about tacos. Anyone else? For a lighter, more summery spin on the forever favorite, I’ll grill some seasoned fish and pile it into whole-wheat tortillas with a citrusy jalapeño slaw. If you buy prepared coleslaw mix, the work of shredding the cabbage and carrots is already done, and the slaw comes together in minutes. Canned black beans are an easy fiber-packed addition to serve on the side (or right on top of the tacos).
Wednesday: Chicken Hummus Bowls
These delightful bowls have a lot going for them: high-fiber, high-protein and anti-inflammatory. They also showcase summer produce and come together so quickly. To make them, you’ll season the chicken, pop it under the broiler for a few minutes and dress it. Then you just have to assemble the bowls with a swoosh of hummus, the chopped veggies and the cooked chicken and scoop it all up with warm whole-wheat pita.
Thursday: Marry Me Chickpeas
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle, Food Stylist: Renu Dhar
By now you’ve probably heard of the viral Marry Me Chicken. Here, we keep the flavor profile but trade the chicken for fiber-packed chickpeas. The sun-dried tomato cream sauce is ultra-comforting, so you’ll want some whole-wheat baguette to swipe it up. And while I don’t know if you’ll get any proposals after making this dinner, I do know you’ll be sharing the love (and some heart-healthy fiber) by serving it.
Friday: Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Italian Turkey Sausage, Arugula & Tomato Sauce
This is my kind of summer dinner: a light pasta dish, chock-full of bright and colorful tomatoes. And I’m always a fan of sausage with my pasta. It comes together in one pot—no need to boil the pasta separately. This allows it to cook right in the flavorful mix of sausage, tomatoes, white wine and chicken stock and absorb all the flavors. Handfuls of arugula add freshness and more color, as well as some extra fiber. A bagged Caesar salad is the perfect starter or side here.
I wish you all a great week, and I hope you enjoy this dinner plan. If you try a recipe, remember to add a review.
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