Sunday Strategist: A Week of Healthy Menus — August 8-12
Every Sunday, we publish a week of Cooking Light dinner plans filled with our favorite recipes—both from current issues and classics. Each meal is designed to be ready and on the table in about an hour so that you have more time to enjoy the food you’ve prepared and the company of those you’ve prepared it for.
If you like having a healthy meal plan but want something customized to your dietary or caloric needs, check out The Cooking Light Diet. It’s a calorie-driven weekly meal plan—breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner—based on your dieting goals and food preferences.
Struggling to cook healthy? We'll help you prep.
The PlanMonday: Smoky Farro and Chickpea SoupTuesday: Quick Chicken Fajitas with Simmered Pinto Beans with Chipotle Sour CreamWednesday: Pork Sliders with Smashed Avocado and Zucchini Oven ChipsThursday: Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Tomato-Basil Salad with Lemon-Orange OrzoFriday: Grilled Salmon with White Bean and Arugula Salad with Herbed Goat Cheese Garlic ToastsDessert bonus: Blueberry Pie Sundaes
Monday: Start off the week with one of our favorite fast meatless mains, Smoky Farro and Chickpea Soup. Chard, tomatoes, kale, and chickpeas form the base; a generous dose of smoky paprika brings the whole dish together. Leftovers are fantastic for lunch (especially as office temperatures can be on the chilly side in summer).
Smoky Farro and Chickpea SoupTuesday: Eight ingredients and under 30 minutes of cooking make these Quick Chicken Fajitas a chicken dinner winner. You could go all out with toppings, but we find a creamy avocado mash and a squeeze of lime are all you need. Keep the Mexican theme going with Simmered Pinto Beans with Chipotle Sour Cream for a side.
Simmered Pinto Beans with Chipotle Sour CreamWednesday: Fast, fun Pork Sliders with Smashed Avocado are ready in just 20 minutes, and couldn't be easier. While the crispy, cheesy Zucchini Oven Chips bake, you can grill the pork patties and assemble the sliders. The pork mixture would also be delicious as meatballs in a simple tomato sauce.
Zucchini Oven ChipsThursday: This gorgeous five-ingredient Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Tomato-Basil Salad features beefy, robust heirloom tomatoes and basil, two ingredients we can't get enough of this month. Prosciutto-wrapped chicken thighs mimic a classic saltimbocca. Shallots are not an afterthought—they are grated to a pulp for a fantastic marinade. Round out the meal with quick and easy Lemon-Orange Orzo.
Lemon-Orange OrzoFriday: Super fast and super simple, this Grilled Salmon with White Bean and Arugula Salad is the perfect way to round out the week, and elegant enough for date night if you're cooking for two. If you don't have a grill pan, sauté the salmon in a medium skillet coated with cooking spray. Serve with Herbed Goat Cheese Garlic Toasts.
Herbed Goat Cheese Garlic ToastsDessert bonus: Fresh blueberries are (thankfully) still abundant. We cook them down for a couple minutes until jammy in these Blueberry Pie Sundaes, then stir in fresh berries so they still pop on the tongue. Spoon the blueberry mixture over frozen yogurt and top with crushed shortbread cookies for an effortless dessert that's (almost) too gorgeous to eat.
Blueberry Pie SundaesAre your ready to start your week off light? Sign up for our newsletter and get a fresh ideas to supercharge your healthy eating and cooking routine. We’ll deliver Sunday Strategist, plus new recipes and delicious dinner inspiration to your inbox every weekend.
