Sunday Strategist: A Week of Healthy Menus — October 21-25

Another week’s worth of fast, healthy, and tasty menus. It’s not a dislike of cooking that deters so many of us from the kitchen each night; it’s actually deciding what to cook from the millions of options bombarding us from so many different places. Here, we've done the planning for you. Not just menus, but healthy menus that are fast – on the table in less than 45 minutes.

The PlanMonday: Creamy Mushroom Fettuccine with Roasted Green BeansTuesday: Black Bean Tacos with Feta Slaw with Easy Guacamole and fresh veggiesWednesday: Salmon with Polenta and Warm Tomato VinaigretteThursday: Pita Pizzas with Kale Pesto, Tomatoes, and Bacon with Arugula and Mushroom SaladFriday: Cowboy Flank Steak with Sweet and Smoky Beans with Garlic-Roasted BroccoliDessert Bonus: Easy Individual Apple Crisps with Oatmeal Crumble

Our November issue is on newsstands now, so we’re giving you a peek into all of the new, tasty recipes you’ll find. It's heavy on holiday favorites, and the good news is they're fast. So fast, in fact, you can use many of them throughout the week. Of course, the actual holidays are a fine time, too.

Monday: Meatless Monday is one of my most favorite days of the week. Actually, most of my days are meatless. I'm not a vegetarian, per se. It just turns out, I don't really eat meat much Monday through Friday. On the weekends, I have more time to marinate and fuss. Weekdays, not so much. That's why our super-fast Creamy Mushroom Fettuccine is one of my new favorites from the November issue. It's fast food--ready in just 20 minutes--but it is rich like it's been lovingly prepared for hours. A creamy alfredo is also one of my most favorite dishes, too, but the calories can really add up with all the cheese and cream. A serving of this noodle dish is just 323 calories, which saves room for a side of Roasted Green Beans. Prep the beans and pop them in the oven while you cook the dish. The beans will be finished and cooling just in time for the pasta to be done.

Tuesday: Taco Tuesday is mostly meatless with our Black Bean Tacos with Feta Slaw (it does have bacon). But you'll feel plenty satisfied thanks to the hearty black beans. Now don't discount canned beans. They can be seriously good. And as you'll see with this dish, they're the key to making a flavorful taco fast. Round out your plate with our Easy Guacamole and some cut veggies for dipping: Carrots, radishes, even cucumbers would be snappy and refreshing. Traditional tortilla chips are okay, too, but the more veggies the better.

Wednesday: You can have restaurant gourmet in the comfort of your own home with our Salmon with Polenta and Warm Tomato Vinaigrette. The salmon stands up nicely with all the other flavors, but if you're not a salmon fan, don't fret. This dish would be just as good with any fish you prefer. Toss together a little green side salad if you want. Simple reigns supreme here. It's delicious, it's rich, and it's done in less than 45 minutes.

Thursday: Our 12 Healthy Habits challenge for November is "Be Portion Aware." It's a tough challenge to tackle as the holidays near, but we've created a recipe that helps me topple one of my worst portion pitfalls: pizza. Slices are too tempting, but individuals pizzas are perfect for one. Our Pita Pizzas with Kale Pesto, Tomatoes, and Bacon use kale, basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and garlic for a simple pesto. Smear it on a whole-wheat pita, and then top it with bacon, tomato slices, and fresh mozzarella for a pizza that's ready in 45 minutes. Serve with Arugula and Mushroom Salad. You may find yourself coming back to this pita pizza idea a lot.

Friday: This is a meal so fun it almost deserves its own theme night. Saddle up, friends! Our Cowboy Flank Steak with Sweet and Smoky Beans feels like a fire-side favorite. Spicy, smoky, and sweet, you'll swear you just returned from a ride on the range. Round out the plate with Garlic-Roasted Broccoli because every cowboy and cowgirl needs her veggies. Okay, fine, you can wear your everyday clothes. But a nice red bandana isn't too much to ask for, right?

Dessert Bonus: Summer has its sweet berries, sure, but fall has the best fruit of all: Apples. Our Easy Individual Apple Crisps with Oatmeal Crumble take full advantage of the autumn's signature sweet. Any way you take it, caramel-dipped, poached, or sauced, apples are a hit with any member of the family. Here, we slice them up for a quick bake in the oven. They're ready in 20 minutes, so don't be surprised if you find yourself coming back time and time again to this recipe.

View this week’s menu, which includes every recipe you see mentioned here. From there, you can add all the ingredients to your shopping list in one click when you sign into your MyRecipes account.