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Sunday Strategist: A Week of Healthy Dinners — March 27-31

March 24, 2017
Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez
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. 
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Monday: Greek Spaghetti Squash Toss

Photo: Colin Price
View Recipe: Greek Spaghetti Squash Toss

Bounce back from a weekend of rich food with this vegetable-heavy dinner. Spaghetti squash is a great lower-calorie, lower-carb alternative to pasta. It’s a neutral tasting veggie that absorbs all the flavors of this simple skillet, so be sure to toss well to coat every strand. The end result is a veggie-based meal in a bowl that you can quickly throw together—a nice alternative to salads when you want to fill up on vegetables.

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Tuesday: Sheet Pan Chipotle Tofu Tacos

View Recipe: Sheet Pan Chipotle Tofu Tacos

Enjoy Taco Tuesday while also keeping your weeknight dinner fast, easy, and mess-free. All you need is a sheet pan, food processor, and bowl for this plant-based recipe. Richly spiced chipotle tofu gets delectably chewy while brightly colored veggies sear for a flavorful taco filling that is sure to be a new member of your weekly recipe rotation.

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Wednesday: Chicken Potpie Tartines

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken Potpie Tartines

A creamy chicken and vegetable mixture tops toast for a quick twist on potpie. Matchstick-cut carrots, frozen peas, and rotisserie chicken save time, as does a wide skillet for sautéing the vegetables and building the sauce. For ideas to use the leftover peas in the package, see our recipes for Cooking with Peas.

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Thursday: Vegetable Soup au Pistou

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez
View Recipe: Vegetable Soup au Pistou

A traditional French pistou is a nut-free pesto, but the spinach pesto (or any refrigerated brand) is delicious here. To save time, look for pre-chopped onion, celery, and carrot in the produce section. You could also use any vegetables or herbs you have on hand for this springtime recipe. 

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Friday: Sausage and Spinach Spaghetti Pie

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Sausage and Spinach Spaghetti Pie

Celebrate the end of the work week with what is sure to be your family's new favorite casserole recipe. This budget-friendly dish (costing under $10) is filling, and loaded with flavor--the perfect weeknight meal. 

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Bonus: Brownie Energy Bites

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez
View Recipe: Brownie Energy Bites

These two-bite treats taste rich and indulgent, with absolutely no added sugar. Each also contains 3g fiber and 3g protein. We find one to be satisfying, but don't feel bad about eating two—that's only 222 calories. Store chilled in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

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