Week of Healthy Meal Prep: April 22-26

This gluten-free take on a taco salad uses seared flank steak in place of ground beef. Instead of a fried tortilla shell, crisp romaine lettuce forms the sturdy base for each salad with crunchy tortilla chips crumbled on top. Keep the tortilla chips whole for scooping, or lightly crush them and sprinkle on top. 

Thin pieces of spaghetti are traditional in Armenian-style pilaf. If you can't find basmati rice, any long-grain white rice will work. Keep an eye on the butter mixture as it browns—it can burn quickly.

Precooked lentils are a convenience item we love, saving nearly 30 minutes of simmering. Look for plain, steamed lentils (such as Melissa's), in the grain aisle. The food processor not only combines the patty ingredients; it coarsely chops the lentils so the finished cakes will hold their shape in the pan. While we love fat-free and reduced-fat Greek yogurt, go ahead and use full-fat here for a richer mouth feel and less tang in the sauce.

Beyond pasta, spoon this veggie-packed sauce over breaded and baked eggplant slices or roasted spaghetti squash halves.

A crisp, colorful main-dish salad is just the kind of simple, vibrant, hot-weather food we love. You can sub steak or chicken for salmon.

Brighten up your spring brunch with this citrusy cocktail. Leafy carrot tops lend an herby backbone similar to parsley, and blood oranges infuse a berrylike sweetness. Plus, this drink boasts half your daily vitamin A and more than a third of your daily vitamin C goal.