Week of Healthy Meal Prep: May 13-17

If you're trying to go from a refined-carb spaghetti dinner to a balanced-carb version, try whole-grain pasta instead of whole-wheat pasta. It's an easier sell to your family, tasting milder than the latter.

Skip takeout (plus loads of sodium and extra calories) and make this healthier, Indian-inspired chicken-and-broccoli stir-fry instead. Coating the chicken with spices before cooking seasons the meat and toasts the spices at the same time. Cook or reheat the brown rice before you start making the stir-fry, and be sure to have all the ingredients prepped and ready near the stove—once you start cooking, the whole meal is ready fast. Serve topped with a dollop of plain yogurt and mango chutney.

Cooked greens and crispy potatoes are great as a base for a skillet hash, but why not try something new? Pile into lightly charred corn tortillas, and top with vibrant toppings like fresh cilantro and radishes to turn a one-note leftover into a tasty, satisfying main. Our trick for crispy potatoes without the added fat: spread on paper towels after boiling and draining to remove any extra moisture, and then stir occasionally as they sauté for even browning on all sides. If you’re starting without a batch of collard greens, wilt or sauté any hearty green like kale or chard.

Forget takeout and cook in with super-fast Honey Cashew Chicken With Rice. A flavorful and sweet sauce is tossed with the chicken mixture with a splash of Sriracha added for depth.

The supreme pizza take a virtuous U-turn here as a hearty, veggie-loaded pizza. By skipping the sodium-laden meats, we pack one full serving of vegetables into each square, thereby doubling the fiber of most pizza chain offerings. Still every bit as satisfying as its meaty counterparts, our pie will delight even the most devout of carnivores. The dough develops a focaccia-like texture from a 24-hour resting period in the refrigerator, and our version saves 5g saturated fat and 300 mg sodium over popular pizza chain supreme pizzas.