A Week of Healthy Meals: April 30-May 4
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Monday: Tempeh Gyros with Tzatziki
Tempeh's toothsome texture and boundless flavor and adaptability make it an excellent stand-in for lamb meat. Braising the tempeh removes its bitter edge and infuses it with deep umami flavor. Silken tofu blends into a velvety-smooth consistency, lending body and creaminess to tzatziki sauce. Our veggie-centric version packs in 22g plant protein and saves 300mg sodium over the traditional meaty street-cart meal.
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Tuesday: Zucchini-Pesto-Sausage Pizza
You can make these vegetable-forward pizzas even more colorful by mixing in yellow squash or yellow bell pepper for half the zucchini. Lose the crushed red pepper if your kids don't like the heat.
Ready-to-use pre-baked crusts are the secret to getting this pizza to the table quickly. Cut the zucchini and mozzarella as thin as possible to guarantee tender zucchini and expertly melted cheese in under 10 minutes. If you like to make your own pizza crust and have one on hand, prebake your crust for about 8 minutes before flipping it over and adding the toppings.
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Wednesday: Grilled Red Curry Chicken and Bell Peppers
We use a combination of peppers for different flavor notes—mini bell peppers for sweetness and Fresnos for moderate spice. Fresnos look like red jalapeños but are less spicy; use the latter if you want more heat. Set aside some uncooked bell peppers from tonight's meal for tomorrow's stir fry.
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Thursday: Orange, Tofu, and Bell Pepper Stir-Fry
Fresh orange juice perks up this speedy stir-fry, becoming a sticky, glossy sauce for the colorful vegetables. A quick coat in cornstarch helps the tofu develop a supercrisp crust without needing to fry in lots of oil. It's a good idea to have every element at the ready by the stove before you start to cook, as the stir-fry will come together very quickly. You can use bell peppers or any vegetable you have on hand, such as broccoli florets, thinly sliced carrots, or sliced snap peas.
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Friday: Leftover Protein with Charred Orange-Chile Broccoli
Cook and chop up leftover protein from this week—chicken, tofu, steak, or tempeh would all be delicious—and then toss with this broccoli for a delicious main. Broccoli stems deliver a hefty helping of fiber; shave them with a vegetable peeler to keep them tender. Trade out the chile-garlic sauce for Sriracha or a sprinkle of crushed red pepper for more heat.
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Treat Yourself: Almond Butter Chocolate Truffles
You'll never crave a store-brand peanut butter and chocolate candy again with these homemade truffles. Made with almond butter and melted dark chocolate, you can add any toppings you like such as coconut, chopped nuts, cocoa powder, or dried fruit. Make a bunch of these to save in your fridge as a quick, sweet snack that won't make you crash later thanks to 8g of protein, 5.1g fiber, and little added sugar thanks to unsalted almonds, almond butter, and dark chocolate cacao.