Free 7 Day Healthy Meal Plan (April 8-14)

As April continues to give many of us “showers” (including snow and crazy weather!), fresh spring vegetables still keep coming! Carrots, leeks and rhubarb are starting to show up! Some of my friends in other parts of the country are already seeing them in farmer’s markets! These Layered Potato Cups with Spring Herbs and Leeks are a great side to welcome in spring! With grocery prices soaring, many of us are having to adjust, scale back and/or get more creative with our meals. One of the absolute BEST ways to stay within a budget and maintain healthy eating habits is to MEAL PLAN. You can get more 5-day Budget Friendly Meal Plans by signing up for Relish+ (get a 14-day free trial here!

Buy the Skinnytaste meal planner here:

About The Meal Plan

If you’re new to my meal plans, I’ve been sharing these free, 7-day flexible healthy meal plans (you can see my previous meal plans here) that are meant as a guide, with plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food, coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc. or swap recipes out for meals you prefer, you can search for recipes by course in the index. Depending on your goals, you should aim for at least 1500 calories* per day. There’s no one size fits all, this will range by your goals, your age, weight, etc. Get the Skinnytaste Ultimate Meal Planner! The 52 week spiral bound meal planner has weekly meal planning grids you can tear out and put on your fridge if you wish, a 12-week meal plan, 30 (15 new) recipes, and tear-out grocery lists. I love starting my week with gratitude, affirmations and intentions, so I included a space for that as well. I hope you will love this as much as I do! There’s also a precise, organized grocery list that will make grocery shopping so much easier and much less stressful. Save you money and time. You’ll dine out less often, waste less food and you’ll have everything you need on hand to help keep you on track. Lastly, if you’re on Facebook join my Skinnytaste Facebook Community where everyone’s sharing photos of recipes they are making, you can join here. I’m loving all the ideas everyone’s sharing! If you wish to get on the email list, you can subscribe here so you never miss a meal plan!

Meal Plan:

Breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, are designed to serve 1 while dinners and all meals on Saturday and Sunday are designed to serve a family of 4. Some recipes make enough leftovers for two nights or lunch the next day. The grocery list is comprehensive and includes everything you need to make all meals on the plan. MONDAY (4/8)B: Savory Cottage Cheese BowlL: Chicken Club Lettuce Wrap Sandwich and ¼ cup raw almondsD: Risotto Primavera with Arugula Salad* Total Calories: 1,054** TUESDAY (4/9)B: High Protein Scrambled Egg with Cottage Cheese (½ recipe) with 1 slice whole grain toast and 1 cup mixed berriesL: LEFTOVER Risotto Primavera with Arugula SaladD: Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken with Black Beans and Corn with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice Total Calories: 1,214** WEDNESDAY (4/10)B: High Protein Scrambled Egg with Cottage Cheese (½ recipe) with 1 slice whole grain toast and 1 cup mixed berriesL: LEFTOVER Risotto Primavera with Arugula SaladD: Baked Pasta with Sausage and Spinach Total Calories: 1,137** THURSDAY (4/11)B: Cinnamon-Raisin Overnight OatsL: LEFTOVER Baked Pasta with Sausage and SpinachD: Beef Negimaki Stir Fry with ¾ cup brown rice Total Calories: 1,191** FRIDAY (4/12)B: Cinnamon-Raisin Overnight OatsL: LEFTOVER Baked Pasta with Sausage and SpinachD: Broiled Tilapia Oreganata and Lemon Asparagus Couscous Salad with Tomatoes Total Calories: 1,165** SATURDAY (4/13)B: Protein PB & J Smoothie Bowl (recipe x 4)L: Margherita Pizza # with 8 baby carrotsD: DINNER OUT Total Calories: 532** SUNDAY (4/14)B: Bacon Egg and Avocado Breakfast SandwichL: Open-Faced Tuna Melt (recipe x 2) with an appleD: One Pot Chicken and Orzo and Massaged Raw Kale SaladTotal Calories: 1,200** *Set aside 2 servings of salad (with dressing on the side) for lunch Tues/Wed.**This is just a guide, women should aim for around 1500 calories per day. Here’s a helpful calculator to estimate your calorie needs. I’ve left plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food such as coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc. #Double dough recipe for bagels Sunday. *Google doc Produce

4 medium apples 1 (12-ounce) container strawberries 1 (6-ounce) container berries (your choice) 2 medium PLUS 1 large lemons 2 medium limes 2 small bananas 1 small (5-ounce) Hass avocado 1 medium red bell pepper 1 Persian (mini) cucumber (can sub 1 small English, if desired) 1 medium zucchini 1 pound thin asparagus ½ pound French green beans 1 medium head cauliflower 1 small bunch celery 1 large bag baby carrots 1 large head garlic 2 medium bunches scallions 5 ounces watercress 1 medium bunch Lacinato or Dinosaur kale 1 medium head iceberg lettuce 1 (5-ounce) bag/clamshell baby arugula 1 medium bunch/container fresh basil 1 small bunch fresh cilantro 1 small bunch fresh Italian parsley (can sub 2 tablespoons of another fresh herb in Couscous Salad, if desired) 1 (1-pound) container grape or cherry tomatoes 2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes 1 medium heirloom tomato 1 medium red onion 2 medium yellow onions

Meat, Poultry and Fish

3 ounces sliced organic deli chicken or turkey breast 1 package center-cut bacon 1 pound sweet Italian chicken sausage 1 pound flank steak 1 pound (2) boneless, skinless chicken breasts 4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs 1 ½ pounds (4) tilapia fillets

Condiments and Spices

Extra virgin olive oil Avocado oil Cooking spray Olive oil spray (or get a Misto oil mister) Kosher salt (I like Diamond Crystal) Pepper grinder (or fresh peppercorns) Regular or light mayonnaise Adobo seasoning Cumin Garlic powder Cinnamon Tamari or coconut aminos Rice vinegar Honey or pure maple syrup Oregano Crushed red pepper flakes Red wine vinegar Optional bagel toppings: everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic flakes, dried onion flakes

Dairy & Misc. Refrigerated Items

1 dozen large eggs 1 (16-ounce) container low fat cottage cheese (I like Good Culture) 1 (15-ounce) container fat free ricotta cheese 1 (32-ounce) container nonfat plain Greek yogurt (Fage or Stonyfield) 1 (4-ounce) chunk fresh mozzarella cheese 1 (8-ounce) bag shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 1 (8-ounce) bag shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese (I like Sargento) 1 (8-ounce) package sliced reduced fat cheddar or American cheese 1 medium wedge fresh Parmesan cheese 1 medium wedge fresh Pecorino Romano cheese 1 quart unsweetened almond, oat or milk of your choice 1 small box unsalted butter

Grains*

1 package dry Arborio rice 1 package dry brown rice (or 3 cups cooked) 1 package whole wheat (or white) pearl couscous 1 package orzo pasta 1 package rigatoni pasta 1 small container quick oats 1 package whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs 1 small package unbleached all-purpose flour 1 small package sliced whole grain bread

Canned and Jarred

3 (32-ounce) cartons chicken broth 1 (15-ounce) reduced sodium black beans 2 (4.5-ounce) cans tuna in water 1 small jar chunky mild salsa 1 small can whole San Marzano tomatoes 1 (8-ounce) can tomato paste 1 small jar peanut butter 1 large jar marinara sauce (or ingredients to make your own)

Frozen

1 (10-ounce) package chopped spinach 1 small package peas 1 small package corn kernels 1 large package blueberries 1 large package strawberries

Misc. Dry Goods

Baking powder 1 small bottle white wine 1 small package ground flax seeds 1 small package chia seeds (if buying from bulk bin, you need 2 tablespoons) 1 small package raisins (if buying from bulk bin, you need 2 tablespoons) 1 small package shelled pistachios (if buying from bulk bin, you need 1 tablespoon) 1 small package raw almonds (if buying from bulk bin, you need ¼ cup) 1 small package walnuts (if buying from bulk bin, you need 2 tablespoons) 1 small package vanilla protein powder Monk fruit sweetener, stevia or your favorite sweetener (can sub honey or maple syrup in Overnight Oats, if desired)

Non-Food Items

Parchment paper

*You can buy gluten free, if desired

Free 7 Day Healthy Meal Plan  April 8 14  - 81Free 7 Day Healthy Meal Plan  April 8 14  - 55Free 7 Day Healthy Meal Plan  April 8 14  - 47Free 7 Day Healthy Meal Plan  April 8 14  - 96Free 7 Day Healthy Meal Plan  April 8 14  - 20