Healthy and Nutritious Meal Plan-February
Planning nutritious and seasonal dinners for the week can be both enjoyable and beneficial for families. Focusing on ingredients that are in season ensures freshness, better taste, and often more affordable options. For the Pacific Northwest in early February, seasonal produce includes root vegetables like carrots and parsnips, hearty greens such as kale and chard, and citrus fruits. Here is a meal plan for Monday through Friday that incorporates these seasonal ingredients:
Monday: Roasted Root Vegetable and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients:
Carrots
Parsnips
Beets
Red onions
Quinoa
Fresh herbs (e.g., parsley)
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Peel and chop the root vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
- Toss the vegetables and red onions with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Spread them on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes until tender.
- Meanwhile, cook quinoa according to package instructions.
- In a large bowl, combine roasted vegetables, cooked quinoa, and chopped fresh herbs.
- Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, then toss to combine.
Tuesday: Lemon Garlic Baked Salmon with SautΓ©ed Kale
Ingredients:
Salmon fillets
Lemons
Garlic cloves
Fresh dill or parsley
Kale
Olive oil
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375ΓΒ°F (190ΓΒ°C).
- Place salmon fillets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle minced garlic, and place lemon slices on top.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the salmon is cooked through.
- While the salmon is baking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add chopped kale and sautΓ© until wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Serve the salmon alongside the sautΓ© kale, garnished with fresh dill or parsley.
Wednesday: Lentil and Vegetable Stew
Ingredients:
Green or brown lentils
Carrots
Celery
Leeks
Garlic cloves
Canned diced tomatoes
Vegetable broth
Bay leaves
Thyme
Instructions:
- Rinse lentils under cold water and set aside.
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add chopped leeks, carrots, and celery; cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and cook for another minute.
- Stir in lentils, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaves, and thyme.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes until lentils are tender.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Thursday: Stuffed Bell Peppers with Ground Turkey and Brown Rice
Ingredients:
Bell peppers
Ground turkey
Brown rice
Onion
Garlic cloves
Canned diced tomatoes
Italian seasoning
Cheddar cheese (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375Β°F.
- Cook brown rice according to package instructions.
- Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove seeds.
- In a skillet, sautΓ© chopped onion and minced garlic until translucent.
- Add ground turkey and cook until browned.
- Stir in cooked rice, diced tomatoes, and Italian seasoning; simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stuff the bell peppers with the turkey mixture and place them in a baking dish.
- If desired, sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes; remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Friday: Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Chard and Lemon
Ingredients:
Whole wheat spaghetti
Swiss chard
Onion
Garlic cloves
Red pepper flakes
Lemon zest and juice
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions:
- Cook whole wheat spaghetti according to package directions.
- Chop onion and garlic and add to skillet with olive oil.
- Chop Swiss chard and to skillet and lightly cook.
- Add cooked pasta to the skillet along with the lemon, red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese on top!
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