Are you looking for a Healthy Meal Plan for the Week? One that easily makes lunches for the next day so you are able to stay on track (and budget) with your healthy lifestyle effortlessly? Well, you found the right Healthy Food Blog!
Our family of 4 has been eating Clean Keto / Paleo lifestyle for over 7 years! That’s right NO SUGAR, NO Gluten, No Dairy, and limited clean(er) processed foods. Making this transition can be a bit overwhelming if you are doing it alone.
But your not! You have me now.
Hey friend I am K’Lee mom of 3 boys, business owner, blogger, and passionate about food! This clean organic wholefoods passion started where I find many people in this lifestyle started – with looking for healing.
If you want to hear my story all about how I healed my autoimmune system when the doctors said it would not be done – check out this post next!
In a nutshell, early on in my journey of self-healing, I heard a functional medicine doctor say, “Food is medicine or it is poison, it is either healing and nourishing your or it is killing you…. there is really no grey area”.
Man. Chew on that for a moment.
If you live in America, or most other first-world countries who have unfortunately adopted America’s ways, odds are pretty high that you are or were eating the SAD diet (Standard American Diet).
Crazy that is the actual acronym right?
In this case, choosing healthy food is actually a mindset shift first. Think of all the activities in life that revolve around food, many of which are horrible food.
Hanging out with friends for a ______ ? Yes, a drink – but then drinking makes you hungry so you order some _______? Bar food (the worst both in quality and nutrition).
Then there is your dad’s birthday party – food and more food followed by cake. I think you see where this is headed.
I created this space, this blog to share my healing journey and also to share healthy meal ideas. After 7+ years of no sugar. No gluten. No dairy. Very minimal and selective processed foods (organic no seed oils etc) I had friends and family ask me all the time “can you just text me what you are having for dinner? I am exhausted after work and just need a plan.”
So without further a due let’s get to it. 7 Healthy dinner
Easy Healthy Dinner Ideas
Monday – Salmon Salad with Airfryer Asparagus and fruit.
This easy Salmon Salad tastes even better the next day for lunch when it has time to marinate all the flavors together. This is a play-off of tuna salad, tuna being really high in mercury I opt for the healthier wild-caught canned salmon.
There are no real measurements to share, like with most cooking add what you like and taste it…. that’s the beauty of cooking we can be creative and think outside the box.
Here is the version I make most.
For the Salmon Salad:
2-3 Cans of Wild Caught Salmon (you don’t want farm-raised)
Primal Kitchen Mayo (my go-to because it has no seed oils)
Finely Diced Celery & Pickles (pro-tip add some of the pickle juice to the mix too)
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder
Air-Fryer Asperugus – snap off the ends of a fresh asparagus coat in avocado oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and lay it in a single layer in the air-fryer. Cook at 375 for 8-10 minutes (shake 1/2 way through)
This meal comes together so fast it is the perfect easy healthy lunch too!
Tuesday – Taco Bowl with Cast Iron Potatoes
Who doesn’t love Taco Tuesday? This meal normally makes its weekly appearance at our house. Growing up in West Texas and being married to a Mexican / El Salvadorian it is easy to say Mexican food is a fan favorite for us.
For the Taco Bowl
Mixed Greens or Roman Lettuce (the base)
Taco Meat – Grassfed Grass-finished Beef
Taco Seasoning (to taste)
2 Cups Salsa (per pound of beef)
Seasonings: Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin
Top with Salsa, cilantro & jallipenos.
For the Cast Iron Potatoes
Peel the potatoes and cut them into small pieces. While you are preparing the potatoes get a large cast-iron skillet hot (like really HOT it will start smoking don’t worry that is totally normal – do not add oil yet). Once you have your little potato pieces pat them dry with a towel and add avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Now that the pan is really hot add your oil to coat the bottom of the pan generously.
I love using beef tallow or lard (save that bacon grease friend its free and the best flavor in frying), if you don’t have either on hand go with avocado oil.
Quick side notes: I only cook with cast iron and on occasion stainless steel. If you are using those nonstick pans I encourage you to do a quick google search on the toxic chemicals that are coming off into your food. Or just trust me and toss those bad boys in the garbage. I also linked to one of my favorite kitchen tools that I cannot believe is not a staple in every home yet. The splat guard. It is brilliant in keeping the mess contained and in not getting burned by little splatters every two seconds.
Your welcome lol. (Disclaimer these links are affiliate links to amazon. you will pay the same price as just buying it on amazon but by clicking the photos amazon pays me a small commission for sending you their way. Thank you for your support)
Wednesday – Asian Low Carb Cauliflower Fried Rice Bowls
This is another weekly favorite around our hose. It is my 13-year-old son’s favorite meal. He even requests it on birthdays. (That is saying something)
It is also one so easy I taught him to make it and he has it all the time for lunch now (perks of homeschool).
The Cauliflower fried rice is from Costco. It comes frozen so it is easy to use on those ‘need to get to the grocery’ days. And bonus this tastes even better, in my opinion, the next day as lunch leftovers.
For the Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Start by sauteeing 3 large garlic cloves in avacodo oil (or lard – my go to)
- 2-3 bags of Frozen Califlower fried rice bags (our family of 4 – two teen boys eats 3 but rarely does this leave enough for left overs)
- Sauces: Coconut Aminos, Fish sauce, Rice Vinager, and soy free (seed oil free) Stir Fry sauce
- Seasoning: Salt, Pepper, ginger, and garlic powder
- 2-3 eggs
This tip is KEY! Once your garlic is fragrant add more oil to coat the pan generously and add the bags of frozen cauliflower fried rice, smooth it flat then DO NOT STIR it for 4-6 minutes. I know this goes against the grain but it is key to getting the water out otherwise you will have very soupy fried rice. now after your first 4-6 minutes when it is time to stir add your sauces and seasonings (to taste) then give it a good stir and leave it again another 5-10 minutes (no stirring).
The rice should be done and you are ready to add your eggs. Make a pocket in the middle of your rice and add 2-3 scrambled eggs (depending on the amount of rice you used). Again, don’t stir the eggs for 2-3 minutes, you will be able to tell by looking at them they are ready to turn.
Mix it all together and bam. The best low-carb fried rice we have eaten.
For the Air Fryer Chicken
Bring Chicken Thighs to room temperature an hour before cooking. Pro-tip if you need to speed this up add your thighs to warm (not hot) water and add 3 tablespoons of sea salt. This process is called bringing the chicken, it adds loads of flavor and texture!
- Pat the chicken dry
- Add avocado oil and salt, pepper, and garlic powder
- Lay the thighs flat in the air fryer and cook at 380 for 10 minutes then flip them and cook another 10 minutes (check the internal temp if you are unsure if they are done)
Slice and add to the Asian cauliflower fried rice and we love to top it with cilantro, sriracha, and often add cucumber to the side (often seen in Thia fried rice)
Thursday – Breakfast for Dinner
I will be honest…. I LOVE breakfast for dinner! These Paleo Pancakes are pretty much a go-to for those days I am either craving breakfast or got busy and am running behind schedule for dinner.
Our goal is to eat no later than 6:00 pm. Research has shown that eating within 2 hours of sleeping is ideal – also eating before the sun goes down is ideal for digestion.
We have been Gluten-Free for 7 years now, that is a lot of searching for the perfect pancake recipe, and I am happy to announce on a family vote we are 4 out of 4 this is the BEST Gluten-Free Pancake recipe we have tried!
This recipe can also be baked if you’re in a time pinch!
For the Pancakes:
- 1 1/3 cup tapioca flour
- 3 cups almond flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup honey (or 1/2 cup monk fruit sweetener)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (you cant taste it – don’t skip it will activate the baking soda to rise without flour or yeast)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups fresh blueberries (optional)
Instructions for baking: 425 F (218 C) 8-15 minutes (this depends on how thick the batter is based on the dish you choose. 8 Minutes for a standard sheet pan (lined with parchment) or 15 minutes or until the middle is done in a baking pan for a thicker pancake (this is how we prefer when I bake it).
Friday – Grassfed Steak with Air fryer green beans
Oh, Fridays. Isn’t it nice to celebrate a great week with a fine grass-fed steak? We buy our beef from a local farmer who passed all my standards after spending over an hour on the phone grilling him…. I am just kidding but there were a LOT of questions answered and I could feel his love and passion for regenerative farming.
He told me upon delivering the quarter cow that this was one of his favorite bulls. He gives his heard years longer to come to size and readiness to harvest (a fully grass-fed grass-finished free foraging cow takes on average 3-5 years longer to “fatten” up and be ready to harvest than an industrial cow).
For the Steak:
- Pull your meat out at least an hour before cooking. this ensures it will cook evenly. (I do this with all meat)
Note: I try to always get a marinade in my steaks for 30-45 minutes, however, a good quality steak will taste amazing with just a dash of salt and pepper!
- Get your cast-iron skillet really hot (no oil yet), once your pan is smoking add beef tallow, lard, or avocado oil, and carefully place your steak in (tip make sure the last spot to hit the pan is facing away from you to avoid hot oil splattering on you).
- A good rule of thumb is 4 minutes per side for every pound will give you a med-rare finish.
- After your 4 minutes is up when you flip your steak add some butter, garlic, and rosemary and in the last 30 seconds or so drizzle 1/2 tsp of honey over the sauce to really set the flavor over the top!
Why Grass-Fed Beef verse Industrial Beef?
On a quick side note if you are not yet eating organic grass-fed grass-finished I encourage your friend to do some digging into what the difference between grass-fed and industrial beef is.
A couple of our top reasons is one it is actually healthy for the environment when cows are free foraging vs the poor industrial raised cows who often never see a field of grass, some even have their necks chained to the feeding trough (discussing isn’t it, I don’t think inhuman is even a strong enough word for the way industrial animals are raised and harvested).
Second, if you consider for a moment why industrial beef is ready to harvest in a year or less? That is a SUPER fast-fatting up to the right size and weight. How did they do it?
In a nutshell, they used grains (mostly cheap GMO frankin-food) and next they pumped them full of hormones. Again, it is disgustingly inhuman even if they only get 9-12 months to live it’s not a good life.
But the real question is if that fattens the cows up faster and then you are eating the cows…… wouldn’t that mean it would fatten you up faster?
The same goes for chicken or any other industrially raised animal (mass-produced). If you don’t believe me do a quick search on youtube for hidden footage of what really happens at dairy farms or chicken farms.
WARNING – IT IS BEYOND DISTURBING.
I REPEAT IT IS B-E-Y-O-N-D DISTURBING!! Please do not let children be present while watching!!!
To avoid supporting this treatment of animals shop local. Find a local farmer, go tour the farm. Not only are you sure the animals are raised humanly, but you are also supporting a local small business that does things right.
If we consider for a moment if we put a cow in a field with corn or soybean stocks would they eat it?
No, not normally their natural diet is grass. And just like with humans when we do not eat our natural diet (aka loads of fast food, processed foods, etc) what happens to humans?
They get sick.
Saturday – Taco Soup with a Chicken Salad
The weekends we love to spend just being in the moment. We broke free years ago from the typical or cultural American lifestyle where the weekends are jam-packed full or viewed as ‘the escape’ from life.
We started viewing it as a time to be present. To be together, which we do daily but with my husband working full time this is our time to all get this time together.
It is sacred and we value the space to be and do nothing or whatever brings us joy.
So, with that some weekends I find myself drawn to just soaking in the sun and swinging in the hammock most of the day reading or hanging out with the family.
With little desire to be in the kitchen.
Other Saturdays I feel compelled to create something beautiful in the kitchen. This particular Saturday was cherished outside so we had a simple Gluten-Free Organic Chicken nugget salad with some left-over taco soup.
For the Taco Soup
1 can diced tomatoes (with green chilis is our favorite)
1 box chicken broth + 2 cups water
1 pound cooked ground taco meat (I made extra from our taco bowl night on Tuesday and popped it in soup the next day for lunch – this soup freezes amazingly well so we always have something really quick and homemade to grab in a time pinch)
1 sauteed onion + 3 sauteed cloves of garlic
2 cups salsa
Season with salt, pepper, and cumin
Garnish ideas – cilantro, cashew cream sour cream, vegan cheese, green onions, jalapenos, or all of the above lol
Sunday – Air Fryer Chicken Salad
Sunday was another day outside. Working in the garden all day I really was not feeling standing in the kitchen. If you scroll up I follow this air fryer chicken thigh recipe pretty much as my go-to. Today my 13-year-old popped this in the air fryer and we had buffalo chicken salad.
Using Primal Kitchen buffalo sauce (Primal Kitchen uses no seed oil – so it is our go-to for dressings and sauces). Farm fresh tomatoes from our local farmers’ co-op. Vegan Chive Cheese and Siete Jallipino chips this was so easy your kids can fix dinner for you.
That’s it! I hope this inspires you and gives you easy healthy dinner ideas to add to your menu this week! Find me on Pinterest – Click Here for more dinner ideas and lots of modern homesteading and clean living ideas as well.
I am also on YouTube Here
Easy Healthy Meal Ideas
Healthy Food Blog & Healthy Meal Plan for a Week
Healthy Food Near Me
Here is a great resource to find local farmers, farmers’ markets, and co-ops near you. The BEST food you will ever buy is fresh food!
- Google it – Farmers Market near me
- Facebook Groups – local Garden Groups
- Once you find a farmers market or co-op they will connect you everywhere!
We found a local Co-Op (bonus it was 10 minutes from our house and we had no idea) We got to know the owners and they have literally been such a powerful connection resource. Anything I ever need to know they are so happy to help with or connect me to someone who can.
The Farmers / Gardening communities are some of the friendliest most helpful and generous people you will ever meet!
Connect and become part of the tribe.
So until you catch the itch to start your own kitchen cut garden shop locally and support farmers doing it right.
For more info on urban auto-pilot gardening see my journey and tips here or read more under the Modern Homestead tab
Conclusion
Seven days of healthy dinner ideas to keep you on a health journey without having to put so much time and effort into planning out your meals. So many if not all of these meals I aim to make extra because the easiest lunch ever is one already made for you – leftovers. (lol)
Many of these healthy meals I freeze for those days I just don’t have time (or care to) make dinner. Eating healthy, clean, organic meals almost always means cooking dinner yourself (sigh. I know) Unless you are one of the lucky people who live in areas where all your food is naturally farmed, organic and nourishing.
If this is the case please share in the comments where do you live – I will be moving there soon in this case.
Now that you have 7 Healthy Dinner Ideas I want to know which will you try first? Comment below – by commenting you are connecting to the Roots Tribe here. We want you to be part of our community.
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