Weekly Meal Plan Fun & healthy recipes for the week

Why Follow a Meal Plan?

Planning meals for the week can help you save time, money, and minimize food waste. This weeklong meal plan is made

for an average family of four but can be modified to fit any household. It’s packed with healthy, in-season, and, most

importantly, fun and easy to make recipes!

Meal planning not for you? No worries! Feel free to try any of these recipes whenever they fit into your schedule.

This meal plan includes… daily recipes for breakfast and a main course, which serves great as either lunch or dinner. Better

yet, make the main course as dinner, and finish any leftovers for lunch the following day. Also included are several side

dishes, which can be added to any meal.

A shopping list for these recipes is included at the end of this plan.

Breakfast Main Course Monday Sweet potato and kale frittata Creamy squash soup

Tuesday Morning glory muffins Black bean and sweet potato chili Wednesday Beet and potato hash Cabbage, apple, and sausage skillet

Thursday Overnight oats Simple pasta primavera Friday Corn flour breakfast Sweet potato and black bean burgers

Saturday Beet and dark chocolate muffins Cabbage, sausage, potato soup Sunday Sweet potato pancakes Three bean and bison chili

Monday Breakfast

Sweet potato and kale frittata

Ingredients

6 large eggs 1 cup half-and-half 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground pepper 2 cups sweet potatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups chopped kale ½ small red onion 2 cloves garlic 3 oz goat cheese (feel free to substitute for any kind)

Instructions

- Servings: 4 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together eggs, half and half,

salt, and pepper - Sauté sweet potatoes for 1 tablespoon olive oil, on medium heat for

8-10 minutes under potatoes are tender and golden, then remove and keep warm. Sauté kale, onion, and garlic together in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 3-4 minutes.

- Stir in potatoes, and pour egg mixture evenly over vegetables, and cook 3 more minutes. Sprinkle with goat cheese

- Bake at 350 degrees for 10-14 minutes

Monday Main Course

Creamy squash soup

Ingredients

1 butternut, acorn, or buttercup squash 3 tbs butter or vegetable oil 2 cups chopped onions 1 carrot, diced 1 potato, diced 2 apples and/or pears 3 ½ cups water 1 ½ cups milk or apple juice 1/8 tsp cinnamon Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

- Servings: 4-6

- Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds (you can make roasted squash seeds!). Place cut side down on a lightly oiled baking pan, cover with aluminum foil, bake at 350 degrees.

- Meanwhile, sauté onions in butter until translucent. Add carrots, potatoes, apples, and water. Bring vegetables to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20 mins.

- When the squash has cooled, scoop out the insides. Combine the squash, vegetables and stock with the milk or apple juice in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth (may need to be done in a few batches).

- Transfer to a pot in the stove and heat until hot but not boiling. Add cinnamon and salt and pepper

Tuesday Breakfast

Morning glory muffins

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flout 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon salt 1/3 cup ground flax (optional) 3 large eggs ½ cup packed brown sugar ¼ cup honey 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/3 cup orange juice (or pineapple juice) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups shredded carrots (about 4 large) 1 cup shredded/grated apple ½ cup raisins ½ cup unsalted chopped pecans

Instructions

- Servings: 14-16

- Preheat oven to 425 degrees, spray muffins tins with nonstick spray or use cupcake liners

- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and flax in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, honey, oil, applesauce, orange juice, and vanilla together, then add in carrots and apples.

- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir several times. Add in raisins and pecans. Fold everything together, using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, until well combined

- Spoon batter into liners, filing them all the way to the top. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees, before reducing heat to 350 degrees. Bake for an additional 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

- Allow muffins to cool for roughly 10 minutes in muffin sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack until ready to eat

Tuesday Main Course

Black bean and sweet potato chili

Ingredients

7 cups dried black beans (or 4, 15-ounce cans, rinsed) 2 cups shredded kale 2 medium onions 2 large sweet potatoes 2 cans stewed potatoes, undrained 2 tablespoons chili powder 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons ground cumin ½ - 1 teaspoon salt, to taste ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more or less depending on your spice preference)

Instructions

- Servings: 8

- Add all ingredients to a large pot, and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes

- Next, cook on low heat for 2 hours, covered, stirring every 30 minutes

Wednesday Breakfast

Beet and potato hash

Ingredients

1 pound beets, peeled and diced 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and diced 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 small onion, diced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 4 large eggs Salt Black pepper

Instructions

- Servings: 4

- In a skillet, cover beets and potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Season with salt, and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain and wipe out skillet.

- Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add boiled beets and potatoes cook until potatoes begin to turn golden, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add onion. Cook, and continue stirring, under tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in parsley.

- Make four wide wells/craters in the hash. Crack one egg into each and season egg with salt and pepper. Cook until egg whites are cooked, but yolks are still runny, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Wednesday Main course

Cabbage, apple, and sausage skillet

Ingredients

½ cabbage, chopped 2 or 3 tart apples, chopped 1 onion, chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 pre-cooked chicken sausages (actually, any sausage that sounds good will do) Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

- Servings: 4

- Heat olive oil in pan on medium heat. Add cabbage, apples,

sausage, and onions. Sauté until cabbage and apples are soft. Serve

over pasta, rice, quinoa, or with bread. Add feta if desired.

Thursday Breakfast

Overnight oats

Ingredients

2 cup rolled oats 1 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (optional) 2 2/3 cup milk of choice Sprinkle of salt Topping options: honey, maple syrup, berries, peanut butter, banana, sliced apple, chia seeds, nuts, chocolate chips or cocoa powder, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, dried fruit

Instructions

- Servings: 4

- Whisk together all ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Spoon into a jar with a tight-fitting lid.

- Close and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight before eating.

Thursday Main Course

Simple pasta primavera

Ingredients

Any veggies you’d like! (carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, spinach, kale, beet greens, etc. work well) 1 box of pasta 4 tbs olive oil Salt and black pepper to taste Italian seasoning and/or dried basil 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 small onion

Instructions

- Servings: 4

- Sauté onion, garlic, and any chopped vegetables you choose in a small pot with olive oil until veggies are soft. Cook pasta. Mix together veggies and pasta.

- Leftovers are great for breakfast the next morning. Simply heat them in a pan and crack two eggs over the pasta and veggies.

Friday Breakfast

Corn flour breakfast

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups of water Pinch of salt 2 cups of corn flour (organic, non-GMO, medium ground) Blob of butter (about two tablespoons) Topping options: milk and sugar, maple syrup

Instructions

- Servings: 4

- Bring the water to boil and add a pinch of salt. Take pot off the stove. - Add the corn flour to the water. Pour in all the flour so it forms a

pyramid in the pot. - Put pot back on the stove at a low simmer (as low as your stove can go)

for five minutes. - Take the pot off the stove and stir the flour with a two-pronged fork (the

kind we use at Thanksgiving to carve the turkey). Make sure you stir it well and mix all the flour with the moisture.

- Add a blob of butter to the top and return to the stove (slow simmer) for 20 minutes.

- After 20 minutes, stir the mixture again with the fork and you are ready to serve.

Note

- Long before Columbus crashed his ship into the Caribbean shore, people in the Americas cultivated and grew corn. Cultivation of this native grass (Zea mays) dates back more than two thousand years and the crop sustained many large civilizations. In some cases, archeological records suggest that some societies had a diet consisting of close to 70% corn.

- It is a great crop. Very nutrient dense, easy to store and versatile.

- In Africa today, corn is still used as a staple in many societies. There it goes by names like “putu, ugali, bogobe, sadza, krummelpap…”

Friday Main course

Sweet potato and black bean burgers

Ingredients

15oz can of black beans 1 sweet potato, roasted and mashed 1 cup (give or take) of diced veggies of your choice (suggestions include carrots, peas, corn, spinach, onions..) ¼ cup old-fashioned oats ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp onion powder ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper ½ tsp paprika 1 tsp Italian Seasoning or dried basil 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander ¾ tsp sea salt or more to taste ** feel free to add your own spice mixture or leave any of these out if you don’t have them

Instructions

- Servings: 6

- Roast sweet potato at 400 degrees F until soft. Mash. - Dice vegetables using a food processor. - Add vegetables and olive oil to a pan and sauté until soft (about 5 minutes). - Place sweet potato and half of the beans (about ¾ cup) in the food

processor. Process until combined. Add oats and spices and process until combined.

- Transfer processed mixture to a bowl. Add cooled veggies and the other half of the beans and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

- Grease two large baking sheets. - Measure out ¼ cup of the mixture and form into a patty on the prepared

baking sheet. - Repeat until all of the mixture is used, spacing about 1-2” apart (leaving

room for flipping). - Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, spray the side

facing up with cooking spray or spray oil. Very carefully flip and continue baking 15-20 minutes longer or until both sides are browned.

- You can easily freeze these for later by placing then on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in the freezer then transferring to a zip-lock bag or container.

Saturday Breakfast

Dark chocolate and beet muffins

Ingredients

1 ½ cups flour ½ cup cocoa powder ½ cup sugar (feel free to substitute for coconut sugar for a healthier option) ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt 1 ½ milk (any kind that you wish, from low fat to whole milk, or even nut or oak milk) ¼ coconut oil, melted ¾ cup grated, raw red beet, packed down ½ cup dark chocolate, chopped

Instructions

- Servings: 12

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease or line muffin tin - In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate,

leaving aside a couple of tablespoons for topping the muffins - In a smaller bowl, whisk together the milk and coconut oil until

combined. Mix in the grated beet (mixture will turn bright pink!) - Add the wet beet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Measure out approximately equal amounts into each muffin tin and top with leftover chocolate

- Bake on the center rack for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool for ten minutes in the tin before removing and cooling completely on a rack.

- Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

Saturday Main Course

Cabbage, sausage, and potato soup

Ingredients

1 pound kielbasa sausage, sliced into bite-sized pieces (any sausage will do) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion 2 medium carrots, diced ½ large cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces 3 cloves garlic, minced 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock 2 large potatoes diced 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning OR carraway seeds Salt and black pepper

Instructions

- Servings: 8

- Add sausage to a large stockpot and cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring and flipping occasionally, until the sausage is lightly browned. Transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.

- Add the olive oil, onions and carrots to the pan. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cabbage and garlic, and sauté for 4 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

- Add the stock, potatoes, seasoning, bay leaf, cooked sausage, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked and tender. Taste and season with a few pinches of salt and black pepper as needed.

- Serve warm. This soup freezes well!

Sunday Breakfast

Sweet potato pancakes

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potato, baked and cooked 4 large eggs 1/4 teaspoon of salt Pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

- Servings: 4

- Combine sweet potato, eggs, and salt in a small blender and blend until smooth (alternatively you can stir with a spoon, but sweet potato chunks may remain

- Set aside batter while you preheat the pan. Heat an 8-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

- Add ¼ cup of batter, cook for 3 minutes (batter won’t bubble up like traditional pancake batter)

- Flip each pancake with a thin spatula and cook for an additional 3 minutes on the opposite side. Repeat with remaining batter, serve warm and enjoy.

Sunday Main Course

Three bean and bison chili

Ingredients

1 cup black beans 1 cup Jacob’s Cattle bean 1 cup small white beans Navy Beans) 1 large onion 1 pound Bison Mince 1 quart jar of tomato sauce 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons mixed dried Italian herb ½ teaspoon pepper flakes

Instructions

- Servings: 4

- Overnight soak the beans in a big pot. Cover with water – about twice the volume of the beans. 40 minutes before you start, add enough water to be about 1 inch above beans, bring the water boil to boil and simmer beans, till they are tender.

- Cut the onion and sauté in a large skillet. Do not let them get too brown. As they turn brown, add a bit of water to the skillet to get the brown juices. (a dash of maple syrup will add a bit of sweetness)

- Add the onions to the pot with the beans - In the same skillet over medium heat sauté the mince. Make sure it is all

cooked and brown. - Add salt, pepper, cumin, pepper flakes, and herbs to the mince and mix well. - Add this mix to the pot. - Add the quart of tomato sauce to the pot, stir well and let it simmer for 15

minutes.

Side Dish

Simple Bread Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting - (King Arthur general purpose of Bread flour works well – it has the right amount of protein for a good rise) ¼ teaspoon instant yeast (Use Active Dry Yeast) 1¼ teaspoons salt Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed (or parchment paper can be used- see instructions) Other variations: Add a handful of steel cut oats Substsitute about one third flour mix with: Whole wheat flour, spelt, or rye for a raisin/nut loaf

Instructions

- Servings: 4

- In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water (water temp about 80 degrees – lukewarm but not hot), and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky (do not fear a slightly sticky dough, it is better than a dry mix). Cover bowl with plastic wrap. (You can use a wet cotton cloth and a plate on top of it to have a good seal – much better than plastic). Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

- Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Let rest about 15 minutes.

- Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

- At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Take a sheet of parchment paper, place it on top of your ball of dough in the bowl. Flip the bowl over and place bread on sheet pan. Now your dough has the smooth side on top and seams on bottom. Use a sharp knife of razor blade to make a few lengthwise cut in the top of the dough. This will allow for expansion. You can be creative with pattern if you are so inclined.

- Bake in oven for about 45 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned.

Side Dish

Honey glazed carrots

Ingredients

1 pound carrots 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon lemon juice ¼ cup chopped parsley (optional) Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

- Servings: 4

- Bring water to a boil - Add carrots and pinch of salt, cook for 5 minutes - Drain carrots when tender - In pan, add back in carrots, plus butter, honey, and

lemon juice - Cook for 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper, and

garnish with parsley if desired

Side Dish

Mashed turnip with roasted garlic

Ingredients

3 pounds turnip, or rutabaga, peeled cut into cubes 1 head garlic 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon black pepper Pinch of salt to taste ½ tablespoon fresh thyme, or ¾ tbs dried ½ cup unsalted butter

Instructions

- Servings: 4

- First roast garlic. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut off garlic so cloves are exposed. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap in foil and bake for 40 minutes. Allow time to cool, then remove cloves from skin.

- Meanwhile, boil turnip in large pot of salted water, covered, for about 35-40 minutes or until turnip is tender. Drain water with ready.

- Melt butter over medium low heat to brown, swirling the pan occasionally as it lightly bubbles. They may foam some and that is okay, and should change from a light yellow color to light brown (taking about 10 minutes). Remove from burner.

- Combine cooked turnip, salt, pepper, thyme, and browned butter, then mash ingredients together. Add roasted garlic and mash again. Ready!

Side Dish

Hummus

Ingredients

1 ½ cups chickpeas **can substitute with roasted sweet potato ¼ cup lemon juice ¼ cup tahini (not a necessary ingredient) 1 garlic clove (or more if you love garlic!) 2 tbs olive oil ½ tsp cumin (if desired)

Instructions

- Servings: 4

- If using tahini, blend first with lemon juice in food processor. If not, simply add all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Add a couple tablespoons of cold water at the end to make it fluffy.

Weekly Meal Plan Shopping List:

Everything you will need

To make all provided food recipes, follow this shopping list:

Vegetables-

Beets – 1 ½ lbs.

Butternut (or acorn, or buttercup squash) – 1 large

Cabbage – 1 large cabbage

Carrots – 2 ½ lbs.

Garlic – 5 bulbs

Golden potato – 2 lbs.

Kale – 1 large bunch

Onions (white) – 9 medium, or 3 lbs.

Red onion – 1 small

Stewed tomatoes – 2, 15oz cans

Sweet potatoes – 8 medium

Turnip (or rutabaga) - 3 lbs.

**Additional vegetables of your choice for the sweet potato black bean burgers + the simple pasta primavera – 2 cups

Suggestions: Carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, spinach, kale, beet greens, corn, peas, onions, anything!

Fruits-

Apples – 7, or 2 lbs.

Lemon (for juice) – 1

Orange (for juice) – 2

Raisins – ½ cup

Unsweetened applesauce – 1/3 cup

Grains-

All-purpose flour – 4 ½ cups

Corn flour – 2 cups

Ground flax (optional) – 1/3 cup

Pasta (preferred kind) – 1 box

Rolled oats – 2 ¼ cup

Whole wheat flour: 2 cups

Proteins-

Bison mince – 1 cup

Black beans – 9.5 cups dried, or six to seven 15oz cans

Chicken sausage (or other sausage of choice) - 4 sausages

Chickpeas - 1 ½ cups dried, or one 15oz can

Jacob’s Cattle bean – 1 cup

Kielbasa sausage (or other sausage of choice) - 1 lb.

Navy beans – 1 cup

Unsalted pecans – ½ cup

Dairy-

Butter (unsalted) – 2 sticks

Eggs – 17 large, or round up to 2 dozen to add to breakfasts

Goat cheese (or another preferred variety) – 3 ounces

Half-and-half – 1 cup

Milk (dairy or nondairy) – 6 cups, or about a half-gallon

Plain Greek yogurt (optional) – 1 1/3 cup

Herbs and spices-

Cayenne pepper – ½ teaspoon

Chili powder – 2 tablespoons

Cinnamon – 3 teaspoons

Coriander – 1 teaspoon

Garlic powder – ½ teaspoon

Ground Cumin – 4 ½ teaspoons

Ground ginger – ½ teaspoon

Italian seasoning/herbs – 5 teaspoons

Onion powder – ½ teaspoon

Paprika – ½ teaspoon

Parsley (optional) – ¼ cup

Red pepper flakes – 2 tablespoons

Salt & Pepper to taste

Thyme – fresh: ½ tablespoon OR dried: ¾ tablespoon

Other ingredients-

Baking powder – ½ teaspoon

Baking soda – 2 ½ teaspoon

Brown sugar – ½ cup

Cocoa powder – ½ cup

Coconut oil – ¼ cup

Dark chocolate – 1 bar

Honey – 6 tablespoons

Instant Yeast – ¼ teaspoon

Sugar – ½ cup

Tahini (optional) - ¼ cup

Tomato sauce – 1 quart

Olive oil (or vegetable oil) – 1 ½ cups

Vanilla extract – 2 teaspoons

Vegetable or chicken stock – 6 cups

Acknowledgements

This weekly meal plan was made possible thanks to recipe suggestions from the 2019-2020 Community-Based Research Project members and our Professor, Leon Malan. Additional recipes were based upon

those provided by the following sources.

Bibliography All The Good Blog Names Are Taken. (2012). Beet Hash with Eggs. Retrieved from http://allthegoodblognamesaretaken.com/2012/beet-hash-with-

eggs/?utm_source=foodgawker&utm_medium=posting&utm_campaign=beet-hash

Anderson, S. (2014, March 27). Honey Glazed Carrots. Retrieved from Food Network: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/honey-

glazed-carrots-recipe-193878

Cairns, M. (2019, January 18). Sweet Potato Kale Frittata. Retrieved from Good Housekeeping: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-

recipes/a15996/sweet-potato-kale-frittata-recipe-clx0914/

Girl Heart Food. (2018, November 4). Brown Butter Mashed Turnip with Roasted Garlic. Retrieved from https://girlheartfood.com/mashed-turnip/

Joy Food Sunshine. (2017). Baked black bean and sweet potato veggie burgers. Retrieved from https://joyfoodsunshine.com/baked-sweet-potato-black-

bean-veggie-burgers/

Moosewood Collective. (1987). Creamy Squash Soup. New recipes from Moosewood Restaurant (pp. 25). Ten Speed Press

Occasionally Eggs. (2020, March 18). Vegan Chocolate Beet Muffins. Retrieved from https://www.occasionallyeggs.com/chocolate-beet-muffins/

Sally's Baking Addiction. (2020, January 16). Morning Glory Muffins. Retrieved from https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/simple-morning-glory-muffins

Splawn, M. (2020, January 22). 2-ingredient sweet potato pancakes. Retrieved from The Kitchn: https://www.thekitchn.com/sweet-potato-pancakes-

259059

Washington, R. (2006, November 8). No-Knead Bread. Retrieved from New York Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html?_r=0&auth=login-google