ThePrep: Anti-Hangry High-Protein Dinners to Welcome Spring

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Vermont has a long way to go until “real” spring, but the first week of March has me craving fresh spring-y foods—a change from the hearty dishes I’ve been relying on to get me through the cold winter. And while spring ingredients like lettuces, peas and asparagus are known to be light and refreshing, that doesn’t mean they can’t also be filling. This week’s veggie-packed high-protein dinners featuring spring produce will keep you from feeling hangry (hungry + angry) an hour later.

Your Meal Plan

I, for one, am well known for getting hangry. My mood drastically changes and while you’d be smart to not talk to me, it’s always when my husband happens to have a billion questions ?. These satisfying spring dinners, like the Salmon & Asparagus with Lemon-Garlic Butter pictured above, help keep that grouchy hunger at bay.

Looking at one of the delicious dinners in the lineup, peas may not be the first thing you think of as a high-protein ingredient. But a bowl of our 5-star-rated Pea Soup (ideal for those chilly spring nights) delivers 17 filling grams of protein per serving and a bonus 13 grams of fiber. The rest of this week’s star-studded spring recipes each deliver at least that much protein and are ready in 35 minutes or less—which is especially helpful if the hangriness hits on your way home!

Here’s how you can get ahead on prep for the week to make these easy high-protein dinners even easier:

1. Cook the Easy Whole-Wheat Couscous ahead of time to save yourself 10 minutes.
2. Prep the potatoes and carrots for Wednesday’s One-Pan Chicken & Asparagus Bake and refrigerate.
3. Friday’s Steak, Pepper & Sugar Snap Stir-Fry calls for cooked brown rice. Use packaged precooked rice for ease or make a batch on Tuesday (and refrigerate it) since you only have to spend 15 minutes making the Creamy Spinach Pasta that night.

Sunday: Salmon & Asparagus with Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce over Easy Whole-Wheat Couscous

Monday: Pea Soup with toasted baguette drizzled with olive oil

Tuesday: Creamy Spinach Pasta

Wednesday: One-Pan Chicken & Asparagus Bake

Thursday: Greek Salad with Edamame

Friday: Steak, Pepper & Sugar Snap Stir Fry

We're making shopping easier with a list of all the ingredients you need to make this week's dinners, meal-prep breakfast and featured treat. Get the shopping list.

Meal-Prep Breakfast

Whether you are making brunch for a crowd or just want to meal-prep healthy breakfasts for the week, making a big batch of eggs has never been easier with this one-pan oven-baked eggs recipe. Eat it as-is or slap a serving between a toasted English muffin with a little extra cheese for good measure for a satisfying high-protein breakfast that will keep you full till lunchtime.

Get the Recipe: Sheet-Pan Eggs with Spinach & Ham

Looking for more? See more of our healthy high-protein recipes.

Treat Yourself

Of all the Girl Scout Cookies, Caramel deLites (aka Samoas) have always been my favorite. These easy no-bake energy balls are our healthy take on them, and they’re oh so delicious! And the best part? They take only 15 minutes from start to finish.

Get the Recipe: Caramel Delight Energy Balls

Let me know if you make any of these recipes or what else you're doing to prep ahead for a healthy week! Email me at ThePrep@eatingwell.com. If you have a question or requests for future newsletter topics, I'd love to hear those too.