ThePrep: Easy High-Protein Dinners to Kick Off a Healthy Year

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We've officially made it to 2021, which is an accomplishment in itself, so we're already starting the year off with a win! This week of easy high-protein dinners will keep you feeling your best as you tackle the week ahead, with healthy ingredients, like chicken, fish, whole grains and plenty of veggies. Plus, the extra protein in these meals will keep you satisfied all evening long—no late-night snacking needed.

Your Meal Plan

Eating meals you enjoy is key to keeping up with healthy eating, and these high-protein dinners deliver. Starting with Sunday's Dijon Salmon with Green Bean Pilaf—which clocks in at 32 grams of protein per serving. The salmon gets topped with a garlicky-mustard mix and the lemon-and-parsley-flavored green-bean pilaf completes this yummy meal. Wednesday's Spicy Jerk Shrimp (the picture above) is packed with flavor from a spicy seasoning blend, plus pineapple, cilantro and lime. And the Spicy Noodles with Pork, Scallions & Bok Choy recipe—which gets tons of flavor form with ginger, chili sauce and scallions—caps off this week of delicious, satisfying dinners

To make these meals even easier, try these extra shortcuts:

1. Skip soaking dried chickpeas for Monday's Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Chicken & Chickpea Soup recipe and instead use 3 cans of chickpeas.
2. For Tuesday's Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Broccolini recipe, microwave the squash rather than baking it to save time.
3. Buy peeled, deveined shrimp and a peeled and cored pineapple for Wednesday's Spicy Jerk Shrimp rather than doing that prep yourself.

Sunday: Dijon Salmon with Green Bean Pilaf

Monday: Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Chicken & Chickpea Soup (Watch me make this recipe!)

Tuesday: Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Broccolini

Wednesday: Spicy Jerk Shrimp over cooked brown rice

Thursday: Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl

Friday: Spicy Noodles with Pork, Scallions & Bok Choy

Big-Batch Lunch

If you want a satisfying lunch idea for this week, look no further. These Mediterranean-inspired Greek Meatball Mezze Bowls have a whopping 32 grams of protein per serving to keep you feeling satisfied all afternoon. Plus, they're delicious! Make them at the beginning of the week and pop them in the fridge, so they're ready to eat when you are.

Get the Recipe: Greek Meatball Mezze Bowls

Looking for new meal-prep containers? These are my favorite for prepping lunch: Prep Naturals Glass Meal-Prep Containers, amazon.com, $26 (orig. $30)

Treat Yourself

In these super-simple Chocolate & Nut Butter Bites, chocolate gets topped with nut butter for a delicious, easy treat you'll love. Plus, pairing your sweets with a healthy fat helps to make the treat more satisfying, so you'll be good with just one or two.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate & Nut Butter Bites

Love this newsletter, have a meal-prep tip you're dying to share or a question you need answered? Email me at ThePrep@eatingwell.com