ThePrep: High-Protein 400-Calorie Dinners for Winter
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Protein does your body a lot of good. It builds healthy cells and repairs ones that are damaged, keeps your immune system in tip-top shape, and it helps you to feel fuller for longer after a meal. Combine that with 400-calorie dinners and you have yourself a week of healthy, satisfying dinners. These healthy high-protein dinners are some of my favorites in the colder winter months. They're delicious, comforting, deliver at least 14 grams of protein and clock in right around 400 calories per serving, to help you feel your best all week long.
Your Meal Plan
Quick-cooking chicken cutlet recipes like Tuesday's 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce are my go-to on busy weeknights. With this cutlet recipe, you can have a healthy high-protein dinner on the table in half the time it'd take to cook a thick chicken breast. I like serving this creamy, delicious dish over steamed zucchini noodles, which helps up the veggie count. And while chicken may be the first thing you think of for a healthy protein source, there are so many other options.
Even recipes that seemingly don't contain one standout protein source (like meat, fish, tofu or beans) can end up being high in protein. For instance, the Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches delivers 14 grams of protein per serving—all the individual ingredients contribute to the overall protein content. To boost the protein in this meal even more, you could add a slice or two of turkey or ham to the grilled cheese. The rest of the delicious dinners in the line up—from Sunday's Spicy Noodles with Pork, Scallions & Bok Choy to Friday's 25-Minute Chicken & Veggie Enchiladas will keep you feeling satisfied all week long!
Tuesday: 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce over steamed zucchini noodles
Wednesday: Spicy Shrimp Tacos
Thursday: Skillet Ravioli Lasagna
Big Batch Snack
It's going to be really cold this weekend where I live in Vermont, so I'm planning on hunkering down. The only thing on my agenda is watching the football game with my husband. But let's be real—I'm much more excited about the food more than the actual game. Enter these Sriracha-Buffalo Cauliflower Bites. They deliver that delicious buffalo flavor, plus a serving of veggies, which is always a plus.
Get the Recipe: Sriracha-Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Treat Yourself
This oh-so-cozy Bourbon Hot Cocoa is just the thing to satisfy my sweet tooth as I wind down at night—and it's outright delicious. You can of course skip the booze if you're doing Dry January (or Damp January), or swap out the Bourbon for something different. Cheers!
Get the Recipe: Bourbon Hot Cocoa
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.
ThePrep | Week of 1/15/22 - 1/21/22
