1: Take a look at the delicious week ahead
Three delicious, nutrient-rich, whole-food meals for each day except Saturday night—with some repeats through the week to keep it real.
01 Meal Plan Week 1
What you’ll learn
Enjoy a variety of meals, utilize leftovers in creative ways, practice some new techniques, and become familiar with the versatility of common ingredients. Eat the rainbow this week, adding snacks and treats to the menu if you like. Also use our prep suggestions to save time at home and with more store-bought items.
That’s right, learning while cooking and eating! Your meal plan is going to teach you some cooking skills, batch cooking tips, and how to create and improvise.
The objectives for this meal plan:
- Practice making a variety of meals with a rainbow of whole-food ingredients
- Read all of the accordions with each recipe for tips to improvise and customize
- Have fun and do what you can—one plant-based meal cooked from scratch per week is better than zero
What’s on the Menu?
Recipes & Tips for the Week
- Read through all of the recipes (Sunday through Saturday) and the tips below in advance so you know what to expect for the week, what you want to skip, and what you want to add (see the “Optional Snacks & Treats” accordion).
- Download the printable bird’s-eye view PDF menu if you like.
- Download the shopping list of required ingredients for all recipes. If you need to substitute any ingredients see the Substitution accordion for that recipe and make some notes.
- Prepare the recipes designated for each day plus any extras you choose, or minus any you’re skipping.
- If time allows, think of your future self and prep sauces, veggies, freezable meals, etc. in advance—see the “Prep in Advance” accordion.
- Check out the “Helpful Tips & Tricks” accordion to learn new techniques and tricks for making the most of your purchases this week.
SUNDAY RECIPES
Sunday can be a good day to do some prep for a delicious week ahead. Put on a podcast or your favorite tunes and make a few things in advance for your future self.
Optional Sunday Bake:
Want to make a loaf of your own bread for toast, sandwiches, and croutons this week? Make the Multigrain Sandwich Loaf.
BREAKFAST: Cardamom Chia Pudding, Orange Granola & Easy Fruit Salad
Three easy recipes that are delicious served together, especially for a brunch. They also can be enjoyed in various combinations this week—let your food mood decide.
Add all three of these to your shopping list:
Cardamom Chia Pudding
Orange Blossom Granola
Easy Fruit Salad
Optional:
Try making homemade Vanilla Almond Milk to enjoy with the granola this week.
Use the zested oranges from the granola to make the Easy Fruit Salad. Or squeeze the zested oranges and save the fresh juice to make Thursday’s sauce for dinner.
LUNCH: Zucchini, Avocado & Roasted Garlic Soup
A delicious and simple soup that makes great leftovers too.
Optional add-on:
Easy Croutons
Garnish with some of the fresh herbs you’ve bought for the week.
DINNER: Creamy Mac
A veggie-based comfort food dish that everyone at the table will love. Keep it classic for simpler eaters or try any of the easy additions below to take it to the next level.
Optional add-ons:
Seared Broccolini
Crispy Seared Kale
Peas
Meatless Crumbles
Crispy Shallots
Sriracha
Truffle oil
Garnish with some of the fresh herbs you’ve bought for the week.
Omnivore suggestion:
Add cooked ground beef or shredded rotisserie chicken.
Optional Sunday Bake: Multigrain Sandwich Loaf
This is a classic recipe from the Gluten-Free Bread Basics course. If you’re familiar with gluten-free baking, this is a great sandwich loaf to make for the week. You can use it for toast, sandwiches, and Easy Croutons for soups and salads.
MONDAY RECIPES
BREAKFAST: Avocado, Seared Broccolini & Pesto on Multigrain Toast
Add to your shopping list:
Pesto (make your own)
Seared Broccolini
Multigrain bread (make your own)
Add fresh herbs to garnish if you like.
Omnivore suggestion:
Add fried or poached egg
LUNCH: [LEFTOVERS] Zucchini, Avocado & Roasted Garlic Soup
Optional add-on:
Easy Croutons
If you like, garnish with some of the fresh herbs you’ve bought for the week.
DINNER: Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes w/Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce
Use extra sauce for salad dressing or crudités dip
Optional add-on:
Brown Rice
Omnivore suggestion:
Add shredded chicken. or a fried or poached egg
Prep in advance tip for tomorrow:
If you want to make homemade Vanilla Almond Milk for the granola tomorrow, soak the almonds while you sleep tonight.
TUESDAY RECIPES
BREAKFAST: [LEFTOVERS] Cardamom Chia Pudding, Orange Granola & Easy Fruit Salad
Optional:
Try making homemade Vanilla Almond Milk for the granola.
LUNCH: Confetti Kale Salad with Spicy Candied Peanuts
If you have eaters who don’t like spicy stuff at all, you can easily skip adding the chipotle powder to the peanuts, or use only a pinch or two.
Optional add-on:
Crispy Chickpeas
DINNER: Cauliflower Steaks with White Beans, Spinach & Tomatoes
Garnish with fresh herbs
Save any broken bits of cauliflower for dinner Wednesday
Serve with a smear of Pesto
WEDNESDAY RECIPES
BREAKFAST: Everything Good Smoothie
Add any leftover spinach from Monday’s dinner
LUNCH: Chickpea Salad
Serving options:
• on toasted multigrain bread
• in butter lettuce cups*
• in a wrap (make your own extra large brown rice or cassava tortillas)*
• tossed with romaine, lemon juice, olive oil, salt + pepper to taste*
*Add these items to the grocery list if needed.
Garnish with fresh herbs
DINNER: Sheet Pan Veggies with Crispy Lentils & Tahini Dressing (optional: Brown Rice)
Garnish with fresh herbs
Use extra dressing for salads or crudités dip this week.
Optional add-on:
Crispy Seared Kale
THURSDAY RECIPES
BREAKFAST: [REPEAT] Avocado, Seared Broccolini and Pesto on Multigrain Toast
Use store-bought pesto or make your own.
You can buy a multigrain sandwich loaf of bread or make your own.
Add fresh herbs to garnish.
Omnivore suggestion:
Add fried or poached egg
DINNER: Seared Veggie Rice Bowl
Chop and add any extra Spicy Candied Peanuts from Confetti Kale Salad to
this bowl
Garnish with fresh herbs
Add any red cabbage leftover from last night
FRIDAY RECIPES
BREAKFAST: [REPEAT] Everything Good Smoothie
Add leftover spinach from Monday’s dinner
LUNCH: Sesame-Orange Cucumber & Radish Salad
Use leftover sauce from yesterday’s dinner to dress this salad
Garnish with fresh herbs
Omnivore suggestion:
Add steamed or sautéed shrimp
DINNER: Build-Your-Own Pizza-Style Zucchini with Quick Pizza Sauce
Pick up store-bought pizza sauce or make your own. If you make your own, add Easiest Pizza Sauce to your shopping list.
Toppings (choose what you like and add to shopping list):
Meatless Crumbles
S&P Crispy Lentils
Mozzarella
Pesto
Mushrooms
Broccolini
SATURDAY RECIPES
BREAKFAST: Banana Pancakes w/Mixed Berry Syrup
Add both of these recipes to your shopping list:
Banana Pancakes
Mixed Berry Syrup
Use any frozen fruit you have left from the smoothie to make the Mixed Berry Syrup.
LUNCH: [LEFTOVERS] Chickpea Salad
Serving options:
• on toasted multigrain bread
• in butter lettuce cups*
• in a wrap (make your own extra large brown rice or cassava tortillas)*
• tossed with romaine, lemon juice, olive oil, salt + pepper to taste*
*Add these items to the grocery list if needed.
Garnish with fresh herbs
DINNER: HAVE SOMEONE COOK FOR YOU
Take a break from cooking and enjoy a night out, delivery, or leftovers from this week. Good job!
Optional: SNACKS & TREATS
Extra goodies you can make for munching and feel-good desserts. Add the recipes you’d like to make to your shopping list.
Toasted PB&J Amazeballs
Protein-packed bites that are great on-the-go—they’re customizable, too!
You’ll likely have leftover dips and sauces that will be great with Crudités this week like Pesto, Tahini Dressing, or Cilantro Lime Sauce.
Leftover Banana Pancakes
Even cold, they’re very snack worthy! You can also pop a few in the toaster for a quick snack.
Top with a dollop of whipped cream, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, and/or Orange Blossom Granola.
Pomegranate Granita
Use the leftover juice from the Confetti Kale Salad dressing to make a simple granita with only two ingredients! No need for an ice cream maker either, just grab a few ice cube trays and your food processor (or a fork!).
Prep in Advance
You can prep ingredients all on one day (ie: Sunday) or along the way as you cook throughout the week. Be sure to check out the Batch Cooking tips here and with each recipe to make the most of your time.
Prep all on one day
Put on a podcast or your favorite tunes, tie on an apron, slow down, and enjoy prepping for a week of good food ahead. You can prepare everything listed below in one day at the beginning of the week, except the Summer Salsa that goes with Monday’s dinner. However, you can prepare almost all of that salsa in advance. Simply hold off on adding the avocado and add it fresh to the rest when ready to serve—avocado can oxidize and brown easily.
Prep a little bit each day
As you’re chopping ingredients, or waiting for something to cook, think of your future self and prep a little bit for the next meal(s). Choose any or all of the make-ahead tips listed with each day. Even checking one off the list is helpful, so pat yourself on the back if you do!
SATURDAY—SUNDAY
- Soak berries for breakfasts
- Supreme citrus for breakfasts*
- Dice zucchini for tomorrow*
- Make a batch of Pesto* for tomorrow
- Roast the bulb of garlic* for lunch
- Make the Creamy Mac* sauce for dinner
- Prep any snacks or treats for the week
- Prep Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce* for tomorrow
- Cook brown rice* for Thursday’s dinner and/or tomorrow (optional)
- Make the Summer Salsa* for tomorrow (thoroughly toss the avocado with lime juice to minimize browning or add the avocado to the rest of the mix tomorrow) OR prep and mince the bell pepper and onion and/or juice the lime
MONDAY
- Soak the almond for the optional Vanilla Almond Milk overnight
- Make the Spicy Candied Peanuts* for tomorrow
- Prep, chop, dice all components* for Confetti Kale Salad tomorrow
- Make the Pomegranate Vinaigrette* for tomorrow
- Pre-make the marinade* for tomorrow’s dinner
- Soak cashews tonight to make the Quick Lemon Mayo for Chickpea Salad Wednesday
TUESDAY
- Make the Quick Lemon Mayo from Chickpea Salad for tomorrow
- Mince scallions, onion, and celery* for Chickpea Salad tomorrow
- Make the Crispy Lentils* for tomorrow’s dinner
- Pre-chop veggies* for tomorrow’s dinner
- Make Tahini Dressing* for tomorrow’s dinner
- Peel and freeze bananas for this week’s smoothies
- See Batch Cooking Tips below for this week’s smoothies—make portions
WEDNESDAY
- Pre-chop veggies* for tomorrow’s dinner
- Cook a batch of brown rice* for tomorrow’s dinner
- Prepare the Orange-Sesame Sauce* for tomorrow
THURSDAY
- Prepare toppings* for tomorrow’s dinner
- Make the Easiest Pizza Sauce* for tomorrow
FRIDAY
- Make the Mixed Berry Syrup* for breakfast tomorrow
*store in an airtight glass container in the fridge until ready to use.
Batch Cooking this Meal Plan
This week, as you’re prepping one dish, think ahead and use the Measuring Cheat Sheet to upsize a recipe for future meals. Fresh is always best, but you’re already spending the time chopping, cooking, and dirtying dishes, so maximize your efforts. Make one and freeze one of the following recipes (or recipe components) this week:
- Fruit, broccolini, carrot, kale, spinach, banana (peel before freezing), mixed berries, and the optional hemp seeds can all be chopped and frozen in advance of adding to the blender. Pre-freezing them also chills the smoothie like a milkshake.
- Pre-portion out servings of the smoothie ingredients and freeze in freezer-safe bags. Just grab and toss in the blender with non-frozen ingredients when ready to make.
- Pre-freeze the non-dairy milk into cubes, then add when making, or add to portioned baggies.
Banana Pancakes with Mixed Berry Syrup:
- The pancakes and the syrup can be made and frozen for future meals. Freeze in separate containers—pop the pancakes into the toaster to reheat and warm the syrup in a pot heated to medium low. Before freezing, place a small piece of parchment paper between the pancakes when stacking so they don’t freeze together.
Zucchini, Avocado & Roasted Garlic Soup
- Make one batch, freeze one batch for a future meal. Just thaw in a pot heated to medium, stirring often.
- Make one batch, freeze one batch for a future meal. Just thaw to room temperature, stir and season to taste before serving.
- Double or triple the sauce for this recipe and freeze some for a future meal. Just thaw in a pot heated to medium, stirring often. Season to taste if needed before serving.
Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes w/Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce
- Double or triple the sauce for this recipe and freeze some for a future meal. Just thaw to room temperature and season to taste if needed before serving.
Cauliflower Steaks with White Beans, Spinach & Tomatoes
- Double or triple the White Beans, Spinach & Tomatoes for this recipe, prepare as instructed and then freeze some for a future meal. Just thaw in a pot heated to medium, stirring often. Season to taste if needed before serving.
- Freeze raw cauliflower florets or raw steaks separately from the White Beans, Spinach & Tomatoes to create this recipe again. After freezing raw, prepare the cauliflower as instructed in the recipe while you reheat the White Beans, Spinach & Tomatoes.
- When freezing raw cauliflower steaks, place a piece of parchment paper between each so you can thaw and easily separate without excessive breakage. If freezing florets, flash freeze them on a lined baking sheet and once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe storage container—flash freezing keeps them from freezing into one mass.
- While fresh is best, you can always prepare this entire meal and freeze it. Then, thaw and reheat. To get crispiness on the cauliflower, sear in a skillet heated to medium with some oil for a few minutes on each side.
Sheet Pan Veggies with Crispy Lentils & Tahini Dressing
- Double or triple the dressing for this recipe and freeze some for a future meal. Just thaw to room temperature, or gently warm, and season to taste if needed before serving.
- Slice and freeze the veggies separately from the sauce to create this recipe again.
- You can prepare the crispy lentils and freeze in the same container as the veggies. To get crispiness on the lentils and veggies when reheating, sear in a skillet heated to medium with some oil for a few minutes on each side.
- While fresh is best, you can always prepare this entire meal and freeze it. Then, thaw and reheat. To get crispiness on the lentils and veggies when reheating, sear in a skillet heated to medium with some oil for a few minutes on each side.
Seared Veggie Rice Bowl with Orange-Sesame Sauce
- All components of this recipe can be prepared and frozen separately or together, with sauce or without. To reheat, thaw and stir fry in a hot skillet until warm.
Build-Your-Own Pizza-Style Zucchini with Easiest Pizza Sauce
- Double or triple the sauce for this recipe and freeze some for a future meal. Just thaw in a pot heated to medium or thaw to room temperature, stirring often either way. Season to taste if needed before serving.
Save Time: Store-Bought Instead of Homemade
You can buy the following instead of making your own this week:
- Granola (any kind you like, but homemade is best)
- Pre-chopped fruit (to replace Easy Fruit Salad)
- Multigrain Sandwich Loaf of bread (you will need a loaf this week)
- Pesto (look for dairy-free if you can’t consume cheese)
- Pizza Sauce
- Instead of making Tahini Dressing, you can grab a bottle of Tahini Goddess Dressing
- Instead of making Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce, you can grab a bottle of Green Goddess Dressing or a creamy herb-y dressing.
- Buy a jar of already minced garlic to use for any recipes that call for it.
Be sure to adjust your shopping list ingredients if you choose to buy some of these components instead of making them.
Helpful Tips & Tricks
You can do one plant-based day this week or seven days. You can do one plant-based meal per day, or all of them. Choose what works for you. There are plenty of options here, loads of tips and tricks, and ideas to help you pivot and improvise when needed. Read through all of these to master everything from shopping like a pro to storing your purchases for the longest shelf life.
- This week calls for a few oranges—go ahead and buy a bag of them instead of buying individually if it saves money.
- Buy bulk spices if you don’t want to commit to an entire jar. Know that future plans will call for spices you purchased in the previous weeks—you will use them!
Freezer Cubes
Preparation is the key to easy, fun good-food cooking. A simple ice cube tray can help you whip up single-serving seasoning bombs for a variety of quick meals or components like stocks, rice, sautéed veggies.
This week, fill an ice cube trays halfway with leftover herbs, Pesto, or garlic. Then, fill the remaining cubes with olive oil, freeze.
Tips for Making Berries Last
Keep mold away from your fresh berries as long as possible. As soon as you bring them home from the Farmer’s Market, garden, or grocery store, soak them in water and apple cider vinegar and they’ll last for more than a week!
Dry Leftover Herbs
Drying leftover herbs is easy—it makes the most of your purchases and can be added to many future meals.
The Good Food Cooking Basics Course teaches you many basic cooking skills and everyday techniques like how to build flavor, use herbs and spices, utilize dry and wet cooking methods, and how to safely hold and use a knife for a variety of cuts.
If you’d like to brush up on your know how, you’ll find these lessons and how-to videos in Module 3 of Good Food Cooking Basics.
Where to Store Foods in the Fridge & Freezer
Maximize your purchases when using the fridge and freezer—store your ingredients in the right spot so they last.
Ethylene & Produce Storage
After selecting the right vegetables to bring home, one of the first steps to mastering produce storage is understanding the power of the ripening hormone ethylene. Maximize your purchases—refer to these tips for who plays nicely together, what produce goes in the fridge, and what prefers the countertop.
Batch cooking is a habit worth creating. This week, as you’re prepping one dish, think ahead and use the Measuring Cheat Sheet to upsize a recipe. Make one and freeze one—here are some general batch cooking tips.
Shop Like a Pro
Shopping is part of weekly (sometimes daily) life for most folks. Here are tips to save money, maximize purchases, stick to goals, and do it all quickly.
Shopping Cheat Sheet
Labels like “organic,” “gluten-free,” and “all natural” prove that more and more folks are discerning when it comes to what they eat, but marketers and food companies know this about us as well—it’s why shopping can be a bit confusing. Here are some tips to help you shop with more awareness and confidence.
Prep Your Kitchen for Good Food Cooking
Turn the kitchen into a place where you want to hang out. Preparing meals and experimenting with new cooking techniques and ingredients will be effortless, stress-relieving, and enjoyable if you’re in a happy, nurturing space that reflects who you are and where you want to go.
Zero-Food-Waste Tips
Americans toss almost half of the food they bring home every year, and in addition to knowing how to properly store and extend the life of produce (ethylene), these tips can also help us get the most out of purchases.