Healthy Meals January 2021

Anyone else out there trying to eat a bit healthier these days? The start of the new year always causes us to shed our sugar-laden December ways and commit to losing a few pounds. And this year is no different! We're eating a little lighter this month and my goal is to share every dinner on here during the month of January! Let's start with the first week. Now, I am making an effort to cut out white simple carbs like white pasta and rice, but I do still serve whole grain complex carbs because I think they have a place in a healthy diet. Here we go!

January 1st - Blackened Salmon, Quinoa/Brown Rice, Green Beans

My favorite marinated wild-caught salmon is no longer available at Costco, so I picked up a new kind recently. I'm not in love with the fact that it's farmed salmon (wild-caught salmon has a much better nutrient profile than farmed!). But Adam absolutely loved the flavor, so it was a win. And only one of my kids refuses to eat salmon, so it's a great healthy option for us. On the side I did make white rice for the kids but also served this fast quinoa/brown rice mix, as well as lemony green beans.

January 2nd - Lucas Chicken, Whole Wheat Orzo, Broccoli

I had promised Lucas I would make his favorite chicken (breaded and pan-fried chicken breast). I managed to snag a couple small pieces before it all got eaten. I also cooked up some whole wheat orzo that I topped with parmesan, and steamed broccoli.

January 3rd - Grass-Fed Steak, Baked Potatoes, Salad, Kale Chips

We had delicious grass-fed steak this night, that I got at a great price at Costco. I also baked some russet potatoes (try to get organic....potatoes are on the dirty dozen list!). I opened up this Mediterranean Crunch salad kit and it was pretty good. I don't buy these salad kits very often but they're great in a pinch. I also made kale chips for the kids.

January 4th - Turkey Taco Soup

I used this recipe for ground turkey taco soup and it was pretty good! I also added some refried beans to the soup to thicken it up a little bit and give it a little more depth of flavor. We topped it with raw white cheddar (I get it in bulk from Azure Standard), and fresh avocado. Yum!

January 5th - Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers

This grass-fed beef sausage is a new favorite find from Costco. My family thought it was SO delicious! If we're going to eat any sort of sausage or deli meats, I prefer them to be nitrate-free and organic.

My inspiration for this meal came from my new 100 Days of Real Food Meal Planner! Not only does this contain some new recipes, but it has a 52-week meal planning template included. So far I am really loving this system for menu planning.

This is the recipe I tried. I've made sausage and pepper sheet pan meals many times, but never have I thought to serve it with rice (brown). And never have I topped it with a fried egg!

All the ingredients arranged on my sheet pan.

The finished meal. It was SO good!

January 6th - Cobb Salads

I was craving something a little lighter, so I made cobb salads. All I did was cook up some bacon, slice some boiled eggs (I keep boiled eggs in the fridge all the time for quick breakfasts), and then wash and chop some produce. 

January 7th - Spaghetti and Broccoli

Last night was spaghetti night! In the spirit of keeping it lower-carb, I used this chickpea pasta. When I tasted it plain it wasn't the best thing, but topped with marinara, meat and cheese, it was great!

That was our first week of dinners in January. Stay tuned for the next week, and let me know what your favorite healthy family recipes are!