Black Bean Burgers, Breakfast Tacos and More

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Spring is just around the corner and the abundance of seasonal produce invites you to try a new vegetable or two. This week’s menu features seasonal MVPs including snow peas, carrots, avocado, asparagus and lettuce. You’ll find these ingredients in dishes ranging from Caesar salad to steak to chickpea burgers, showing you how to enjoy the foods and flavors you love in a healthy way.

What to eat this week This week: March 11, 2024

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Monday

Breakfast: Avocado, Spinach, and Egg Breakfast Tacos

Lunch: Cold tahini noodle salad

Dinner: Caesar salad with steak and sugar snap peas

Snack of your choice

Tuesday

Breakfast: grilled grapefruit with yogurt, nuts and honey

Lunch: Caesar Caprese Wrap

Dinner: Black bean burgers

Snack of your choice

Wednesday

Breakfast: Avocado, Spinach, and Egg Breakfast Tacos

Lunch: Cold tahini noodle salad

Dinner: leftovers

Snack of your choice

THURSDAY

Breakfast: grilled grapefruit with yogurt, nuts and honey

Lunch: Caesar Caprese Wrap

Dinner: Gluten-free Chicken Piccata

Snack of your choice

Friday

Breakfast: Avocado, Spinach, and Egg Breakfast Tacos

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner: Roast chicken with roasted asparagus and pistachio pesto

Snack of your choice

Breakfast

If you don’t like breakfast, get inspired by these low-maintenance ideas to make it a habit. Take 10 minutes to prepare the scrambled eggs ahead of time (they’ll keep for up to four days in your refrigerator) and reheat some before assembling your tacos. Grapefruit meal is easy to prepare and you can grill the fruit while making your coffee.

Vegetarian Breakfast Tacos by Casey Barber

Breakfast tacos? Yes please! The recipe calls for one egg, which doesn’t provide enough protein in the morning, so we recommend topping your tacos with canned, drained black beans. You can also double your egg intake, as long as you have no more than 7 per week.

Grilled grapefruit with yogurt, nuts and honey

Cut ½ grapefruit, sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with honey. Grill until the topping is bubbling and the grapefruit begins to caramelize. Then top your grapefruit with plain or low-sugar Greek yogurt and nuts or seeds (like pumpkin or hemp seeds).

Lunch

Sandwiches and salads are lunch staples, but these versions are anything but typical. With minimal advanced prep, preparing these meals before you head to work or sit down to eat is a breeze.

Caesar Caprese Wrap by Joy Bauer

Here’s an easy lunch wrap that combines the flavors of your favorite salads. Although the recipe involves making a quick vinaigrette, you can skip this step and use a bottled vinaigrette instead. Next, add a few slices of avocado to your wrap. Serve your wrap with slices of red pepper and a dip of Greek yogurt mixed with pesto to taste. This will increase the benefits of protein and vegetables.

Cold Tahini Noodle Salad Lunch by Kevin Curry

Tired of the same old salad? Here’s a lettuce-free salad with four types of vegetables, noodles and a rich, flavorful dressing. Prepare the dressing and salad in advance (leaving enough for leftovers) and toss them together when you’re ready to eat. Toss with shelled edamame – a great source of plant-based protein.

Dinner

This week, the focus is on feel-good meals made up of lots of colorful produce. Bonus: None of these recipes require more than 20 minutes of practice.

Caesar Salad with Steak and Sweet Peas by Jeremy Ford

Serving steak over a salad is a healthy way to enjoy red meat, and it’s also a hearty and light combo. Plus, the salad’s mix of baby gem lettuce and snow peas gives the perfect crunch.

Sunny’s Black Bean Burgers by Sunny Anderson

Black bean burgers are easy to make with a food processor. Do yourself a favor and make a big batch to freeze and enjoy later. Serve your burger on a whole grain pita with all the toppings and accompany with roasted carrots.

Quick Roasted Asparagus with Pistachio Pesto by Ryan Scott

When you don’t have time to cook a lot, buy a store-bought rotisserie chicken to accompany this quick vegetarian side dish. Make a large batch of this pesto and freeze what you don’t use to season other meals later. If your meal doesn’t seem complete without a starch, serve it with quinoa. Using a frozen version means everything will be ready to eat in 15 minutes or less.

Gluten-free chicken piccata by Kevin Curry

This is a gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb version of chicken piccata, but don’t let that deter you. The chicken is breaded in seasoned almond flour and cooked until golden brown, and the sauce is rich and creamy. Although it is served over zucchini noodles, you can toss them with pasta made from whole grains or legumes if you like.

Snacks

Snacks that contain whole food sources of protein and fiber offer a winning formula that keeps you full for hours. Here are some ideas:

• Apple slices and a cheese stick.

• Sliced ​​pear with cottage cheese.

• Clementine and nuts or seeds (like pumpkin seeds).

• Red pepper slices with tzatziki yogurt dip.

• Grape tomatoes with a boiled egg.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com