This summer, the ThedaCare Outpatient Nutrition and Diabetes Education team is offering inspiration to kick-start your weekly meal planning and tame your to-do list. Visit the ThedaCare booth on selected Saturdays throughout the season for a themed meal plan. Collect them all for a well-rounded recipe repertoire.
Busy summer schedules call for fuss-free meal planning. This collection of recipes relies on a sheet pan and the oven to streamline the cooking process. With a little chopping and prep work in advance, you’ll be able to get a meal on the table in a flash.
Meal Plan
Whether you’re a vegetarian or trying to increase plant-based sources of protein, this meal plan gives you flexible options.
| Option 1 | Option 2 | |
| Breakfast | Whole-grain English muffin with peanut butter and honey | Low-fat cottage cheese with cherries and banana |
| Lunch | Sheet pan tofu quinoa burrito bowls | Leftovers from previous day’s lunch or dinner |
| Dinner | Sheet pan shrimp scampi served over whole-wheat pasta | Sheet pan garlic-ginger chicken and broccoli served with brown rice |
Lunch
Sheet pan tofu quinoa burrito bowls
Ingredients
Quinoa
- 1 cup white quinoa
- 2 cups water
Tofu
- 14 ounces extra-firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Peppers
- 2 large peppers, sliced (any color)
- 1 medium red onion, sliced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Black Beans
- 15-ounce can black beans
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Toppings
- Avocado
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedge
Instructions
For the Quinoa
- In a large pot, bring quinoa and water to a boil. Cover and lower the heat to low and let simmer for around 15-20 minutes or until all the water has evaporated.
For the Black Beans
- Heat a small pot over medium-high heat.
- Place all ingredients for the beans into pot and bring to a
boil. Once simmering, remove from heat.
For the Tofu and Peppers
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking
spray and set aside. - Remove tofu from packaging and place between two pieces of paper towel or wrap in a clean tea towel. Place the wrapped tofu on a plate and put a cast-iron pan (or anything heavy) on top of the tofu. Let sit for 10 minutes to remove as much moisture as possible.
- Slice peppers and onion, and then place in a medium-sized
bowl. Add olive oil and spices and toss until combined. Place on one half of the baking sheet. - Remove tofu from the towel and chop into bite-sized cubes. In a medium-sized bowl, toss tofu with spices.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When olive oil is fragrant, add tofu and sauté for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to baking sheet.
- Bake tofu and peppers for around 15 minutes, tossing
halfway.
Assemble bowls by equally separating quinoa, tofu, peppers and
black beans into four bowls. Serve with avocado, fresh cilantro
and a squeeze of lime.
Recipe courtesy of fitfoodiefinds.com
Dinner
Option 1: Sheet Pan Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 small-medium zucchinis, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick half moons
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- Lemon slices, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to broil (450°F). Line a rimmed baking sheet
with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. - Place shrimp and zucchini on prepared baking sheet and
toss with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic until
shrimp and zucchini are evenly coated. - Place pan in the oven and broil for 5-6 minutes or until
shrimp turns pink and zucchini is tender. - Divide shrimp and zucchini mixture between four plates
and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve with whole-wheat pasta of your choice.
Recipe courtesy of eatingbirdfood.com
Option 2: Sheet Pan Garlic-Ginger Chicken with Broccoli
Ingredients
Garlic-Ginger Sauce
- 3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2-inch knob of fresh ginger (peeled)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 medjool dates (you can also use 1/4 cup honey or sugar)
Chicken and Broccoli
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into
strips - 1 head broccoli, cut into florets (about 5 cups)
- 1 red pepper, cut into strips
- Sesame oil, sesame seeds and/or green onions for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Blend all sauce ingredients together until smooth.
- Place chicken, broccoli and red pepper on a sheet pan. Pour about 1/2 cup sauce over top of the chicken and just a few tablespoons over the veggies. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
- While the broccoli and chicken are roasting, simmer another 1/2 cup or so of sauce in a small saucepan over medium low heat until it’s thickened. Drizzle sauce over the finished chicken and broccoli. Finish with sesame oil, sesame seeds or scallions. Serve with steamed brown rice.
Recipe courtesy of pinchofyum.com
Shopping List
Ensure you have peanut butter, honey, olive oil and dried spices
needed for the recipes. Purchase the following.
Produce — Farmers Market or Grocery Store
- Zucchini (2 small-medium)
- Lemons (2-3)
- Garlic (1 bulb)
- Fresh parsley (optional, could swap with dried)
- Fresh ginger (2 inch knob) (optional, could swap with dried)
- Broccoli (1 large head)
- Red bell pepper (1-2)
- Red onion (1 medium)
- Limes (2)
- Fresh cilantro
- Bananas
- Cherries (fresh or frozen)
- Avocado
Protein and Refrigerated
- Raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1½ pounds)
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (1 pound)
- Extra firm tofu (14–16-ounce block)
- Low-fat cottage cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream for burrito bowls — optional
Canned/Packaged Goods
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- White vinegar
- Medjool dates (or use honey or sugar)
- Black beans (15-ounce can)
- Salsa (optional)
Grains and Bakery
- Quinoa (dry)
- Whole-grain English muffins
- Brown rice
- Whole-wheat pasta
Meal Prep Plan
To streamline meal making for the week, prep protein and
produce in advance. Store in airtight containers until ready to
use.
Breakfast
- Wash cherries if using fresh
- Slice bananas (or keep whole to slice fresh)
- Portion cottage cheese into 2 containers
- Set aside English muffins, peanut butter and honey
Lunch
- Prepare recipe according to directions
- Portion into lunch containers
Dinner
Shrimp Scampi
- Prep shrimp (clean, peel and devein if needed)
- Slice zucchini
- Break garlic into cloves for mincing at prep time
- Cook whole-wheat pasta
- Cook on sheet pan the night of (15-20 minutes)
Garlic Ginger Chicken and Broccoli
- Slice chicken
- Chop broccoli and red pepper
- Blend garlic-ginger sauce
- Bake sheet pan meal
- Cook brown rice
See More Meal Plans and Recipes
ThedaCare is pleased to offer nutrition and diabetes care. If you’d like to connect with a registered dietitian or diabetes educator, ask your care team for a referral.
