This 7-day meal plan is full of easy and healthy 30-minute summer dinners

This week's meal plan focuses on the July challenge to embrace your inner athlete while requiring minimal kitchen time. With simple recipes utilizing the air fryer, grill, sheet-pan and muffin tin, this week is about batch cooking well-balanced meals.

The recipes combine seasonal ingredients, like corn and zucchini, with summertime favorites, like burgers and salads.

Like the foods at the Paris 2024 Olympic games, 50% of the menu is vegetarian. What to Eat This Week, July 22, 2024

>>Download and print the meal plan

>>Get a 31-day walking and upper body strength workout

Monday

Breakfast: Loaded Applesauce Muffins with Greek yogurt

Lunch: Corn, Quinoa and Feta Salad

Dinner: Thai Coconut Red Curry

Snack of choice

Tuesday

Breakfast: Joy Bauer’s Sheet-Pan Omelets with fruit

Lunch: Roasted Turkey Sandwich with Coleslaw

Dinner: Easy Jalapeño Cheddar Salmon Burgers

Snack of choice

Wednesday

Breakfast: Loaded Applesauce Muffins with Greek yogurt

Lunch: Corn, Quinoa and Feta Salad

Dinner: Air Fryer Orange Chicken

Snack of choice

Thursday

Breakfast:  Joy Bauer’s Sheet-Pan Omelets with fruit

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Snack of choice

Friday

Breakfast: Loaded Applesauce Muffins with Greek yogurt

Lunch: Roasted Turkey Sandwich with Coleslaw

Dinner: Leftovers

Snack of choice

Breakfast

Whether you head out for a run, walk, bike or swim, breakfast is usually the pre-workout meal. It should supply your muscles with energy for whatever the day holds.

Loaded Applesauce Muffins by Ryan Scott

These loaded applesauce muffins have a secret ingredient--veggies! They contain applesauce, carrots, zucchini and seeds, making them a hearty pre-workout breakfast. Pair them with protein-rich Greek yogurt to hold you over until lunchtime and give your muscles a boost.

Sheet-Pan Omelets by Joy Bauer

Make brunch quick and easy on a weekday with these sheet-pan omelets. Add whatever ingredients you like, such as veggies, cheese or other proteins. I recommend amping up the veggies, so you start your day with protein and fiber to keep you full.

Lunch

When you're hungry at lunch, you want something quick that won't leave you feeling weighed down. These two options are full of protein and easy to put together.

Corn, Quinoa and Feta Salad by Ryan Scott

There's nothing better than fresh summer corn, and this recipe combines it with quinoa and feta cheese. Corn is rich in starchy carbs to provide energy for a workout or an afternoon walk. And quinoa is a healthy plant-based protein for muscle repair.

Bobby Flay's Roasted Turkey Sandwich with Coleslaw by Bobby Flay

A turkey sandwich is a perfectly balanced mid-day meal. The bread has carbs for energy, and the turkey is loaded with protein for appetite control. This version has a homemade coleslaw for a tangy twist.

Dinner

End your day with a healthy dinner that will keep you full until bedtime. Eating a well-balanced meal at night also helps you feel energized for tomorrow's workout.

Thai Coconut Red Curry by Plantable

With all the flavor in this dish, you won't even notice that it's meatless. It's packed with veggies, tofu, brown rice and a delicious curry sauce.

Easy Jalapeño Cheddar Salmon Burgers by Kevin Curry

Spicy salmon burgers are just what your summer weeknights need. This version has jalapeno and cheddar blended into the burger, for a meal that tastes better than take-out.

Air Fryer Orange Chicken by Leah Cohen

If you love orange chicken but don't want all that greasy fried chicken, try this air-fryer version. The air-fryer crisps up the chicken without all the oil. And the best part is that you don't have to turn on your oven!

Stuffed Zucchini Boats by Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN

Zucchini is inexpensive and plentiful in the summer, and it's the perfect vehicle for stuffing. With lean turkey, marinara sauce and cheese, this feels like pizza night without all the filling dough.

Snacks

Pre-workout snacks

The pre-workout snack tops keeps you from hitting the wall during a workout. These snacks are full of healthy carbs to energize you for the work ahead.

Carrot Cake Bites by Samah Dada

Red Berry Crisp Smoothie by Babs Costello

Post-workout snacks

A post-workout snack should do three things: replenish energy, repair tired muscles and feed your hunger. These two recipes have plenty of protein and healthy carbs to do all three.

Frozen Yogurt Cups by Rachel Mansfield

Lentil Hummus by Joy Bauer

This article was originally published on TODAY.com