Menu Plan: Cooking Light Recipes for Family Dinners

Posted by Danelle Ice at 2:55 pm

Mar 152009

As springtime approaches, many of us want to get healthier and start cooking light recipes for dinner. We’ve been eating heavy meals and thick winter soups for months now, and it’s time to ease up on the textures and the calories! Our menu plan this week features low calorie and low fat recipes that will have you cooking light in no time.

Home Ever After’s exclusive free printable Take and Make Menu Plans contain everything you need for an entire week’s dinners and all you have to do is the shopping and cooking! Print out the menu plan each Sunday, which includes:

A printable grocery shopping list of ingredients. Print out the list, check off what you already have on hand, then take your shopping list to the store.

A dinner meal for each day. Click the name of the meal to print the recipe and directions. (After the week is over, add the recipes to your cookbook for future use.)

If you’d like to suggest your recipes to be featured, email tips(at)homeeverafter.com.

Home Ever After’s Take And Make Menu Plans:

Cooking Light Recipes for Your Family

Menu is planned for a family of 4. Please adjust ingredients and recipes up to accommodate extra people.

Printable Grocery Shopping List:

Meats and Proteins: ____ 4 ounces sliced deli roast beef ____ 1 pork tenderloin (1 pound) ____ 12 chicken breast halves ____ 1-1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins ____ 1-1/2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese ____ 3 bacon strips ____ 1 can (15 ounces) black beans ____ 1 can (15 ounces) white kidney or cannellini beans	Vegetables/Fruits: ____ 9 oz green beans ____ 5 garlic cloves ____ 1/4 cup green onions ____ 2 medium apples ____ 1 1/2 cup carrots ____ 3 celery ribs ____ 3 onions ____ 2 plum tomatoes ____ 1 sweet red pepper ____ 1/2 cup broccoli ____ 1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts
Liquids: ____ Soy sauce ____ 3 tablespoons lime juice ____ 2/3 cup fat-free milk ____ 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice ____ 5 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth ____ 3 teaspoons olive oil ____ 5 teaspoons vegetable oil	Spices: ____ Salt and pepper ____ 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro ____ Paprika ____ 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme ____ 1/2 teaspoon paprika ____ 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning ____ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder ____ 1 bay leaf ____ 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning ____ 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano ____ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin ____ 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Other: ____ 1/4 cup plum sauce ____ 1 tablespoon butter ____ 1/4 cup tomato paste ____ 1/2 teaspoon reduced-sodium chicken bouillon granules ____ 1/2 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce ____ 4-1/2 teaspoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce ____ 1-1/2 teaspoons grated fresh gingerroot ____ 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted	Grains / Baking: ____ 1/4 cup all-purpose flour ____ 8 oz uncooked linguine ____ 2 teaspoons cornstarch ____ 3 1/2 cups uncooked rice ____ 1 2/3 cups reduced-fat baking mix ____ Cornstarch

Meals with Recipes:

Monday

Dinner: Thai Beef and Noodle Salad. This low calorie light recipe has only 176 calories per serving.

Tuesday

Dinner: Broiled Pork with Sauteed Apples and Vibrant Beans recipe. 4 servings.

Wednesday

Dinner: Easy Chicken and Dumplings. Cooking light recipes doesn’t always mean you choose low fat or low calories. This recipe has only 282 calories and 5 grams of fat per serving! Makes 6 servings.

Thursday

Dinner: Tasty Italian Chicken- ready in only 30 minutes! This light recipe has only 163 calories and 3 grams of fat, so you can be cooking light without spending a lot of time.