Seven-Day Menu Planner

Add green beans and onions. Cook 2 (12-ounce) packages trimmed fresh green beans in boiling salted water about 4 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse in cold water. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium-low. Add 2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced; cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden. To skillet, add beans, coarse salt and pepper to taste and stir; cook 3 minutes until heated. Stir in 4 slices cooked bacon (crumbled) and serve.

Add whole-grain bread alongside. Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake With Strawberry Sauce (see recipe) for dessert.

Plan ahead: Save enough turkey and cake for Monday.

8/ 8

Heat-and-Eat Monday

Make Turkey Caesar Roll-Ups for an easy meal. In a large bowl, combine 4 cups shredded romaine, 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 4 finely chopped green onions and 2 tablespoons light Caesar dressing. Arrange 1 cup romaine mixture in center of 4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas. Top each with 2 slices leftover turkey, 2 sun-dried tomatoes (marinated and drained) and pepper to taste. Fold in bottom and top portions of each tortilla. Roll from the long side to completely enclose the filling.

Serve with baked chips. Steam some fresh okra on the side. Slice the leftover cake for dessert.

8/ 9

Kids Tuesday

Make the kids happy with Double-Bean Sloppy Joes for dinner. In a large nonstick skillet, combine 1 (15-ounce) can rinsed black-eyed peas, 1 (15-ounce) can rinsed reduced-sodium pinto beans, 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can drained diced no-salt-added tomatoes, 1 cup finely chopped shredded carrots, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar and 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder; bring to boil. Reduce heat, partially cover skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Spoon onto bottom of 4 split toasted Kaiser rolls; replace tops.

Serve with chopped lettuce. Slurp on peanut banana smoothies for dessert. Combine 1 medium-ripe banana (frozen), 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup 1 percent milk, 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and 3 ice cubes in a blender. Blend on high until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Plan ahead: Cook Wednesday's brown rice today.

8/ 10

Meatless Wednesday

Make delicious Baked Brown Rice With Broccoli and Mushrooms (see recipe) for an easy no-meat dinner. Serve with sliced tomatoes and whole-grain rolls. Nectarines are dessert.

8/ 11

Budget Thursday

Low-cost Mexican Salad is just right for summer. In a large nonstick skillet, cook 1/2 pound lean ground beef, 1/2 pound ground turkey and 1 small chopped onion 8 to 10 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink and the onion softens; drain well. Stir in 1 tablespoon chili powder, 3/4 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Cook 2 or 3 more minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup reduced-fat ranch dressing, 3/4 teaspoon cumin and 1/8 teaspoon pepper sauce; mix well. To serve, place 5 cups sliced romaine on a serving platter. Top the romaine with 1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes, 1/2 cup canned rinsed reduced-sodium black beans and the beef/turkey mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup 50 percent light jalapeno cheddar cheese and chopped fresh cilantro.

Serve with warmed fat-free flour tortillas and ranch dressing mix. Dessert is just a bowl of cherries.

8/ 12

Express Friday

A new twist on an old theme makes Reuben Quesadillas an easy meal. Spread 2 tablespoons Thousand Island dressing on one side of 4 (10-inch) fat-free flour tortillas. Layer 2 ounces thinly sliced deli corned beef, 1/2 cup rinsed and drained refrigerated sauerkraut and 2 slices reduced-fat Swiss cheese onto half of each tortilla. Fold tortillas in half over filling, pressing gently to seal. Heat a large nonstick skillet to medium, add quesadillas in batches, and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden and cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and serve.

Add corn-on-the-cob and a lettuce wedge on the side. Try fresh plums for dessert.

8/ 13

Easy Entertaining Saturday

Your lucky friends will enjoy Caprese Chicken (see recipe) tonight. Serve it over fettuccine. Add an Italian salad and crusty bread on the side. Buy fruit tarts for dessert.

Tip: This chicken recipe is going into my favorites file.

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THE RECIPES

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake With Strawberry Sauce (Sunday)

2 (6.5-ounce) packages lemon poppy seed muffin mix

1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup

1/2 cup prepared fat-free, sugar-free instant lemon pudding (see Note)

Fresh strawberries for garnish

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat an 8-by-12-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Put muffin mix in bowl; stir in 1 1/4 cups water just until moistened (small lumps may remain). Spread evenly in pan. Bake 25 to 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, puree frozen strawberries in a blender and set aside. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 5 minutes before inverting cake on rack to cool completely. Using a long serrated knife, split cake in half horizontally. Place bottom half on a dessert plate; spread with lemon pudding. Top with remaining cake. Spoon pureed strawberries on individual dessert plates; place a wedge of cake on puree. Garnish with fresh strawberries. Serves 8.

Note: Prepare pudding with 1 percent milk.

Per serving: 241 calories (percent calories from fat, 20), 3 grams protein, 45 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 6 grams fat (1.4 grams saturated fat), 1 milligram cholesterol, 347 milligrams sodium.

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Baked Brown Rice With Broccoli and Mushrooms (Wednesday)

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup thinly sliced celery

3 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh crimini mushrooms

4 cups cooked brown rice

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed less-sodium, less-fat cheese or mushroom soup

4 ounces shredded 50 percent light cheddar cheese (about 1 cup), divided

1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/8 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine onions and celery; cover and microwave on high 4 minutes; drain. Spoon into large bowl. In same microwave dish, combine broccoli and mushrooms and microwave 3 minutes; drain and add to large bowl. Add cooked rice, soup, 3/4 cup cheese, sour cream and salt and pepper to bowl; mix well. Spoon into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake 35 minutes; top with remaining cheese. Bake 3 more minutes or until cheese is melted. Serves 6.

Per serving: 331 calories (percent calories from fat, 34), 14 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fiber, 13 grams fat (5.8 grams saturated fat), 33 milligrams cholesterol, 476 milligrams sodium.

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Caprese Chicken (Saturday)

4 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2 large plum tomatoes, cut into 8 slices

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Flatten chicken breasts between plastic wrap to 1/2-inch thickness. In a small bowl, mix Italian seasoning, salt and zest; rub mixture over smooth side of chicken. Heat oil and vinegar in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add chicken, seasoned-side down; cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning once. Reduce heat to low. Top each breast with 2 tomato slices and 2 tablespoons cheese. Cover; cook 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with basil and serve. (Adapted from “Betty Crocker: Fast From-Scratch Meals,” Grace Wells and Cathy Swanson, senior editors; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016.) Serves 4.

Per serving: 267 calories (percent calories from fat, 35), 40 grams protein, 2 grams carbohydrate, no fiber, 10 grams fat (2.9 grams saturated fat), 118 milligrams cholesterol, 527 milligrams sodium.