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The Home Cook: Daily Menu Plans

The Home Cook: Daily Menu Plans
Con Poulos
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This plan is for you if you love to make meals from fresh ingredients and don't mind spending up to an hour on dinner. Note that vegetables take center stage in almost every dish, and that not one green is plain old steamed.

Bonus: Dark chocolate contributes about 10 percent of the magnesium you should be consuming daily.

Day 1
Breakfast
  • Spinach Frittata

  • 1 plum tomato

  • 1 slice pumpernickel bread with raspberry preserves

  • 1 orange, sliced


    • Lunch
  • Cold Pesto Pasta Salad


    • Snack
  • 2 squares dark chocolate


    • Dinner
  • Chicken with Mushrooms and Tomato


    • Dessert
  • Top one 2-inch slice store-bought angel food cake with 1/2 cup fresh raspberries.

  • Grilled Pineapple with Lime: Brush three 1/4-inch-thick slices pineapple with the juice of 1/2 lime and grill 2 minutes per side.


    • Day 2
    Breakfast
  • 1 cup low-fat or fat-free vanilla yogurt

  • 1/2 cup low-fat muesli

  • 1/2 cup blueberries


    • Lunch
  • Sun-Dried Tomato Wrap with White Bean Puree


    • Snack
  • 2 tablespoons goat cheese

  • 1 pear, cut into wedges

  • 15 whole-wheat crackers


    • Dinner
  • Sesame Tuna


    • Dessert
  • Strawberry-Banana Smoothie: Blend 1 cup milk, 1/2 ripe banana, 1/2 cup strawberries, 2 teaspoons honey, and 1/2 cup ice until creamy.


    • Day 3
    Breakfast
  • Breakfast Pocket

  • 1/2 small navel orange, sliced

  • 1 cup skim or low-fat milk


    • Lunch
  • Turkey Salad with Romaine Slaw

  • 1 multigrain roll


    • Snack
  • Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt Dip)

  • 1/4 cup baby carrots

  • 1/4 cup sugar snap peas


    • Dinner
  • Horseradish-Crusted Flounder

  • Bulgur Wheat with Leeks


    • Dessert
  • 1/2 cup raspberry sorbet

  • 2 vanilla wafers


    • Day 4
    Breakfast
  • 2 whole-wheat pancakes

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

  • 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries, thawed

  • 1 cup skim or low-fat milk


    • Lunch
  • Cheese Quesadilla: Sprinkle half an 8-inch flour tortilla with 1/2 cup grated fontina cheese. Fold in half and broil on a foil-lined baking sheet until the cheese is melted.

  • Arugula Salad: Toss 1 cup arugula, 1/4 cup sliced red onion, 1/2 cup grapefruit segments, and 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil.


    • Snack
  • Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

  • 13 whole-wheat crackers


    • Dinner
  • Parchment Salmon and Quinoa


    • Dessert
  • 1/2 cup Champagne grapes

  • 1 ounce unsalted cashews


    • Day 5
    Breakfast
  • 1/2 cup cooked instant oatmeal

  • 1/2 banana, sliced

  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

  • 1 cup skim or low-fat milk


    • Lunch
  • Pasta e Fagioli

  • Green Beans with Pine Nuts: In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup steamed green beans, 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts, 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.


    • Snack
  • Zucchini and Lemon Salad


    • Dinner
  • Roast Chicken with Butternut Squash


    • Dessert
  • 2 clementines


    • Day 6
    Breakfast
  • 1 soft-boiled egg

  • 1 cup fresh spinach, steamed

  • 1/2 whole-wheat bagel, toasted

  • 1 cup skim or low-fat milk


    • Lunch
  • Whole-Wheat Wrap and Bulgur Wheat Salad


    • Snack
  • 1 cup red grapes


    • Dinner
  • Turkey Chili with Baked Potato


    • Dessert
  • 1 cup low-fat yogurt

  • 1 pear


    • Day 7
    Breakfast
  • French Toast

  • 3/4 cup skim or low-fat milk


    • Lunch
  • Chicken Salad


    • Snack
  • 1 cup low-fat yogurt

  • 1/2 banana, sliced

  • 1 tablespoon walnuts, chopped

  • 1 square graham cracker


    • Dinner
  • Pasta Ratatouille


    • Dessert
  • Baked Apple

    • February 2007
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