Weekly Dinner Meal Plans: Spring Mediterranean Dinners
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What to Cook: Spring Mediterranean Dinners
With spring weather and longer days, this week’s meals are about spring Mediterranean dinners. They are colorful, and packed with healthy vegetables. And these spring Mediterranean dinners will help us keep our healthy habits.
What to Think: 5 Things Bringing Hope Today
I came across an article on what’s bringing people hope today. I had to stop and take it in.
And you know what — if you’re reading this dinner meal plan — you’re already doing 1 of the 5!
It’s said in ancient scripture, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.”
As it turns out, it can make the body sick too.
Hope is vital during these days of staying home, with no definitive finish line in sight. It can be daunting as we’ve pivoted our work life, home life, and culture. Wellness app LifeOmic recently surveyed nearly 2,300 of their users to learn more about what’s bringing them hope and joy amidst the stress.
It’s been said, “A person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do and something to hope for.”
5 Things Bringing People Hope Today
Five simple things bringing people hope in a unique time.
1. Connection with Loved Ones.
We talk about this a lot in our weekly Friday email. Be sure to join us, we’d love to have you!
Although in-person meetups are hard to come by these days, many of us are connecting with family and friends in new ways. Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, along with other tools are reconnecting us.
The survey showed “it’s even allowed some to rekindle and grow relationships: 62% of respondents are connecting daily or weekly with loved ones (compared to 49% connecting monthly or less before). About 8% more people are also making the effort to connect with loved ones at least once per week.”
2. A Good Night’s Sleep
With the pace of life slowing, sleep can become more of a priority than before. “One in five respondents ranked sleep as their most enjoyable healthy habit.”
See: Perfect Sleep Bedtime Rituals
3. At Home Workouts
With most gyms closed, and crowded hiking trails and recreation paths, people are turning to home-based workouts. Myself included. In fact, YouTube is my best friend in the morning. Before, “23% of those surveyed worked out daily at home, and now 40% do. And those who rarely if ever broke a sweat are stepping things up: 27% of them are getting their heart rates up every day.”
I’m loving MadFit low impact home workouts on YouTube.
4. Meditating
The survey showed that “more than one in 10 of those who had never practiced meditation before have started dedicated mindfulness practices to try to manage stress” during this time.
I meditate on the Bible both in the morning and evening before sleep. During wakeful hours of the night, scripture is such a calming assurance.
5. Trying New Recipes
“Whether it’s a bit of stress baking or a solution to clean out the fridge of old produce, those who reported that they’re trying new recipes at least once per week has jumped from 36% to 63%. Even the restaurant revelers are joining the cooking club, too. Nearly 50% of those who used to try a new recipe once a year or less are now digging out their aprons: 29% of them are giving new recipes a shot at least weekly.”
Speaking of recipes… let’s try some new ones this week!
And have fun in the kitchen…
Have a great week everyone!
RELATED: More 31Daily Dinner Ideas >>
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What to Eat This Week: Spring Mediterranean Dinners
Monday: Slow Cooker Mediterranean Stew
Tuesday: Pan Seared Halibut
Wednesday: Orzo Primavera
Thursday: One Pot Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice
Friday: Greek Roasted Fish with Vegetables
Treat: Salted Butterscotch Blondie Bars
What to Cook: Mediterranean Spring Dinners
Monday: Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Stew
This Mediterranean stew is a healthy dinner chock-full of vegetables and hearty chickpeas. A drizzle of olive oil to finish carries the flavors of this easy vegan crock-pot stew. Swap out the chickpeas for white beans for a different twist, or try collards or spinach in place of the kale. With the stew, I'm serving our favorite No Yeast Bread
Tuesday: Pan-Seared Halibut with Creamed Corn & Tomatoes
"This recipe calls for halibut--line-caught from the Pacific Ocean is the most sustainable option. Can't find it? Swap in Pacific cod or U.S. farmed tilapia instead. Serve this summery combination of seared fish, corn, tomatoes and basil for weeknight family dinners."
Wednesday: Orzo Primavera with Lemon, Asparagus, Broccoli, and Cherry Tomatoes
Packed with spring vegetables, this is an easy but perfect spring Mediterranean dinner! Add poached chicken if you need the added protein.
Thursday: One Pot Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice
"I want to say the star of this dish is the chicken. But that would be lying to you. Because this, my friends, is all about the RICE! People have said this One Pot Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice is the best chicken and rice recipe they’ve ever had (their words not mine!). A dinner that’s quick to prep, easy, and baked in the oven so it’s entirely hands off cooking."
Greek Roasted Fish with Vegetables
This highly rated easy recipe packs in Mediterranean flavors and fits perfectly into a healthy diet!
Treat: Salted Butterscotch Blondie Bars
I'm adding this as a treat -- only because I'm craving white chocolate and butterscotch. It's an easy recipe that is just super yummy!
More Weekly Dinner Plans
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