Light and Easy Recipes and Meal Ideas

Lunch

Pesto Marinated Grilled Chicken

Calories: 150 •

Hello person reading this! This is extremely delicious and versatile grilled chicken you can use in many ways throughout the week. You can use olive oil instead of the mayonnaise called for in this recipe but I use mayonnaise for a few reasons. It doesn't burn as easily as olive oil. It also integrates with the lemon juice a little better - and I like the overall flavor it gives to this chicken.

For best results, do not over-cook the chicken. Actual cook time will depend on how thick the chicken breast is but typically it is just a few mintues per side. I usually flip the first side of the chicken when I see the outer rim of the chicken change in opacity. The outer edges of the chicken change from pink to a whiter color. The second side will need about the same amount of time as the first, but use a meat thermometer to determine the internal temperature of the chicken which should be 165 degrees F.

Recommended time for marinating in the refrigerator is 45 minutes - 1 hour. You can let it marinate longer but it affects the texture of the chicken, and I find the flavor to be too lemony if it marinates for too long.

Note: If you use boneless, skinless chicken thighs (instead of chicken breast), you can omit the mayonnaise (or olive oil) all together.

You can prepare and cook this in advance to use it for sandwiches, salads, wraps or on its own with vegetables or another side dish.

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Loaded Potato Skins

Calories: 216 •

These potato skins are filled with center cut bacon, fresh broccoli, sour cream and chives. It's a quick and really tasty lunch you can make on weekends to change things up a bit. Just 5 SmartPoints for 2 halves on Green and Blue, or 3 SmartPoints for 2 halves on Purple.
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California Shrimp Cocktail

Calories: 158 •

This simple dish makes a good party appetizer but I've also had it as a meal for lunch. You'll want to cut the cucumber and avocado around the same size and shape of the shrimp. Then just use a carrot peel to hold it together.

This recipe is sponsored by my friends and partners at Seafood at Home. They are a great resource for recipes and ideas for all kinds of seafood.

1 serving is 6 pieces

Recipe makes 12 pieces. Nutrition facts exclude Soy Sauce.
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Broccoli Vegetable Soup

Calories: 169 •

This post-holiday reset soup is totally delish! Only points are in the parmesan cheese (for all plans).

Recipe makes about 6 two-cup servings.
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Taco Salad

Calories: 322 •

I use precooked chicken for this salad (either shredded or grilled) seasoned with ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. The fresh cilantro and lime juice give it a restaurant quality taste. The salsa, sour cream and lime juice are the dressing for the salad.

You can make this salad in advance and store it in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Just be sure to assemble it as described in the instructions.

Recipe makes 1 large serving.
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Thai Salad with Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons

Calories: 221 •

This totally delicious salad has Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons, shrimp, edamame, fresh cilantro and more. It's easy to pack up and go.

Recipe makes 1 salad. WW SmartPoints and Nutrition Facts exclude dressing.

Dressing recipe SmartPoints:

Green: 4

Blue: 4

Purple: 4
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Gorgonzola Salad

Calories: 427 •

To keep this salad fresh for a few days, assemble the ingredients in a bowl starting with the lettuce first. Keep the Romaine on one side of the bowl, and Arugula on the other side. Once the lettuce is in the bowl, place the remaining ingredients on top (grouped together by ingredients). Do not toss together or add dressing until you are just about ready to eat it. To keep the apples from browning, rub them with a little lemon juice.

Recipe for grilled-chicken can be found here.

Store-bought dressings that go well with this: Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Vinaigrette, Panera's Fuji Apple dressing.

Recipe makes 1 salad (32 oz container). WW SmartPoints and nutrition information excludes dressing.
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Grilled Salmon Salad

Calories: 391 •

To keep this salad fresh for a few days, assemble the ingredients in a bowl starting with the lettuce first. Keep the Romaine on one side of the bowl, and Arugula on the other side. Once the lettuce is in the bowl, place the remaining ingredients on top (grouped together by ingredients). Do not toss together or add dressing until you are just about ready to eat it.

Dressings that go well with this: a simple lemon vinaigrette

Recipe makes 1 salad (32 oz container). WW SmartPoints and nutrition values exclude dressing.
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Mediterranean Style Salad

Calories: 258 •

To keep this salad fresh for a few days, assemble the ingredients in a bowl starting with the lettuce first. Keep the Romaine on one side of the bowl, and Spinach on the other side. Once the lettuce is in the bowl, place the remaining ingredients on top (grouped together by ingredients). Do not toss together or add dressing until you are just about ready to eat it.

Recipe for grilled chicken can be found here.

Store-bought dressing that goes well with this: Olive Garden Lite Italian Dressing

Recipe makes 1 salad (32 oz container). WW SmartPoints and nutrition information excludes dressing.
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Chicken Soup

Calories: 346 •

A very basic but delicious soup you can make in advance and enjoy all week long. Simple, tasty and filling. It makes a good dinner when paired with breadsticks and a salad. My kids enjoy it, and I can eat leftovers for lunch the next day.

I use a whole chicken for chicken soup because the bones in the chicken give the soup a good flavor.

Tip for selecting a chicken for soup: choose Whole Young Chicken (not a "Roaster").

Recipe makes 6 servings. Serving size: about 2 1/2 cups
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Chicken Sandwich w Apples & Grilled Onions

Calories: 440 •

A little something different to mix up your lunch line-up. The apples and onions are sliced and heated in a pan on the stovetop to give it a nice little carmelization. The dressing is Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Vinaigrette. If you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby, you can mix up something similar with this home-made Champagne Vinaigrette Recipe here.

You can also find my recipe for 2-Ingredient Dough Bagels here. And the recipe for Grilled Chicken here.

Recipe makes 1 serving. WW SmartPoints and Nutrition information determined using 2-ingredient dough recipe and Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Vinaigrette dressing (not the home-made version).
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Turkey Chili

Calories: 299 •

You can use extra lean ground turkey or extra lean ground chicken in this recipe. Recipe makes about 8 servings (2 cups each).

See video for quick demonstration
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Everything Wrap (with Smoked Salmon)

Calories: •

I used Tumaro's Premium White wraps here, which are just 1 SmartPoint (all plans). This specific wrap recipe includes smoked salmon, lettuce and a tbsp of sour cream. Really simple, but delicious and filling!

Nutritional values for Everything seasoning could not be obtained so it is not included for this recipe.
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Better than Subway - Sweet Onion Teriyaki Sub

Calories: 385 •

I am a huge fan of Subway's Sweet Onion Teriyaki Sub. So I made my own. This version is all that! I highly recommend the Amoroso's club rolls from Aldi for this. They are soft and awesome and 4 SmartPoints on all plans.

Recipe makes 1 serving - with leftover Sweet Onion Teriyaki Sauce to save for use on other dishes throughout the week.
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Chickpea Chicken Salad

Calories: 329 •

This is a very easy and tasty lunch or side dish. Serve in a pita for lunch, or in a bowl as a side dish.

Recipe makes 2 servings (about 1 1/4 cups each).
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Southwest Chicken Wrap

Calories: 331 •

A really good bang for your SmartPoints here. I used a Tumaro's wrap (which is just 1 SmartPoint - all plans). The dressing in this wrap is a simple mix of salsa verde and 1 tbsp of sourcream!

Recipe makes 1 wrap.

Click here for: Chili Lime chicken marinade recipe
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BLT Wrap with Roasted Turkey Breast & Balsamic

Calories: 415 •

Super satisfying and tasty lunch. This wrap has real bacon (center cut), pre-cooked roasted turkey breast, spring mix lettuce, tomato and balsamic dressing. Strawberries go well with balsamic dressing so I had those on the side.

Recipe makes 1 wrap.

WW SmartPoints and nutrition information based on Trader Joe's pre-cooked roasted turkey breast, Trader Joe's low-carb whole-wheat wrap, Oscar Meyer Center Cut Bacon and Trader Joe's Balsamic & Fig Vinaigrette dressing.
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Cheeseburger

Calories: 335 •

Just 6 WW SmartPoints for this cheeseburger that has real ground beef, a normal size bun and a slice of Velveeta cheese.

I used Trader Joe's brand 96% lean ground beef, Trader Joe's Whole Wheat hamburger buns, a slice of Velveeta cheese , pickles, lettuce and tomato! The beef is not crazy juicy but not terribly dry either. It's a good tasty burger for weeknight summer grilling for sure.

Recipe makes 4 burgers. 1 Burger per serving.
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Watermelon Mint Salad

Calories: 212 •

Another Panera Bread inspired lunch here. Panera used to have a summer salad with watermelon, mint leaves and feta cheese. It was my all time favorite. So I recreated my own version here.

Recipe makes 1 salad with leftover dressing. WW SmartPoints and Nutrition information includes dressing.
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Crab Salad

Calories: 173 •

To give this salad a creamy taste, I recommend using regular full-fat sour cream for this recipe (not low-fat or fat-free).

Recipe makes 2 one-cup servings. WW SmartPoints and nutrition information exclude pitas.

The pitas are 2 points each. You can click here for the PITA BREAD RECIPE
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Panera Bread Inspired Vegetable Soup

Calories: 192 •

I love the 10 Vegetable Soup from Panera Bread, so I decided to make my own version for Meal Prep. This does not taste "exactly" like Panera's version but I think it's pretty close. I replaced the grains used in the original recipe with lentils and used ingredients I had on hand. It turned out really tasty.

Recipe makes about 6 two-cup servings. WW SmartPoints and nutrition information excludes the breadsticks shown in the photo.
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Shrimp & Wonton Salad

Calories: 236 •

A fun and delicious lunch to pack up and go, or eat at home. All ingredients used for this can be found at Trader Joe's (except this specific brand of shrimp), or you can find similar items at your local grocery store but just keep in mind that it may impact the nutritional values. See quick video demonstration for specific items used.

Recipe makes 1 serving.

You can find and purchase Chinese Food Takeout Containers here, as well as a really cute set of reusable Chop Sticks here.

Commission earned if you purchase through the links.
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Thai Peanut Wrap

Calories: 370 •

This is a tasty wrap with lots of crunchy texture. It has a bunch of Trader Joe's finds in it. The wrap itself (which is a small whole wheat low carb wrap), sliced roasted turkey breast, the Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette and the soy beans are all from Trader Joe's.

Recipe makes 1 wrap.
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Chickpea Vegetable Stew

Calories: 337 •

This is a quick and tasty soup. I like to use home-made chicken broth, but you can use store bought if you prefer.

Recipe makes 4 servings. Serving size: about 2 cups.
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White Chicken Chili

Calories: 302 •

I make this on meal prep day to have throughout the week. Sometimes I just heat it up in the jar, or add it to a corn tortilla to make it a taco. It's also good as a dip with corn crackers. I used 93% lean ground chicken because I find the extra lean chicken (97% lean) to be too dry.

Recipe makes about 10 one-cup servings.
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Personal Pizza

Calories: 275 •

Easy pie to put together if you make it with the zero point marinara sauce (made in advance). Good for the kids too. Simple but really delish. Recipe for zero point marinara sauce here.

Recipe makes 1 serving.
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Chicken & Apple Slaw Wrap

Calories: 332 •

The green apple slaw gives this wrap sweet and tangy flavor, and a little crunch. I used parchment paper around the wrap to hold this together and prevent it from spilling out the bottom. The wrap is a small low-carb whole wheat tortilla for 1 SmartPoint. The shredded chicken was left over from a roaster I made the night before.
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Shredded Steak Fajita Salad

Calories: 386 •

Super satisfying salad you can make for lunch or dinner. Easy to put together. Recipe makes 1 salad and 1 serving of dressing but you will have left-over shaved beef, which you can use in many ways: 1. For fajitas in flour tortillas 2. Additional salads. 3. Store in a container in the refrigerator for later use. Use in place of ground beef for chili, soups, vegetable stir fry, etc.
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Chinese Food Style Salad

Calories: 392 •

I found these really cute Chinese food take-out containers and chop sticks. It's just a fun way to enjoy a tasty, crunchy salad. I found the water chestnuts and chow mein noodles in the international section of my local grocery store. The pork is left-over from a roast I did the night before.

You can find and purchase Chinese Food Takeout Containers here, as well as a really cute set of reusable Chop Sticks here.

Recipe makes 1 serving. WW SmartPoints and nutrition information includes the dressing.
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Italian Salad

Calories: 283 •

If you do not use fresh herbs to season your food, you are missing out on life. Not dried herbs, but fresh herbs. The fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan and balsamic dressing are a delicious combination, mimicking anti-pasta salad. I also love Arugula lettuce.

You can find the recipe for Balsamic Vinaigrette here >. Points value and nutrition information for this recipe excludes balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
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Minestrone

Calories: 345 •

Hello person reading this. This is a regular in my soup line-up. I like to cook the Ditalini pasta separate so it doesn't get soggy for leftovers. I make a big batch of this on the weekend and freeze it so I have it for many lunches and dinners to come. Recipe makes about 6 two-cup servings.
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Asian Chicken Salad with Water Chestnuts

Calories: 274 •

I love the texture and flavors in this Asian inspired salad. You can find canned water chestnuts in the International section of most grocery stores (sliced or diced). For dressing, I recommend the Panera Bread Asian Style Vinaigrette which is 1 SmartPoint for 2 tbsp (all WW plans). A lot of mainstream grocery stores carry this dressing in the produce section (refrigerated).

Recipe makes 1 large salad. SmartPoints values and nutrition information exclude dressing.

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Waffle Iron Frittata

Calories: 185 •

Don't worry if you get a little egg spillage over the edges of the waffle iron when you cook this. This fritatta bakes up nice and fluffy. When it's finished cooking, use a spatula to lift and remove it from the iron.

I used a 7" round waffle iron for this recipe. If your waffle iron is a different size, you may need to adjust the ingredients to better fit the waffle iron.

Recipe makes 2 servings (1/2 of the frittata is one serving).
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Waffle Iron Quesadillas

Calories: 284 •

This is a very quick and tasty quesadilla you can make in about 15 minutes. More of an idea than a recipe, you can mix and match your own ingredients to make this quesadilla any way you like.
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Wonton Soup

Calories: 184 •

Very quick and easy lunch for days you are in a hurry. Recipe is for one individual portion but easily multiply this for more servings.
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Lentil Soup

Calories: 255 •

Easy, yummy and healthy lunch to heat up on busy weekdays if you make it in advance. Recipe makes about 6 two-cup servings.

If you are unable to find the canned Lentils, you can use dried Lentils. Use but be sure to soak them in water overnight. Then rinse and drain them before adding them to the soup.

SmartPoints values and Nutrition information exclude the crackers and sour cream shown in the photo.
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Cobb Salad

Calories: 360 •

To keep this salad fresh for a few days, assemble the ingredients in a bowl starting with the lettuce first. Once the lettuce is in the bowl, place the remaining ingredients on top (grouped together by ingredients). Do not toss together or add dressing until you are just about ready to eat it.

Store-bought dressing that goes well with this: Trader Joe's Green Goddess dressing, any type of Ranch.

Recipe makes 1 salad (32 oz container). WW SmartPoints and nutrition information excludes dressing.
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Shrimp Tacos

Calories: 119 •

These baja style tacos make it easy to stay on track. They are delicious, easy and light. Tortillas used here are small white Mission tortillas.

Recipe makes 6 tacos. Serving size is 1 taco.
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Mahi-mahi Burgers

Calories: 220 •

This is not as much of a recipe as it is an idea and suggestion if you need a quick and easy lunch or dinner. I can't tell you how much I love these burgers from Trader Joe's. You can find them in the freezer section near the fish. The burger shown in the photo uses a home-made pretzel bun I had previously made, but I typically use the Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Sandwich Buns for this (which are 3 SmartPoints - all plans). The total calories and/or SmartPoints value for this burger, depends on the bun you use.

WW SmartPoints and Nutrition information for this recipe is based on 1 Mahi-mahi burger, 1 Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Sandwich Bun, lettuce and tomato.

WW SmartPoints and Nutrition information exclude dressing.

Add 1 additional SmartPoint if you use the dressing recipe listed here (it's 1 SmartPoint for all plans).

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Southwestern Salad with Good Thins Corn Crackers

Calories: 443 •

A very filling and tasty lunch or dinner you can eat at home, or pack up and go.

WW SmartPoints and Nutrition excludes dressing (incase you choose a different dressing).

SmarPoints for dressing recipe as follows:

Green: 1

Blue: 1

Purple: 1

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Asian Chicken & Cabbage Salad

Calories: 364 •

This salad has a nice crunch and texture. The different sweet and citrusy flavors give it a tasty bite. WW Points values and nutrition information includes dressing.
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Greek Wrap

Calories: 324 •

I used a small white Mission flour tortilla for this (fajita size) which comes to 3 SmartPoints on all plans. You can use whatever wrap you'd like, and maybe save a Point or two for this recipe.

Recipe for grilled chicken can be found here.
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Imitation Panera Bread Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

Calories: 446 •

The Strawberry Poppyseed salad from Panera Bread is not served throughout the year, but you can enjoy this salad all year long. The Panera brand Poppyseed dressing is sold in many grocery stores (typically in the produce section, refrigerated).

WW SmartPoints values for this recipe excludes dressing (incase you want to use another dressing).
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Meditereannean Quinoa Bowls

Calories: 688 •

This makes a hearty, delicious lunch bowl you can eat at home, or easily pack up and go. It's fairly easy to put together if you purchase pre-cooked, peeled shrimp.

I purchased the frozen artichoke hearts from Trader Joe's. If you do not have a Trader Joe's in close proximity, they may be hard to find. You can use jarred artichokes instead, but they may not char as well as the frozen ones.
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