Meal Plans ThePrep 35-Minute Dinners to Improve Your Gut Health (Weekly Plan & Shopping List!) In addition to supporting smooth digestion, having a healthy gut enhances our immune system, positively impacts our mood and more! By Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia Maria Laura is EatingWell's senior nutrition & news editor. As part of the nutrition team, she edits and assigns nutrition-related content and provides nutrition reviews for articles. Maria Laura is a trained dietitian, almond butter lover and food enthusiast with over seven years of experience in nutrition counseling. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on May 31, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close Our column, ThePrep, has everything you'll need to make meal planning and meal prep as easy as can be. Nutritional needs differ from one individual to another, and we invite you to use these dinner plans as inspiration and tweak them as you see fit. Sign up to get a meal plan delivered to your inbox every Saturday! Your Weekly Plan Sunday: Cashew, Chickpea & Pasta Salad with Cilantro-Mint-Shallot Vinaigrette Monday: Crispy Salmon Rice Bowl Tuesday: Creamy Chicken Pasta with Brussels Sprouts & Artichokes Wednesday: Broccolini, Chicken Sausage & Orzo Skillet Thursday: Garlic-Lime Pork with Farro & Spinach Friday: Quick Chicken Fajitas Get the Shopping List Sunday: Cashew, Chickpea & Pasta Salad with Cilantro-Mint-Shallot Vinaigrette Sara Haas As the days get longer, I want to enjoy my evenings as much as I can. That’s why my husband and I are planning on having a picnic on Sunday evening. Instead of making our usual picnic paninis, I’ll make this pasta salad. It’s delicious and packed with gut-friendly ingredients like veggies, chickpeas and whole-wheat pasta. Get the Recipe Monday: Crispy Salmon Rice Bowl Ali Redmond This recently published recipe already has a 4.5-star rating, so I’m excited to give it a try. While probiotic and prebiotic foods are often touted as beneficial for gut health, other nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, also play an important role. Omega-3s—naturally found in fatty fish like salmon—not only help reduce chronic inflammation (what they are usually known for), but research has shown that they can increase the good bacteria in our gut, too. Get the Recipe Tuesday: Creamy Chicken Pasta with Brussels Sprouts & Artichokes Photographer: Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley I always like to have a rotisserie chicken on hand for a precooked protein source, which makes prepping dinner a breeze. Prebiotic-rich foods like Brussels sprouts, artichokes and shallots deliver tons of gut-health benefits. Brussels sprouts and artichokes, in particular, contain fructans, a type of fiber that feeds our good bacteria and breaks down more slowly in our gut, helping us feel more satisfied. Get the Recipe Wednesday: Broccolini, Chicken Sausage & Orzo Skillet This recipe is not only made in 30 minutes flat but also uses only one skillet for easy cleanup. Simmering the sausage and orzo together in chicken broth creates a creamy, risotto-like dish. And the lemon zest adds a bright note to balance the umami flavors of the sausage and Parmesan cheese. Cruciferous veggies, including broccolini, support gut health by providing prebiotic fiber and balancing our good bacteria. Get the Recipe Thursday: Garlic-Lime Pork with Farro & Spinach Not only are pork chops rich in satisfying protein, but they're also a good source of choline—two nutrients that support our health as we age. The farro, walnuts and spinach provide fiber, which feeds our gut bacteria, allowing it to flourish. And the zesty peanut butter-lime sauce is a true delight! Get the Recipe Friday: Quick Chicken Fajitas Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower Making fajitas takes me on a trip down memory lane. Growing up, whenever we took my grandpa out to dinner at his favorite restaurant, he would order chicken fajitas. This meal gets its gut-healthy benefits from corn tortillas, colorful bell peppers and avocado. And using thin chicken strips keeps the total cooking time under 20 minutes. I’ll toss some mixed greens with a Spicy Cilantro Vinaigrette to serve alongside. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit