January Meal Plan: Week 2 - Pinch of Yum
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January Meal Plan: Week 2

Okay yes, we’re here, you’re here, we’re all making stuff. It’s happeniiiiiiing! Off to the races with another week of meal plan/prep and we don’t want to get anyone too excited, but there are fries involved. DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE.

Collage of images for week 2 of meal planning

Okay yes, we’re here, you’re here, we’re all making stuff. It’s happeniiiiiiing! Off to the races with another week of meal plan/prep and we don’t want to get anyone too excited, but there are fries involved. DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE.

This week is full of nourishing and seriously yum ideas for you that include the most smoky-sweet tender salmon, an easy as all get out but deep and deliciously warming green curry, and let us not forget the stunning little wholesome-bombs that are apple muffins comin’ atcha.

And if you haven’t yet, please oh please get all signed up to get the prep plans and grocery lists sent right to your inbox so this delightful and nutritious meal plan will be even easier and breezier to roll out next week.

Recipes This Week

Avocado Kale Caesar Salad with sweet potato fried on plate.

Meal 1: Avocado Kale Caesar with Sweet Potato Fries

Attention everyone, it’s time for an all-star kale drench! You know the one. Where you douse that power green with a creamy avocado-based Caesar dressing that is absolutely void of anchovy but brimming with zing. Throw in your other salad faves and then toss some crispy, oven-fresh, absolutely stunning sweet potato fries on the side like a true hero.

Make it little-kid friendly! Serve it deconstructed (avocado, sweet potato, small pieces of massaged kale), and let kiddos try dipping things in dressing.

Add protein! Add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas, sautéed shrimp, or shredded rotisserie chicken.

BBQ salmon and diced mango over white rice with a slice of lemon n a bowl with a spoon.

Meal 2: BBQ Salmon with Mango Avocado Salsa

Some folks have called this “gateway salmon” and that is a very accurate description! If you’re a skeptic, this crisp smoky-sweet preparation is so surprising and delicious it might just change your mind. And if you can get a fresh mango chopped up for a sweet limey mango salsa on top of this bowl, you def won’t be stopping with this salmon anytime soon. (Frozen mango and salmon will both work great too, so don’t let anything stop you!)

Green Curry in bowl with spoon.

Meal 3: 5-Ingredient Green Curry

Only five ingredients and you’re wrapped in a cozy food blanket that you made so easily and it’s just so delicious and warming and okay, this metaphor got away from us but…this green curry is top-notch! Some curry paste and a can of coconut milk and you are definitely in business. This vegetarian delight is totally customizable to meet you wherever you and your fridge/pantry are at.

Make it little-kid friendly! Make sure to buy a green curry paste that is mild, or add just a little at a time to make sure the sauce isn’t too spicy.

Swap protein! Replace the tofu with cooked shrimp or rotisserie chicken.

A carrot cake muffin sitting on a plate.

Snack / Breakfast: Healthy Carrot Muffins

Carrots shredded up with a few other wholesome ingredients (oats, dates, raisins if you’ll have them) are going to keep you living the Carrot Muffin dream this week. Perfect for a quick breakfast this week or just a wholesome snacker whenever you need it. Cozy, dense, warm goodness. Excellent with butter and honey. Breathe it in.

Green salad in a bowl with dressing on the side.

Vegetable / Side: Simple Green Salad

Helping us all put something lovely and nourishing and green on the table each day with extremely minimal effort thank you so muuuuch. The delicious mapley balsamic vinaigrette gets shook up in a jar and then left in the fridge to dress up a handful of lush spring greens any old time. Could you add some grilled chicken, chunky croutons, other delicious veg to this salad to bulk it up as a full meal? Yes, of course. Could you also just eat the lightly dressed greens as a side, even at brunch? Also yes. This one is great any time of day!

Get Our Full Meal Prep Guide

We have a full grocery list and meal prep guide waiting for you!

Meal plan guide and grocery list

This series includes FREE printable meal plans for every week that not only include what you need to make these delicious meals, but how to make them happen in an easy, fun, and efficient way through the meal planning system I’ve used and loved. It’s real-life tested and real-life approved.

Here’s what’s included:

  • meal plan with the selected recipes for the week;
  • A full grocery list;
  • prep guide that outlines a 60 to 90 minute blitz for prepping your meals for the week. THIS TOOL IS CRITICAL and this is what differentiates this resource from just a list of recipe links. I already did the work to pull out the steps that work well to prep ahead, and I made them into a really nice and easy guide for you.

Hop on the list below and we’ll make sure to send you the meal prep guides from earlier this month, too!

Let’s Get Preppin’!

Hopefully you’re all set to carve out a little time this weekend to get your prep party pants on, enjoy a little quiet chopping and mixing time to set yourself up for an all-star lineup of deliciousness in the week to come. And in case you forgot, fries, friends. FRIES. As with any of life’s endeavors, we’re really in it for the fries. (But yes, everything else is super delicious too.)

(Also, fries.)

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17 Comments

  1. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Your meal plan strategy is brilliant and perfect for my family of four ( three of which are particular eaters ). I’ve added in prepping smoothies for the week. Those along with the snacks you suggest has changed the snacking game. Thank you so much, I hope to see more of this series after January

  2. Pinch of Yum Logo

    That avocado kale Caesar has become a go-to for me at home. So easy to make and very delicious. Thanks for the great recipes and ideas!

  3. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Is there a particular reason that you wouldn’t recommend prepping the mango salsa in advance, aside from to keep the prepwork streamlined? I would wait to add the avocado. These recipes look super yummy, and I was actually thinking of making the green curry soon.

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Great question! The salsa wasn’t included in the prepwork due to the avocado, but you could definitely prep it ahead of time and wait to add the avocado.

  4. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I don’t want to be a downer because I love these meal plans but the meal plan in the email said carrot muffins and this page says apple muffins. I just wanted to let you know there’s a discrepancy.
    To end on a positive note, I love POY and last weeks meal plan was a lifesaver! Thank you so much!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Thanks for pointing that out! We updated everything with the carrot muffin info.

  5. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Ooh I am SO excited. These pdf menu plans look SO convenient to follow and I really love them already even though I am just now joining. Looking forward to enjoying the entire process, from buying food, prepping, cooking, and eating…!

    Are there any similar meal plan weeks you’ve done in the past?

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      So glad you’ve been enjoying the meal plans, Adrienne! This is the first time we’ve ever done it!

  6. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I didn’t do the whole meal plan this week since we had a meal delivery, but we did make the salmon and mango salsa and WOW! That recipe is a keeper!! Looking forward to next week’s plan.

  7. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Because I have to order my groceries one week in advanced, I have just finished the first plan and today my order for the second plan arrived.
    I am beyond excited and so, so grateful for this incredible resource.
    I am a good cook, but it is so easy this time of year when there is not much fresh produce to get stuck meal planning.
    Last weeks plan was the perfect remedy, we made everything as written sans chipotle and it was perfect for our family of four. We have big appetites and still the meals made enough to cover Monday to Thursday!
    We are looking forwars to this pkan and I already placed my order for week 3.
    Lastly, let me add that I already had many, many of the ingredients, so it was economic and not wasteful, too! 💚

  8. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Is there a way to get the prep guide emailed to me for Week 2? I thought I was signed up for the emails, but I’m not. Although I just signed up, I’m not sure I’ll get past meal prep plans in my inbox.

  9. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I really enjoyed the recipes this week, and appreciated the meal prep tips you provided! Little things like prepping the kale and chopping the sweet potatoes ahead of time made the weeknight dinner-making process a breeze! Thank you!

  10. Pinch of Yum Logo

    When meal prep instructions say “blitz”, does that mean in a blender, or food processor?

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Depending on the recipe, either might work. If it’s a sauce, a blender or a food processor can work. If it’s something like energy bites, we’d suggest a food processor.