The 5 Vegetarian Dinners I Eat During Thanksgiving Week

Thanksgiving always seems to sneak up on me. I’m usually rushing to tie up loose ends with work so I can take time to relax with my family. With so much preparation going into the big day, I keep the other dinners this week simple, healthy, and affordable.

Here’s my plan for craveable meals that will keep me fueled all week long. They’re all vegetarian (several are vegan), but meat eaters will enjoy these options too. It’s all about balance!

Planning my weekly meals is a habit I enjoy. Since I’m frequently asked by friends and family what I’m cooking for dinner each week, I thought it’d be useful to share my weekly meal plan here. Whether you’re just learning to meal plan and looking for a real-life example of how this works or you’re an old pro on the hunt for inspiration, here’s a peek at how I’m feeding my family this week.

• The Beginner’s Guide to Meal Planning: What to Know, How to Succeed, and What to Skip
• The Best Way to Use a Weekend for Meal Planning Success
• Ask Yourself These 5 Questions Before You Start Meal Planning
• 5 Strategies for Picking Recipes for a Week of Meal Planning

The week of Thanksgiving is always hectic, so I’m going to start things off right with my favorite lentil soup. It’s warming, comforting, and fills me up for hours. It also makes great leftovers for lunch and freezes well for light post-holiday meals. Win!

Stressful times call for something cheesy. This roasted broccoli casserole is far more redeeming than most — it’s stuffed with quinoa! It’s not the quickest dinner option, but it’s simple enough to make, and it reheats well. (Side note: I wouldn’t be mad to find this dish on the Thanksgiving table. Not in the slightest.)

This dish is more veggies than pasta, and I can’t stop going back for more of that irresistible, briny marinara sauce.

Now this is what I want to eat at Thanksgiving! Be prepared to fend off the carnivores when you bring this showstopper to the table. If you think of it, make some extra farro for tomorrow’s dinner.

Tonight I just want to eat a big green salad with a glass of wine, in my comfy pants. This salad is hearty and healthy, and you can probably make it with leftover Thanksgiving ingredients. You’ll need kale and cooked farro (from yesterday’s meal) or any other whole grain, like brown rice. That herbed tahini sauce turns leftovers into an irresistible salad.