Not to state the obvious, but we’re at a pretty…turbulent point in nutrition discourse. Over the last few months, newly appointed US Department of Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has spearheaded the rise of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement and waged all-out war on the food industry, attacking sugar, ultraprocessed foods, seed oils, and petroleum-based synthetic food dyes (and that’s just to name a few). With MAHA ideology on the rise and some new category of food derided seemingly every month, figuring out what and how to eat feels increasingly like an exercise in stress management—because when you’re bombarded with info about what’s no longer on the table, you eventually start to wonder what is left.
Here at SELF, however, we’re not in the business of declaring any one food category off-limits, because we believe that all of them can have a place in a healthy diet. As our 2025 Pantry Awards go to show, you don’t need to exclusively rely on fresh, organic, or buzzword-worthy ingredients to whip up a nutritious (and delicious) meal. Ultraprocessed foods, which do have their downfalls, are also accessible, efficient, and enable many of us to do things that seem like a given in modern society—like work outside the home and then come home and feed ourselves and our families. There are also ways to find nutritious options within the category of ultraprocessed foods. (Things you may think of as conventionally “healthy,” like almond milk or yogurt, can be considered ultraprocessed.) The subject requires nuance—and a realistic vision of where our food system is at today.
To illustrate that point (and push back against the MAHA movement’s narrow, restrictive definition of the “right” way to eat), we created Feed Your SELF: 10 Easy, Healthy Weeknight Dinners. This meal plan will carry you through two weeks of cooking with new, original recipes—each of which incorporate one or more Pantry Award–winning products. And every recipe was developed by a registered dietician: Anthea Levi, MS, RD, CDN, a Brooklyn-based health writer and founder of Alive+Well Nutrition.
“You can find a happy medium between a homemade meal and a meal that is made from pre-made ingredients,” Levi tells SELF. Marrying the two, she adds, “is a great way to get bold flavors and satisfying textures, and also eat nourishing foods that really support our health.”
While many of these recipes feature foods that are considered “ultraprocessed,” they’re still packed with protein, fiber, and other critical nutrients. This was important to Levi when designing the meal plan. “I really wanted to make sure every meal was balanced,” she says. Nutritional variety was another major consideration: “The more different types of foods we can eat in a day or a week, the better it’s going to be for our gut health,” she says.
To that end, Levi paired these Pantry Award winners with a wide range of fresh items, including meat, eggs, dairy products, fruits and veggies, and herbs. Thanks to this diversity of ingredients, all of these recipes offer a solid smattering of food groups—and none of them feel one-note or boring. Below, you’ll see that we also compiled everything you’ll need in an easy-to-parse grocery list. Print it out, or save it to your phone.
On that note, here they are: all 10 recipes, designed to provide two weeks’ worth of tasty, satisfying, and nutritious weeknight dinners—and, in doing so, demonstrate that shelf-stable products can 100% have a place in a healthy, fulfilling diet. Levi’s hope is that these meals help people realize that it’s possible to have both: “Really enjoy the food you’re eating and still feel good about what it’s doing for your body.”
See the recipes
Jump ahead to get the recipe for any given night, or keep scrolling to see them all. We also put together a handy grocery list, which you can find at the bottom of the page, or by tapping here—just screenshot or save it to your phone, and you can buy everything you need for your two weeks of cooking in one fell swoop.
- High-Protein Pasta With Lemony Tomato Sauce
- Crunchy Chicken Caesar Salad With Jammy Eggs
- 10-Minute Arugula Salad With Orzo and Tinned Trout
- Sheet Pan Teriyaki Tofu & Vegetables
- 5-Minute Balanced Grazing Board
- High-Fiber Vegetarian Nachos
- Pickle Lovers High-Protein Tuna Pockets
- Toasty BBQ Chicken Pita Pizzas
- Cozy Kitchari With Fried Eggs & Dates
- Poached Chicken With Lemongrass Veggies and Sticky Rice
High-Protein Pasta With Lemony Tomato Sauce
This recipe puts a citrusy spin on the classic dish.
Crunchy Chicken Caesar Salad With Jammy Eggs
Textures (and protein sources) collide in this flavorful recipe.
10-Minute Arugula Salad With Orzo and Tinned Trout
This recipe showcases all the best aspects of the Mediterranean diet—and hops on the tinned fish trend in the process.
Sheet-Pan Teriyaki Tofu and Vegetables
Sweet, spicy, and umami—this recipe hits every note.
5-Minute Balanced Grazing Board
Girl dinner, but taken up a notch.
High-Fiber Vegetarian Nachos
Nachos plus a major fiber hit? We’re sold.
Pickle Lovers High-Protein Tuna Pockets
Can’t get enough of that refreshing, briny taste? We have just the meal for you.
Toasty BBQ Chicken Pita Pizzas
Spice up a standard homemade pie by adding a smoky, Southwestern spin.
Cozy Kitchari With Fried Eggs and Dates
If you haven’t had kitchari before, you’re missing out—and this beefed-up take on the classic Indian porridge is the perfect introduction.
Poached Chicken With Lemongrass Veggies and Sticky Rice
Keep this recipe in your back pocket for those nights when you need a dinner that’s simple yet satisfying.
Your grocery list
Here’s everything you'll need for the Feed Your SELF two-week meal plan.
Cook with us!
Follow along as Anthea Levi—the RD behind the plan—shows us how she makes the Toasty BBQ Chicken Pita Pizzas, High-Fiber Vegetarian Nachos, and Crunchy Chicken Caesar Salad With Jammy Eggs.
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Photographer: Chelsea Kyle
Prop stylist: Amy Elise Wilson
Food stylist: Drew Aichele