Life doesn’t stop because you’re on a diet. Weeknights are still just as busy. Kids still need to be fed. But it takes work to find a meal plan that meets your health criteria and still makes the whole family happy.
Ollie to the rescue.
Ollie is an AI assistant that plans your family’s meals, taking into account the health and dietary needs of you and everyone else in your family. Within minutes, you get highly personalized meal plans and an instant grocery list so you can cross meal planning off your to-do list.
We put it to the test with the heart-healthy DASH diet and asked Ollie for a week’s worth of meals that would satisfy everyone around the table. Here are five quick weeknight meals (along with tips to make them kid-friendly).
Monday: Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas and Avocado
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, chickpeas, diced avocado, and cherry tomatoes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and gently toss to combine.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Tips for feeding the kids:
Using the venn diagram approach to feeding kids, simplify the meal by serving the ingredients separately on the plate. Some children prefer not to have their food mixed.
Tuesday: Baked Salmon with Steamed Broccoli
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 4 salmon filets (about 6 oz each)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Place salmon fillets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.
- While the salmon is baking, steam the broccoli florets until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Serve the baked salmon with steamed broccoli on the side.
Tips for feeding the kids:
Add a touch of sweetness: Season the salmon with a little bit of honey or maple syrup before baking to appeal to their younger palate.
Wednesday: Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 1 pound chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 1 bell pepper, julienned
- 1 cup snap peas
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken slices to the skillet and stir-fry until no longer pink and slightly browned.
- Add the bell pepper, snap peas, and carrot to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
- Stir in the soy sauce and ginger. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Tips for feeding the kids:
Lean into their likes. It may make adults cringe, but try offering their favorite dipping sauce (ketchup, mustard, ranch) alongside the chicken to dip into.
Thursday: Grilled Chicken Breast with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 4 chicken breasts
- 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat and your oven to 400°F.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Grill for 6-7 minutes per side or until cooked through.
- Toss cubed sweet potatoes and green beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender and green beans are slightly crispy.
- Serve the grilled chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and green beans.
Tips for feeding the kids:
Grill the kids chicken on skewers and let them eat it off the stick for a hands-on dinner.
Friday: Whole Wheat Pasta with Marinara Sauce and Grilled Vegetables
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 8 oz whole wheat pasta
- 2 cups homemade or low-sodium marinara sauce
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1 bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Cook the whole wheat pasta according to package instructions; drain.
- While pasta is cooking, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Toss zucchini and bell pepper with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill vegetables until tender and slightly charred, about 4-5 minutes per side.
- Heat the marinara sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until warm.
- Serve the cooked pasta topped with warm marinara sauce and grilled vegetables.
Tips for feeding the kids:
Try fun pasta shapes for the kids. If they are adverse to vegetables but like marinara, blend 1 to 2 of the grilled vegetables into the pasta sauce to hide the vegetable texture.
Get Help With AI
Finding meals that adhere to a healthy diet but are also appetizing is not easy. Ollie’s goal is to provide healthy, diverse meals for you and your family so you don’t have to think about it.
Imagine getting a notification each week telling you that next week’s meal plan is done, it adheres to the DASH diet, and includes ingredients your family loves. You simply need to review, adjust, and grab your grocery list. That’s what you can expect with Ollie.
We’re currently in development on the public version of Ollie and have opened up a waitlist. If you’re interested in gaining early access, sign up here.
