Guides · Recipes

Healthy recipes for real families

Name: Sweet Potato and Bean Chili
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 lb lean ground turkey (optional); 2 cans beans, rinsed; 1 large sweet potato, diced; 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic; 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce; 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin

Sixteen simple, budget-friendly recipes for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner. Most take 30 minutes or less and use ingredients from any grocery store.

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!”

Psalm 34:8

Our cooking fats

Cook with olive oil or beef tallow, and skip the seed oils

We encourage cutting out seed oils (canola, soybean, corn, cottonseed, sunflower and safflower oil) as much as possible. Cook with extra-virgin olive oil for most everyday cooking, dressings and roasting, and beef tallow (or butter) for high-heat searing and frying. The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines say to “prioritize oils with essential fatty acids, such as olive oil,” and note that “other options can include butter or beef tallow” (Dietary Guidelines). Seed oils also show up mostly in fried and packaged foods, so avoiding them usually means eating fewer of those too.

Where seed oils hide

Fried foods: fries, fried chicken, onion rings, fried fish and anything from a deep fryer
Most potato chips and other bagged snacks
Corn tortilla chips and taco shells, and many store-bought tortillas (check the label)
Bottled salad dressings and mayonnaise
Crackers, cookies, granola bars and packaged baked goods
Store-bought hummus, dips and spreads (look for ones made with olive oil)
Microwave popcorn (pop your own in olive oil or tallow)

Read ingredient lists for canola, soybean, corn, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, rice bran or “vegetable” oil.

Breakfast

Breakfast ideas

Start the day with fiber, protein and fruit, not a sugar rush.

Berry Oatmeal

10 min · serves 4

See the recipe

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned oats
4 cups water or milk
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1 banana, sliced
1 tsp cinnamon
Optional: 2 tbsp chopped walnuts or peanut butter

Steps

Bring water or milk to a simmer. Stir in oats and cinnamon.
Cook 5 minutes, stirring, until creamy.
Stir in half the berries; top bowls with the rest, banana and nuts.

Tip: Skip the flavored instant packets. They can have several teaspoons of added sugar. Fruit sweetens it naturally.

Yogurt Parfait

5 min · serves 4

See the recipe

Ingredients

4 cups plain Greek yogurt
2 cups berries (fresh or thawed frozen)
1 cup low-sugar granola or oats
Optional: drizzle of honey

Steps

Layer yogurt, berries and granola in glasses or jars.
Repeat the layers and top with a few berries.
Make them the night before for grab-and-go mornings.

Tip: Plain yogurt plus fruit has a fraction of the added sugar of fruit-flavored yogurt.

Veggie Omelet

15 min · serves 2

See the recipe

Ingredients

4 eggs
1 cup spinach
½ bell pepper, diced
¼ onion, diced
¼ cup shredded cheese
Salt, pepper, 1 tsp olive oil or beef tallow

Steps

Sauté onion and pepper in oil 3 minutes; add spinach until wilted.
Whisk eggs with salt and pepper and pour over the vegetables.
Cook on low until set, sprinkle cheese, fold and serve.

Tip: Use whatever vegetables are left in the fridge. It’s a great way to waste nothing.

Egg on Whole-Grain Toast

10 min · serves 2

See the recipe

Ingredients

4 slices whole-grain bread
2–4 eggs
1 avocado or a sliced tomato
Salt, pepper, pinch of chili flakes

Steps

Toast the bread.
Fry or scramble the eggs in a little olive oil, butter or beef tallow.
Mash avocado (or add tomato) on the toast, top with eggs and season.

Tip: Look for bread where “whole wheat” or “whole grain” is the first ingredient.

Lunch

Lunch ideas

Build a plate that keeps you full all afternoon.

Rainbow Grain Bowl

20 min · serves 4

See the recipe

Ingredients

3 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa
1 can white beans or chickpeas, rinsed
2 cups kale or spinach
1 sweet potato, cubed and roasted
1 cup cherry tomatoes
Dressing: 3 tbsp olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, salt

Steps

Roast sweet potato at 425°F for 20 minutes.
Divide rice or quinoa into bowls.
Top with greens, beans, sweet potato and tomatoes. Drizzle with dressing.

Tip: Cook a big batch of rice or quinoa on Sunday for the week.

Red Lentil Soup

35 min · serves 6

See the recipe

Ingredients

1½ cups red lentils, rinsed
1 onion and 2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
6 cups low-sodium broth
1 tsp cumin, salt, pepper, lemon juice

Steps

Sauté onion, carrot and garlic 5 minutes.
Add lentils, tomatoes, broth and cumin. Simmer 25 minutes.
Blend partly for a creamy texture, season, and finish with lemon.

Tip: Lentils cost little, need no soaking, and are full of fiber and protein.

Chicken and Veggie Wrap

10 min · serves 4

See the recipe

Ingredients

4 whole-wheat tortillas (check the label for seed oils)
2 cups cooked chicken, sliced (or beans)
2 cups shredded cabbage or lettuce
1 carrot, grated
½ cup hummus or plain Greek yogurt sauce

Steps

Spread hummus on each tortilla.
Add chicken and vegetables.
Roll tightly, slice in half and wrap for lunchboxes.

Tip: Use leftover chicken from dinner. Cook once, eat twice.

Chickpea Crunch Salad

15 min · serves 4

See the recipe

Ingredients

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed
1 cucumber, 1 bell pepper, ½ red onion, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots or cabbage
Handful of parsley
Dressing: olive oil, lemon or vinegar, salt, pepper

Steps

Chop the vegetables.
Toss everything with dressing.
Let sit 10 minutes. It tastes even better the next day.

Tip: This salad keeps 3–4 days in the fridge, perfect for packed lunches.

Snacks

Snacks ideas

Snacks that fuel you instead of a candy-bar crash.

Hummus and Veggies

5 min · serves 4

See the recipe

Ingredients

1 cup hummus (made with olive oil, or homemade)
Carrot sticks, cucumber, bell pepper strips
Whole-wheat pita, cut in triangles

Steps

Arrange vegetables and pita around a bowl of hummus.
Sprinkle hummus with paprika and a drizzle of olive oil.

Tip: Great for church events and kids’ ministry. Check for sesame allergies.

Apples and Peanut Butter

5 min · serves 2

See the recipe

Ingredients

2 apples, sliced
¼ cup natural peanut butter (or sunflower butter)
Optional: cinnamon

Steps

Slice apples.
Serve with peanut butter for dipping, dusted with cinnamon.

Tip: Use sunflower butter for nut-free classrooms and church events.

Homemade Nut and Raisin Mix

5 min · makes 8 servings

See the recipe

Ingredients

1 cup almonds
1 cup cashews or peanuts
½ cup walnuts
½ cup raisins
Optional: ¼ cup dark chocolate chips

Steps

Mix everything in a bowl.
Portion into ¼-cup bags so a snack stays a snack.

Tip: Store-bought trail mix is often mostly candy. Making your own is cheaper and better for you. Not for nut-allergy settings.

Fruit Platter

15 min · serves 10

See the recipe

Ingredients

Apples, oranges, grapes, berries, bananas
Whatever is in season and on sale
Optional: yogurt dip

Steps

Wash and slice fruit.
Arrange by color on a tray.
Squeeze lemon on apples and bananas so they don’t brown.

Tip: Put this beside the desserts at your next church event. It disappears fast.

Dinner

Dinner ideas

Simple family dinners, most in one pan or pot.

Sheet-Pan Potatoes, Veggies and Eggs

35 min · serves 4

See the recipe

Ingredients

1½ lb potatoes, diced
1 onion, 1 bell pepper, 1 zucchini, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil or melted beef tallow, salt, pepper, paprika
6–8 eggs

Steps

Toss vegetables with oil and spices. Roast at 425°F for 25 minutes.
Make wells in the vegetables and crack in the eggs.
Bake 6–8 more minutes until eggs are set.

Tip: Breakfast-for-dinner is cheap, fast and kids love it.

Salmon with Greens

25 min · serves 4

See the recipe

Ingredients

4 salmon fillets (or canned salmon cakes)
4 cups spinach or green beans
1 lemon, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper
Brown rice or potatoes on the side

Steps

Bake salmon at 400°F for 12–15 minutes with lemon, salt and pepper.
Sauté greens with garlic and olive oil.
Serve with rice or potatoes.

Tip: Frozen fish fillets are usually cheaper than fresh and just as healthy.

Chicken and Veggie Stir-Fry

25 min · serves 4

See the recipe

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breast or thighs, sliced (or tofu)
4 cups mixed vegetables (fresh or a frozen stir-fry bag)
2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp fresh ginger
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
Brown rice or whole-wheat noodles

Steps

Cook chicken in a hot pan with a little beef tallow or olive oil until done. Set aside.
Stir-fry vegetables with garlic and ginger 5 minutes.
Add chicken and soy sauce, toss, and serve over rice or noodles.

Tip: Frozen stir-fry vegetable bags make this a 20-minute meal.

Sweet Potato and Bean Chili

45 min · serves 6

See the recipe

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground turkey (optional)
2 cans beans, rinsed
1 large sweet potato, diced
1 onion, 2 cloves garlic
1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce
2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin

Steps

Brown turkey with onion and garlic (or skip the meat).
Add everything else plus 1 cup water. Simmer 30 minutes until sweet potato is soft.
Top with plain Greek yogurt and cilantro.

Tip: Doubles easily for church dinners and freezes well.

Free from The Daniel Plan

Want more? The Daniel Plan offers free recipes, a 3-day meal plan and short cooking videos.

Food and recipes

The Daniel Plan Café · Free recipes: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts and sides
3-Day Meal Plan (PDF) · Three days of meals and snacks with 13 recipes
The Daniel Plan Plate · Half non-starchy vegetables, a quarter protein, a quarter healthy starch or whole grain
Good Foods List · A shopping list organized by the Daniel Plan Plate
Cooking videos · Eight short videos: breakfast smoothie, taco bar, pasta, wraps, salads, chicken, and stocking your pantry and fridge
10 Ways to Conquer Your Cravings · Practical help with cravings
Healthy Holiday Food Tips · Enjoying holidays without overdoing it

These links go to danielplan.com, Saddleback Church’s free health program. See our full Daniel Plan resource list.

More help

See the one-week budget meal plan and the Plan, Shop, Cook guide. Photos are from Unsplash and used under the Unsplash License; they show similar dishes and may not match each recipe exactly.