Jumpstart recipes for a strong start: light meals for January.

Recipe  ·  6 min read  ·  Updated October 2026

January does not need a detox. It needs food you actually want to eat after a long holiday month. These four jumpstart recipes lean on vegetables, beans, fish and lean protein, and each one comes with calories, protein and fiber per serving.

The numbers are our own calculation from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient, rounded, and they leave out salt, pepper, dried spices and herbs. Brands, cuts and sizes change them a little, so treat them as a guide. For more weeknight ideas, see these quick healthy dinners.

Red lentil soup with lemon.

Serves 4, about 30 minutes. Per serving: about 250 calories, 13 g protein, 7 g fiber and 5 g fat. It is the cheapest recipe here, and it keeps well.

Ingredients.

• 1 Tbsp olive oil (14 g)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (110 g)
• 2 medium carrots, diced (120 g)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (9 g)
• 1 tsp ground cumin and ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed (192 g)
• 5 cups vegetable broth (1.2 L)
• 2 packed cups baby spinach (60 g)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice (30 g), plus salt and pepper

Method.

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and carrots for 5 to 6 minutes, until soft.
2. Add the garlic, cumin and turmeric and stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add the lentils and broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the lentils fall apart.
4. Stir in the spinach until it wilts, then the lemon juice. Season to taste, and blend part of the soup if you like it smoother.

Swap the spinach for chopped kale, and add a spoonful of plain yogurt on top. For a lighter breakfast to go with it, try these healthy toast toppings.

Sheet-pan salmon with broccoli and carrots.

Serves 2, about 25 minutes. Per serving: about 430 calories, 34 g protein, 5 g fiber and 26 g fat. One pan, little washing up.

Ingredients.

• 2 salmon fillets, about 5 oz (142 g) each
• 3 cups broccoli florets (270 g)
• 2 medium carrots, sliced thin (120 g)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (14 g)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (6 g)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice (15 g) and a few lemon slices, plus salt and pepper

Method.

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan.
2. Toss the broccoli, carrots and garlic with half the oil and spread them on the pan. Roast for 10 minutes.
3. Push the vegetables aside. Rub the salmon with the remaining oil, salt and pepper, set it on the pan with the lemon slices on top, and roast for 10 to 12 minutes more.
4. The salmon is done at 145°F, or when it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Squeeze the lemon juice over everything.

Our numbers use the USDA value for raw farmed Atlantic salmon, 208 calories per 100 g. USDA lists raw wild Atlantic salmon at 142 calories per 100 g, which would take about 95 calories off each serving.

Tomato, chicken and white bean stew.

Serves 4, about 40 minutes. Per serving: about 305 calories, 31 g protein, 7 g fiber and 9 g fat. It is the most filling of the four.

Ingredients.

• 1 lb (454 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (14 g)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (110 g)
• 2 celery stalks, sliced (80 g)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (9 g)
• 1 can (15 oz, 425 g) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed (about 260 g)
• 2 cups chicken broth (480 g)
• 2 cups chopped kale (70 g), 1 tsp dried oregano, salt and pepper

Method.

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes, then move it to a plate.
2. Cook the onion and celery for 5 minutes, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes, broth and oregano.
3. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer partly covered for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the beans and kale and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the kale is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F.

Use no-salt-added beans and low-sodium broth if you are watching salt. The USDA value for canned white beans counts the packing liquid, so rinsing them lowers the sodium a little.

Sweet potato and chickpea bowl.

Serves 2, about 35 minutes. Per serving: about 445 calories, 16 g protein, 15 g fiber and 16 g fat. It has no meat and the most fiber of the four.

Ingredients.

• 1 large sweet potato, cut into ¾-inch cubes (300 g)
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 240 g)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (14 g)
• ½ tsp smoked paprika and a pinch of salt
• 3 packed cups baby spinach (90 g)
• ½ avocado, sliced (68 g)
• ¼ cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt (60 g) and 1 Tbsp lemon juice (15 g)

Method.

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the sweet potato with half the oil, the paprika and salt on a sheet pan and roast for 15 minutes.
2. Pat the chickpeas dry, add them to the pan with the remaining oil, and roast for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the potato is tender and the chickpeas crisp at the edges.
3. Stir the lemon juice into the yogurt with a spoonful of water to thin it.
4. Divide the spinach between two bowls. Top with the potato, chickpeas and avocado and spoon over the lemony yogurt.

If you want leftovers, keep the avocado and the yogurt sauce separate and add them when you serve. Roasted potato and chickpeas reheat well in a hot oven.

How do you cook and store them safely?

Cook chicken to 165°F and fish to 145°F, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, and check with a food thermometer (CDC's food safety guidance).

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if it is above 90°F, and reheat them to 165°F (FDA's safe food handling page). The USDA says most cooked leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator (its leftovers guide), so freeze anything you will not eat in that window.

Soups and the stew freeze well; leave the spinach or kale out and add it when you reheat. Planning something sweet for later? These lighter New Year's desserts follow the same idea, and these vision board examples can turn the new year into a plan.

January meal questions, answered.

Are these recipes a diet?

No. They are ordinary meals with more vegetables, beans and lean protein, not a cleanse, and they do not promise weight loss. If you have a health condition or are pregnant, ask your health care provider what suits you.

Can I freeze these recipes?

The soup and the stew freeze well. Leave the spinach or kale out and add it when you reheat, and reheat leftovers to 165°F. The sweet potato bowl is best eaten the day you make it.

How do I lower the salt?

Choose low-sodium broth and no-salt-added beans and tomatoes, rinse canned beans well, and season with lemon, herbs and spices.