A Healthy Simple Parisian Meal Plan for a Happy May!

Time to celebrate springtime – in Paris! This meal plan includes seasonal, simple healthy recipes with an emphasis on the Parisian style of eating. It’s only fitting that my first Meal Plan should focus on my favorite city because m love of France was a big reason I started this blog back in 2020. From Soup au Pistou to a Sunday Soufflé, I’ve included my favorite seasonal French recipes and ingredients. French cuisine is known for its emphasis on high-quality, fresh, seasonal ingredients and the recipes included here are simple, nutritious, plant-forward, and delicious. Want to add a dash of je ne sais quoi to your meals this spring? Enjoy this Simple Healthy Parisian Meal Plan for a Happy May!

What’s in season in May:

May is a beautiful month to eat seasonally. With all the fresh, spring produce you will definitely feel the healthy. A perfect time to fire up the grill and enjoy the sunshine. Eating seasonally is also good for the planet and good on your wallet, feel the happy too! I’ve tried to include as much seasonal produce as I can in the meal plan and recipes. By the way, you’ll notice Monday is all vegetarian. I’ve practiced Meatless Monday for years. So easy and fun with all the spring produce.

• arugula
• asparagus
• beans
• beets
• cauliflower
• lettuce
• mushrooms
• peas
• radishes
• shallots

A Healthy Simple Parisian Meal Plan

In creating this meal plan, I’ve tried to keep in mind the way a Parisian might eat. Smaller portions, larger lunch, and a lighter dinner. Less is more, quality over quantity. Eat intuitively and mindfully, eat seasonal foods and enjoy the beauty of the meal. Maybe alternate days with only coffee or tea for breakfast, which would be similar to intermittent fasting, beneficial to your health. Of course if you don’t want to skip breakfast, have some fruit, especially berries, yogurt or granola, or a combo of all three. In fact try to include yogurt in your diet daily, it seems to be a French diet secret. Yogurt makes a good afternoon snack or dessert too, just watch out for added sugar. Of course drink plenty of water, and drinking green tea throughout the day is always a bonne idée.

Weekend Prep

1. Make the French Green Bean & Radish Salad.
2. Make the Pistou for the soup and for pizza.
3. Make Tahini Sauce for the cauliflower and the chicken salad.
4. Make Fennel Granola, if using.
5. Make Toasted Buckwheat & Beet salad.
6. Optional: make Springtime Soup au Pistou. It’s a simple recipe, so you really don’t need to make ahead, maybe just prep the vegetables ahead.

Monday

• breakfast: yogurt with Fennel Granola or berries and chia seeds.
• lunch: Toasted Buckwheat & Beet Salad
• dinner: Springtime Soup au Pistou with a slice of baguette or extra healthy seed bread (I can’t wait to try this recipe).

Tuesday

• breakfast: café or matcha
• lunch: French Green Bean & Radish Salad topped with flaked smoked salmon.
• dinner: Turkey Tenders with Sea Salt, Herbes de Provence, and Lemon from the French Revolution Blog. I use chicken tenders or strips. These always turn out so good, so simple too. Serve with some arugula or your choice of leafy green or pommes frites, pourquoi pas. *Cook 2 extra chicken tenders, plain, along with these to use for chicken salad on Thursday.

Wednesday

• breakfast: yogurt with granola or berries and chia seeds.
• lunch: Springtime Soup au Pistou
• dinner: Roasted Baby Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce – make sure to add the chickpeas for protein.

Thursday

• breakfast: café or matcha
• lunch: Chicken Salad Tahini – simply shred or chop 2 cooked chicken tenders and mix with 2-3 tbsp Tahini Sauce, salt and pepper to taste. If you like, add a spoonful of mayo to the mix. Serve on top of spring lettuces with sliced radishes and top with Za’atar and or fresh cilantro. Perfect with seed crackers or pita.
• dinner: Sunny Paris Salmon served with green beans or asparagus (or French Green Bean Salad if you have any left.)

Friday

• breakfast: yogurt with granola or berries and chia seeds.
• lunch: Perfect French Omelette (according to Parisian Chefs) with a side of spring lettuces and sliced radish and a classic vinaigrette.
• dinner: It’s Pizza Friday! Try my delicious seasonal Asparagus Mushroom Sourdough or Black and White Pesto Pizza.

Saturday

• breakfast: café au lait.
• lunch: Salmon Beurre – a brilliant twist on the classic jambon-beurre, also know as a parisien, the most eaten sandwich in France. Simply take a baguette, the best you can find, why waste calories on anything less, slice in half lengthwise and spread with butter. Fill with slices of smoked salmon. Add thinly sliced radishes if you like and have a nice spring greens salad on the side. Perfection. This Vegan Carrot Lox would be beautiful too.
• dinner: Linguini with Morel Cream Sauce & Egg magical morels are available for such a short time in May, I had to include them here. A perfect ending to a perfect Parisian meal plan.

Sunday

• breakfast: Sunday Breakfast Soufflé
• dinner: Roast Chicken Parisian

What makes Friday night pizza and Saturday’s meal plan healthy? Enjoying the small pleasures, a perfect baguette sandwich, a magical May pasta. And of course pizza 💕 Carbs aren’t the enemy, just be mindful with your portions and be sure to savor each bite. You could also think of it as carb cycling, make sure and take a nice long Sunday walk.

Although I’m leaning more towards plant-based recipes, I realize this particular meal plan is not vegetarian. Here are some substitutions:

• instead of chicken tenders, make tofu tenders with vegan mayo.
• swap crumbled tofu or smashed chickpeas for the chicken in the Chicken Salad Tahini.
• for the salmon, how about this recipe for Roasted Cauliflower with Algae Oil? Add flax seeds and walnuts for an extra omega 3 punch.
• substitute my Sunny Spinach Quinoa Salad for the omelette.
• try Boho Beautiful’s Tofu Jungle Scramble in place of the Sunday Soufflé. And while there’s no substitute for the amazing Roast Chicken Parisian, roasted portobellos and potatoes with the garlic and herbs and truffle oil would still be amazing.

Please note this is a lower calorie diet plan, so make adjustments as you see fit. Extra veggies, fruit and healthy fats are always a good idea. I didn’t create a grocery list for this meal plan, but please let me know if you would like one in the future. Here is a printable PDF for A Healthy Simple Parisian Meal Plan for a Happy May and click here for the vegan version. I hope you enjoy! Santé and à bientôt!