Price: $419.99 - $79.00
(as of Jan 19, 2026 06:21:59 UTC – Details)
HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS — Apple Watch Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure and notify you of possible hypertension.*
KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE — Sleep score provides an easy way to help track and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
EVEN MORE HEALTH INSIGHTS — Take an ECG anytime.* Get notifications for a high and low heart rate, an irregular rhythm,* and possible sleep apnea.* View overnight health metrics with the Vitals app* and take readings of your blood oxygen.*
STUNNING DESIGN — Thin and lightweight, Series 11 is comfortable to wear around the clock — while exercising and even when you’re sleeping, so it can help track your key metrics.
A POWERFUL FITNESS PARTNER — With advanced metrics for all your workouts, plus features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* and more. Series 11 also comes with three months of Apple Fitness+ free.*
BIG BOOST IN BATTERY LIFE — With up to 24 hours of normal use.* And fast charge for up to 8 hours of normal use in just 15 minutes.*
BUILT TO LAST — With a superdurable glass display that’s 2x more scratch resistant than Series 10.* Series 11 also has a water resistance rating of 50m and is IP6X dust resistant.*
SAFETY FEATURES — Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
STAY CONNECTED — Send a text, take a call, listen to music, use Siri, and get notifications. Series 11 (GPS) works with your iPhone or Wi-Fi to keep you connected.
* LEGAL DISCLAIMERS — This is a summary of the main product features. See below to learn more.
Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band – M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band – M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://wrwofficial.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/71bEG0kDTWL._AC_SL1500_-768x911.jpg "Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band – M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant")
Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Tacos (No Marinade, 15-Minute Dinner)
These air fryer chicken tacos are the kind of tacos you make once and then never stop making. They’re simple, fast, and incredibly reliable, which is exactly why they’ve become my go-to anytime tacos are on the menu. The chicken cooks quickly in the air fryer, stays juicy every single time, and works perfectly with whatever toppings you already have on hand. If your family has a default taco night, this is the chicken that’s about to take over.
I make this chicken at least once a week, and every single time Dave says it’s the best chicken I’ve ever made. I’ve even made it for my in-laws, and they were genuinely surprised by how good it was given how little effort goes into it.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are incredibly forgiving, and the air fryer does something special here. Between the red wine vinegar and taco seasoning, the chicken gets beautifully caramelized on the outside while staying juicy inside. Like my Instant Pot dinners, this is one of those recipes where the air fryer earns its keep when cooking feels like a lot but tacos still need to happen.
If easy taco-style dinners are your thing, you’ll probably love a few of my other low effort favorites too. My buffalo chicken tacos and 10-minute taco skillet chicken both come together fast with just a few minutes at the stove and very little prep. And if you are looking for another simple air fryer chicken recipe, these air fryer chicken cubes are always in rotation. Same simple approach, different ways to use them, and dinner still gets done without a lot of thought.
Key Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – This is the ingredient that makes this recipe so reliable. Chicken thighs stay juicy, are hard to overcook, and work especially well in the air fryer. I make this with thighs on repeat, but you can use chicken breasts if that’s what you have. Just make sure they aren’t too thick. If they are, slice them in half so they cook evenly and don’t dry out.
- Red wine vinegar – There’s not much vinegar in this recipe, but it makes a big difference. It helps the chicken caramelize in the air fryer and adds a little acidity that cuts through the taco seasoning so the flavor doesn’t feel flat.
- Taco seasoning – Use a taco seasoning you actually like. Since the ingredient list is short, the seasoning does a lot of the heavy lifting here. Any store-bought taco seasoning works, so go with your favorite. You can also make your own homemade taco seasoning if you don’t have any on hand.
Step by step process
Tips for success
- Use a wire rack for oven-style air fryers. Placing the chicken on a rack set over a baking sheet allows airflow underneath while catching drips, which helps with even cooking and cleanup.
- Use the lower rack in oven-style air fryers. Cooking on the lower rack reduces grease splatter on the top heating element and helps keep your air fryer cleaner.
Welcome to the Cooking Burnout Club
This recipe is meant to be flexible, not perfect. Use what you have, skip what you don’t, and keep it simple. That’s the whole point of the Cooking Burnout Club.
If you want more stupid-simple, low-effort dinners like this, this recipe is part of my weekly meal plans designed for nights when cooking feels like too much. No complicated steps, no extra decisions, just food that works in real life.
★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 packet taco seasoning – about 1.5 tablespoons
- 8 medium tortillas – I use almond flour tortillas
- 1 head romaine lettuce, finely sliced – optional
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced – optional
- 1/2 cup salsa – optional
-
Add boneless, skinless chicken thighs to a bowl. I recommend trimming away any of the excess fat you see. Drizzle with avocado oil, red wine vinegar, salt and taco seasoning and stir well until the chicken is well coated on all sides.
1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 1 tablespoon avocado oil, ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 packet taco seasoning
-
Once chicken is well coated, add to air fryer. If using an air fryer basket: make sure it’s in a single layer. If using a oven style air fryer: preheat it to 425F. Add the chicken to a baking sheet with a rack attachment and put the chicken in a single layer.
-
Cook the chicken. For basket style: cook at 375F for 10-12 minutes. For oven style: Cook in preheated 425F oven for 13 minutes.
-
Once the chicken is done cooking (check the thickest part of the chicken it should read close to 165F – remember there will be some carryover cooking too). Remove it from the air fryer and let it rest for 3-4 minutes.
-
After 3-4 minutes of rest, thinly slice the chicken and serve in tortillas with toppings of choice. I used sliced lettuce, tomatoes and salsa to keep things easy.
8 medium tortillas, 1 head romaine lettuce, finely sliced, ½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced, 1/2 cup salsa
- Trim excess fat and skin first – Check boneless, skinless chicken thighs and snip off any large pieces of fat or leftover skin with kitchen shears. This helps prevent excess grease and promotes even cooking.
- Cook in a single layer – Whether you’re using a basket-style or oven-style air fryer, don’t overlap the chicken. Crowding causes steaming instead of air frying.
- Adjust cook time based on air fryer type and thickness – Chicken thighs vary in size, so start checking early.
- Basket-style air fryer: 375°F for 10–12 minutes, check around 10 minutes
- Oven-style air fryer: 425°F (preheated) for about 13 minutes
- Thicker thighs may need an extra 1–2 minutes.
- Check internal temperature – Chicken is done when it reaches 165°F in the thickest part.
- Rest before slicing – Let the chicken rest for 3–4 minutes after cooking, then slice thinly. This keeps the chicken juicy and makes it easier to serve.
- Store leftovers: Store chicken in the fridge for up to 3 days in a well sealed container.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
Ways to Serve Air Fryer Chicken Tacos
These are tacos, so the best way to serve them is with whatever you already have. There’s no “right” topping combo here, just what sounds good and feels easy.
Simple Toppings
- Start with one or two and call it done:
- Lettuce or cabbage for crunch
- Tomatoes, salsa, or pico for freshness
- Sour cream, Greek yogurt, or guacamole for creaminess
- Avocado slices, pickled red onions, or jalapeños for extra flavor
- Cilantro if you like it
You don’t need all of these. Use what you have and skip the rest.
Add a Slaw (Optional)
If you want something a little extra but still low effort, a simple slaw works well:
Both can be made ahead and are easy to adjust based on what’s in your fridge. If making slaw feels like too much, just stick with taco toppings and move on.
Inside the battle for the future of addiction medicine : Shots
Dr. Elyse Stevens, left, attends a community breakfast at a New Orleans nonprofit, with her former patient Ronald Major who says Stevens treated him like family.
Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News
hide caption
toggle caption
Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News
NEW ORLEANS — Dr. Elyse Stevens had a reputation for taking on complex medical cases, including people who’d been battling addiction for decades. Some were chronic-pain patients on high doses of opioids; others were sex workers and people living on the street.
“Many of my patients are messy, the ones that don’t know if they want to stop using drugs or not,” said Stevens, a primary care and addiction medicine doctor.
While other doctors avoided these patients, Stevens — who was familiar with New Orleans from her time in medical school at Tulane University — sought them out. She regularly attended 6 a.m. breakfasts for homeless people, volunteered at a homeless shelter clinic on Saturdays, and, on Monday evenings, visited an abandoned Family Dollar store where advocates distributed supplies to people who use drugs.
Award-winning care
One such evening about four years ago, Charmyra Harrell arrived there limping, her right leg swollen and covered in sores. Emergency room doctors had repeatedly dismissed her, so Harrell said she eased the pain with street drugs.
Stevens cleaned her sores on Mondays for months until finally persuading Harrell to visit the clinic at University Medical Center New Orleans. There, Stevens discovered Harrell had diabetes and cancer.
She agreed to prescribe Harrell pain medication — an option many doctors would automatically dismiss for fear that a patient with a history of addiction would misuse it.
But Stevens was confident Harrell could hold up her end of the deal.
“She told me, ‘You cannot do drugs and do your pain meds,'” Harrell recounted on a Monday evening in October. So, “I’m no longer on cocaine.”
Charmyra Harrell credits Dr. Elyse Stevens with diagnosing her diabetes and cancer and helping her stop using cocaine.
Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News
hide caption
toggle caption
Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News
Stevens’ approach to patient care has won her awards and nominations in medicine, community service, and humanism. Instead of seeing patients in binaries — addicted or sober, with a positive or negative drug test — she measures progress on a spectrum. Are they showering daily, cooking with their families, using less fentanyl than the day before?
But not everyone agrees with this flexible approach that prioritizes working with patients on their goals, even if abstinence isn’t one of them. And it came to a head in the summer of 2024.
“The same things I was high-fived for thousands of times — suddenly that was bad,” Stevens said.
Flexible care or slippery slope?
More than 80% of Americans who need substance use treatment don’t receive it, national data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows. Barriers abound: high costs, lack of transportation, clinic hours that are incompatible with jobs, fear of being mistreated.
Some doctors had been trying to ease the process for years. The pandemic accelerated that trend. Telehealth appointments, fewer urine drug tests, and medication refills that last longer became the norm.
The result?
“Patients did OK and we actually reached more people,” said Brian Hurley, the past president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. The organization supports continuing flexible practices, such as helping patients avoid withdrawal symptoms by prescribing higher-than-traditional doses of addiction medication and focusing on recovery goals other than abstinence.
But some doctors prefer traditional approaches that range from zero tolerance for patients using illegal drugs to setting stiff consequences for those who don’t meet their doctors’ expectations. For example, a patient who tests positive for street drugs while getting outpatient care would be discharged and told to go to residential rehab. Proponents of this method fear loosening restrictions could be a slippery slope that ultimately harms patients. They say continuing to prescribe painkillers, for example, to people using illicit substances long-term could normalize drug use and hamper the goal of getting people off illegal drugs.
Progress should be more than keeping patients in care, said Keith Humphreys, a Stanford psychologist, who has treated and researched addiction for decades and supports involuntary treatment.
“If you give addicted people lots of drugs, they like it, and they may come back,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean that that is promoting their health over time.”
Flexible practices also tend to align with harm reduction, a divisive approach that proponents say keeps people who use drugs safe and that critics — including the Trump administration — say enables illegal drug use.
The debate is not just philosophical. For Stevens and her patients, it came to bear on the streets of New Orleans.
“Unconventional” prescribing
In the summer of 2024, Stevens’ supervisors started questioning her approach.
In emails reviewed by KFF Health News, they expressed concerns about her prescribing too many pain pills, a mix of opioids and other controlled substances to the same patients, and high doses of buprenorphine, a medication considered the gold standard to treat opioid addiction.
Stevens’ supervisors worried she wasn’t doing enough urine drug tests and kept treating patients who used illicit drugs instead of referring them to higher levels of care, such as inpatient rehab.
“Her prescribing pattern appears unconventional compared to the local standard of care,” the hospital’s chief medical officer at the time wrote to Stevens’ supervisor, Dr. Benjamin Springgate. “Note that this is the only standard of care which would likely be considered should a legal concern arise.”
Dr. Elyse Stevens and her husband, Aquil Bey, a paramedic, discuss patient cases at a breakfast for homeless people in New Orleans. Bey founded Freestanding Communities, an organization to help vulnerable people.
Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News
hide caption
toggle caption
Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News
Springgate forwarded that email to Stevens and encouraged her to refer more patients to methadone clinics, intensive outpatient care, and inpatient rehab.
Stevens understood the general practice but couldn’t reconcile it with the reality her patients faced. She wondered how someone living in a tent, fearful of losing their possessions, would trek to a methadone clinic daily.
Stevens sent her supervisors dozens of research studies and national treatment guidelines backing her flexible approach. She explained that if she stopped prescribing the medications of concern, patients might leave the health system, but they would still be sick.
“They just wouldn’t be getting care and perhaps they’d be dead,” she said in an interview with KFF Health News.
Both University Medical Center and LSU Health New Orleans, which employs Stevens and other physicians at UMC, declined repeated requests for interviews. They did not respond to detailed questions about addiction treatment or Stevens’ practices.
Instead, they provided a joint statement from Dr. Richard DiCarlo, dean of the LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, and Dr. Jeffrey Elder, chief medical officer of University Medical Center New Orleans.
“We are not at liberty to comment publicly on internal personnel issues,” they wrote.
“We recognize that addiction is a serious public health problem, and that addiction treatment is a challenge for the health care industry,” they said. “We remain dedicated to expanding access to treatment, while upholding the highest standard of care and safety for all patients.”
Not black-and-white
KFF Health News shared the complaints against Stevens and the responses she’d written for supervisors with two addiction medicine doctors outside of Louisiana, who had no affiliation with Stevens or her employers. Both found her practices to be within the bounds of normal addiction care, especially for complex patients.
Dr. Stephen Loyd, an addiction medicine specialist and the president of Tennessee’s medical licensing board, said doctors running pill mills typically have sparse patient notes that list a chief complaint of pain. But Stevens’ notes detailed patients’ life circumstances and the intricate decisions she was making with them.
“To me, that’s the big difference,” Loyd said.
Some people think the “only good answer is no opioids,” such as oxycodone or hydrocodone, for any patients, said Dr. Cara Poland, an addiction medicine specialist and associate professor at Michigan State University.
But patients may need them — sometimes for things like cancer pain — or require months to lower their doses safely, she said. “It’s not as black-and-white as people outside our field want it to be.”
Humphreys, the Stanford psychologist, had a different take. He did not review Stevens’ case but said, as a general practice, there are risks to prescribing painkillers long-term, especially for patients using today’s lethal street drugs too.
Overprescribing fueled the opioid crisis, he said. “It’s not going to go away if we do that again.”
“The thing that kills people”
After months of tension, Stevens’ supervisors told her on March 10 to stop coming to work. The hospital was conducting a review of her practices, they said in an email viewed by KFF Health News.
Overnight, hundreds of her patients were moved to other providers.
Luka Bair had been seeing Stevens for three years and was stable on daily buprenorphine.
Luka Bair holds a film of buprenorphine, a daily medication considered the gold standard to treat opioid addiction.
Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News
hide caption
toggle caption
Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News
After Stevens’ departure, Bair was left without medication for three days. The withdrawal symptoms were severe — headache, nausea, muscle cramps.
“I was just in physical hell,” said Bair, who works for the National Harm Reduction Coalition and uses they/them pronouns.
Although Bair eventually got a refill, Springgate, Stevens’ supervisor, didn’t want to continue the regimen long-term. Instead, Springgate referred Bair to more intensive and residential programs, citing Bair’s intermittent use of other drugs, including benzodiazepines and cocaine, as markers of high risk. Bair “requires a higher level of care than our clinic reasonably can offer,” Springgate wrote in patient portal notes shared by Bair and reviewed by KFF Health News.
But Bair said daily attendance at those programs was incompatible with their full-time job. They left the clinic, with 30 days to find a new doctor or run out of medication again.
“This is the thing that kills people,” said Bair, who eventually found another doctor willing to prescribe their buprenorphine.
Springgate did not respond to repeated calls and emails requesting comment.
University Medical Center and LSU Health New Orleans did not answer questions about transferring and discharging Stevens’ patients.
“Reckless behavior”
About a month after Stevens was told to stay home, Haley Beavers Khoury, a medical student who worked with her, had collected nearly 100 letters from other students, doctors, patients, and homelessness service providers calling for Stevens’ return.
One student wrote, “Make no mistake — some of her patients will die without her.” A nun from the Daughters of Charity, which ran the hospital’s previous incarnation, called Stevens a “lifeline” for vulnerable patients.
Beavers Khoury said she sent the letters to about 10 people in hospital and medical school leadership. Most did not respond.
In May, the hospital’s review committee determined Stevens’ practices fell “outside of the acceptable community standards” and constituted “reckless behavior,” according to a letter sent to Stevens.
The hospital did not answer KFF Health News’ questions about how it reached this conclusion or if it identified any patient harm.
Meanwhile, Stevens had secured a job at another New Orleans hospital. But because her resignation came amid the ongoing investigation, University Medical Center said it was required to inform the state’s medical licensing board.
The medical board began its own investigation — a development that eventually cost Stevens the other job offer.
In presenting her side to the medical board, Stevens repeated many arguments she’d made before. Yes, she was prescribing powerful medications. No, she wasn’t making clinical decisions based on urine drug tests. But national addiction organizations supported such practices and promoted tailoring care to patients’ circumstances, she said. Her response included a 10-page bibliography with 98 citations.
In October 2025, Dr. Elyse Stevens decided to leave New Orleans. Before she left, she and her family burned her old prescription pads as “a ceremonial death of an old life and birth of a new beginning,” she says.
Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News
hide caption
toggle caption
Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News
Liability
The Louisiana state board’s investigation into Stevens is ongoing. Its website shows no action taken against her license as of late December.
The board declined to comment on both Stevens’ case and its definition of appropriate addiction treatment.
In October, Stevens moved to the Virgin Islands to work in internal medicine at a local hospital. She said she’s grateful for the welcoming locals and the financial stability to support herself and her parents.
Dr. Elyse Stevens says goodbye to her mom, Mary Chaput, as they part ways on one of Stevens’ final days in New Orleans.
Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News
hide caption
toggle caption
Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News
But it hurts to think of her former patients in New Orleans.
Before leaving, Stevens packed away handwritten letters from several of them — one was 15 pages long, written in alternating green and purple marker — in which they shared childhood traumas and small successes they had while in treatment with her.
Stevens doesn’t know what happened to those patients after she left.
She believes the scrutiny of her practices centers on concerns over liability more than patient safety.
But, she said, “liability is in abandoning people, too.”
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF.
How to Grow Flapjack Paddle Plant (Kalanchoe luciae)
It is unlikely that an indoor specimen will bloom. However, you can try to mimic nature and encourage flowering.
Provide 12 hours of sunlight with the aid of a grow light, and less than 12 hours of darkness during the last six weeks of the dormant fall and winter period.
It is also essential to withhold fertilizer and water minimally during this time.
Soil
The ideal potting medium for flapjack paddle kalanchoe is gritty and well-draining. Cactus and succulent soil is appropriately formulated to meet the need for pH in the 6.5 to 7.5 range.
Hoffman Organic Cactus and Succulent Soil Mix is composed of organic compost and peat moss to provide optimal nutrition, inorganic sand for rapid drainage, and limestone to maintain a slightly acidic pH.
Hoffman Organic Cactus and Succulent Soil Mix
Hoffman Organic Cactus and Succulent Soil Mix is available from Hoffman via Amazon.
You can also make your own succulent potting soil following our recipe here.
Water
Because succulents are prone to rotting in overly wet soil, it’s best to let the pot dry completely before watering. Use a moisture meter as your guide.
During dormancy, moisture needs are greatly reduced as the flapjack plant is not actively growing.
You can learn more about watering succulents here.
Fertilizer
While it is not a heavy feeder, the flapjack paddle plant benefits from a monthly nutrient boost during the spring and summer growing season.
Use a balanced liquid houseplant food with an N-P-K ratio of 10-10-10, or similar.
Dilute it to half strength and apply when watering. Withhold fertilizer during the fall and winter dormant period.
See our guide to fertilizing succulents for more information.
Where to Buy
You can find flapjack paddle plants available at most nurseries that carry a good selection of succulents.
Upon receipt of a starter pot, assess its moisture needs. If the growing media is dry, water it until water runs out of the drainage holes.
Place the pot in a location with bright, indirect sunlight away from drafts.
Flapjack paddle plants are available from Planet Desert in four-inch, six-inch, and two-gallon pots.
In addition to the straight species, there is a variegated cultivar, ‘Fantastic,’ with multicolored green and cream leaves edged in red.
You can find variegated flapjack paddle plant ‘Fantastic’ available in two-gallon pots from Planet Desert.
Maintenance
Flapjack paddle plant prefers a snug-fitting pot with about an inch of space between the foliage and the container rim to accommodate a watering can spout.
When it spreads to fill the vessel completely and/or roots poke from the drainage holes, go up one pot size.
Whether or not you need to increase the size of the container, it’s beneficial to change the potting mix every two years or so.
This avoids soil compaction that adversely affects the ability of the roots to efficiently absorb nutrients and water.
Additional maintenance includes the removal of damaged or dead leaves, a prime breeding ground for common houseplant pests and diseases, which we discuss below.
Leyndo 5 Pcs Exercise Resistance Bands with Handles Physical Resistance Tube Workout Bands with Door Anchor for Men Women Muscle Toning Strength Training
Price: $22.99
(as of Jan 18, 2026 18:21:24 UTC – Details)
Package Includes: you will receive 5 pieces of different level exercise bands with handles and 1 piece of door anchor, including 1 piece of 10 lb in yellow, 1 piece of 15 lb in red, 1 piece of 20 lb in green, 1 piece of 25 lb in blue and 1 piece of 30 lb in black, enough to meet your daily needs
Considerate Design: the handle of our resistance bands set is made of anti slip materials, soft and smooth; It can make you grip more tightly and give you a comfortable use experience
Portable and Practical: the door anchor included in the package can let you exercise whenever and wherever possible; Even if you are traveling or at home, you can also exercise your physical fitness with our resistance band
Fine Workmanship: our elastic bands for exercise are mainly made of quality TPE material, foldable and serviceable, and the length of resistance band is about 47 inches/ 119.38 cm, reliable to serve you for a long time
A Wide Range of Application: our exercise bands are widely applied, not only for weight loss, fitness, muscle stretching, shaping, but also for rehabilitation training, which is good choice of exercise
Cooking Burnout Club Meal Plan 3
Some weeks, cooking dinner feels fine.
And some weeks… life is lifing, your energy is gone by 4pm, and even thinking about dinner feels like too much.
That’s exactly why I created Cooking Burnout Club. Not for the weeks when you’re motivated, inspired, or excited to try something new, but for the weeks when you still want to feed your family good food without draining whatever energy you have left. These recipes are built for real life, not your best, most productive self.
This week’s meal plan is what I call extra lazy meals. And I mean that in the best possible way. These are the dinners you keep on hand for weeks you already know are going to be heavy. Minimal prep. Very few steps. A lot of Instant Pot and air fryer reliance. The kind of meals where you’re not chopping a million things, not standing at the stove forever, and not second-guessing every step.
This is the meal plan you reach for when you still want to cook at home, but you need dinner to meet you where you’re at. Low energy, low effort, still really good food.
Welcome to the Cooking Burnout Club.
Here’s what we’re cooking this week:
Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Thighs with Ranch Slaw and Rice
This Instant Pot BBQ chicken thighs recipe is one of those dinners that feels almost too easy. You can use frozen chicken thighs, the ranch slaw is literally just slaw and ranch, and the rice is frozen. Minimal prep, very few steps, and a solid, comforting dinner with barely any effort.
Instant Pot Chickpea Pasta
This Instant Pot chickpea pasta is one of the easiest dinners in this meal plan. Chickpea pasta, water, and marinara cook together in the Instant Pot, then frozen spinach gets stirred in at the end. Minimal prep, very few steps, and a solid dinner when energy is low.
Everything Bagel Salmon with Green Beans and Quinoa
This everything bagel salmon is a true sheet-pan dinner. The salmon and frozen green beans cook together in the oven with almost no prep. I recommend serving it with Instant Pot quinoa, which tastes much better than store-bought frozen quinoa and still keeps this meal very low effort.
Air Fryer Chicken Tacos
This is a go-to low-energy dinner. Air fryer chicken tacos made with juicy chicken thighs, very little prep, and a short cook time. Once the chicken is done, taco night comes together fast.
Want more weekly meal plan ideas?
Remember, you don’t have to cook every night or follow this plan perfectly for it to be helpful. These meal plans are here to support you, not pressure you. If you need more easy dinner ideas, you can explore past Cooking Burnout Club meal plans and pull what works for you this week.
In the U.S., hidden hunger still leaves scars on body and mind : Shots
Marilyn Vargas, who supports a household of six, gathers food donations at a pop-up food pantry held outside the Easthampton Community Center in Easthampton, Massachusetts.
Karen Brown/NEPM
hide caption
toggle caption
Karen Brown/NEPM
Hunger in America looks very different from the stereotype of malnourished children trying to survive a famine in a low-income country far away.
In the U.S., hunger is often much less obvious, but it’s there — in the disruptive behavior of a third-grader who missed breakfast or the chronic anxiety of parents carefully rationing out boxes of cheap macaroni for their children.
You can also see hunger in long lines at a pop-up food pantry at a community center in Easthampton, Massachusetts.
That’s where Marilyn Vargas found herself in November, pushing a grocery cart past a table of free food just after the season’s first snowstorm. She threw in large packs of chicken breasts, some cookies, a giant box of Cheerios, rice, beans — all for her household of six.
The family’s sole income comes from her federal disability check, Vargas said, supplemented by government programs like SNAP, and food donations. When the Trump administration delayed November’s benefits during the government shutdown, “I was very worried,” Vargas said.
She couldn’t stop thinking about a difficult time a few years ago when they lived in North Carolina, far from any food bank. When her transportation fell through, she couldn’t get to her retail job, 20 miles away. There was no paycheck and therefore no money for groceries.
“I felt terrible — I was crying. I was desperate,” she recalled. “The only food I had, I gave it to my kids.”
The pop-up food bank sets up twice a week outside a community center in Easthampton.
Karen Brown/NEPM
hide caption
toggle caption
Karen Brown/NEPM
Eventually, Vargas’ sister learned about the crisis and helped her move the family to western Massachusetts, where food programs are easier to access.
But Vargas remains anxious about food, and she doesn’t expect politicians to look out for her.
“I don’t think they’ve ever been hungry,” she said. “Especially Trump. He’s never been hungry because his father was rich.”
Hunger’s effects show up in behavior and brain development
In 2023, 13% of American households were considered “food insecure” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
There’s no more recent public data, because the Trump administration canceled the annual survey, calling it “subjective, liberal fodder.”
But in fact, food insecurity takes many forms in the U.S., and its relative invisibility contributes to policies that make it worse, according to doctors, public health experts and people like Vargas. They say politicians have failed to grasp that going without food, even for short periods, can take a significant physical and psychological toll.
“They think, ‘Oh, there couldn’t possibly be hunger in America,'” said Mariana Chilton, a public health professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Many people assume all hungry children “have distended bellies and flies in their eyes,” she said.
Mariana Chilton researches food insecurity and trauma as a professor of public health at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Karen Brown/NEPM
hide caption
toggle caption
Karen Brown/NEPM
In reality, Chilton said, hunger can manifest as teenagers too tired to participate in after-school sports or elementary-age students who arrive to class agitated.
“They can’t focus. They may be more likely to get in fights with their peers or not be able to listen,” she said.
Even a few days of hunger can affect brain development, especially among babies and toddlers who need fuel to make critical connections between brain cells.
“They are growing 700 neurons a second. So any interruption in good nutrition is going to affect the way that they interact with their world,” Chilton said.
“Their body starts to slow down, to try to conserve energy. Even just one or two days of reduced intake is going to affect their cognitive, social and emotional development.”
Many people assume that children can overcome early trauma, including hunger or malnutrition, said Dr. Diana Cutts, chair of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and an investigator with Children’s HealthWatch.
“There is a collection of myths that fall under the heading of ‘What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger’ or that ‘Children are resilient,'” Cutts said.
“But science tells us that trauma and adversity do not usually make anyone — kids or adults — stronger or better,” she explained. “It far more often does the opposite, causing injury associated with lifelong increased risk for poor health and shorter lifespans.”
The long tail of poor nutrition
Mary Cowhey, a retired teacher in western Massachusetts, can personally attest to the lasting scars of hunger. She grew up on Long Island, in New York, part of a family of 10 that included six siblings and two cousins. Her father’s salary as a teacher was insufficient to provide all the food they needed.
Every day after school Cowhey would help peel potatoes, their main source of nutrition. The family also survived on surplus shark, dropped off at their house by a local fisherman.
“And we were glad to have the shark and potatoes,” she said, “because there were some times when we didn’t [even] have the shark and potatoes.”
Cowhey will never forget the pain of an empty belly, her envy of classmates’ lunches and the competitive scramble when food hit the table.
“It was not uncommon for my sister to reach over and take something off my plate,” she said. “So we learned to eat really fast.”
Only the younger siblings got milk in her house. Cowhey still recalls the day of her first school physical, in fourth grade: “I remember the nurse letting me read the scale — you pushed the thing across — and it was 40 pounds.”
She was 9 at the time; a healthy weight range for that age is 50 to 100 pounds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mary Cowhey experienced hunger as a child growing up on Long Island. In her adult life, she still feels the physical and psychological consequences of inadequate early nutrition.
Karen Brown/NEPM
hide caption
toggle caption
Karen Brown/NEPM
Cowhey became a single mom in her 20s. Unlike her parents, who were too embarrassed to seek help, she signed up for food stamps, the precursor to SNAP.
When Cowhey moved to Northampton, Mass., she would go to the local food pantry and tell her son to scooch forward in his stroller, so she could fit more food items behind him in the buggy.
“I was learning it was really important for kids to have milk and cheese and things like that,” she said. “I didn’t want him to ever grow up with that feeling of not having enough.”
Cowhey is now 65 — thin, but no longer malnourished.
She graduated from college in her 30s and worked as a teacher and community organizer. She has also become an avid gardener, partly as a way to ensure she can grow some of her own food.
Nevertheless, after suffering a series of broken bones, Cowhey was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis — which she blames on a lack of calcium in childhood. Her bones are so brittle that her doctor says another fall could disable her, she said.
“It wasn’t until I was in a back brace, flat on my back in a trauma center … that I started to connect the dots,” she said.
“I know that panicky feeling”
But the long-term effects of Cowhey’s childhood hunger go beyond the physical. Although it has been decades since she lacked enough food, Cowhey still describes herself and her siblings as “opportunistic eaters.”
“If there is food around, we will eat it. It has nothing to do with whether or not we’re hungry. There’s this mentality of ‘in case there’s not food tomorrow,'” she said. “For me, that never went away.”
When President Trump briefly suspended the funding flow for food benefits during the government shutdown, Cowhey became upset and angry: “Because I know that panicky feeling.”
Ramona Kallem, a volunteer, helps distribute food at the twice-a-week food bank outside the Easthampton Community Center.
Karen Brown/NEPM
hide caption
toggle caption
Karen Brown/NEPM
Conservative politicians point to fraud in the SNAP program as a reason to limit benefits and force states to turn over data on SNAP recipients. In late October, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said SNAP has “just become so bloated, so broken, so dysfunctional, so corrupt that it is astonishing when you dig in.”
But Chilton, the public health professor, says politicians are choosing to withhold SNAP benefits as a form of political maneuvering.
“They’re forgetting that it actually has a real impact on people’s everyday lives,” Chilton said. “And I think they don’t care. And that’s because I think they haven’t had enough exposure to the experience of hunger.”
This story comes from NPR’s health reporting partnership with New England Public Media and KFF Health News.
Episode 189: Our 2026 Garden Plans
See What We’re Planning for the Garden in 2026
What’s that old adage? “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Well, call us eternal optimists, but every January we like to make a list of our goals and aspirations for our gardens in the coming year. After all, a new gardening season is the perfect time for fresh ideas and bold decisions. In this episode, we dig into our plans for 2026, sharing what we’re upgrading, what we’re rethinking, and where we’re ready to start from scratch.
There are plans for refreshing tired beds to completely overhauling borders that no longer work (or perhaps cutting down an aged stewartia tree?). We’ll also talk through the practical considerations shaping the season ahead. Join us for an honest, behind-the-scenes look at how our gardens are evolving—and how you might approach changes in your own landscape.
Episode Expert: Susan Calhoun is the owner of Plantswoman Design in Bainbridge Island, Washington. She is also a regional reporter for FineGardening.com.
Listen to More Podcast Episodes!
Check Out Let’s Argue About Plants on YouTube
Subscribe to Fine Gardening Magazine
Danielle’s Garden Plans for 2026
- Add a dead hedge on Hospital Hill
- Hide the shade garden propane tank
- Renovate or remove: Japanese stewartia and ‘Heronswood Globe’ katsura
- Go on an international garden tour to the Netherlands
Carol’s Garden Plans for 2026
- Edit and improve Manic Pixie Woodland Clearing beds
- Add more native plants to stream bank beds
- Add beaked yucca (Yucca rostrata, Zones 5–9) for contrast in front beds
- Update my garden site plan
Susan Calhoun’s Garden Plans for 2026
- Install a gravel garden by the shoreline patio (Pacific Northwest)
- Native plant border and education (Arizona)
Photos courtesy of the contributors unless otherwise noted.
Read More from Susan Calhoun:
Get Four-Season Interest Using Ornamental Grasses in the Garden
Designing a Garden in the Woods
A Deer-Proof Garden Design for Dry Shade
76 Inches Long Heavy Fabric Resistance Bands for Women and Men – Non-Slip, Durable Exercise Bands for Stretching, Yoga, Home Fitness
Price: $36.99 - $25.99
(as of Jan 18, 2026 06:19:10 UTC – Details)
From the brand
Resistance Bands for Men Women
Elastic Bands for Exercise
Workout Bands for Legs and Glutes
Built to Last
NOVARISIA gives you extra ordinary products, with extra long life.
Extra Durable Extra Life
Why Choose Us?
We are only PREMIM products seller.
Long Exercise Belt
76 inch resistance band is made of polyester fabric for superior durability and comfort for any athlete. Latex is weaved through the band for improved grip!
Extended-Length Wonder: Ignite your workouts with an impressive 76 inches of length, offering extended reach and flexibility for a full spectrum of exercises that push your limits.
Flex-Fit Comfort: Crafted with a flex-fit fabric, these bands offer superior elasticity and enduring comfort. Push your boundaries without compromising on support, enjoying a blend of functionality and luxury in every stretch.
Unrivaled Versatility: Achieve a wide range of exercises with an extraordinary 76-inch length, providing extended reach for comprehensive muscle engagement and flexibility.
Intensity Redefined: Crafted for the elite, these bands deliver heavy-duty resistance, making them your secret weapon for building muscle, enhancing mobility, and dominating plyometric challenges.
Sleek Fabric Elegance: Embrace the luxury of premium fabric that combines durability with a touch of elegance. Our bands provide the perfect balance of style and functionality for your high-performance lifestyle.
30 days no question asked guarantee, you can contact with us if you found anything wrong.
Bbtops Pilates Bar Kit with Resistance Bands,Pilates Bar with Stackable Bands Workout Equipment for Legs,Hip,Waist and Arm,Exercise Fitness Equipment for Women & Men Home Gym Yoga Pilates
Price: $30.99 - $23.99
(as of Jan 17, 2026 18:15:24 UTC – Details)
pilates bar kit with resistance bands is designed as an all-in-one fitness equipment that can shape the body, exercise muscles, reduce weight, and provide exercises that can be performed without a gym. They have similar functions as barbells, rowing machines, tension bands, yoga kits, and other equipment . Full Body Workout!
【Bbtops Pilates bar 】- Pilates Bar Kit with Resistance Bands composed of three steel pipes,four resistance bands equipped are made of natural latex, upgraded adjustment buckle and nylon rope with clear graduations. Just press the button easily, you can adjust the nylon rope to the desired length more quickly and accurately when training different movements. It can help you improve your strength, flexibility, and balance. which is strong, durable, and non-slip.
★【Customized Pilates Bar Kit】- Our Pilates bar set comes with four resistance bands equipped are made of natural latex (30/40lbs).it can be combined into a resistance of 140LBS. and three kinds of resistance can be freely matched with different intensities. Pilates band can be used alone or in conjunction with other exercise equipment to provide different levels of resistance for your workout. Pilates bar are ideal home fitness equipment for men and women and the option burning calories faster.
【All in 1-Full Body Workout】- The workout equipment could help shape body,training muscles,etc.You can put these 2 kinds of resistance bands together on each side,if you want to increase the intensity of tension.Also,you can use the same weight resistant bands,attached to each side for light weight resistance.The 3 detachable steel rod could be assemble to the length when you training
★【Keep Body in Good Shape】- Our resistance band set is portable and convenient, allowing you to workout anytime, anywhere. Workout sets for women. The included carrying bag makes it easy to take your workout gear with you on the go, whether you’re traveling, working out at home, or at the gym.The Pilates bar has multiple functions and can be used for a variety of sports, fitness, and exercise programs, such as Pilates, barre, stretching, etc.
【Pilates Equipment】- Our Pilates bar kit with resistance bands can be used for a wide range of exercises, including pilates, yoga, stretching, strength training, and more. It can help you improve your strength, flexibility, and balance. which is strong, durable, and non-slip.