Many people are tightening their belts in this current economy, but that's not a bad thing when it comes to eating! How many countless times have you opened the fridge at the end of the week and there's a bunch of stuff in there -- you don't know how old all the unlabeled containers are and you have vegetables growing mold? Well, one way to solve that problem, help reduce waste (mother Earth will thank you!) and be frugal is to plan your meals.
Even if you're the best of cooks and you can make a "leftovers" soup or salad (which are both great ideas by the way!), you will probably benefit from meal planning. You can have a sense for how much protein sources to buy (vegetarian or animal) as well as different fruits, veggies, and grains (if you eat them). Since I go to my farmers market every weekend (and soon will be participating in my new CSA program!), I have a general idea of the different types of produce available. And, as you can see by my list below, I do try to keep my menu fairly simple, except for items on the weekend when I have more time to roast or do more time-consuming, labor-intensive cooking. I usually do a quick stirfry of my veggies with appropriate herbs, seasonings, and olive/coconut oil, or I will steam them and top them with grassfed butter. (Psst - alot of the nutrients in your veggies are more easily assimilated into the body with fat! And why would you want to eat your veggies plain anyway? =)
Erica's Menu for this week
Today/Sunday:
Dehydrate soaked walnuts
B - green smoothie with avocado, cucumber, and lemon
L - eat out with a friend
D - honey mustard lamb with broccoli garlic stirfry
Monday:
B- leftover lunch
L- leftover fish and veggies plus maybe some kale chips
D- eat out with sister-in-law
Tuesday:
B- bitter melon soup with eggs
L- leftover lamb and veggies
D- natural corned beef with braised green beans
Wednesday:
B- leftover bitter melon soup
L - leftover corned beef and veggies
D-beef veggie soup with crockpot roast, leeks, tomatoes, onions, fresh carrots, etc.
Thursday:
B- green smoothie
L- leftover soup
D- natural sausage veggie stirfy with broccoli, onion, carrots, cauliflower
Friday:
B- fried eggs
L-leftover stirfry
D- baked cumin chicken legs with whatever veggies I have left
Saturday:
Plan again!
Note- I don't include dessert because I usually do not eat dessert. My body does not react well to grains, dairy (as I have sadly found out recently even though it was raw or fermented grassfed dairy), sugar, or fruits, so I do not incorporate them into my meal plan much. Please follow your own plan and listen to your body! Your body will let you know what foods are best for it.
Thanks again to Jenna @ My Joyful Haven for being brave enough to post her meal plans!
Posts
Cranberry Kvass
2 weeks ago
OK, I totally spazzed out and forgot to include the homemade kimchi. I need to eat it but keep forgetting to eat it!
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious and simple, which is the way I like to plan my meals too!
ReplyDeleteWe don't eat dessert on a regular basis, either. The only downside is that sometimes I forget about that when we're having people over for dinner. Then it's a last-minute scramble to figure out what to make! Oh well, I'd rather have it that way than going back to eating tons of sweets.
If you'd like to see my menu plan for the week, it's here: http://littlestuffoflife.blogspot.com/2009/03/on-menu-week-of-31509.html
Great Menu! I love the way you include breakfast, lunch and dinner...that inspires me!
ReplyDeleteI see you found a lamb recipe...sounds yummy...how was it?
We don't do a lot of sweets either...usually only fresh/dried fruit, smoothies, yogurt, carob chips, Alden's organic vanilla ice cream, occasionally a trip to the bakery or a special day...although, this week I am making raw cookies.
Thanks again for joining in!
Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteI love your style! K.I.S.S always works! If you saw my original written meal plan, you would have been like, "huh??"! =)
Jenna,
Yes, lamb recipe was good on the outside, I think I need to open up the netting and put the marinade on the inside! I forgot to include that I had some coconut milk-avocado ice cream last night with a very small amount of raw organic agave nectar. I'm saving my organic sugar for my kombucha mushroom!
Planning meals keeps me sane. I love your ideas!
ReplyDeleteI just started a blog of my own, please check it out if you get a second!