I'm realizing lately that I've been eating without a plan.
I jump into meal prep mode ten minutes before I'm ready to eat. At this point I'm so hungry that health and nutrition are no longer a priority. Speed and ease come first. Budget is always factored in but only in the sense that I will buy the cheapest fastest thing. Which is never really the cheapest...
I jump into meal prep mode ten minutes before I'm ready to eat. At this point I'm so hungry that health and nutrition are no longer a priority. Speed and ease come first. Budget is always factored in but only in the sense that I will buy the cheapest fastest thing. Which is never really the cheapest...
So this week I made a plan. It took me about an hour to lay it out and write up my grocery list. (In the future I think I can get it down to a half hour).
I decided on three meals for each day starting with Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Come midweek I will reassess and plan out Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I've scheduled my grocery shopping for Saturdays and Wednesdays. And Sunday is our day of rest which means minimal to no cooking...
Sunday
Breakfast: Cold Cereal
Lunch: Trader Joe's Picnic
Dinner: Frozen Pizza (add veggies on top)
Monday
Breakfast: Banana Peach Smoothie (with Spinach)
Dinner: Asparagus, Indonesian Peanut Chicken
Tuesday
Breakfast: Eggs on Spinach
Lunch: Black Bean Salad
Dinner: Baby Bok Choy with Cashews
Wednesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal & Raisins
Dinner: Brussel Sprouts, Spaghetti
I've linked the recipes to their original sources. All of them, with the exception of the Indonesian Peanut Chicken, are from Simply Recipes. The ones that don't have a link are just my own informal concoctions. Nothing fancy.
What's your meal planning process? Does it work well for you? I'd love to hear it!
That hazelnut salad sounds so delish!
ReplyDeleteHaven't started this yet, but it sounds like a really smart and FUN idea. The weekday meal plan and menu. Plan out your meals for the week and the food items you'll need, and then when you go grocery shopping you're all ready. Here's a link for what I'm hoping to start!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.realsimple.com/static/pdfs/dinner-plan.pdf
Good luck on your own planning C! :)
Checking it out now! Thanks for the idea. :)
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