Basics of Meal Planning
Planning nutritionally balanced meals can be fun!
Think about meal planning using these blocks:
Protein
Starchy or dense carbohydrate
Fibrous leafy green or mixed vegetable
Fats
You can dress up these blocks with different combinations of herbs, spices, flavored mustards, sauces, salad dressings, nuts, seeds, guacamoles or other flavorings.These flavorings work as accessories. They tie everything together. So even if you are eating some of the same foods several days in the row, you can make them look and taste different by adding different flavorings or condiments.
Setting up a Weeks Menu helps save time and money! Do for at least a few days at time, ideally for 1 week.
Make a Master list of Meals you and your family enjoys eating. You can add to list by going through cookbooks or cooking magazines.
Start by thinking in broad terms or themes of foods: Stir fry, omelet, baked chicken, turkey, salads, beans , Italian, Tex-Mex, Asian etc.
Now Make the Menu for the week. Choose meals that take more prep for the nights you have more time.
Ex: baked chicken, roasted root vegetables and green salad on Sunday.
Plan for leftovers for the week and make that part of the menu
Usually it is easiest to choose the protein portion first and make accompanied sides to complete the meal. Example:
Monday: Chicken
Tuesday: Tofu
Wednesday: Left over chicken
Thursday: Beef
Friday: Lentils
Saturday: Shrimp
Sunday: Turkey
Now think of complete meals or sides
Example:
Monday: Chicken (baked whole chicken, sweet potatoes, roasted asparagus and salad)
Tuesday: Tofu (Stir fry- broccoli, snap peas, carrots, onions, celery, soy and oyster sauce over brown rice)
Wednesday: Left over chicken from Monday, (Chicken noodle soup, homemade biscuits and salad)
Thursday: Beef (Fajitas, green and red peppers, onions, garlic, guacamole and salsa)
Friday: Lentils (Lentil soup with carrots, celery, onions, garlic, over quinoa)
Saturday: Shrimp (shrimp scampi over brown rice noodles with steamed kale)
Sunday: Turkey (baked turkey breast with honey mustard glaze, par boiled mixed vegetables (broccoli, carrots, snap peas and onions), acorn squash halves and side salad
Make a grocery list based off these items
When planning a meal it is important have overlap of vegetable/meats so that you have parts of future meals already cooked/prepped to save time. Sticking to your shopping list will help you maintain your budget and ensure you have all the items you need for recipes you have chosen.
Buy in bulk. Ex. Buy a big package of hamburger that is on sale, cook triple a chili recipe and freeze leftovers for later easy meals.
Meal Planning Tips
Cook once, Eat often! Make a few extra portions of each meal that can used at breakfast, or packed for lunches or dinners.
Use the same items in a number of different ways. Ex: Celery can be used raw with nut butter, put in soup, dice and sprinkle on salads, back in foil wrap with chicken.
Cook large quantities – use some of items the first day and then adapt the item later in the week. Ex: Cook 4-5 cups of brown rice. Use some in a stir-fry. Can add to broth with veggies, chicken and noodles for a lovely soup.
Pre-measure ingredients – The night before or in the morning measure your ingredients. Then later in the day all you have to do is assemble.
Use a crockpot to create hearty, nutritious meals. Assemble all your ingredients in the morning, turn it on and leave for the day. Come home to a warm, fabulous meal!