Sunday, January 3, 2010

Meal Plan - Month One

What did you have for supper tonight?  We had BLT's.  Yum.  Yum Yum Yum.  And, pasta salad, but before you get too excited, it was pasta salad from a box. 

I have put some work in to our January menu plan and find that I really lack ideas for lunch and supper.  But, breakfast of Cheerios and oatmeal is done through the 31st.  However, what I have found about planning a month in advance, that I just love, is this:

  • When you plan supper, lunch the next day is easy.  Leftovers from supper the night before.  Seems obvious, but has really helped me in planning when to make a certain dish for supper that I know Matthew will be able to chomp on, with only three tiny teeth, the next day and that I won't dread eating twice in a row!
  • Planning produce so that what is bought at the beginning of the week isn't rotten at the end, and so that I am not making a last minute speed-run to the grocery store (I really dislike the grocery store - especially in the arctic temperatures that we are having).  For example, we had BLT's tonight, which required lettuce and tomato.  Tomorrow's supper is tacos, which require the leftover lettuce and tomato.  
  • Cooking in advance.  Tonight I was able to grill up about two pounds of chicken tenders.  Supper for tomorrow almost complete.  Chicken tacos.  Not only that, but Wednesdays lunch plan is Chicken tenders and applesauce.  Done and done.
What are your favorite quick and healthy meals to make?  Any fun snack ideas?  I want to be planned down to the snack.  That's right.  Down to the snack.  I find that I struggle to get enough veggies in (and as I typed that, realized I forgot to buy V-8 splash today...  not going back to the store).  Matthew likes to spit them out, and I have found that veggies are a serious aversion this trimester.  So, any tips on incorporating veggies creatively would be greatly appreciated!

2 comments:

  1. I think you are going to be really happy with the monthly planning. It worked really great for us. We mostly started because we live so far away from the grocery store but we found that the monthly plans saved soooo much time in planning and money and wasted food. We have been on a hiatus since basketball started but will probably start again in March. I want to start doing frozen meals ahead of time as well. Have you seen the "30 Meals in One Day" book?
    I have some recipes ready to go for it. We'll see how that goes....

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  2. Heidi, I haven't heard of that book, but I'll definitely have to check it out. As I was working on the chicken last night I thought I should really make as much for the week on Sunday night as possible, it would save me from the temptation of throwing frozen pizza in the oven by the end of the week!

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