Meal Planning Differently
Life is hard; food doesn't have to be #182 [vol5, 8.2]
I love change of all kinds - but man, all the changes this week KICKED me hard. Details have never been strong point…and I don't want to confess all the balls that dropped. School started.
Ready or not, the show must go on. Ready or not, people get hungry and we have to eat. Thankfully our first day of school tradition is to go out to eat so we can hear the kids’ experiences. (They loved the new homeschool co-op. They get assignments on Wednesdays in person then we finish at home.)
Live and Die by the Plan
I remember a youth minister saying in high school, “Fail to plan? Plan to fail.” Those words struck a chord and I’ve applied that lil phrase to so many areas since.
Meal planning has always seemed a chore (you too?) Yet, when I do it I’m always super happy. Shopping is easier and definitely the 5 o’clock hour is less stressful.
I’ve done meal planning all kinds of ways. And it doesn’t really matter how you do it. The most important thing is that I plan. I can always pivot but without a plan and food in the house, we are more likely to make poor choices.
Planning Differently
Sometimes I boil a dozen eggs, roast a chicken and a big hunk of beef (like a roast, or brown several pounds of ground beef for tacos, etc.) all on one day. This way the protein is prepped for the week. Having the protein ready makes for easy meals.
Another way of planning:
On four index cards, I wrote down meals that I tend to repeat. These came from recipes I’ve collected in three ring binders as well as those that I make from memory.
Card One - all the meals made with beef.
Card Two - chicken meals
Card Three - meals I want the kids to make at lunch
Card Four - egg / vegetarian / bread
Side Dishes
I don’t typically plan side dishes. I keep frozen broccoli stocked. Carrots, onions, potatoes and cabbage keep for longer periods. Rice, beans and quinoa are in full supply. Plus I’m always game to pick up whatever looks fresh or in season at the store.
Stocking Up
We have a deep freezer and I buy beef in bulk. At some level, this makes meal planning easier. I see all that meat staring in my face and I brainstorm how to use it.
Another helpful meal planning method is buying into a weekly farm share. I was reminded of this at a friend’s house as I admired her basket of winter squash. She said, “Oh that’s from our weekly veg basket.” I used to subscribe to one when I lived in Little Rock and since moving to Louisville I haven’t found a farm.
At one point I subscribed to a weekly misfit box of fruits and vegetables that was shipped to me. The produce wasn’t beautiful, sometimes just a weird shape, yet always edible. What I like about this sort of thing is that it forces me to eat more produce because more is coming!
Family Preference
Sometimes I get tired of making all the decisions. With these cards, family members can voice their favorites or ask for a meal we haven’t had in a while.
With our meals in one spot I’m hoping this makes meal planning less of a chore.
Sourdough
With my kids at the homeschool co-op, I went to a friend’s house to learn more about sourdough. I learned enough this summer at the School of Lunch to be dangerous and have practiced. I have so many questions!!
I’m learning that sourdough takes practice. And failure. And more practice. Rising this morning is Kate’s Master Recipe. In the wings is another enriched sourdough recipe for dinner rolls.
Smoothies
We’ve made smoothies for breakfast most days this summer. I don’t see this slowing down anytime in the near future. I love that I can make a blender full and portion it out / stick remainder in the fridge. I’m usually hungry before the kids get up but don’t want to make a big mess. They get smaller portions (mainly I want them to have the gut health boost from kefir) then make eggs/ sausage.
Ingredients: mostly kefir, a bit of cottage cheese, peanut butter, pea protein, frozen fruit. I aim for 30-40g protein in my smoothie. If you’re drinking kefir regularly, look into getting some grains to make it. Super easy and mostly hands off.
How are you planning meals these days?
Life is hard; food doesn’t have to be.
Julie