Friday, January 27, 2012

Meal Planning 101

Meal planning is one of my favourite things. I love looking through blogs and website and discovering their recipes and then adopting and adapting them.
Sundays are usually the day that the bf and I talk about food for the upcoming week. We try to be healthy (er) on Monday, Tuesdsay, Wednesday and Thursday. Friday is usually a less healthy day. And we dont plan for the weekends. Weekends are a free-for-all. Usually we will have at least 1 meal at one of our parents house and then scrape together another meal and probably either go out or order in the last meal.
This works for us.
 
Here are some advantages to meal planning:
  1. Eat out less
  2. Eat more healthy
  3. Eat more of a variaty of food
  4. Don't get bored with eating the same thing over and over
  5. Save money
  6. Always have the groceries that you need
  7. Input from your family - means they will eat everything presented to the.
  8. No questions on what is for dinner which night. Make a list and put it on the fridge
  9.  Spend less time at the grocery store bc you have a list of the items you need
  10.  No impulse buying - saves more money
  11. Allows you to spend more time with the ppl you love
  12. Less Stress.
  13. YOu can plan your days around the meals you are going to eat. for example, if on a a tuesday, you have  meal that only takes 20 minutes, that mean that you can spend more time at the gym, you can grab that coffee with a friend, you can stop by the mall on your way home from work.
The bf and I are on a budget and the weeks that we do have a proper meal plan, we spend less at the grocery store and will not have to make trips to the grocery store during the week.

2 weeks ago, I posted a meal plan for that week. This was the menu:
SUNDAY - Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew - really good on a cold winter evening!
MONDAY - Healthy Fish and Parnip Fries - ABSOLUTELY loved this! The fries were on of my favourites!!!
TUESDAY - Chicken with Salt & Vinigar Chickpeas - the salt & vinigar chickpeas were  a big hit. I will 100% be making these again.
WEDNESDAY - Chef's Salad - a regular in our house.
THURSDAY - Thai Jambalaya - this was a little bit disappointing. I wished it was more thai then jamabalaya. It actually tasted similar to the Chickecn and Sweet Potato Stew that i made that sunday
FRIDAY - Sandwich and Soup - cant go wrong with a soup and sandwich combo!

That week was very successful. We had all the ingrediants. We knew exactly what we will be eating each night. It was great.

This week, I actually did not make a meal plan. Sunday I was at my parents all day and did not go grocery shoppping or make a list. Big mistake. This is what we ate this week:
  • Monday - Turkey breast and ceasar salad
  • Tuesday - cereal for dinner
  • Wednesday - cheese, crackers and some sausage
  • Thursday - Shrimp and Avocado pasta
  • Friday - Butternut squash soup and bruchetta
As you see from the above that only Monday, Thursday and Friday (tonight) was successful. On Tuesday, we both worked late and just didnt feel like cooking at 9 pm. On Wednesday, the bf had a client appreciation event at work. I went there to support him and just ended up eat wayyyyy too many cheese and crackers and cut up sausages.
On Thursday, I made it a point to actually cook and made a favourire in our house, a play on Oh She Glow's 15 minute creamy avocado pasta. We love this pasta and always add either chicken or Shrimp.
And tonight, we are both feeling a little under the weather, so soup will be idea. And we have a bagguette, so i will make some bruchetta with it!

If you compare the 2 weeks, you can see the advantages of meal planning. You will not be eating any cereal for dinner. Unless that is what you really want. Sometimes a nice bowl of cereal for dinner is very comforting!

Now onto next week. I have made a meal plan already and want to share it with you. Here it is:
  • Monday - coconut mango chicken over couscous
  • Tuesday - fish with turnip fries
  • Wednesday - turkey breast with asparagus
  • Thursday - Burritos
  • Friday - going out with some friends.

 What did you eat this week that you liked? What is your go-to quick fix meal after a long hard day's work?
at 9:31 AM

3 comments:

  1. I plan plan plan plan. I really wish I could have my food delivered sometimes...but healthy stuff. :)
    I have been eating Mama Pea's Lentil/Sweet Potato stew all week. So good.

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    Replies

    1. This past week, I only cooked three times but they were big dishes which gave me enough leftovers. I made wantons (turkey with lots of veggies), spaghetti, and chicken pot pie soup with garlic bread. Today, I made chicken spaghetti. I really liked the wantons (so did the boyfriend) and today's chicken spaghetti. It really hit the spot. I am a little under the weather and I think my body is craving some flavor and carbs from the chicken spaghetti.

      Once a week, we'll have pizza (either I'll make it or I'll order it). I'll eat the one I make because I know how much fat goes into it. Otherwise, I will just eat Greek yogurt with fruits and call it a day.

      My work doesnt really have "surprise" days where it gets rough and hard and long hours. It's like I always know what's coming. WHen it comes to long days at work (Wednesday and Thursday), I will try to put something in the Crock-Pot that morning or order pizza, or cook something quick like fish on the skillet with pasta or something like that.

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  2. Sounds soo yummy, plus with planning you really can make sure you are not eating the same dish all week long! :)

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