Planning Meals

I hate wasting food. This is one of my biggest pet peeves, especially when I spend good money on it. I also don't want to get bored with the foods that I prepare, so I decided this week to plan out 7 meals (and 2 desserts). I may eat them as lunch or dinners, but at least I have an idea of what ingredients I need (not just impulsively want). I tried to combine different proteins, veggies, fruits, and grains. I looked through cookbooks to get inspired to cook a variety of dishes.

Tonight I am going to Ruby Tuesday for my mom's belated birthday, but starting tomorrow morning, I am going to attempt to avoid eating in restaurants for one week. I think this will save us money but also ensure that we are making good dietary choices. If I find this to be successful, I will probably structure 2 meals a day. This week, we spent a little over $100 at Whole Foods, and we were able to purchase all of the fresh produce and proteins needed to prepare the meals I planned. (Although last week we spent over $200 at Publix, but that was mainly because we were missing a lot of staples, including paper towels, toilet paper, and other household products.) So here's the list:

Seven-Day Meal Planner

Queso flameado with flour tortillas and guacamole

Monte Cristos  with raspberry jam and a salad

Chicken Paillard with arugula and grape tomato salad, crostini with tapenade

Blackened snapper with pineapple salsa and cold orzo salad

Chicken cordon bleu with mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli

Turkey vindaloo with chana masala and brown rice

Pasta Bolognese (w/pork and turkey) with grilled caprese salad

Desserts:

Lemon cheesecake

Oatmeal cookies (from dough we prepared earlier in the week)

 

I hope my family truly enjoys the food that we prepare together. Lydia loves looking in the pots, pans, bowls, and cutting board. Richard has been really into preparing high-quality food lately, like nice steaks on the grill. Properly nourishing my family is so important, and I think we can find success in planning meals ahead of time.