The Menu

Dreaded menu planning!  Everyone thinks this is so tough to do each week, but really once you get used to it, it's not hard at all.  You learn which things are the family favorites that you can keep on your menu most weeks, and then there are others you can throw in there for busy nights!  I have "go to" meals that I reserve for soccer nights, PTA meeting nights, etc... the quick, easy dinners that you can have almost done well ahead of time.

I usually plan/purchase/prep all work-week breakfast meals, lunch meals and 6 dinner meals.  I leave Saturdays open and we take a family vote that day and do something that everyone can get into the kitchen and help cook!  Really anything goes, I just use a few guidelines to help me...

Dinner:

• I try to vary the protein selection, which I base my meals around. So we usually do pork one night, fish 1-2 nights, red meat 1 night and poultry the remaining nights.  (Yes, we do eat meat, but you can definitely substitute for pescatarian or vegetarian diets!)
• I TRY to add 1 new recipe/dinner item each week just to build my repertoire and see what sticks!
• I add fruit to every meal for the kids and work around the veggies I know they will eat!

Breakfast: 

• Quick, Easy and Healthy, that's it! 

Mornings are nuts and we all have to get ready and out the door so early, so this is definitely a place that I save time by making most breakfast stuff on Sunday! (Make ahead egg muffin recipe in an upcoming post!)

Lunch:

• My husband and I have salads everyday with tons of topping options.  This takes the bulk of my prep time on Sundays, but it's truly a salad selection that I look forward to every day and it never gets old for me.  (You can always make a little extra of your dinner meal if it does!)
• Kids lunches vary but I try to use as few prepackaged items as I can and bag up my own stuff on Sundays.  I try to make sure they still have a protein, veggie, fruit and treat.

Here's Our Menu for this Week

Breakfast
Veggie/Egg Muffins w/ salsa- adults - all week
 I alternate my days with the muffins and a smoothie (usually grapefruit, spinach, turmeric, blueberry, tart cherry but it varies)
Greek Yogurt w/ Granola, fruit, scrambled eggs/boiled eggs - kids - all week

Lunch
Adults: The salad that you look forward to!
Kids: 

• Proteins - Tuna, Ham steak, turkey breast, grilled chicken, boiled egg, individual cheeses
• Fruits - grapes, apples, mandarin oranges, clementines, apple sauce
• Veggie - olives, pickles, carrots, broccoli (greek yogurt dip), green bean chips, veggie chips
• Treats - yogurt pretzels, trail mix, yogurt raisins, fig bars

Dinner

Sunday - Parmesan baked salmon with zucchini noodles (easy)

Monday - Chicken Carnival with Cauliflower Rice

Tuesday - Almond crusted chicken tenders w/ succotash and honey mustard dipping sauce (soccer night go-to)

Wednesday - Bacon, Egg, Tomato, Chicken chopped salad (easy)

Thursday - Flatiron steak w/ fig & gorgonzola and grilled asparagus (easy)

Friday - Flounder tacos w/ smokey slaw, regular slaw f/ kids

*I will be posting all these recipes in an upcoming post!

Next up....Purchasing vs. Shopping!