It’s been a wild week around here and I’d be lying if I said our meal plan was perfect. With the introduction of our newest foster kiddo, we’re trying to make things as easy and comfortable as possible. And sometime that means having our main dishes lacking some veggies, so if we can make it – we know you can too! Of course, we can always add veggies during the day by having soup, salad, or smoothies (our favorite ways to get in a bunch at once) which aren’t in the meal plan but are part of our week!
Meal Plan for the Week of February 1st, 2021
Total unique veggie count for this week’s meal plan, just for dinners: 28! Add a green smoothie, salad for lunch, or snack on some fruit to get you even more! We build our plans to have a variety of proteins and diversity of fruits & veggies. You’ll get even more variety in your breakfast and lunches, exceeding the goal for optimum gut health diversity of 30 servings per week.
SUNDAY
- Teriyaki Banzai Burgers and homemade fries
We are really loving our potato cutter around here. I swear the boys are making fries more than ever. And to be honest, I’m not mad about it! They just toss them into the air fryer and voila! Delicious and perfectly cooked every time.
Unique fruit & veggie varieties – 7: potatoes, pineapple, coconut aminos, garlic, sweet onion, butter lettuce, tomato
Protein type: poultry
MONDAY
- Breakfast for Dinner – Legit Bread Co Waffles with sautéed apples, side of apple chicken sausage and scrambled eggs
We decided to make breakfast for dinner to welcome our latest foster kiddo. Not knowing what they would like we found it easiest to stick to a simple and easy favorite. Legit Bread Co. waffles make it not only easy to whip up quickly, but they are delicious! We sauteed some apples with ghee and spices, over medium low heat until tender. Just DIVINE!
Unique fruit & veggie varieties – 2 : apples, cassava
Protein type: poultry and eggs
TUESDAY (with recipe!)
- Crispy Carnitas Burrito Bowls from Just Jessie B’s new cookbook Simple Paleo Kitchen
Turns out tacos are a favorite of foster kiddo’s so it turned into a great opportunity for us to try out the Crispy Carnitas Burrito Bowls from Jessie’s new cookbook. The boys picked out this recipe and man did it deliver! It was just like Chipotle at home.
Unique fruit & veggie varieties – 6: cilantro, lime, avocado, red onion, romaine lettuce, orange
Protein type: pork
Crispy Carnitas Burrito Bowls
Mouth watering citrus carnitas are pressure- or slow-cooked to perfection, then broiled until crispy and delicious. Serve the dish burrito bowl-style for an easy dinner that everyone can customize to their liking. I take mine extra crispy with double guac!
Ingredients
- 4lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3″ cubes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Juice of 1 medium orange
- Juice of 3 medium limes
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 8 cups steamed cauliflower rice, divided
- 4 cups finely chopped romaine lettuce, divided
- salsa, as needed (optional)
- guacamole, as needed (optional)
- roughly chopped fresh cilantro, as needed (optional)
- fresh lime juice, as needed (optional)
Instructions
- Add the pork to the Instant Pot and top the pork with the broth, orange juice, lime juice, cumin, salt, black pepper and oregano. Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Secure the lid on the Instant Pot in the locked position, and set the vent to sealing. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook and cook the pork at high pressure for 30 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot is finished, allow the steam to release naturally for 20 minutes, then release any additional steam manually by carefully moving the vent to the venting position until the valve has dropped.
- Preheat the oven to broil. Remove the carnitas and transfer them to a large rimmed baking sheet, then use two forks to shread the meat. Drizzle the carnitas with the oil. Broil the carnitas for 5 minutes, or until they are crispy.
- layer the carnitas over a bed of 1 cup cauliflower rice and 1/2 cup of lettuce. Garnish the burrito bowls with the toppings (if using).
What we thought
Love that they are naturally nightshade-free! This book really is flexible for a lot of dietary needs. The desserts look incredible!
Thank you to Jessie for sharing this super simple 5 ingredient dish with you all. If you enjoy this, definitely checkout her new cookbook, Simple Paleo Kitchen. There is also a slow cooker method in the book!
We also made a recipe from another cookbook this week, too!
WEDNESDAY
- Pan Roasted Chicken and Roasted Brussel Sprouts The Whole Smiths new cook book Real Food Every Day
Confession, when I saw the boys pick this recipe, I thought, “Oh great, it’ll be flavorless and dry, because it’s boneless skinless.” But The Whole Smiths knocked it out of the park and created a VERY juicy meal we all enjoyed.
Unique fruit & veggie varieties – 3: brussel sprouts, garlic
Protein type: poultry
I’d title this recipe Who knew chicken breast could be flavorful?
Pan-Roasted Chicken and Crispy Shaved Brussels Sprouts
It should be a cooking law that anytime you roast chicken, you must cook some vegetables in the drippings of the pan. The added flavor is out of this world.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter or ghee
- 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, shaved or shredded
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and the pepper.
- In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and the butter. When the fat is hot, add the chicken breasts and cook, undisturbed, for 4 to 5 minutes to create a “crust” on the chicken. Flip the chicken and spoon some of the fat from the pan over the top. Cook the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes more, until browned on the second side. Flip the chicken again and spoon some of the fat from the pan over the top. Cover the skillet and cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F. Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
- Add the Brussel sprouts and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to the chicken drippings in the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the Brussel sprouts start to soften. Reduce the head to medium and cook until the Brussels Sprouts are tender and lightly crisped, 2 to 3 minutes more.
- To serve, slice the chicken and serve it on top of the Brussel sprouts. Store any leftovers in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
What we thought
Love that this uses the flavor of the chicken for the Brussels, we have a very similar recipe concept in our Bacon Chicken with cabbage and it’s a super favorite! If you’ve never done this, definitely give it a try! I also think there are a LOT of good looking recipes in here, and grouped into categories like 5 ingredients or less, one-dish wonders, aww sheet, in an instant, leftovers again? Yes, please! Tell me Plantain “French Toast” Tostones, Chai-Spiced Kettle-Style Apples, and Dairy-Free Rice Pudding don’t sound fantastic?!
Thank you to Michelle of The Whole Smiths for sharing this super simple 5 ingredient dish with you all. If you enjoy this, definitely checkout her new cookbook Real Food Every Day.
THURSDAY
- Leftovers!
FRIDAY
- Quick Broccoli and Beef Stir fry from Simple Paleo Kitchen
The end of this week needed simple! The boys picked this one out and again it did not disappoint. Felt again like we were having takeout without the hassle and the cost.
Unique fruit & veggie varieties – 4: broccoli, sesame seeds, green onion, cauliflower (rice)
Protein type: beef
This was also a super simple 5 ingredient dish from Simple Paleo Kitchen.
SATURDAY
- Order in / Takeout
Our meal of choice: pizza! And yes, everyone is required to add veggies when we order, or else have a side salad.
Unique fruit & veggie varieties – 6: spinach, arugula, basil, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, artichoke
Protein: pork
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About our weekly menu
You are not alone in your struggle to put healthy meals on the table without spending all day in the kitchen. Trying to get in a variety of fruits, veggies, and protein while using local, seasonal ingredients, not to mention a variety of proteins and healthy fats, while not spending all day in the kitchen. Work, virtual school, parenting, maintaining social relationship in a time of quarantine… life is hard enough without the additional stress of what to meal plan and cook. But that’s why we’re here!
You can read about how we meal plan to do your own, or you can use each weekly post as your own menu or just for inspiration. Not every meal, every week will work for you and your family. But, I hope at least I can recommend some new, fun things and provide inspiration for your family to plan ahead in a way that works for you. We hope your whole family enjoys!
Read the original post about how we make it work for us and factors we consider here
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