One of the best ways for our family to get back-on-track is meal plan Mondays! When we have routines around dinner it affects so many things: how we shop, how we use what we have, and how we gather around the dinner table. As the weather got nicer, we got more relaxed as we casually grilled and didn’t pay attention to planning. And immediately we started wasting food in the fridge, and not having dinner together as a family. So, this week, our meal plans gets back to basics with some of our favorites.
We’ve also been supplementing our unique fruit and veggie counts with lots of lunch salads. How have your veggie counts been lately? With the farmer’s markets starting to open, it’s a great way to see what you can find then build your own meal plan Monday around it!
Meal Plan for the Week of May 17th, 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
- Tuna Noodle Casserole from Fed and Fit
Casseroles are coming back this week! I just love one pot meals too. Minimal cleanup with the maximum amount of approval from everyone!
Unique fruit & veggie varieties – 6: yellow onion, garlic, peas, cremini mushrooms, coconut, parsley
Protein type: seafood
MONDAY
- Roasted Chicken with cabbage and apples
One of the main reasons I love making this dish is that it requires minimal effort but maximum return. I’m getting lots of apples and pears in my Hungry Harvest subscription box, but my kids are icky about soft apples – this is a great way to use them so they don’t go to waste!
Unique fruit & veggie varieties – 3: cabbage, apple, mustard
Protein type: poultry
TUESDAY
- Chicken and Dumplings, well… Paprikash
Have you tried our totally gluten free Chicken and Dumplings yet? It’s one of my favorite recipes that my grandmother would make, and hits all the comfort food points. You have the option to make it traditionally as Paprikash or nightshade-free with herbs.
Unique fruit & veggie varieties – 4: carrots, celery, sweet onion, garlic
Protein type: poultry
WEDNESDAY
- Orange Pork
- Stir Fry with bok choy, spinach, and white mushrooms
- Fried Rice
Who needs take out? You could keep this simple with just the fridge-dump fried rice or stir fry, or save this meal for something fancier. We had a family member over and wanted to do something special!
Unique fruit & veggie varieties – 5: orange, bok choy, spinach, white mushrooms, green onions
Protein type: pork
THURSDAY
- Teriyaki Banzai Burgers
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts
The boys would eat burgers every night if given the choice, so these chicken burgers are a great alternative option to break up that monotony. We grilled them outside while the air fryer crisped up some brussel sprouts. Love meals where we don’t have to turn on the oven!
Unique fruit & veggie varieties – 5: sweet potatoes, pineapple, coconut aminos, butter lettuce, tomato
Protein type: poultry
FRIDAY
- Creamy Roasted Mushroom Soup from Peace Love and Low Carb
- Baked Fish and Wild Rice
Simple roasted fish can be paired with so many things! We love to buy sustainable seafood frozen filets from Trader Joes and Costco then just bake or grill them with olive oil or ghee and spices. We add a side of wild rice cooked in broth and then this creamy soup really brings the flavors all together and adds some superfood nutrition!
Unique fruit & veggie varieties – 5: oyster, blue oyster, and shitake mushrooms, parsley and thyme
Protein type: seafood
SATURDAY
- Leftovers!
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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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