For 23 years I have been attempting to get quick, tasty yet nutritionally balanced meals on the table each night. I’ll keep you updated as to when I achieve that goal because I have not reached it yet. However I have a goal and a plan of how to achieve it. Here’s the plan along with my areas of focus:
Nutritional Variety
I could eat grilled chicken and hokkien noodles every night. But I shouldn’t. Of course I have the perfect weekly meal plan and whilst it doesn’t always stay on schedule, just looking at it helps me to look further afield than grilled chicken.
Some people I know like to think of their weekly menu plan in themes, which can also makes for a great learning activity.
- Monday ~ Mexican night (Chilli Con Carne,bean burritos, tacos)
- Tuesday ~ Greek night (Greek salad, hummus sandwiches)
- Wednesday ~ pizza night (homemade and nutritious version)
- Thursday ~ “burger” night (veggie burgers, salmon burgers, turkey burgers, tuna burgers)
- Friday ~ Take-away or Kids’ choice
- Saturday ~ Italian night (lasagna or pasta with kangaroo sauce)
- Sunday ~ Soup and Salad night
This is a good plan and obviously works well for some…I prefer to focus on protein as my main ingredient and then I cook from that depending upon what I have on hand. As an example:
Susan’s Weekly Ideal Menu Planner
- Monday :: Chicken
- Tuesday :: Fish (most likely tuna or salmon mornay)
- Wednesday :: Pasta or Rice
- Thursday :: Beef or Kangaroo
- Friday :: Eggs (omelet or frittata) or Plant Based Meal only
- Saturday :: Legumes/ Rice/Nuts/Grain (complementary proteins)
- Sunday :: Kangaroo, Beef, Soup or Lasagne or CatchWhatYaCan (everyone gets their own)
I always cook a little extra so that John can take it for his lunch the following day. When I cook rice, pasta or beans I try to cook a little more so that the remainder can be used for lunches. I have organised my cookbook (printouts placed in plastic sheets in a 4 ring binder) according to the above types: chicken, fish, pasta/rice, beef/roo, eggs, legumes, salads, casseroles, soups, etc.
I’m able to tweak this plan depending upon the needs of the family. Tuesday and Wednesday meals are quick and easy night because we are out, taking boys to cadets and eating at all odd times of the night.
We try to have lots of fresh salad and/or veggies with each meal.
Wow, I sounds organised, don’t I? Believe me, the reality is much different. 😉
Balance
There used to be a day when housewives would cook a meat and three veg dish. I grew up on that. It’s just not the way that my brain thinks although I don’t know why. I like to ensure that we are getting a balance of lean protein, low starch veg, healthy fat and a starchy veggie, in that order.
Seasonal produce
Along with my weekly menu plan I try to buy seasonal. I also try to buy fresh produce at the organic produce shop but it is a few kilometre’s away and I don’t always get there (I have been car-less for several months) so I shop at the local green grocer’s where possible. Buying seasonal is often cheaper and there might be slightly less nasties (pesticides and other gunky sprays) on the produce. Not only that, but I believe God created foods to be grown and harvested in their own season. I’m no nutritionist nor a scientist but I think He might have been on to something with that whole design/creation thing. 😉
Links:
- Vegetarian Victoria has a pdf download of seasonal foods
- Healthy eating with the seasons
- Even though I don’t like to shop at Woolworth’s much, I will still use their website to see what is in season.
- Environment Victoria has information and a guide.
- Eat in sync with the seasons at MotherEarth News
Do you have a weekly menu plan based around nutrition or do you just make it up as you go along? I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas.
I try to do a weekly menu plan – life runs much smoother when I do!
I don’t have a particular pattern to it, I just look over the 7 dinners and try to make sure there’s a good mix of meats and a variety of starches and styles of cooking over the week. So, I do meat+3veg, but not 3 nights in a row.
I think having more of a predictable plan (eg pasta on Wednesday, Chicken on Thursday etc, or themes) would be beneficial for younger children. DD always wants to know ‘what day’ it is – even knowing it was Wednesday ~ Pasta Day would help.
Oh, I have battled with menu plans over the years. They are fantastic- time saving, money saving and thought saving… but they do take a little bit of work to get setup and become consistent in using.
I’m finding it is very beneficial. The children appreciate being able to see what is for tea. Aside from that, when they cook their lunch then can look at the menu plan and make sure that they won’t use any ingredients from the menu.
My struggle has not been with setting up the menu plan itself, rather gathering the recipes and having them in easy reach each night and also setting up the shopping list.
But I think I am winning the battle, with some help 😉
I couldn’t live without a menu plan.
Each week I write up seven dinners, have a bit of an idea what everyone wants to eat for breakfast (at present it is the six week muffins – and I dare not suggest anything else!) and then write a grocery list from there. It means that I have a quick dinner planned for the hectic days, and I know in advance what it is. I have a few “emergency” dinners standards that the ingredients for are always on hand, and pull one of those out if the day goes all wrong for some reason.
Knowing what we are going to eat in advance also means that (as dh doesn’t eat with us normally) we can cook it for lunch instead of dinner if we are going to be out late in the afternoon, or if everyone is tired, therefor making the evening much easier on both cook and wash-up roster.
The thing is that it actually something that requires forethought. It is work. And I’m not too good with that. Oh I can plan it on paper but actually stocking the pantry and then going so far as to actually cook it? That’s a whole ‘nother story.
But I do enjoy hearing about other’s. It helps me. We also have various members who don’t eat with us often. In fact, it is now a great source of delight when we do all get to eat together for it doesn’t happen often. It’s just part of life though- different seasons see us engaged in different activities.
We get given a lot if veges fresh from people’s gardens so often what we cook is based on that ( eg Eggplant Parmigana, Ratatouille, Cauliflower Cheese, Pumpkin Soup are recents) . Or based on the liturgical year( eg lasagna for an Italian saint, or a special dessert ).