Meal Planning Week 2

I have 3 rules when going to the grocery store, (1) don’t go hungry, (2) don’t go without a list, and (3) don’t bring anybody with you. HAHA! Going to the grocery counts as my alone time these days.  So, first, if you go hungry, you are likely to make impulse purchases. Those cookies that you know you don’t need, but they do look good. If they stay on the store shelf you won’t think about them again, but if you bring them home they will be eaten by the end of the day. Leave the cookies at the store. Second, always have a plan with a list AND stick to the list! Take the extra time to look up the recipes and make a list before you go. I promise you will not remember that you need chicken broth even when you pass by it on the shelf. 

If you want to find out more about how I meal plan, read last week’s post linked HERE. 

Week 2 Meal Plan

• Breakfast: Cheerios, instant oatmeal (we love the Think brand), yogurt (Light & fit is my favorite), raspberries & bananas.
  • NOTE: Same as last week! Don’t make this complicated, friends. I will switch this up every 3-4 weeks. Plus, the raspberries have been SO good lately!
• Lunch: Ham & turkey sandwiches or wraps, RRP pinwheels, cheese & crackers (the 4-year-old packs this in her lunch often), bagged salad (apple gouda, YUM!), cauliflower, cucumbers, carrots, grapes, veggies straws, chips & salsa, and granola bars.
  • I will also make my Roasted Red Pepper Pinwheels on Sunday. This makes it easy to pack lunch on Monday!
  • TIP: When you get home from the grocery, take the extra 30 minutes to wash and cut up your fruits and vegetables. You will be more likely to grab a healthy snack and this makes packing lunches SO much easier in the mornings.
  • TIP: If your kids are back in school, look at the lunch menu BEFORE you go to the grocery. For each day and each child, write “pack” or “buy” on your plan. This will make sure you don’t overbuy lunch food, but that you also have enough if your kids want to pack all week!
• Dinner
  • Dinner 1: Pulled pork butt on the Traeger grill using THIS rub as seasoning. My husband cooks this all day and it is SO good. If you don’t have a smoker, you can cook the pork in the oven using THIS recipe or in the Crock-pot using THIS recipe. Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce. Eat it with or without a bun.
    • Sides with the pulled pork: green beans, yellow squash, baked apples and THIS salad. The salad seems like a regular ole salad until you take it up a notch with the seasoning. I didn’t have any basil, so I used Italian seasoning instead and it was SO GOOD. Topped with Bolthouse Farms ranch dressing.
  • Dinner 2: Pulled Pork Tacos with Sweet Chili Slaw. I use the leftover pulled pork and re-season it in the skillet with the seasonings listed in the recipe. My husband asks for this recipe every time we make pulled pork! Seriously, so flavorful! I use Greek yogurt for the dressing.
  • Dinner 3: Chicken Stir Fry. This is an easy weeknight meal that I really don’t have a recipe for BUT I will share with you a few easy ones and what I do. First, heat up about a Tbsp of oil in a skillet on medium heat, cube up some chicken (about a pound) and cook in skillet until done, remove the chicken from the skillet. Next, add frozen vegetables to the skillet (I used the Birdseye Oriental Blend) and cook until done. Add back in chicken and pour over sauce. I do not use the sauce from the frozen vegetables, but you can. I use the sauce in THIS recipe. HERE is another great Chicken Stir Fry recipe.
  • Back-up dinner: This week, let me introduce you to my concept of a “back-up dinner”. This is a dinner that is kept in the freezer that is easy to make and doesn’t go bad. This week’s back-up dinner is Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken over rice with vegetable spring rolls.

Just the Recipes

Hey, if you came here for just the recipe links, I totally understand! Here they are all linked up in a nice list for you. 

• Roasted Red Pepper Pinwheels
• Secret Side Salad
• Ultimate Homemade Dry Rub
• Slow Roasted Pork Butt
• Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork
• Pulled Pork Tacos with Sweet Chili Slaw
• Tofu Stir Fry (this recipe has the sauce I use for my stir fry)
• Easy Chicken Stir Fry

Stay healthy. Stay well. Enjoy!

Angie