Ok, friends. What you see below is my meal plan for the entire month of January. It won't take you long to figure out there's a whole lot of repetition (like eating goulash 7 times this month... yikes!). I knew the only way I'd stick with this crazy goal of not eating out one time was to make easy, familiar meals with ingredients I could easily obtain and could be used for multiple recipes. It's definitely more of a "winter" meal plan, and will change quite a bit as other foods come into season and the weather warms up. So far, we're 20 days into January and have eaten in for every meal. I've tried to add links wherever possible so that you can find the recipes I used (or at least similar ones). I hope this inspires you!
January 1
Lunch: Tuscan white bean soup + salad (save leftover soup in freezer)
Dinner: Goulash + salad + homemade applesauce
January 2
Lunch: Leftover goulash + salad
Dinner: Roast chicken with carrots & onions, brown rice (+ make homemade chicken broth with leftover chicken & bones)
January 3
Lunch: Sweet potato chili (from freezer)
Dinner: Lemon chicken stew* (using homemade chicken broth) + salad
* Substitute brown rice for the orzo to make it gluten free
Lunch: Leftover lemon chicken stew
Dinner: Cabernet pot roast in crock pot*, roasted potatoes, green beans
* I buy the Cabernet pot roast from Trader Joe's, sear in olive oil on both sides, then cook in crock pot on high (with a cup of water) for 4 to 5 hours. Comes out tender and flavorful every time.
Lunch: Roast tacos* + homemade guacamole
Dinner: Pepperoni/mushroom pizza (using this gluten free pizza crust mix
) + salad* After we're done with the pot roast from the night before, I add some Mexican seasonings (cumin, oregano, garlic, cayenne) and let it marinate overnight. Then I heat the roast, put it in warm corn tortillas, and add guacamole, cheese, salsa, and cilantro.
Lunch: Leftover pizza + salad
Dinner: Lentil tacos* + fruit smoothies (frozen berries, frozen mango, orange juice, and kale, blended)
* The lentil tacos I make consist of a corn tortilla slathered with jalapeño hummus + warmed lentils + cheese + cilantro + avocado. They're a staple, especially when Shawn is out of town or working late and I'm just making an easy meal for myself.
Lunch: Tuscan white bean soup (from freezer)
Dinner: Sweet potato chili (from freezer) + salad
Lunch: Lentil tacos
Dinner: Goulash + salad + homemade applesauce
Lunch: Leftover goulash + salad
Dinner: Roast chicken with carrots & onions + quinoa (+ make homemade chicken broth with leftover chicken & bones)
Lunch: Chicken pasta with sautéed onions, sundried tomatoes, broccoli, white wine, & parmesan
Dinner: Lemon chicken stew + salad (using leftover broth)
Lunch: Leftover lemon chicken stew + salad
Dinner: Cabernet pot roast in crock pot, roasted potatoes, sautéed asparagus
Lunch: Roast tacos with homemade guacamole
Dinner: Tomato soup (I don't add the heavy cream) with homemade croutons + salad
January 13
Lunch: Chicken noodle soup with gluten free noodles, using homemade broth (add leftovers to freezer)
Dinner: Pepperoni/mushroom pizza + salad
Lunch: Leftover pizza + salad
Dinner: Baked chicken strips, quinoa, green beans
Lunch: Lentil tacos
Dinner: Black eyed pea + collard green soup + salad
Lunch: Leftover soup + salad
Dinner: Chicken pasta with onions, sundried tomatoes, broccoli, white wine, & parmesan
Lunch: Leftover chicken pasta
Dinner: Roasted salmon, quinoa, green beans
Lunch: Lentil tacos
Dinner: Cabernet pot roast, roasted potatoes, green beans, salad
Lunch: Roast tacos + guacamole
Dinner: Goulash + salad
Lunch: Leftover goulash + salad
Dinner: Tuscan white bean soup
Lunch: Leftover Tuscan white bean soup
Dinner: Sweet potato chili (from freezer)
Lunch: Lentil tacos
Dinner: Lemon chicken stew
Lunch: Leftover lemon chicken stew + salad
Dinner: Roasted salmon, asparagus, brown rice
Lunch: Chicken noodle soup (from freezer) + salad
Dinner: Apple cinnamon pancakes + omelettes
Lunch: Lentil tacos
Dinner: Black eyed pea + collard green soup + salad
Lunch: Leftover soup + salad
Dinner: Chicken pasta
Lunch: Leftover chicken pasta
Dinner: Tomato soup + homemade croutons + salad
Lunch: Chicken noodle soup from freezer
Dinner: Pepperoni/mushroom pizza + salad
Lunch: Leftover pizza + salad
Dinner: Tuscan white bean soup
Lunch: Leftover Tuscan white bean soup
Dinner: Roast chicken, carrots, onions, potatoes
Lunch: Lentil tacos
Dinner: Goulash + salad
A couple more things...
For breakfasts...
Shawn makes and eats the same breakfast every day: 3 eggs, over easy; two pieces of gluten free cinnamon raisin toast; a smoothie (frozen mango, frozen berries, kale or spinach, and orange juice); and tea or coffee. Liam and I split 3 scrambled eggs, frozen gluten free waffles/pancakes (or sometimes oatmeal for me), juice, and hot tea.
For snacks around the house...
We eat a whole lot of fresh fruit (bananas, clementines, apples, strawberries, grapes), some dried fruit (dried mango and cherries), a few chips to go along with meals, and I drink a lot of tea (green, black, white, and herbal).
For Liam...
He's at the age - 14 months - where he's able to eat what we eat, for the most part. I don't buy or make special baby food as I want him to become accustomed to eating with us at the table and learning to try new things. He definitely has opinions about what he likes and doesn't like, but he's a fantastic eater so far.
PS - I promised a Sponsor Giveaway post today, but am needing to postpone that until next Monday, the 27th. Check back then for a sweet giveaway!
this is wonderful! thanks so much for sharing your plans/meals/and habits. :) i agree with getting the toddlers on board with their palettes...we do that with our twin girls, also 14 months, and so far they have pretty much liked everything. *Sometimes, i think it's more about wanting to eat what they see momma and dada eat and i'll go with that any day! :)
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh this is like a goldmine! Thank you sis!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful, thanks for sharing- a few of these items I had completely forgotten about, like goulash!
ReplyDeleteManda from Eat Cake
I'm trying this today: Crockpot Chicken Chili. Its a Weight Watcher's recipe that I found on Pinterest - its good because the cook time on low is 10 hours, so I'm able to turn it on before I leave the house, and it will be ready about half an hour after I get home, so I'll have time to take care of the side dishes. My plan is to serve it with gf taco shells (warmed up in the oven), some greek yogurt (or sour cream), shredded cheddar & lettuce & a side tossed salad. If it turns out well, Whitney, I'll post the recipe here. It's full of beans and corn, and no gluten-filled ingredients- it looked pretty yummy when I got it all mixed up this morning. Fingers crossed! And amen for crock pots!
ReplyDeleteThis is so awesome! Though there are repetitions, this list makes me inspired to eat at home during February. And I've never made goulash, but that recipe link looks very tasty! Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDelete