Karina has been a bottomless pit. I know that seems like it shouldn't be a problem, because most toddlers won't eat anything, but to have to feed her every 40min to an 1hr...it is ridiculous! (Especially after I just put her back to bed at 10:30pm because she wanted a snack). I'm trying not to, but if she's hungry then I will give her a snack. I am just really trying to keep it healthy. Maybe its because she started walking this week...
So, as I've mentioned before I have started doing meal planning for each week and then shopping just for what I need. It has made a difference in our shopping budget and the amount of space in our fridge!
Its been a while since I posted a meal plan for the week...so, here is what I have planned for the week: (who knows if it will actually happen, but most of it is what I have on hand)
Sunday
- Breakfast = smoothie (I mix plain yogurt with frozen berries and apple juice.)
- Lunch = sandwiches (turkey, cheese and tomato or roast beef cheese and tomato) or leftover swedish meatballs and cauliflower mashed potatoes
- Dinner = Fish (still to buy tomorrow), rice (made in the rice cooker) with edamame (frozen and then takes 3 minutes to steam in the microwave)
- Snacks for Karina = cheddar cheese, grapes, apple sauce, goldfish crackers, craisins
Monday
- Breakfast = one egg, whole wheat toast and sliced pear
- Lunch = leftover rice and edamame + deli turkey meat
- Dinner = roast pork (cooked in the slow cooker with beef stock, balsamic vinegar, worchestershire sauce, dried rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper.), cauliflower polenta (buy the tubes from Trader Joes or Safeway and just mix in some steamed cauliflower, parmesan and milk) and salad
- Snacks = yogurt, whole wheat pita with white bean hummus, carrot sticks, craisins and goldfish.
Tuesday- Breakfast = oatmeal and apple slices (or a whole mini apple that I discovered at Trader Joe's last week. A friend turned me on to their mini pears, but I couldn't find them, then I found the mini apples - perfect size for a toddler's hand)
- Lunch = quesadilla with leftover pork, black beans and cheddar cheese
- Dinner = Whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce. (If I have time, I put a couple of cans of diced tomatoes in the slow cooker while Karina's eating her lunch, with a diced onion, some garlic, bay leaf, touch of oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Otherwise, I just used jarred).
- Snacks = orange slices, cheddar cheese, grapes, whole wheat pita, craisins and goldfish (sensing a pattern...?)
Wednesday
- Breakfast = egg, cheerios and peaches (canned peaches).
- Lunch = pasta, deli turkey and green beans (frozen, steamed in microwave for 3 min)
- Dinner = French onion soup (this is more for me, its an amazing recipe from Rachel Ray's Comfort Foods...mmm...we'll see if she likes it) and leftovers.
- Snacks = apple sauce, grapes, cheddar, carrot sticks, goldfish and craisins
Thursday
- Breakfast = smoothie.
- Lunch = turkey, cheese and blackbean in a whole wheat tortilla wrap.
- Dinner = leftovers
- Snacks = peaches, cheddar, whole wheat pita with white bean hummus, grapes, apple
Friday
- Breakfast = egg, toast, orange slices
- Lunch = peanut butter and jelly sandwich, mixed veggies (frozen, steamed in microwave for 3 minutes).
- Dinner = TBD (either order food, see what's on sale that day at the grocery store or my husband will pick something up at Pike's market on the way home from work).
- Snacks = apple sauce, yogurt, whole wheat pita and whatever else is left in the house until I go shopping on Friday :)
That is a fairly typical week for us. It really has taken a lot of the stress out of cooking to have the meals planned. Things always come up though, so having a couple nights of "leftovers" or keeping pasta and jarred sauce or tortillas, canned black beans and cheddar on hand can make easy pasta or quesadilla nights or allow you some flexibility.
Karina finally meet a cheese she didn't like this week (to my surprise)...Gorgonzola. She really is her father's daughter...
Happy cooking!Labels: breakfast, dinner, lunches, menu planning, sandwiches, smoothie, snacks
