Since we are in Arizona this week at my mom’s, I asked Stephanie to do a post about healthy living and specifically, healthy meal planning. She’s a genius at this for her own family and it’s the one area where I need a lot of work! Hope you enjoy this as much as I did. And be sure to visit her blog. Tons of great tips and info there!
Hi, My name is Stephanie and I am a working mom who strives to stay fit while finding time to feed my family real food. Like Jennifer, one of my favorite ways to stay fit is by running and I am currently training for the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon in November. Our shared love of God, running and blogging is how we initially bonded and now she is converting me into a Disney runner! You can check out my blog at Food and Fitness 4 Real .
One of the biggest challenges all moms, not just working moms, is meal planning. Instead of waiting until Monday night to think about what I am going to make for dinner to feed my family, I’ve decided that I need to start planning ahead. In fact, I have decided to make Thursday my Weekly Meal Planning day. Why did I pick Thursday? Well, Sunday is meal prep and cooking day, Saturday is grocery shopping day and Friday my brain is already thinking about where I am going to have dinner and dessert with my husband, Trey, for date night.
You do not have to follow the same schedule as I do here, but adjust your days to fit your schedule. There will be unexpected changes that come up, but that is okay. The key is to plan ahead so you can cook nutritious meals at home more often and not rely on the drive-thru or take-out.
Check out local grocery store ads for sales. Usually the weekly promotional ads come out on Wednesday, so I will check them to see what meats and produce are on sale. (4 Real Tip – Fresh food items that are in season will most likely be on sale.) This week, shrimp and chicken are on sale, so I can tell you both of these items will be on the menu for next week.
Consider your schedule for the following week. Do the kids have evening practices, dance classes, gymnastics, etc. that make cooking difficult some nights? Pick a crock-pot meal, make a casserole in advance or plan on soup/salad and sandwiches for nights when you are pressed for time.
Browse for some recipe ideas. Check out food blogs, Pinterest, cookbooks and magazines but don’t overlook your favorite family recipes too. Some additional internet sites include:
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My Recipes (compilation of 7 magazines including Cooking Light, Southern Living, Health, Food and Wine)
Select 3-5 meals to cook, depending on your schedule. Once you have some meal options in hand, let your kids choose which ones appeal to them the most. This can cut down on complaints when dinner actually makes it to the table. (4 Real: See an example of a weekly meal plan for our family below).
Make a grocery list from your selected recipes. Nothing is worse than starting to cook then realizing you are missing a key ingredient. Don’t forget to check the pantry and fridge to make sure you have the essentials like milk, eggs, butter, canned tomatoes, pasta, oatmeal, brown rice and bread/buns.
Go to the Grocery store. Another place to get kids involved in family meals is by taking them with you the grocery store. I ask them to help me pick out the fruits and vegetables that are on my list. They also love checking out the fresh seafood display, including the live lobster tank.
Prep ingredients for the entire week and begin cooking 1-2 meals on Sunday. With busy working parents, this has been the biggest key to success when it comes to getting meals cooked during the week. If I can spend 1-2 hours on Sunday prepping and cooking for the rest of the week, we have no excuse to order take-out during the week. As a result, our meals are more nutritious and we have an excuse to sit down to dinner together.
At the end of the week, make a note of which recipes your family liked best and what was easy to get on the table fast. Add these into your regular rotation each month. You
should always have 5-8 recipes that are quick, easy and nutritious that you know works for the entire family so meal planning gets easier each week.
A typical weekly menu for our family looks like this:
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Sunday – Turkey burgers on wheat buns with Alexia frozen sweet potato fries
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Monday – Chicken, broccoli and wild rice casserole with glazed carrots
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Tuesday – Baked chicken tenders, homemade mac-n-cheese with wheat pasta, steamed broccoli.
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Wednesday – Leftovers
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Thursday – Homemade pizza with whole wheat crust and choice of cheese, veggie or turkey sausage/pepperoni. The kids get to top their own pizza.
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Friday – Date night (usually dinner out for Trey and I while the kids stay with grandparents)
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Saturday – Crock pot chicken chili, salad, and grilled cheese sandwiches (mainly for the kids who sometimes don’t eat chili).
On Sunday, Trey will cook the turkey burgers while I prep for the week. First I make the pizza dough and set it aside to rise. Then I bake the chicken and cook the rice for Monday night’s casserole. I pre-chop the carrots (for Monday), broccoli (for Tuesday), bell peppers and onions (for Thursday) and for chili (which I freeze for Saturday). I also cut extra carrots, celery and broccoli for snacks throughout the week and store them in ziplock bags in the fridge. Then I assemble Monday night’s casserole so all I have to do when I get home from work is put it in the oven and cook the carrots on the stove. Finally, I pre-bake my pizza crusts for Thursday’s dinner then put them in the freezer when they are cool.
4 Real: A great way to get the kids involved in food prep is to let them put food in ziplock bags and label them with a marker. I also let them assist me with making pizza crust, by adding flour to the dough or kneading it. Sophia also has a lettuce knife that allows her to help me chop some soft vegetables, like lettuce, zucchini and squash.
Crock Pot Chicken Chili
Serves 10
Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 8 – 10 hours on low
Ingredients
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1 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
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1 red bell pepper, diced
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1 medium yellow onion, diced
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1 teaspoon garlic powder
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1 teaspoon cumin
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1 28 ounce can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes
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1 15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
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1 15 ounce can of light or dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
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1 15 ounce can of corn (or 2 cups fresh corn kernels)
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1 can original Rotel with green chilies
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2 cups low sodium chicken broth
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Optional toppings: shredded cheese, low-fat plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
Directions
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Take out your crock put and put it on the kitchen counter. Place a crock pot liner inside, then place the lid back on.
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Dice bell pepper and onion and place in a quart size ziplock bag. Sprinkle with garlic powder and cumin, close the bag and shake to mix the seasonings. Store in the refrigerator overnight.
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Place a gallon size ziplock bag into a pitcher and fold edges over the sides of the pitcher to hold the bag upright while you add the ingredients. Pour in crushed tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, corn and Rotel. Remove the bag from the pitcher, close and place in the refrigerator overnight.
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In the morning, take out bag of bell pepper, onion and seasonings and pour into the bottom of your crock pot. Place chicken breasts on top of the onion mixture, then pour the tomato mixture over the chicken. Add two cup of low sodium chicken broth and place the lid on the crock pot. Cook on low (8 – 10 hours).
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After the chili is completely cooked, remove chicken breasts from the mixture and place on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken into bite size pieces and return to the crock pot. Stir well to combine, then serve piping hot.
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If desired, top with shredded cheese, yogurt or sour cream.
These are just tips to get you started and I hope they encourage you to make an effort to eat more meals at home. Not only does eating at home save you money but you can also make your home cooked meals more nutritious. Even better, making your own meals means you will have leftovers for lunch the next day!
Do you plan your meals in advance each week or do you just go to the store on the way home from work? Do you eat out more often than you cook at home? Does your schedule get in the way of family dinners?
I’ve read your post. Thanks for sharing worthy information!
Oh! Thanks for this. I will tryout the recipe.