We have been trying to cut back on crappy carbs and eat more "clean" lately. I already feel so much less bloated and have lost a few pounds (along with trying to exercise more). Anyway, I know a lot of people who are also trying to find healthy meals to make without spending all day in the kitchen and also not breaking the bank, so I thought I'd share our weekly menu with anyone who's interested in some new recipes (I also wrote a blog post here about how to create a weekly menu and stick to it here)!
After I went to the store to get my list for the week, (side note: the grocery store here has free child care with the sweetest lady that watches my kids while they are happy playing with old school toys and coloring! It's basically the best thing ever!) I came home and snapped this picture of the beautiful produce that would be going into our bellies this week. It feels good to "JERF"!
Monday: Baked Sweet Potatoes topped with Pepper's Famous Chili
Tuesday: Grilled Chicken and Eggplant Stacks with Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce
Wednesday: Stuffed Acorn Squash with Kale, Mushrooms + Cranberries
Thursday: Tuscan Chicken Skillet
Friday: Pizza Night for the boys (I'm going to Cooking Group!)
Saturday: Sweet Potato Sausage Casserole (an idea I saw from Instagram that I'll post about if it's good!) with a green salad
Sunday: Pork Tenderloin with Pan Sauce + Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Thanks for posting these menus, it's just what I needed to motivate me to cook better this week!
ReplyDeleteJust a thought...I've noticed that when you post a recipe with rice, it's generally white rice. I'm sure you already know about the nutritional benefits of brown rice, but if you don't love the flavor you might find brown basmati rice a good compromise!
ReplyDeleteHi Rachael! You are SO right. Brown rice is a much better alternative than white rice! While I'm trying not to eat grains (including brown rice) right now, I love to keep Trader Joe's frozen brown rice on hand so that I can easily sub that when I make Asian food. I am not a huge fan of rice, but my husband is and isn't too keen on brown rice, which is why I often end up making a little white rice to make him happy. However, I think I'm slowly converting him! :)
DeleteJust wanted to share a tip from my mom (she's Japanese and rice was often on our menu). When making a batch of rice, make extra! Freeze the extra in Ziploc bags (I usually do mine in serving size batches). So easy to thaw in the microwave when needed and much cheaper than TJ's! Thanks for posting all your great recipes! -Sheree
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ReplyDeleteCan you do this every week!?! (-; This is a great motivator!
ReplyDeleteI lost about 30 lbs in early 2012 and I've kept about 20 off, but I feel so unmotivated to kick the last 10 lbs. Thank you for sharing your meal plans.
Thanks for the feedback, Ali! It's a great motivator for me too, to be accountable! It sure is hard to eat healthy all the time, but planning to eat balanced meals by having the ingredients in the house (and a plan for how you're going to prepare them) is a key way to succeed... and the lack of doing that is a great way to fail! Still working on being consistent with that!
DeleteAm I correct in recalling that your husband went on his mission to the Philippines? Mine did too and I remember that when we were first married the rice was a definite bone of contention...I rarely make it but if I do it must be brown, whereas he was used to eating white rice with every meal!
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