Mastering the Meal Plan
A dietitian's tips for a week of dinners
Believe it or not, I actually enjoy meal planning and grocery shopping for my family. I see it as a challenge — how can I serve delicious, healthy meals that keep to a budget and minimize food waste? I know, I know, it sounds like a tall order.
The first thing I have done to simplify this process is to give each dinner a theme. You know, like “Meatless Mondays” or “Taco Tuesdays.” Unfortunately, not every night comes with great alliteration. Instead, I base the themes on who will be eating. Lyle and I eat together every night and my 13-year-old daughter joins us Wednesdays, Thursdays, and every other Friday through Sunday. We also have four-year-old Emily, who gets all of her meals via tube feeding (more information and recipes to come for her meals as well!).
Since it is just Lyle and me on Monday and Tuesday nights, the theme for these nights is “Whatever Sara doesn’t like.” I’m thankful that she is a good eater and understand that, like all of us, there are some things she just doesn't enjoy.
Here’s what a typical week looks like:
Monday we tend to have fish (fish tacos or this amazing salmon) or another type of seafood such as shrimp (earlier this week we had shrimp and creamy polenta with a side salad, mmmm).
Tuesday is often tempeh (a fermented soybean cake, prepared similar to tofu) cooked up with some sort of dark leafy greens and served over rice.
Wednesday is “Tofu night” because all three of us like tofu, either prepared crispy thanks to a cornstarch coating that is cooked in coconut oil or as a part of a quick stir fry alongside rice or quinoa.
Thursday night is always “Mexican food night”– tacos, tostadas, burrito bowls, enchiladas, or even homemade tamales (more to come on that project soon!).
Friday has become “Egg night” where I serve anything from a simple “Breakfast for dinner” menu, a quick frittata made from the week’s leftovers, or even a more involved cheesy souffle.
Saturday is a perfect night for a soup or a stew because there is plenty of time to let it simmer on the stovetop.
Sunday is often my favorite night of the week because it is “Hands-on Dinner” night, where the whole family gets involved in making homemade pizzas, sushi, pasta, or potstickers.
Once my nightly theme schedule is set, building a meal plan is a little less daunting because I at least have some direction. The next thing I do is evaluate the proteins for each night — both for nutrition and for my budget.
Nutrition
When keeping health in mind, the preferred sources of protein are vegetarian proteins (think beans, lentils, and soy products), fish (recommended 1-2 times per week), poultry, and eggs. Personally, I don’t eat red meat or pork, but these can be incorporated once a week in place of one of the poultry meals. On an average week, we eat vegetarian 2-3 times, fish 1-2 times, poultry 2-3 times, and eggs once.
Budget
Animal proteins come with a higher sticker price so I am careful to plan those meals out carefully. I’ll splurge for a more expensive cut of fish once or twice a month, such as wild salmon or halibut, but I’ll more often choose a mild white fish like cod or rock cod that is a little more affordable.
Additionally, I usually opt for chicken thighs over chicken breasts, which are less expensive and more flavorful, or start with cooking a whole chicken that can be used in multiple meals throughout the week (enchilada filling and soup, for example).
Vegetarian proteins are the most budget-friendly so I have been embracing them more and more often lately. Soups, Mexican food, and even stir fry are great ways to use vegetarian proteins, as they can even satisfy a meat-eater.
Finally, I assign meals for each night. We usually have a mix of our go-to menu items and new recipes that I have saved over the years in a binder or on my phone. I keep an ongoing list of the week’s menu on the fridge so my family knows what is coming and so I can build my grocery shopping list accordingly.
Here is an example from a few weeks back:
Monday - Fish tacos made with grilled rock cod and topped with avocado and shredded cabbage (a go-to meal)
Tuesday - Black bean soup topped with avocado, sour cream, and tortilla chip crumbles (new recipe)
Wednesday - Crispy tofu with brown rice and sauteed bok choy (go-to meal)
Thursday - Pinto bean tostadas topped with lettuce, avocado, sour cream, and salsa (go-to meal)
Friday - Grilled veggie omelet with a simple side salad (new recipe)
Saturday - Chicken and chickpea stew (new recipe)
Sunday - Homemade pizzas topped with ground turkey, pesto, and lots of veggies (go-to meal)
It is as simple as that!
Feel free to have fun with your nightly meal themes based on your and your family’s preferences. Italian night! Stir-fry night! The list goes on.
What are some of your favorite meal planning hacks? Leave a comment (and a like!) below.
As a reminder, the information in my blogs represents my opinions and does not constitute medical or health advice. I recommend that you consult with your physician and/or a Registered Dietitian prior to making any changes to your diet, especially if you have underlying medical conditions, as some of these conditions may require specialized nutrition interventions.
Love the theme nights!
The challenge of using up a rotisserie chicken for 3 meals and disguising it…