Meal plans

[186momx]

I cooked goulash yesterday to help with lunches this week.  We can heat it up in the morning and DD can put it in the thermos for lunch and she says it still tastes okay.  DD's goal this month is to eat more during the day in hopes it makes her body feel better during practice time.

Mon-roasted chicken, twice baked potatoes
Tue-goulash (I made a double batch yesterday)
Wed-beef stew in the crock pot
Thurs-stuff peppers in the crock
Fri-leftovers

[erbear]

We have gone vegetarian (really pescatarian) so I'm always looking for suggestions.

Tonight: sesame soy glazed salmon, sweet potatoes and broccoli
Wednesday: Black bean chili with spicy yogurt
Thursday: Creamy spicy rotini with red lentils

[twinmomma]

DH and I are making an effort to eat through the food in the freezer, use up a bunch of old veggies, and make healthier choices. We have a lot of ingredients floating around, but not a lot of actual food to eat, if that makes sense.

He made two soups so that we have some for this week and some for the freezer for future dinners. One is a really simple dill chicken soup. We'll add some rice when we eat a serving instead of storing the rice in it. The other is a curry veggie soup. It's got a ton of veggies blended up (broccoli, cauliflower, parsnips, carrots, onion) with curry spices and some cream mixed in. So good and warms you up when it's cold out! We top it with homemade croutons or those French's fried onions.

Last night we had baked sweet potatoes with shredded buffalo chicken on top and a ranch slaw on the side.

Other options on the list for this week:
- Airfried salmon with roasted veggies
- Italian sausage with pasta and sauce
- Roasted lemon marinated chicken with rice and veggies
- Probably tacos because it's a staple for kid nights

[rere]

I made a big pot of creamy chicken noodles soup and cornbread for the week. We'll probably do our regular Thursday night out and I'm playing volleyball Friday, so whatever we can find.

[librarychica]

This is perfect timing. I’m trying to get back in the habit of cooking enough that I have leftovers for lunches .

Tu:pot roast, mashed potatoes, green beans
W: carnitas street tacos w/avocado salad
Th: leftovers
F: TBD (H and I might go out), probably fish if we don’t
Sa: Moroccan chicken with Israeli couscous & salad

[mommyatty]

Tonight: tacos
Wednesday: roast in crockpot with potatoes, carrots, and rolls
Thursday: I’m oot on business so DH will order takeout
Friday: pizza

[waverly]

Not back to meal planning yet and even when we are, DH wants to be in control. I struggle with the control aspect but on the other hand he does 90% of the grocery shopping and cooking, so oh well take charge then DH.

[mae0111]

LOL I've been running around all day and just sat down to get a bit more work done before my last meeting and saw this thread... crap... nothing for dinner tonight!

Last night I made homemade individual calzones - some with chicken, broccoli, and cheese; and some with turkey meatballs from the freezer. We're trying to eat a little healither/control portions a bit more, so each individual calzone was about 450 calories.

I have a ton of stuff in the freezer - just didn't take anything out... so, maybe fajitas if I can defrost some chicken quickly?
I'll also make steak and potatoes at some point this week.
I have more turkey meatballs, so maybe subs or turkey with chickpea pasta?

Yikes... I felt so organized because I had a lot in the freezer... but it's all pretty useless when I forget to take it out!

[supertrooper1]

mae0111, I'm terrible at taking out meat to defrost. I bought a defrosting tray on Amazon and it's been a life saver. It takes about an hour to defrost chicken breast. I put it on a sheet pan so I don't end up with chicken juice all over my kitchen.

[186momx]

mae0111, this is me too. Or I take say a whole chicken out on Friday expecting to cook it on Sunday and it is still frozen stiff sitting in my fridge.

My goal this month is to not get takeout when we are home for dinner. If I don't plan and have something prepped or in the crock pot DH's favorite suggestion for dinner is takeout.

Do any of you get suggestions from the rest of the family? DH hates it when I ask what we should do for dinner tomorrow or on XYZ date.

[sandandsea]

We have the following this week:
Steak and baked potatoes with Brussel sprouts
Ribs, peppers and baked beans, corn bread
Ham and pineapple with rolls and green beans
Chicken pasta crockpot


We are home this week too and have guests so have the following for lunch.
Potato soup
Burgers
Brats
Chili Nacho dip

[supertrooper1]

186momx, rarely do I get suggestions. Beau often tells me that he will eat anything and it's whatever I want for dinner. It was great last week when he had the day off after Christmas and I had to work, so he went to the store. He did an amazing job of meal planning last week. Sometimes I'll even give him the option of A or B, and he'll rarely tell me what he would prefer. If DS ever has any suggestions, it's usually spaghetti and frozen meatballs.

[macmars45]

Jan 2, 2024 12:03:55 GMT -5 erbear said:

We have gone vegetarian (really pescatarian) so I'm always looking for suggestions.

Tonight: sesame soy glazed salmon, sweet potatoes and broccoli
Wednesday: Black bean chili with spicy yogurt
Thursday: Creamy spicy rotini with red lentils

I'd love your black bean chili recipe.

Do you do meat substitutes? Like beyond or impossible meat? I try to have a bunch of meat substitute chicken options in the freezer that I can put in the microwave or oven and pair with pasta and sauce or rice & veggies. That's my easy go to. Oh, and tilapia. I almost always have tilapia in the freezer for quick (under 30 minutes) fish tacos.

I get almost all my meat substitute stuff from Grocery Outlet, fwiw.

[erbear]

Jan 3, 2024 0:14:34 GMT -5 macmars45 said:

Jan 2, 2024 12:03:55 GMT -5 erbear said:

We have gone vegetarian (really pescatarian) so I'm always looking for suggestions.

Tonight: sesame soy glazed salmon, sweet potatoes and broccoli
Wednesday: Black bean chili with spicy yogurt
Thursday: Creamy spicy rotini with red lentils

I'd love your black bean chili recipe.

Do you do meat substitutes? Like beyond or impossible meat? I try to have a bunch of meat substitute chicken options in the freezer that I can put in the microwave or oven and pair with pasta and sauce or rice & veggies. That's my easy go to. Oh, and tilapia. I almost always have tilapia in the freezer for quick (under 30 minutes) fish tacos.

I get almost all my meat substitute stuff from Grocery Outlet, fwiw.

Recipe: www.skinnytaste.com/black-bean-vegetarian-chili/

I don't like meat substitutes. I think they taste like cardboard. I'd rather just eat veggies.

[dglvrk2]

supertrooper1, you just sold me on a meat defrosting tray!

Now that we no longer have weeknight obligations M-Th, I'm looking forward to more wholesome family meals

Monday, I reheated soup I froze a month or so back, made whole wheat biscuits and salad
Tuesday: we ate out
Wednesday: risotto with kale, spinach and ham
Thursday: some sort of healthy chicken thing
Friday: pizza

I always try to make enough for leftovers for lunch. H prefers leftovers to sandwiches.

I think we are relatively healthy, so cooking new things and sticking to healthy habits are my two priorities.

[librarychica]

186momx, I don’t tend to get suggestions. I do most of the day-to-day cooking and if I ask H during the week what he wants he’s likely to just suggest takeout. If he wants something specific then he will cook it, usually on the weekends. He’s a fine cook but I am definitely more practiced at the weeknight hustle. Sometimes the girls will suggest a meal but their suggestions are usually pretty limited.

[mae0111]

186momx, I also get no suggestions. My kids eat almost nothing that I cook and I no longer fight with them about it. DD2 is open to healthy meals, but DD1 eats only mac n cheese, pasta with butter, pizza, grilled cheese, or cheese and crackers. DNW those things every day, so I plan and cook all meals for DH and I that doesn't involve a grill. DH is happy that he doesn't have to cook, so he rarely suggests anything.

[mommyatty]

186momx and everyone else who has trouble getting input: Every Sunday mid-morning, we have Family Meeting- Meal Planning Edition. Everyone is expected to have one idea for a meal for the following week. Based on that input, I make our shopping list and go shopping. DS always asks for snacks for dinner or pizza. Sometimes he goes wild and asks for pancakes. He sometimes asks for takeout. If I ask on a particular evening, my whole family is requesting specific takeout. We don’t freeze meat, so if I didn’t buy it on Sunday, it’s not in our house.