It's true. Yet sometimes coming up with a healthy food rhythm is HARD. The planning, the list-making, the shopping, the prepping & of course making sure things are tasty to boot! My goal here is to help encourage you in this department! This can be an area that brings you joy over stress, I promise. Here you will find my TIPS for developing a healthy, manageable rhythm with food planning in your home.
- TIP #1: Develop a recipe arsenal
What does that mean? It means you've got a good amount of go-to recipes that you're familiar with, provide balanced nutrition & your family loves. Disclaimer: this part probably takes the longest out of all these tips, but once it's done you will be on your way to pain-free meal planning! Begin creating your recipe arsenal by following these steps:
- Gather the recipes you currently adore.
- Grab a notebook & jot down the days of the week.
- Out of the recipes you currently use, assign each one to a day of the week
- Search for more recipes until you have 4-6 recipes for each day of the week (the more you have, the easier it will be to avoid a rut) or 28-42 recipes total
- Next, determine which recipes would naturally go together in a given week. Consider:
- Common ingredients (less waste!)
- Avoid too much of the same type...who wants to eat soup three times a week?
- Think about your schedule: be intentional in planning the crock-pot meals for those busier days of the week. Or your favorite large pot roast for a Monday night, that way there's plenty of leftovers for the week.
- Create a document on your computer (I use google docs) and create headings Week 1-4. Under each week, write out your Monday through Sunday menu. Then, make your shopping lists! For every week, you will create a shopping list for those given recipes. I recommend color coding each recipe to match its given ingredients. This way, if you decide not to make a certain recipe, you know what ingredients on your shopping list not to buy.
- This by far takes the most time, but when you are done you will have customized shopping lists for every week of the month to fit your recipes! I keep an extra page on my google doc for recipes I'd like to circulate in and try sometime.
- With this method, you are shopping week by week, even though you have a rough plan for the month. It allows for changes!
- It saves SO MUCH TIME. It's easy to switch around recipes if needed and adjust shopping lists with the color coding. All you have to add to your shopping list is your weekly essentials, things like milk & eggs, or lunch items.
- When you use google docs, or something similar- your shopping list is always with you! Spontaneously have extra time while you're out with your kiddos? No problem, the list is there.
Check out an example from my google doc below. Note: when I'm using a cookbook, I reference it. When I'm using an online recipe, I insert the link right into the name of the recipe, so if you clicked on "Garlic Orange glazed salmon" it would take you to that recipe.
- TIP #2: Always Make Meatballs
Ask my husband, any of my girlfriends, or anyone that comes and visits us for a bit: there are ALWAYS meatballs around! Why? Because when hunger strikes, dinner isn't ready yet or I haven't been able to go shopping I'm still ready! Meatballs are filling, packed with protein, easy to make healthy & so versatile. They are a weekly staple at our house. I'm constantly revamping recipes, adding greens, different spices & changing cooking techniques to keep the flavors fresh and tasty!
Here are a few of my favorite recipes to try:
- Sweet Potato Chicken Poppers (Whole30 compliant) (Always a big hit during football season!)
- Whole30 Fast & Easy Big Turkey Meatballs with roasted tomatoes (This cookbook is the BOMB)
- Momo Meatballs with cilantro chutney (OMMMMGGGG- talk about flavor AND superfoods!!)
- Easy Turkey Meatballs (Easy, but PACKED with flavor! Also Whole30 compliant)
Let no one in your home ever get hangry again! :)
- TIP #3: Make EXTRAS
Life will always have crazy seasons, but that doesn't mean we have to rely on ordering pizza & hitting up the drive-thru to survive (note: there is NO shame in these things happening sometimes). Work toward making a habit of doubling up some of your favorite recipes, having extra proteins on hand for quick lunches & prepping ahead snacks that are easy to grab in a pinch.
Here are some things you can do that will ensure when a busy season hits, no one's belly pays the price!
- Double up your favorite recipes. What's for lunch? Done. Don't need the leftovers for lunch? Pop them in the freezer for a quick grab when you did not have time to cook.
- Protein up! Planning some grilled chicken, burgers or fish? Add on a few extras. This makes making a quick salad later in the week for lunch or dinner a breeze!
- Hard boiled eggs anyone? Every week I boil about 6-8 eggs for the week. I store them in the fridge, do not peel them until I'm ready to eat & they keep for at least 5 days (they never last that long). My kids love these as a snack and they add a quick and easy touch to any salad.
- Baked goods for the win! About every other week I make a big batch of some kind of healthy bar, muffin, cookie, etc. These are a HUGE win for a quick breakfast out the door or an easy, no-fuss snack. The rules I like to follow for my baked goods are simple:
- NO traditional sugar or sweeteners of any kind. What do I use? Dates! Date paste (softened mashed dates) is super easy to make and blend in to any recipe. They are very sweet and also have fiber to balance out the sugar intake. I promise with time and practice you forget what sugar even was. :-D Of course I DO break this rule by using chocolate chips from time to time!
- Limited grains. I am not gluten-free, but I do like to eat my grains intentionally and avoid many in order to make room for the right ones. Almond flour is my favorite!! There are so many paleo recipes out there, it is simply not hard to make that change.
- No dairy. It doesn't like me, so I've stopped loving it. It's that simple.
I hope these ideas give you some fresh perspective, and that they help you the same ways they've helped me! Creating a food rhythm that works for you and your family takes some time, but it is worth it! Creating nutritious, balanced meals for your family is holy work...don't forget to give yourself some grace, and stop to enjoy the meals together too!
Love, Hannah
Love, Hannah
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