Meal Planning & Grocery Haul

It has been a while since I did a meal planning and grocery haul post and since I'm getting back on my meal prep game I thought this month was the perfect month to start back the monthly posts on this topic.  Not only do I like to give my few readers organization, planning, and meal tips/tricks it is also a way for me to look back on past meal plans and recipes that I haven't made in a while.  

I always plan out my meals in my Plum Paper planner for the month.  This way I know what days I need to schedule something quick and easy/fast or eat leftovers like Tuesday and Thursday which are my late gym nights.  I also try to schedule one day a week for leftovers just so we don't waste and then at the end of the month when groceries are slim I do what I call a pantry dump...which usually is a meal thrown together and concocted with whatever meat/veg/extras that I have in freezer, frig, and pantry.  In the side column of my planner I map out my weekly lunch meal prep and snack options. (not done in the above pic) 

This was last week's lunch meal prep= 1/2 cup cook long grain brown rice, 4 oz lean ground turkey, and 1 cup of steamed garden fresh green beans.  I prep my lunch meals on Sunday all at once as well as any cooked or bagged snacks like rice cakes divided or boiled and peeled eggs.  Prepping lunch and snacks for the week prior to Monday morning helps me hit my dietary and fitness goals.  If I have it prepped there's no way I'm going to let it go to waste so I can load my food into My Fitness Pal app to ensure that I'm hitting my targeted macros each day.  Dinner isn't usually prepped weekly but I do measure and make healthy choices and substitutes when cooking classics or every day recipes.  

When planning the month ahead I turn to past meal plans in my planner and here on the blog as well as trusty ole Pinterest!  I don't know how many times I heard growing up from my Mom, listening to friends, or telling Hendrik myself...."I'm sick of cooking the SAME THING OVER and OVER!"  Thank you Pinterest now I have no excuse! LOL  For this reason alone is why each month when I break out my new month and notebook paper to jot down ideas I pull up Pinterest and go through my Get in My Belly board to get recipe ideas.  If I haven't pinned anything new that looks appetizing then I will search and pin new recipes that look good.

Here are a few recipes that I've pinned that are in this month's meal plan that I'm excited to try!

One pot beef stroganoff

Easy Garlic chicken

Baked Honey Cilantro Lime Salmon

These are only ideas and if the recipe has butter or other unhealthy ingredients I try to cut down if not out and replace them with healthier options when possible.  Once I plan my month I make a list of what we will need from the grocery store. I always keep staples like wheat pasta, brown rice, salmon, lean beef and turkey, chicken and bananas on hand at all times but other ingredients that might go along with these new recipes I try to get as well such as fresh limes for the salmon recipe above.  To get a good list and make sure I don't waste time going to the store every day I go through each day and think or go through my pantry to ensure that I have enough of or those specific ingredients.  We try to make one big Sam's haul a month and 1 or 2 smaller trips to Brookshire's our local grocery store for fresh ingredients as we need them.  

I hope you got some new ideas and tips for meal prep and planning your meals for your family no matter the size.  You can never be TOO organized or prepared in my opinion.  July's haul and planning will be up in a few weeks so stay tuned.  

Check out the links above for my Pinterest board, getting your own Plum Paper planner, and the tasty recipes!

How I stay Organized

Some people are just messy, some are organized and some are well...OCD!  I fall somewhere in between VERY organized and OCD.  I plan everything from my daily to dos, monthly meals, to my route when I go to Canton!  The #1 item that I use to support my organizational habits is my yearly planner that has a monthly, weekly, daily breakdown.  I have used Erin Condren before but for 2017 I'm going with my 3rd Plum Paper planner.  Get yours HERE!  

I chose this nice floral design for 2017 and today I plan on organizing my meals for January along with my upcoming week.  

Other tools I use to help to stay organized is Pinterest which I get meal ideas and I love Numbers on my MacBook.  I can make long-term to do lists of items that I need to get done "eventually" around the house. Ever since the time changed I have been in a bit of a funk but the new year is a perfect way to get out of it and the first step is being prepared and organized!

January Meal Planning

I got my 2016 planner a few days into the new year so my meal planning took place about a week later than normal but I got it done and I'm excited to start the first month of 2016 on the right foot being organized.  I got another Plum Paper planner this year.  I just love the price and the functionality of their planners.  

Although it's been a few months since I posted on my meal planning I haven't stopped planning.  Not only do I plan my monthly suppers but I plan out our weekly lunches and snack options just to keep them on my mind so I make healthy choices.

See past monthly meal plans HERE!

For this month I really just skimmed through my entire year of meals plans in my 2015 planner and compiled a list that way.  Next month I want to get busy on Pinterest and find some new recipes and ideas.

Lunch Meal Prep that happens on Sunday:

• Chicken burrito bowl
• Beef patty with quinoa and cauliflower
• Salmon, brown rice, and broccoli
• Grilled chicken breast with sweet potato

Dinner Menu:

• Cajun dirty rice
• Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and corn
• Date night
• Hamburger and sweet potato fries
• Dutch tomato soup with fancy grilled cheeses
• Fish, rice, veggie
• Chicken strips, potatoes, baked beans
• Homemade pizza
• Chili
• Cajun chicken pasta
• Steak, baked potato, and salad
• Chicken and dumplings
• Dutch stompot and meatballs
• Beans and cornbread
• Stuffed bell peppers
• Lentils, sausage, and cornbread
• Hamburgers and sweet potato fries
• Roast, carrots, and potatoes
• Leftover roast bbq sandwiches
• Tacos
• Beef stir fry
• Pantry dump
• Honey Sriracha chicken over rice
• Steak, baked potato, salad

I have a few leftover days and date nights the I know we will end up taking so here's to another full month of healthy eating and planning that not only keeps us from making bad choices but also helps us stay on budget and save money!

April Meal Planning

I've been hard at meal planning the last few months even though I haven't posted it!  The month of April I plan on making a bit different though because I hope to make more of my own food like bread, yogurt, oatmeal muffins and such.  I have a post coming up on why so I won't get into all that here and now. 

I was down to the wire on March 31st when I finally sat down in my auditing class and planned our meals for this month.  I think it turned out nice seeing we are only eating leftovers on Monday's, which are night class days.  I even threw in a few ideas from our travels and plan on making some Dutch recipes.

Per usual my breakfasts, lunches, and snacks are prepared on the Sunday of each week and we eat variety and goodness at our night meal.  I've also toned down how much I'm cooking quiet a bit since we don't eat leftovers any more.  Now there is just enough food cooked for the supper of the night.  I hate wasting food and last week was a wasteful week.  I wore myself out in the garden the entire weekend and my meal prep went to hell in a hand basket.  I only got my fish cooked and didn't have time to put the rest together which left us unprepared and eating out a lot.  So organization and being prepared is always the best route in life and ESPECIALLY in meal planning/ meal prep!

April's Menu

1st Breakfast
Muffins, muffins, muffins, and pigs!

This meal is always the easiest because it is for Hendrik as I just eat fruit and supplements before the gym to get me going.  I can always be a bit more lax on the healthiness of this meal.  This month I plan on changing that a bit with homemade oatmeal muffins that have different toppings on them. Recipe to come!

2nd Breakfast
Eggs and toast with homemade wheat bread
Breakfast burritos
Oatmeal
Cold Cereal- our go to is always Cheerios which is low in sugar and not as refined as other cereals
Eggs and toast with homemade wheat bread

Lunch
Chicken taco salads
Fish, sweet potatoes, and black beans
Chicken, broccoli, and brown rice
Beef patty, quinoa, and cauliflower
Chicken, sweet potato, and broccoli

My lunch meal prep has doubled now that Hendrik is on the band wagon.  I have to do a few varieties to his meals but so far it is going good.

Dinner
Stuffed bell peppers
Chicken and dumplings
Grilled pork chops, sweet potatoes, and corn
Shrimp etouffe
Hamburgers and sweet potato fries
Salmon fillet, herbed brown rice, and green beans
Stompot and meatballs (Dutch)
Grilled chicken salad
Beans and cornbread
Grilled chicken, baked potato, and corn on the cob
Cajun dirty rice
Tacos
Cajun chicken pasta
Fish fillets, quinoa, and broccoli
Homemade pizza
Steaks, baked potato, okra
American Chinese
Nasi (Dutch)
Enchiladas
Roast, potatoes, and carrots
BBQ sandwiches
Honey sriracha chicken and rice
Hamburgers and sweet potato fries
Chicken spaghetti
Fish, quinoa, cauliflower
Chicken fried steak, macaroni and cheese, and green beans

Snacks
Hard boiled eggs
rice cakes
frozen fruit bowls
almonds
protein shakes

Tips:

• Meal planning is only the first step in being prepared and staying healthy.  You also need to prepare your grocery list and ensure that your are prepared to make your meals.
• Sunday afternoon = meal prep day----- a good portion of every Sunday is spent at the gym doing a killer full body workout and then Sunday afternoon I make muffins, bread, bake chicken and cook vegetables for our week's worth of lunches.  I also end up boiling eggs and such to ensure my snacks are in order.
• I've found that when I don't or can't meal prep on Sunday's I fall off my wagon and it's hard to stick to my healthy diet.  With all my other commitments and obligations time doesn't make itself available during the week until it is too late.. i.e. Thursday or Friday...and by this time the week is over.
• Use a calculator and have a budget.  If you have your list and are prepared with what ingredients you need there is no reason that you can't stay within your budget.  I also love playing a little game with myself to see how close I can get between my calculations and the cash register. ;)

I hope you've gotten some good meal ideas and good tips to help along your meal planning in the coming months.

January Meal Planning

January's meal planning was a bit different simply because I'm not only planning my dinner meals any longer but also 2 rounds of breakfast, prepared lunch meals for a week at a time, and in between meal snacks.  I am also changing up the way I grocery shop to help sustain our clean eating lifestyle better. 

Like I've said before I love organizing and meal planning really helps me concentrate on other to dos rather than what I need to fix for supper tonight.  I also have been going on one big grocery shopping trip a month my entire adult life.  I just love that big trip to get everything I'm going to need to restock and also while I have that fresh paycheck.  I hate those little pesky trips to grab this and grab that.  It seems that when I do that I end up spending more money so if I can get by with one big in and out trip then that is really best for our budget.  Since I've cleaned up our eating even more than usual, over the past few months, the need to go a couple times a month is necessary just to keep all the fresh produce like fruits and vegetables in the frig stocked.

Below you will see FIVE sections of meal planning now instead of the normal one section of dinners.  Besides the dinners I am also planning my weekly lunch, breakfast menu X2, and snacks.  You might be getting confused here like what is breakfast menu X2 mean.... let me explain.

On my breakfast menu I have a before the gym breakfast menu that is strictly for Hendrik. This is mainly small items like pigs-n-the-blanket or muffins.  I have been doing this for quite a while now but I never had it planned into my meal planning I would just cook breakfast on Sunday for the entire week.  He gets nauseous if he doesn't eat before we workout so that is that...Then the second menu of breakfasts is my breakfast and also Hendrik's second breakfast after the gym before we head out on our day. 

Also added to this monthly planning is my lunch planning.  In the past I have had leftovers to take in my lunch and for Hendrik to eat but with the new year comes a new workout plan and also a new and improved me that needs to really clean up and watch everything big and small that I take in.  With that attitude and motivation to get my body where I want it I am starting a weekly plan of lunches that, like the first breakfast, I will prepare on Sunday.  Each week, like the breakfasts, will be the same for every day and then the next Sunday I will start with a new meal for that week.  Not only do I get variety, I get stability, measured out food that I know I cooked.  Snacks are just a way to keep me stabilized between meals so I don't binge on sugar or cheese! :) Nothing is really effecting our dinner menu except I might cook a bit less to only allow for Hendrik leftovers but none for myself. 


Here is January:

First Breakfast
Week 1- Pigs
Week 2- Muffins
Week 3- Pigs
Week 4- Muffins

Second Breakfast
Week 1- Breakfast bowls
Week 2- Oatmeal
Week 3- Breakfast tacos
Week 4- Oatmeal

Lunch
Week 1- Fish filet, quinoa, green beans
Week 2- Chicken, broccoli, brown rice
Week 3- Fish filet, quinoa, salad
Week 4- Chicken burrito bowl

Snacks for in between meals
Week 1 & 3- Boiled eggs and carrots
Week 2 & 4- rice cakes and almond butter

Dinner
Vegetable noodle soup
American Chinese
Tacos
Hamburger with sweet potato fries
Fish, broccoli, and brown rice
Pork chops, corn, sweet potato
Creamy shrimp pasta
Beef stir fry with cauliflower rice
Homemade pizza
Steak, baked potato, salad
Tuna noodle casserole
Baked chicken breast, mashed potato, corn on the cob
Salmon patties, macaroni and cheese, peas
Tomato soup and grilled cheese
Pork chops, scallop potatoes, and peas
Hamburgers with sweet potato fries
Beans and cornbread
Fish, quinoa, corn
Chicken strips, baked beans, and mashed potatoes
Spaghetti
Steak, baked potato, corn on the cop
Pork tenderloin, green beans, sweet potato
Chili
Chicken fried steak, macaroni and cheese, beans
Oven baked chicken, okra, mashed potato
Fish, cauliflower, and brown rice

A few new found items and tips I'll be trying:

• Flavor of God seasoning- this is Paleo and vegan friendly with no preservatives like MSG or added salt.  I have a friend that uses this and I see it all over the fitness world.  I ordered the four top flavors and all are in their own 5 oz bottle for $27 from Amazon.  You can check out the website HERE!
• Extra storage ware- I finally broke down and organized my Tupperware cabinet.  I threw away I bet 20 lids that didn't have a mate and I ordered 10 lunch packs to help with my meal prep.
• Shop the outside of your grocery store- I read this little tip in one of my magazines a couple weeks back and it just hit me....duh! I had never thought of shopping that way but obviously anything on the outside perimeter of the grocery store is going to be fresh and perishable with all the fatty, loaded with preservative items in the isles. So long canned goods! Come Summer I really am putting this to the test as I plan on having a huge garden...big enough to have vegetables for my own use for a year long supply 
• In love with sweet potatoes- I don't know if I have touched on this in prior months but until recently sweet potatoes have had a very negative connotation in my mind.  I decided that since I hadn't had any in years because "I didn't like them" I would grab some at the grocery store and use them to make fries on Sunday hamburger nights.  I figured it would be a good way to test the waters.  Well the waters were smooth and the fries tasted awesome.  So good that we have sweet potatoes at least twice a week now and Hendrik even prefers them over white or red potatoes.  WIN- for complex carbs, low calorie, and awesome taste
• Moved to all wheat pasta, bread, and brown rice- also over the past few months we have completely made the switch to whole wheat grains from pasta to bread...next is flour as soon as I find it.  We have always done whole wheat bread I just prefer it over white but also the brown rice took some getting use to just because it isn't as accessible at our grocery stores in large quantities but now that I have my stock we are good to go.  The pasta is just as cheap as white pasta the only thing is the packages are smaller.
• Almond butter- If you saw my snack section then you saw where 2 weeks worth of snacks is a rice cake with almond butter.  Over the past month and a half my workouts and eating habits have amped up and with it my hunger pains come about every 2 hours.  I saw this little snack in one of my muscle mags and tried it out.  It is so good especially since I don't like peanut butter almond butter is a great way to get that good fat I need to fuel my day in between meals.

Well I think I've worn out this post so until next month.....Check our prior months meal planning HERE for new ideas to cook up in your kitchen!

November Meal Planning

I'm still on a roll with my meal planning for each month.  Like I talked about in August I plan my entire upcoming month the last week of the month and make my grocery list.  We only grocery shop once a month so this is the best way to ensure we have everything we need for our month's worth of meals and also anything else we are running low on.

I know some people are like wow how do you shop for the entire month but to me it is way more budget friendly and all around easier for me to go in once a month and knock it out.

Tips for once a month grocery trips:

• Budget- I have an overall budget right now of $350.  I don't always spend that but it is pretty close and this is pretty much any household item that we need or are low on from the grocery store.  We all know how toilet paper, shampoo, and laundry detergent eat up a budget faster than food items! YIKES!!!  I never go over the budget. 
• Plan- I always review the past few months of meals in my planner to see what we haven't had in a while or what I've cooked maybe too much of.  I also am always on Pintrest during my lunch hour when I'm not studying pinning new meals and recipe ideas to add some new flavor into our lives. 
• Know what you are buying for- Mainly my shopping trips are for dinner meals and lunches are usually leftovers, tuna, salad, and other things I always get no matter what.  I make a week's worth of breakfasts on Sunday night and I alternate between muffins and pig in the blankets.  This is our first breakfast on our way to the gym.  It's quick and easy to just grab and go. 

November Meals

Steak, baked potato, corn on the cob
Cream of mushroom soup- homemade from Pintrest
Tacos
Stuffed bell peppers
Hamburger and sweet potato fries
Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans
Spaghetti
Fish, broccoli, rice
chili
Pork chops, scallop potatoes, peas
Potato and corn chowder from Pintrest
Chicken strips, macaroni and cheese, baked beans
Beef stir fry
Cajun chicken pasta
Grilled chicken, broccoli, quinao
Sun dried tomatoes pesto pasta with shrimp
Steaks,potato, corn
Salmon patties, macaroni and cheese, green beans
Creamy shrimp pasta from Pintrest
Thanksgiving dinner X 2

If you want any specific recipes just leave a comment and I'll be sure to document and post about it or just email you info.

Check out my other meal planning and cooking posts HERE

August Meal Planning

I have posted a short and sweet post on meal planning previously...here.  I have continued with my meal planning like normal but haven't done it quite to the best of my abilities lately.  As Summer winds down and I'm fixing to go into my busy season of school, hunting, work, and just LIFE the easiest way to stay ahead and use my time to the max is by planning and preparing as much as possible for the knowns.  As we all know there are plenty of unknowns that will throw a kink in your plans so the less I have to rack my brain for supper then the better.  That leaves more time for cleaning, homework, brainstorming, and general trashy TV watching. ;)  The last few days of the month I prepare my grocery list, meal plan, and organize my budget for the upcoming month.  This month went awesome and it only took me a couple hours.  I went a little overboard and I'm sure I'll have meals left over but again that works well for next month and is less preparation.  I was sort of in a slump this past month on my cooking and really needed some inspiration so I turned to none other than Pintrest.  I cruised my own Get in my Belly board found HERE and then surfed the food genre to find more yummy recipes to try now and pin for later. 

Here is my list of possible meals, my planner to decide what day needs which meal, and then my grocery list to ensure I have the needed goods.

I try to leave at least one day a week for leftovers.  With cooking so much we are always bound to have a bit of leftover to clean up because there's nothing worse than throwing out food.  I also try to list my meals out before I pencil them onto the calender so I can get a good variety of dishes for every week. No one wants to eat Mexican themed dishes for a week straight...it can really mess up your month.

I'm super impressed with my meal planning for the month of August because it got me really motivated to cook again and try several new recipes.

Here's what we have:

1-Aug	Grilled chicken, grilled vegetables, baked potato
2-Aug	Echkards sausage, homemade mac-n-chz, green beans
3-Aug	Go out
4-Aug	Slow cooker chicken and broccoli fettuccine
5-Aug	Chicken fried steak, scallop potatoes, green beans
6-Aug	Left overs
7-Aug	Homemade hamburgers and fries
8-Aug	Beans & Cornbread, sauteed cabbage
9-Aug	Cajun dirty rice
10-Aug	Tuna Casserole
11-Aug	Quesadillas and Queso
12-Aug	Go Out- Dr. Appt
13-Aug	Homemade corn dogs
14-Aug	Chicken kabob, baked potato
15-Aug	Enchiladas
16-Aug	Left overs
17-Aug	Pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, brussell sprouts
18-Aug	Fish fillets, broccoli, rice
19-Aug	Cajun chicken pasta
20-Aug	Chicken strips, mac-n-chz, corn
21-Aug	Left overs
22-Aug	Meat loaf, mashed potatoes, broccoli
23-Aug	Homemade Pizza
24-Aug	Grilled chicken, potatoes, corn on the cob
25-Aug	American Chinese
26-Aug	Left overs
27-Aug	Honey garlic pork chops, zucchini, rice
28-Aug	Chicken spaghetti
29-Aug	Beef and broccoli stir fry
30-Aug	Salmon patties, mashed potatoes, peas
31-Aug	Oven baked chicken, mac-n-chz, fried okra

At the end of the day when I'm updating my week/days I mark through the meal I used and if I didn't cook the planned meal for some reason all together I circle it so I know that I can use it later in the month if I need to or in the next month.

I hope this help anyone who needs a little inspiration or motivation or good o' organization!

Meal Planning

I try to cook every night that Lincoln is home and I do really well at that. When I cook I always cook enough for about 4 people. This always usually leaves leftovers that we use for our lunches the next day.  Since I love to cook and do so often I used to just plan my meals for the week and notate them on the bottom of each day in my planner.  I was at Rachael's house not too long ago and noticed her meal planner that she makes on a monthly basis taped to her frig.  I thought DUH MEGAN!!! I should do that in my planner for the entire month.  That only makes the most sense since we only go to the grocery store once a month and stock up on everything.  Not only am I really prepared we can save money at the store by knowing ahead of time what I will be cooking so we aren't buying unnecessary items. 

I started by first recording Lincoln's schedule for the entire month in my planner...I usually only did this on a weekly basis as well.  This helps me plan because I don't cook on the nights that he is working nights.  I'll just fix myself something quick and easy like a salad or tuna. 

After I record Lincoln's work schedule I decide what I want to cook then fill in the blanks all while trying to balance what goes in each week...not too much chicken, not too much Mexican, you get the drift and of course no repeats.  After I get my menu planned I make my grocery list so we know what to pick up from the store. 

May is the first month that I've done this and it really helped.  I'm going to have a ton of meals leftover that will make next month easy because beside Lincoln working his regular schedule he's been working a ton of overtime and its been mostly nights so all those meals that were planned aren't getting used this time around.  To make it easy on me I just circle the meals that I haven't used so I know that I can use those for next month. 

Here are a few of the meals that I've used this month!

Recipe HERE

just your regular spaghetti but instead of beef I used some ground deer meat we had in the freezer from this past hunting season

today's lunch/supper....crock pot cheesey chicken and rice

Today's lunch/supper is actually a rarity because Lincoln is working nights over the weekend but since I'm home and I have to eat too I decided to make something that is easy and Lincoln can take in his lunch. 

I used several chicken breast, 2 cans of cream of chicken soup and 1 diced onion.  I also add black pepper, salt, and garlic powder to taste.

Cook on low for 6 hours then add cooked rice, 1 can of corn, and cheese. Let the cheese melt and cream everything together!

DINNER IS SERVED