So, I started this whole "clean eating" thing back in February 2011, after being really intrigued about a plan called the Whole30 . I decided to give it a go, but quickly realized that I needed to make it more adaptable to the way that our family eats and lives. I like my glass of wine at night. I don't think a piece of gum is going to sabotage me. I think that a DQ Blizzard is a good thing every once in a while. If my friend makes the most awesome jalapeno poppers you've ever had, you know I'm going to have one. But I also know that I feel pretty darn good when I'm eating quality proteins, fats, veggies, fruits and nuts, while leaving out dairy, grains, legumes (including soy and peanuts) and the big one, sugar, at least most of the time.
Here are some of the ways to do just that....

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

How I plan my Menus


I find it helps if I know exactly what we're eating for at least all of our dinners a week out. That way, I can go to the grocery store (hopefully) only once that week. We've been doing our big shop on Sundays, first at Sam's to get produce (no, it's not necessarily organic, but it's still the best produce that I've found around here), and then usually to Kroger to get the rest of the stuff. I still haven't found a great place to get quality meats, but it's something I'm working on, especially as I become more aware of how it's manufactured and the butterfly effect that has on all of us.
I usually use this as my menu template (under the part that says "shopping" I usually write my prep list:


I try to plan things around when I know we have activities--for instance, since I know that my daughter has soccer on Thursday nights, I try to have a crockpot dish that night.

I also do my best to prepare enough of whatever protein that we're having that night so that my husband can take some to work for lunch the next day.

Sunday nights tend to be when I chop up all of the veggies for snacks, bake up the sweet potatoes for a quick grab and go carb, roast veggies, make up a batch of salad dressing for the week, and hardboil a bunch of eggs.Above is a picture of my husband's "food kit" for the first few days of the work week (minus the sweet potatoes and grilled chicken for his salads).

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