So I’m a little late getting in on Laura and Jill‘s Meal Planning Challenge for October. But since I normally plan our meals for the week anyway, I figured this challenge was made for me!
For those bloggers who participate (including yours truly), the idea behind the menu planning challenge is to encourage and hold each other accountable as we purposefully plan out regular, weekly meal plans. The goal is to serve healthier food, manage grocery budgets, and put meals on the table throughout the week with ease.
As I mentioned in this earlier post, every week I create a menu on the white board in our kitchen of our dinner menu for the week. I do this for a few reasons: (a) I don’t want to come home from work/school/daycare with two cranky, hungry kids and suddenly have to come up with a meal on the fly that maybe 75% of us will eat that can also be made in 20 minutes; and (b) sometimes I forget which meals I had previously identified (and planned for) when I wrote out my grocery list/went shopping, so I need a visual reminder.
Before I run through our meal plan, I should add this disclaimer: some nights (except NFM, obviously) I will end up either tweaking the dishes or making a separate meal altogether for Buddy and Mimi. Yes, it sucks, but it’s the reality when mom is a vegetarian and both mom and dad prefer spicy, flavorful foods. Hopefully NFM will work its magic and this will not be a permanent practice.
So here’s what on tap for us this coming week:
Sunday: Watching Patriots game with friends; will probably order pizza
(New Food) Monday: Broccoli-Parmesan Fritters a la Smitten Kitchen, with an arugula salad (which I totally do not expect the kiddos to eat)
** Note: I have to work late so Dr. G may be handling this NFM solo. Sorry, dude.
Tuesday: Lentil Farro Soup (which I will have hopefully prepped in advance on Monday night) via 101 Cookbooks’ Super Natural Everyday
Wednesday: Vegetarian Southwestern Pizza
Thursday: Leftovers or breakfast for dinner (eggs, toast, fruit, etc)
Friday: Veggie burgers and brussel sprouts
Saturday: Dinner out (Buddy and I have a mommy-son spooky date, including a visit to his first “real” haunted house)
So there you have it. What’s on your dinner menu this week?
Laura @ Mommy Run Fast says
I understand the second meal thing… my daughter is 2 1/2 and has been a great eater until recently… I am trying really hard to hold on to one meal for now, but we also enjoy a lot of international flavors and spices that she’s starting to decline. We’ll see what happens in the next few years. Those broccoli parm fritters sound so good!
Carrie says
I love New Food Monday – great idea. I am a mom of picky eaters with a picky husband and I tailor our meals to fit everyone. My husband gets annoyed that I cook so many different meals, but I want to eat what I want and I know the others don’t like my idea of a good dinner, so there’s that.
Have a great week!
Jessica says
Thanks! We’ve had up and down success with New Food Monday, mostly because we have a very stubborn 6yo, but we’re gonna stick with it, if only out of principle. I think we are starting to make some inroads, though. Let me know if you end up trying it 🙂
Candy @ Healthy In Candy Land says
Broccoli parmesan fritters do sound good! And I *think* that just might be a meal that everyone in my family would like! (My 6 year old son is a little picky, but does better than most kids his age.) I hate making a second dinner for him–usually I don’t but there are times that I have to. I know what you mean–it sucks!
Jessica says
By the way, the broccoli parm fritters were excellent, although my 6yo said he didn’t like them. My 1yo thought they were delicious though 🙂 Definitely give them a try!
Jill Conyers (@jillconyers) says
Sometimes dinner time is “my meal” and “what they will eat”. My teenage kids are going through a picky eater stage and they’re definitely not into a vegan diet haha!
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