Meal planning is not something I love to do...it just happens too often. I've tried different approaches over the years, but for the last few years I have used this method. I have a sort of outline of meals for the week. It takes into account which days I am cooking for just three of us...or need to make a quick meal...or have people eating at different times. I like that there is a sort of framework, so that I'm not starting my grocery list from scratch each week. It really helps in regards to keeping things zero-waste too, because I know that these meals work that way.
When I make the grocery list, I fill in more detail for each meal. For example, Tuesday's bowl might include cauliflower, radishes and feta along with chickpeas and rice...because I already have rice, there are chickpeas in the freezer, chives in the garden, and cauliflower and radishes are in season. I can get feta from the salad bar in my own container...and it will all be "zero"-waste. Next week the bowl might look a little more like this or this. The outline still allows lots of room for variety...and I can always deviate.
Over the years, with different schedules + preferences, the meal choices have changed...but here is what I am working with right now. (We eat pescatarian at home.)
Monday :: soup or salad
Tuesday :: legume + veg + grain bowl
Wednesday :: improvise or out
Thursday :: breakfast
Friday :: fish + veg + grain
Saturday :: legume + veg + grain bowl
Sunday :: root veg + protein
We eat the same things for breakfast each morning:
-Mr. Tribe + me :: homemade yogurt + bulk granola and coffee + milk from a glass jug
-the girls :: toast + milk...fruit too, if we're lucky. :)
Lunch is a sort of free-for-all... + fruit...sometimes it's a bulk bagel, leftovers, or Julia's favorite: the occasional organic mac + cheese.
Snacks aren't an every day occurrence, but might be an apple + bulk peanut butter, a few bulk cashews + a shared grapefruit, homemade cookies, smoothies, or banana bread.
I'm all for keeping it simple...but when considering taste, nutrition, budget, organics, variety, and zero-waste...it gets a little complicated...so I like all the shortcuts I can find.
Love,
Jane
When I make the grocery list, I fill in more detail for each meal. For example, Tuesday's bowl might include cauliflower, radishes and feta along with chickpeas and rice...because I already have rice, there are chickpeas in the freezer, chives in the garden, and cauliflower and radishes are in season. I can get feta from the salad bar in my own container...and it will all be "zero"-waste. Next week the bowl might look a little more like this or this. The outline still allows lots of room for variety...and I can always deviate.
Over the years, with different schedules + preferences, the meal choices have changed...but here is what I am working with right now. (We eat pescatarian at home.)
Monday :: soup or salad
Tuesday :: legume + veg + grain bowl
Wednesday :: improvise or out
Thursday :: breakfast
Friday :: fish + veg + grain
Saturday :: legume + veg + grain bowl
Sunday :: root veg + protein
We eat the same things for breakfast each morning:
-Mr. Tribe + me :: homemade yogurt + bulk granola and coffee + milk from a glass jug
-the girls :: toast + milk...fruit too, if we're lucky. :)
Lunch is a sort of free-for-all... + fruit...sometimes it's a bulk bagel, leftovers, or Julia's favorite: the occasional organic mac + cheese.
Snacks aren't an every day occurrence, but might be an apple + bulk peanut butter, a few bulk cashews + a shared grapefruit, homemade cookies, smoothies, or banana bread.
I'm all for keeping it simple...but when considering taste, nutrition, budget, organics, variety, and zero-waste...it gets a little complicated...so I like all the shortcuts I can find.
Love,
Jane
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