Meal Plan #1

Every Friday I sit at my desk and make a menu for the next 7 days, then I write my grocery list from that menu, then if I can get my grocery shopping done on the way home from work, without the kids, my week-end is off to a good start. That menu then gets posted on my fridge or white board and for the rest of the week I don't have to think, I just look at the menu and it tells me what to eat, what to pack in my lunch, what to cook and what to pull out of the freezer for the next day.

Here is a sample of a one-week meal plan that I use. The items with a * are recipes I've posted on this blog (just use the Search tool in the top right-hand corner).

Day 1
Breakfast:
whole wheat english muffin
1 egg fried with diced onion, mushrooms and peppers (with cooking spray)
1 c. skim milk

Snack:
1 piece of fruit

Lunch:
French Onion Soup
Tuna wrap (1 x 6" whole wheat wrap, 1/4 c. tuna, 1 Tbsp. mayo, lettuce)

Snack:
1 piece of fruit
12 almonds

Dinner:
Lean Flank Steak with Emma's Steak Marinade*
Roasted Potatoes & Parsnips*
skim milk

Day 2

Breakfast:
cream of wheat cereal
strawberries
skim milk

Snack:
1 piece of fruit

Lunch:
Roasted Squash & Coconut Soup*
left-over roasted parsnips

Snack:
1 piece of fruit
1 oz. low-fat cheese

Dinner:
3 oz. roast beef

Day 3
Breakfast:
Oatmeal with raisins and cinnamon (1/3 c. dry oatmeal + 2/3 c. water + 2 Tbsp. raisins, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, microwaved for 2 min., stirring half-way)

Snack:
1 piece of fruit

Lunch:
Tuna wrap (1 x 6" whole wheat wrap, 1/4 c. tuna, 1 Tbsp. mayo, lettuce)
Large salad
My Go-To Salad dressing*

Snack:
low-fat cottage cheese
canned pineapple chunks

Dinner:
Cuban Chicken & Rice (aka Beer Chicken)*
Roasted Beets*
skim milk

Day 4
Breakfast:
Shredded Wheat
skim milk

Snack:
1 piece of fruit

Lunch:
Borscht with sour cream*
whole wheat pita
hummus

Snack:
1 banana
1 Tbsp. all-natural peanut butter

Dinner:
Traditional Shepherd's Pie*
Roasted squash*
milk

Day 5
Breakfast:
1 whole wheat english muffin
1 egg
skim milk

Snack:
1 piece of fruit

Lunch:
Turkey & Avocado wrap (1 x 12" whole wheat tortilla wrap, 2 oz. turkey, 1/4 avocado)
left-over Borscht with sour cream

Snack:
low-fat yogurt
1 piece of fruit

Dinner:
6 oz. tipalia pan-fried in 2 tsp. olive oil + squirt of lemon juice
1/2 c. saffron rice (leftover from the Cuban Chicken & Rice)
skim milk

Day 6
Breakfast:
cream of wheat
strawberries
skim milk

Snack:
1 piece of fruit

Lunch:
1/2 pita stuffed with tuna made with low-fat mayonnaise, and lettuce and tomato
sliced veggies (carrots, cucumber, peppers)

Snack:
apple
12 almonds

Dinner:
left-over Shepherd's Pie & roasted squash
skim milk

Day 7
Breakfast:
Shredded Wheat
skim milk

Snack:
1 piece of fruit

Lunch:
Veggie wrap ( 1 x 12" whole wheat tortilla wrap, assorted veggies, 1/4 avocado, sliced, 1/2 ox. low-fat cheese, 1 Tbsp low-fat Italian dressing)

Snack:
1 banana
1 Tbsp. all-natural peanut butter

Dinner:
1 slice vegetable pizza
Large salad
My Go-To Salad dressing*