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I should throw a little celebration here as I just barely got this meal plan done in time to post by the end of the month. Life has just been incredibly full with me having extra projects for work, B’s school, trying to keep some semblance of cleanliness going in the house (not succeeding very well on that front), and E working a LOT. Of course, because I’m a glutton for punishment, I’ve also been trying to lose the baby weight that will never ever go away with THM (sort of…I’m sure hardcore THMers would be offended by how loosely I follow the plan), which means I had to find time to read the book (hah) and adjust the meal plan accordingly. One of these years I’ll actually have time to do something other than herd children around, work, or housekeep. Until then, though, I’m learning to tread these waters as best as I can.
This month’s meal plan will be a little different. I’m trying to cut back on pork as I realized a few weeks ago just how much of it we’re eating. I’m also trying to not have us eat out so much, so most weeks I’m adding another day of a ground beef meal since they’re usually cheap, easy meals. Another change has been using Primal Kitchen salad dressings rather than making them from scratch, mainly because I found I was wasting olive oil and also because it’s a lot easier to just open a bottle rather than mixing my own. 🙂 I’ve also discovered the wonders of Mason jar salads for lunch. I’m not sure how crazy E is about them, but we were both getting sick of the frozen meals we were eating for lunch, so it’s at least been a nice change and I think they’re pretty tasty. They’re small changes but worth noting if you’ve been following along at home.
As far as THM goes, I’m still trying to figure out how it all works, but I believe that probably about 95% of our meals would count as S meals (if you cut the potatoes out of the ones that have them). E meals, which seem to mostly be made of beans and grains (two things we don’t really eat), are a challenge and FPs are laughable in this house. I’ll learn. 🙂 I’m also not jumping on the stevia bandwagon….I just have some reservations about it, so cutting back on sugar in general and using coconut sugar sparingly has been the goal in that area.
With this meal plan, I’m including five to six gluten-free, grain-free, mostly dairy-free (or very easily adapted to dairy-free) recipes for five weeks (and this month includes Memorial Day for those in the US – I did not include a special meal for Mother’s Day because you should be eating out that day 😀 ). There is repetition the first two weeks because E is traveling for work both of those weeks, so I’m making meals that are easier or that he doesn’t like but the kids and I do. You will also see other repetition in this list because I find that reusing a few different things (specifically sides) each week, also makes meal planning and cooking in general easier. I discover recipes that my family really likes and that are relatively simple to get on the table, and I add those into the rotation. The more I make them, the faster and more efficient they get, and then I can try new recipes.
A few notes… I’m going to include links to the recipes that are available online (or my modified version of them), otherwise I’ll include links to the resource where I found the recipe. In all the recipes where butter is called for, I substitute ghee to make it lactose/casein-free. Also, these recipes are meant to be easy for weeknights, but they do still take time. I usually start about an hour before I want us to eat. Obviously, if it’s a recipe I haven’t made before, it will take more time, but I get faster the more I make it.
Without further ado, here’s what we have planned for May…
May 1 – 7
Monday – Spanish omelet, peppers and onions, salad
Tuesday – roasted spaghetti squash with sausage and kale, pan-brasied green beans (ATK)
Wednesday – sloppy joe casserole (NTC), cauliflower rice, salad
Thursday – one pan honey garlic chicken and veggies, sauteed spinach
Friday – baked cod with creamy dill dressing (from the old Nourished Kitchen meal plans), roasted herb sweet potato bites, salad
Saturday – Swedish meatballs, carrots Vichy, sauteed spinach
Sunday – out/leftovers
May 8 – 14
Monday – Spanish omelet, peppers and onions, salad
Tuesday – meat sauce, roasted spaghetti squash, salad
Wednesday – one pan Greek chicken, Greek salad (ATK)
Thursday – sausage, peppers, and onions; salad
Friday – poached salmon with Irish butter sauce (ITC), roasted beets and carrots, sauteed spinach
Saturday – steak, rosemary potatoes (NT), salad
Sunday (Mother’s Day) – out/leftovers
May 15 – 21
Monday – Denver scramble, sauteed spinach
Tuesday – one pan balsamic chicken and veggies, salad
Wednesday – Italian meatloaf, pan-braised green beans (ATK), salad
Thursday – sausage and potato casserole, pan-braised cherry tomatoes (ATK), salad
Friday – salmon cakes (PP), roasted herb sweet potato bites, sauteed spinach
Saturday – Asian beef with snow peas, cauliflower rice
Sunday – out/leftovers
May 22 – 28
Monday – Irishman’s omelet (ITC), sauteed spinach
Tuesday – hamburger soup, salad
Wednesday – roast chicken, roasted broccoli, salad
Thursday – grilled bratwurst, roasted herb sweet potato bites, baked kale chips
Friday – twice laid (ITC), pan-braised cherry tomatoes (ATK), sauteed spinach
Saturday – Swiss steak, pan-braised green beans (ATK), salad
Sunday – out/leftovers
May 29 – June 4
Monday (Memorial Day) – burgers, American potato salad (ATK), baked kale chips, luscious lemon squares (EGFB)
Tuesday – out
Wednesday – sheet pan fajitas, ensalada mixta (from the old Nourished Kitchen meal plans)
Thursday – one pan healthy sausage and veggies, salad
Friday – Maryland crab cakes (WG), roasted beets and carrots, sauteed spinach
Saturday – beef tinaktak, salad
Sunday – out/leftovers
Lunch Ideas
We’re pretty relaxed about lunch and usually rely on leftovers (if there are any). Otherwise, we keep staples in the house to throw something together fast:
Sardines – I know! Sardines! Gross! Right? But they’re a powerhouse of nutrients, the kids LOVE them, and they’re extremely convenient for packed lunches
Tuna – I get skipjack as it’s lower in mercury than other kinds of tuna
Egg salad – Another of B’s favorites
Hard-boiled eggs
Butternut squash soup – The kids especially like this cold so they can drink it with straws
Roasted chicken drumsticks – Preheat oven to 400 degrees, top each drumstick with a pat of butter/ghee, sprinkle with salt or your favorite seasoning, and roast for 40 minutes
Paleo Wraps with almond butter (NTC) – Paleo Wraps are more affordable through Azure Standard, but they’ve been out long-term for a little while; Natural Grocers also sells them for a reasonable price
Raw cheese slices – We get this through our raw milk dairy; if you buy it from the store, be sure it really is raw as some cheese-producers will claim that it’s raw, but they still heat it to 160 (Azure has Organic Pastures which is also widely sold in California)
Mason Jar Salads – Perfect for lunches-to-go or even just crazy days at home. These are quite tasty and surprisingly filling.
Lunch sides: cherry tomatoes, Bubbies pickles, red pepper slices, olives, steamed broccoli/cauliflower/carrots (10 minutes with lots of butter/ghee), sauerkraut (NT), fermented yams, fresh fruit
Breakfast Ideas
We have the same thing almost every day of the week for breakfast because trying to come up with variety in this area would probably make my head implode. Sunday through Friday, we have scrambled eggs and the kids each get half of an avocado and sauerkraut. They finish that off with a small bowl of frozen mixed berries (I have Greek yogurt).
On Saturdays, E breaks out the apron and produces a feast: scrambled eggs, bacon, and either home fries (MIP2) or banana pancakes (EGFB).
Resources
You can see my master list of recipes that are currently in rotation here, a list of places where I buy my food here, and a guide for buying kitchen equipment here. I also use Plan to Eat to collect recipes, make my meal plan, and generate grocery lists. It’s a fantastic little tool and I think meal planning would be a LOT more work without it. If you’re not sure about paying for something like that, they offer a free 30-day trial which is the perfect amount of time to give it a try.
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