Meal Planning Made Easy

Shall We Begin

It is easier than you think to create delicious healthy meals every day.  We are all consumed with our busy lives, working, taking children to after school activities trying to get our own physical activity in, etc… In the midst of that we find ourselves succumbing to fast food restaurants to feed our families and ourselves.  The result is often unwanted weight gain, hypertension, diabetes and other chronic conditions that occur when we under nourish our bodies and continuously feed it GMO, fatty and processed foods.  We have in our control not only our own health but that of our families. 

With this information you can create delicious ,satisfying and healthy meals with minimal effort.  If you can commit to 3-4 hours a week of preparation and planning; then you can have endless healthy meals nearly effortlessly and with a fraction of the cost of eating out.  Follow these simple steps and create awesome meals for your family every night.

Step 1:  Create your weekly menu and shopping list

Step 2: Shop for fresh fruits and vegetables weekly.

Step 3: Prepare Proteins and Entrees

Step 4: Prep your vegetables for side dishes and snacks

Step 5:  Freeze leftovers for quick and easy meals

 

 

Make it stand out

Time to Switch it up for Spring

Spring time brings with it fresh fruits and vegetables. Start your own little garden for the freshest salads and side dishes

Start simple by planting lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs. Try soaking your seeds for a week in water to prepare the seeds for planting. Purchase containers for a garden that is easy maintenance. Use potting soil for your seeds and plant them according to the directions on the package.

Weekly Menu

Sunday Dinner

Jerk Turkey

Grilled yellow and zucchini squash

Sweet potato fluff

Spinach and beet salad w/feta cheese

Monday

Lunch – Jerk Turkey sandwich and coleslaw

Dinner – Turkey Steak

Warm spinach and grilled vegetables salad

Baked sweet potato

Tuesday

Lunch – Turkey Salad and coleslaw

Dinner – Walnut and Rosemary Crusted Salmon

Squash souffle

Quinoa and Spinach salad

Wednesday

Lunch – Salmon sliders

Quinoa and Spinach salad

Dinner –Salmon Tacos

Yellow Rice

Thursday

Lunch - Quinoa, Rice and Spinach Bowl

Dinner - Caramelized Cabbage Steaks

Baked sweet potato

Yellow rice

Friday

Dinner – Turkey Rice Bowl w/vegetables

Saturday

Spicy Turkey and Sweet Potato Soup

Tossed Salad

Turkey is Still Great

But let’s lighten it up a bit!

Turkey is great for meal prepping because it provides so much. Being creative is key. We are cutting this turkey up and preparing the legs, thighs and wings with a jerk flavor

Grilled Jerk Turkey

Cut 1 medium turkey into 10 pieces. Place dark meat (legs, thighs and back) and wings in a lg pot and with 1/4 cup of water and steam over medium heat for 45 minutes. Remove from water and let cool. Massage marinade into turkey pieces and let sit for 3 hours.

Place turkey pieces in half sheet pan, cover with tin fold and place on grill for 1 hour or until done. Save back pieces for turkey soup.

Jerk Marinade

  • 1 scotch bonnet pepper (deseeded if you prefer less heat)

  • 5 Spring onions trimmed and roughly chopped

  • 1 onion roughly chopped

  • 1 tsp (length of ginger peeled

  • 7 garlic cloves

  • 8 tbsp white wine vinegar

  • ½ nutmeg grated

  • 2 tsp ground allspice

  • 12 thyme sprigs leaves picked

  • 1 large red bell pepper deseeded and roughly chopped

Roasted Turkey Breast

Season turkey breast with salt, pepper, garlic and Italian seasoning

  • 1 medium Turkey Breast

  • 4 garlic cloves minced

  • 1 large onion

  • 1 red bell pepper

  • salt, pepper, garlic, powder Italian seasoning

Preparation

Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian season inside and out of turkey breast. Place chopped vegetables around turkey and sprinkle garlic powder, italian seasoning, salt and pepper over vegetables. Bake turkey in roasting bag or wrapped in aluminum foil so steam does not escape in oven at 375 degrees for 1-2 hours or until internal temperature is 165 degrees.

Meals for the Remaining Week

Monday

  • Lunch - Roasted Turkey and vegetables leftovers

  • Dinner -Thai Red Curried Vegetables w/Turkey

Taco Tuesday

  • Lunch - Thai Red Curried vegetables w/Turkey leftovers

  • Burritos and Fajitas

Wednesday

  • Lunch - Turkey Melt

  • Dinner Taco Turkey Salad and Baked potato

Thursday

  • Lunch - Loaded baked potato w/turkey and cheese

  • Dinner - Turkey Gumbo

Friday

Lunch - Turkey Gumbo and Turkey Sandwich

Dinner -Turkey Alfredo w/Broccoli

Prepare vegetables for snacks and salads throughout the week:

Julienne or slice Carrots, Cucumbers, Bell Peppers, Broccoli and Celery. Store vegetables in freezer bags for easy access.

Wash Lettuce and Tomatoes and store in separate containers to keep lettuce crisp.

Scrub white potatoes, oil, salt and wrap in tin foil. Bake potatoes until tender.

For variety throughout the week, prepare a beef roast or beans to alternate proteins in the same recipes.