Meal Planning

I was asked to write a note on meal planning, so here it is for those who are interested.  As I've said before, eating healthy foods is high on my priority list - not very surprising as I am a Naturopathic Doctor.  Organization and prep is key to me if I'm going to have any chance at having healthy dinners (and hopefully leftovers for lunch).  I don't strive for "perfection" in my eating, I strive for balance and health and affordability and simplicity and deliciousness of course!

I plan meals based on what I've got in my cupboard or freezer or fridge that I want to use up.  I plan based on a recipe I might have come across that looks neat.  I plan based on how much time I have each evening to cook.  I plan based on who is cooking that night.  I usually plan for Monday to Friday, but occasionally it covers the weekend too.  Lots of things are considered when I'm meal planning, but it all takes less than 5 minutes!  After I meal plan, I make a grocery list and head off to the store so I've got everything I need for the weeks meals - I don't have the time or desire to run to the store several times each week to buy ingredients.

Here are a couple of sample weeks:

Sunday - bison chili with tortilla chips

Monday - bean & cheese burritos with salad (my 13 year old son cooks on Mondays, and we're going through a New York Times list for kids https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/03/14/dining/kid-friendly-recipes.html)

Tuesday - baked fish tacos with slaw

Wednesday - butternut squash parmesan (https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/butternut-squash-parmesan)

Thursday - chicken pot pie from Forsyth Farms with salad (https://forsythfarms.ca)

Friday - roasted chickpea and cesar salad wraps

Monday - hamburger helper (again, my son cooking from the NYT list)

Tuesday - salmon bowl with rice, avocado, cucumber, edamame, and nori (usually I use a half baked harvest recipe as my inspiration)

Wednesday - greek roasted potatoes, sausages, green beans

Thursday - roasted cauliflower and chickpea soup (https://www.mjandhungryman.com/vegan-chickpea-and-cauliflower-soup/#recipe)

Friday - dumplings and fresh kimchii

Here's an example from last year that I'd texted a friend when she was looking for inspiration - messy, but it works!

Hopefully this gets you excited and oganized to meal plan too!