Meal Plan Monday ~ Dinner Inspiration for Busy Moms

Welcome to Meal Plan Monday! One of the main reasons I can stay on track with good nutrition is taking a few minutes each weekend to plan out our meals and snacks. Each Monday I will be sharing our family's weeknight dinner plan with you!

Inspiration
I find inspiration for dinner in four main places:

• Magazines: I love Cooking Light and Food Network Magazine. Most of their recipes are healthy, easy and family friendly.
• Food Network: I love their website and if I see something good while I am watching a Food TV show, I can always look up the recipe! I love their ratings and reader reviews too!
• Pinterest: I am constantly pinning healthy recipes! I've done the work for you--check out my Pinterest board here: https://www.pinterest.com/coachcaseyr/pins/
• This Blog: LOL! Sounds weird but I often forget what healthy recipes I've made! This blog is a record of my family's faves. It's like my "best of the best" recipe file...because I don't share bad recipes with ya'll!!!

This Week
This week is similar to last week, crammed full of baseball and play rehearsals. I am looking forward to the following week when all (most) of the craziness ends!
This week is also my 40th birthday!! Arghhhhh!!! So Tuesday will be a takeout night!!

The Menu
Monday: Kung Pao Chicken

• Inspiration: Food Network--I saw Pioneer Woman make this and knew I had to have it!!
• Notes: Overall, this is one of her healthier dishes! I might lower the sugar a bit, but otherwise it's healthy! I will substitute chicken breasts for thighs and serve over brown rice.

Tuesday: My birthday!! Thai Takeout :)

• Inspiration: I'm 40, I can eat what I want to! LOL!
• Notes: Eating out is a "treat" for us (less than once a week), so I feel like if I am on track with my nutrition 5-6 days a week, I can afford to have zero guilt about eating out or special occassions!

Wednesday: Chicken Salad Sandwiches or Salad

• Inspiration: Pinterest
• Notes: Since my daughter and I won't be home for dinner, I wanted to make something I could make ahead and leave in the fridge for everyone to eat when they got around to it.  This chicken salad is perfect-plus, it gets better as it sits in the fridge :) I will have my chicken salad over mixed greens and hubs will probably have a sandwich! I will probably omit some of the ingredients (like parsley and red onion) to make it easier and use rotisserie chicken breast to save time!

Thursday: Portable Turkey Burritos

• Inspiration: Pinterest search on "Healthy portable meals."
• Notes: Baseball night! If I want to avoid the crap at the Snack Bar, I have to pack food! These burritos are portable--i can wrap them up and head to the ball park. I also like how you cook the veggies separately from the meat. I can customize the kid's burritos without veggies (sigh--i know, they aren't veggie lovers just yet).

Friday: Chicken and Pesto Mini Pizzas

• Inspiration: Pinterest search for "Healthy Pizza"
• Notes: Friday night is ALWAYS pizza night at our house! I love this somewhat healthy take on pizza! Gotta mix it up sometimes! The kids will have their "Usual"--cheese!! BORING!! :) I LOVE LOVE these naan breads from Costco. If you can't find them, you can also use Flat Out wraps or even a whole wheat tortilla. I might even go crazy and throw on some kalamata olives!

Meal Plan Monday ~ Reheat & Eat

 

Welcome to May and Meal Plan Monday! One of the main reasons I can stay on track with good nutrition is taking a few minutes each weekend to plan out our meals and snacks. Each Monday I will be sharing our family's weeknight dinner plan with you!

Inspiration
I find inspiration for dinner in four main places:

• Magazines: I love Cooking Light and Food Network Magazine. Most of their recipes are healthy, easy and family friendly.
• Food Network: I love their website and if I see something good while I am watching a Food TV show, I can always look up the recipe! I love their ratings and reader reviews too!
• Pinterest: I am constantly pinning healthy recipes! I've done the work for you--check out my Pinterest board here: https://www.pinterest.com/coachcaseyr/pins/
• This Blog: LOL! Sounds weird but I often forget what healthy recipes I've made! This blog is a record of my family's faves. It's like my "best of the best" recipe file...because I don't share bad recipes with ya'll!!!

This Week
So this week is going to be one of the craziest weeks we have had so far this year! My daughter has her school play this weekend and rehearsals every single night this week from 6-9pm! There are a few baseball games thrown in there, too so it will truly be a "divide of conquer" kind of week for hubs and I!

On these weeks where we won't all be eating together, I opt for "Heat (or REHEAT) and eat"- type meals. Meals that a good reheated or that we can just grab and eat whenever we get around to it.

The Menu
Monday: Grilled Steak with Pineapple Rice

• Inspiration: Pinterest Search for "Healthy Summer Recipes"
• Notes: I will have hubs grill this steak up on Sunday while he's grilling our Sunday dinner, so it's ready to go. I'll substitute brown rice for white. EASY PEASY! My kind of Monday!

 

Source: Good Housekeeping

Tuesday: Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps

• Inspiration: Pinterest Search for "Healthy Summer Recipes"
• Notes: Since I work on Tuesdays, a crockpot meal is perfect! I will use a leaner cut of pork (like a tenderloin) and adjust the sriracha for the kids.

 

Source: Good Housekeeping

Wednesday: Crockpot Taco "Skillet"

• Inspiration: My blog!
• Notes: None! I figure the more Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo week, the better!

Thursday: Cajun Shrimp and Rice

• Inspiration: Food Network website. I searched "healthy shrimp recipes."
• Notes: I will sub brown rice for white rice. I use Weber's Canjun seasoning. It's not too spicy :) Also, it's likely my kids won't eat this since they are not huge shrimp fans. So on nights like that, they will usually just have a Trader Joe's pizza or  Mac and Cheese and fruit. If it's a grab and go night, I might just make them a sandwich/fruit and pack it for them. I don't over complicate things if my kids aren't eating what we eat. I used to drive myself crazy stressing about them not eating everything but I've learned to give that up!

Friday: Cinco de Mayo soooo... Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas! (you can never have enough Mexican food in one week!)

• Inspiration: This month's Food Network Magazine
• Notes: I will sub plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream

 

Source: Food Network Magazine