menu plans this week: real food + real life meals for kids

confession: this was one of our vacation goodies I'm detoxing from... oh my. Have you tried this?? Amazing.

I'm detoxing this month from all the Christmas goodies {only they aren't feeling so good now, haha!}. Honestly, I think I might be wearing a layer or two of winter fluff because of them! :D But that's okay. I think it was probably worth it. Poor Man's Toffee is to.die.for, but now it's time to focus on good foods! Back to the old ofd. :D

This year, I've decided to incorporate eggs as well as a little meat and dairy into my original food diet. I found that I lost too much weight after several months last year, and eventually, I lost muscle too.  Which might be fine, if I didn't teach weight-lifting classes. :D I think I went too low on protein, which wasn't sustainable for my body long-term at my activity level. This year, I'm trying to eat more natural protein from animal products. I'm constantly experimenting. ;)  I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

You might notice I'm eating a little differently than the rest of the family this week. My goal is to keep the children full, but to still give them a healthier option of the things they like this month- especially when it comes to processed foods. They like some healthy things, and then sometimes mama likes to make sandwiches instead of cleaning up rice off of the floor after lunch. Ha!

So I'm trying to stay balanced, and add in more healthy foods for them as time goes on. Does that make sense? I try to make the distinctions of what I'm eating and what they're eating below.

Here are this week's menu plans:

breakfasts:
oatmeal, plain with stevia for me, with maple syrup for the kids
bananas {just me}
boiled eggs
raw vegan protein shakes {me- this one is good for you, and tolerable with almond milk, but not water}
homemade cereal- granola w/maple syrup, honey, coconut oil, and peanut butter {for the kids- I hope to share the recipe soon!}

compromise meal:
frosted mini wheats {for the kids- one of the few store-bought bulk cereals I've found to have just five ingredients- they are such a special treat! for me, anyway. I don't have to make the cereal!}

lunches:
salad and baked potatoes
ground turkey breast {4 oz.} + basmati rice
boiled eggs and salad w/homemade balsamic dressing {me}
chicken breast, fresh salsa, cottage cheese
spaghetti squash with homemade marinara {me}
leftovers

compromise meal:
whole wheat turkey sandwiches and kettle potato chips {just for the kids...I never realized until last year that plain potato chips have no preservatives- just potatoes, oil, and salt! We get these from Sam's.}


dinners:
black beans and basmati rice
black bean soup 
baked potatoes {w/cheese for the kids}, zucchini, and salsa
veggie chili
taco salad- leftover rice, ground turkey, beans, salsa, lettuce, {cheese for the kids}
dinner out- I eat salad and baked potatoes when we go out. :D

compromise meal:
pizza-family night- we pick up a pizza, and I eat salad, soup or veggies.

snacks:
edamame
bananas
apples
carrots
banana strawberry smoothies
dates
clementines

To prepare for our meals this week, I cooked 12 lbs. of 90/10 turkey for easy meals and put it in the freezer:



And I pre-cooked my boiled eggs for the next couple of days in a few minutes using this handy dandy invention... I love this thing!

I'll probably make the granola cereal tomorrow or Wednesday, which should last us a few days. I will also use my rice cooker to make several cups of rice to last for the week.

Making large quantities of food ahead of time and having lots of healthy snacks available always makes it so much easier for me not to grab {or cook} the bad foods when I'm really hungry. :D Also, I believe that finding healthy foods you actually enjoy is crucial to changing your diet in the long run. If you feel deprived all the time, you won't be able to stay with it. :D

And if you're just starting out on a healthy diet, my motto is this: any progress is good! Don't forget to give yourself grace, and work gradually toward a healthier lifestyle. Progress, not perfection! :D 

Do you have any favorite healthy recipes you love? And have you ever used an EggGenie? :)

original food menu plan #2 with a budget breakdown

Our original food diet meal plan for this week:

dinners:
day 1: black beans and quinoa
day 2: black bean "burritos" {blended beans, salsa, and rice in lettuce wraps}
day 3: raw zucchini pasta topped with avocado, lime, and tomatoes {recipe coming soon!}, rice, and salsa
day 4: east texas caviar in lettuce wraps {use leftover black beans)
day 5: raw lasagna {recipe very similar to this one} and baby carrots
day 6: dinner out
day 7: leftovers or asian veggies with tamari {wheat-free soy sauce}, orange, and ginger.

our standard Sam's Club cart!

lunches:
spaghetti squash {if I can get it at Walmart again!}
pinto beans and rice
cabbage salad with sunflower and flax seeds and hummus
roasted red potato wedges
quinoa
leftovers

breakfasts:
oatmeal
fruit
rice
grits
almond milk

snacks: 
natural peanut butter
apples
oranges
melons
carrots
nuts

real food doesn't have to be expensive...

After doing this diet for the past few weeks, I think the most common misconception about eating real food is that you have to spend more money to eat well.

I've actually spent less money on groceries than usual because I'm not buying two or three loaves of bread, chips for $3-4 per lb., or lunch meat for $3.50 lb. Instead, the bulk of our diet comes from some of the cheapest, most filling foods: beans, rice, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, and oats- most of which are less than $1.50 per lb.

Many of this week's dinners are planned around black beans. Black beans are generally around $1 per lb. dried, and we eat 1-1.5 lbs. per meal. I make 3 lbs. at a time in our large crockpot- which should be enough for all of this week's meals.

Rice, potatoes and iceberg lettuce (like black beans) are also inexpensive to purchase. The bulk of our meals will come from these items.

Squashes make frequent appearances throughout the week. I've found squash to be the most satisfying food for me, so I eat it for most lunches. It generally costs $1.25-$1.50 per lb. A large spaghetti squash will provide most of my lunches for the week, while the hubs and kids tend to prefer beans for their lunches.

The most expensive meals on the menu are the ones with avocados. I plan to use one on day 3, and one on day 5. That will cost me $2 alone this week {pricey, compared to a family-sized portion of beans for $1!}. Quinoa is $5 per lb. for the organic version we use, so that will cost around $2 each time we eat it.

Nuts are the only real luxury item we eat, ringing in at $5-$6 per lb. We eat about 1/2 lb. per week of these as snacks and salad toppers.

The kids still eat their regular pizza or sandwiches and chips when we go out to eat, but at home, we've started eating only fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, and veggies for snacks, which can actually get pricier when you give out 4 oranges or apples at a time. We spend way more on this than we used to. At our house, fruit used to be a luxury and crackers the norm, but we're trying to reverse that! :)


the budget breakdown 

Here's my shopping list for this week:

organic carrots {$4}
spaghetti squash {$4 for one large}
5 lbs. of Granny Smith apples {$5.95}
cilantro {.50}
green onions {$1.50}
red potatoes 5 lbs. {$5}
coleslaw mix {$3}
cherub tomatoes- {$5 worth lasts 1.5 -2 weeks}
watermelon, $5
bananas 6 lbs., {$3}
organic spinach, 1 lb. {$4}
avocados, {$2-$3}
2 quarts of almond milk {$7}
canned tomatoes {$3.84 for 7 lbs.}
zucchini and squash - 4 lbs. {$5ish}
natural peanut butter {$5}
limes {$1}
lettuce {$2/2}

I spent $130 last week buying groceries with a very similar menu and list, but stocking up on walnuts, almonds, quinoa, Starbucks coffee, spring water, basil, and lots of seeds that will last us for 2-3 weeks, so I expect that this week's bill will be much closer to $80- $85.

Phew. :D I've got the menu all planned...now I just need someone to come and do the shopping for me! ha!

So, I'm really curious- what do you spend the most money on when buying groceries? Meats? Breads? Organics? And do you try to balance out the pricey with the inexpensive when you eat? Please share with us!