get back to simple

You know how sometimes as a {mom,wife,woman,friend,person!} you get a fresh wind? When instead of feeling stuck in a rut, you look forward to what the day holds? I am finding myself there lately, and it is nice. Especially in my “mom-life.” I have started meal planning again… something I really enjoy, but had not kept up with. Why meal plan you may ask:

• you always know what to make for dinner… no more staring into the fridge or eating cereal
• you can save money by planning your meals and shopping lists for ingredients!
• you keep a better routine with meal times
• I find that the reason above actually helps us keep a better routine in all the other areas of our daily life as well
• you get to fall in love with the joy of  cooking, either again or for the first time!
• you, your kids, and your hubby are happier 🙂 {it really is true!}

Now I know I am not the first pro-meal planner {as in proponent, not professional)… but, I am going to talk a little bit about my approach! I have started planning out our whole day. B,L,D, snacks. You see I used to be of the mind set that if I planned Dinner I would somehow know what to eat for B+L… that I would just have the food and make good choices. Nope. Not the case. So, now I plan every meal. I actually find lunch is the most important, because my boys and I are snackers, my hubby not so much. He is home for a majority of our lunches… but he has definitely been fending for himself the last few months. So, all to plan. The lovely thing about the plan is that Matt can easily make the meals himself, because the list is on the fridge, and we have the ingredients on hand. Score. So that helps us all… especially me 😀

Our meal times look like so:

B-7:30/8ish

Snack:10:30

L: 12

Snack: one for E around 2, one for G when he wakes (and maybe E too!)

D: 5:30/6

I make a plan for the week ahead, and buy groceries generally on Mondays, with a mid week mini-refresh near the end of the week. We try to purchase staple items in bulk, and I divide and freeze a lot of meats. I try to keep at least 2-5 “freezer meals” on hand ie. home made quiche, frozen home made soups, pre-cooked meatballs or chicken dishes etc. So that I don’t have to cook everything from scratch each night. Unless I do a crock pot meal (which is actually so fast other than cooking time) dinner prep/cook time is between 30-45mins. I don’t make anything that takes longer… cuz thats the way I role.

I am really of the mind set that home made=better. We don’t do frozen pre-made pizza (takes 22-30 mins) home made takes about 15 including prep and cooking time. And its so much tastier. We rarely eat canned soup (although I have a few leftover that I had “just in case”…) I will make a double batch and freeze half. That provides our family with at least 4 meals. I sneak grated/pureed veges into anything I can.

Every week I make at least 3 “snack” items. ie. muffins, squares, cookies, earth balls, protein cookies…

We have a smoothie most mornings. L+D have veggies, protein and carbs. We do eat meat and grains… our kids eat everything we do (that will be another post) I make one meal for all. This is another key to our success! Here are just a few more that I am keeping in mind:

• Keep it simple but interesting
• Repeat favorites within the same month
• Make more at dinner to eat for lunch tomorrow
• Think substance (thanks husby)
• Keep the cupboards and fridge organized and clear of old food… (still working on that one)
• Try one new recipe per week
• Clean up after making {baking, lunch, breakfast} That leaves you a clean slate for the next meal!

So, that is that for now. How about you? I am always interested in food and how other people go about getting the right foods into their bodies, and when applicable their kids mouths. I have been enjoying Jami’s posts about meal planning and organizing in general- and love the cute FREE printables she has pinned here. Think grocery lists and meal planners!

I have also been really inspired by my friend Dani– she eats healthy whole foods to fuel her body for the plethera of running {and other things} she does with it! {FYI she has also lost like 60lbs! amazing…} I love reading about new foods and combinations… eg. overnight oats

So. With that- how about you? What is keeping you organized in the food department, any tips? Any great recipes for meals or snacks? I’d love to hear em!