Our Weekly Eats

Ugh, back to the grind… my kindergartner doesn’t seem to mind school being back in session, but I was blue all day Sunday thinking about how we’d have to resume our frantic early-morning routine and busy days. Spring break was so nice and relaxing that I can’t wait for summer!

If you’re noticing a lot of grilled meals on my menus these days, it’s because we finally bought a gas grill! So much more convenient than our Weber, as much as we loved the way charcoal-grilled foods taste. I’m particularly eager to try a sweet tea-brined chicken recipe that my friend Kelley passed along to me.

Monday

Lunch: Hot Lunch

Dinner: Grilled Shrimp Kebabs, grilled Bok Choy, rice medley

Tuesday

Lunch: Burrito roll-ups, baby carrots, yogurt suqeezies

Dinner: Sweet Tea Brined Chicken, grilled veggies, couscous

Wednesday

Lunch: Mac & Cheese with Peas, cuties, carrots

Dinner: Nana & Poppy’s

Thursday

Lunch: Turkey sandwich, popcorn, baby carrots, yogurt squeeze

Dinner: TBD!

Friday

Lunch: Salmon salad roll-up, Applesauce, cucumber

Dinner: Out

My food plans for this week…now off to shop for it all!

Monday:

Lunch: Hot Lunch

Dinner: Roasted Broccoli and Shrimp with Remoulade Sauce, Couscous

Tuesday:

Lunch: Turkey sandwich, pretzels, pickles and carrots, berries

Dinner: Reuben Meatloaf, Baked Potatoes

Wednesday:

Lunch: Mac n cheese, baby carrots, kiwi, bunny grahams

Dinner: At Nana & Poppy’s

Thursday:

Make for Bake Sale: Apple brownies and S’mores Bars 

Lunch:  quesadillas with salsa,  bunnies and dried cranberries, carrot and red pepper sticks

Dinner: Teaching - chip takes girls out

Friday:

Lunch: Hard-cooked egg, apple, cheese and lunchmeat roll-ups with crackers, bar

Dinner: Out

I plan to make these Tuscan Lemon Muffins to eat as snacks or to pack in lunches - yum!

Tuesday:

Lunch: veggie corn dogs, baby carrots, applesauce, string cheese

Dinner: Zucchini Lasagna, garlic bread, spinach salad

Wednesday:

Lunch: garden burger wrapped in a tortilla, cucumber slices, pretzels, apple

Dinner: At Nana’s and Poppy’s

Thursday:

Lunch: tomato soup, cheese and crackers, applesauce, celery and pickles

Dinner: Italian Wedding Soup, homemade quick bread or muffins, spinach salad

Friday:

Lunch: Hot Lunch

Dinner: Out

One of the most important things to remember about planning lunches and dinners is that everything can change at a moment’s notice. You could forget to buy or thaw a crucial component of a meal, you could have some dinner leftovers that would make a better lunch than what you’d originally planned, your partner could come home from work and announce that he wants to take everyone out for a fun dinner (to which the proper response is always, “OF COURSE!”), or, as with what happened to me last week, your family could get stranded in various parts of the city due to a brutal storm, and you could spend all of dinnertime trying to reunite everyone.

So often the meals I’ve planned the week before, carry over to the following week if they’ve gone uneaten. That’s okay - it’s one less meal you have to plan and shop for!

By the way - the Roasted Shrimp with Broccoli I made last week was so easy and delicious! I made it simply with olive oil, salt and pepper and lemon zest and juice (the recipe calls for whole cumin and coriander seeds, which I didn’t have), and it was fantastic. It’s a definite keeper, especially as long as Costco keeps stocking its delicious shelled and deveined shrimp in its freezer case.

Monday

Lunch: Turkey sandwich, baby carrots and pickles, yogurt, pretzel sticks

Dinner: Bahn mi-style meatloaf (on baguette with pickled veggies), steamed snow peas with sesame

Tuesday

Lunch: Tortilla roll-ups with salsa for dipping, red pepper strips (Gil), cucumber (Sadie), 

Dinner: BLT wraps, black bean soup

Wednesday

Lunch: Cream cheese and jelly on pancakes (leftover from the weekend), apple, carrots, baby cheese

Dinner: Nana’s and Poppy’s

Thursday

Bring snack for Gillian’s class: Bananas, Fig Newton Crisps, Cheese

Lunch: Gardenburger and string cheese kebabs, fresh veggies, popcorn, raisins

Dinner: Pizza/Calzone Night (Mushrooms, Spinach, Black olives, Artichoke Hearts, Meatless grounds)

Friday

Lunch: Hot Lunch

Dinner: Out!

Did you know Costco sells some gorgeous grass-fed ground beef? It makes the best burgers, but this week I’ll be using it in a meatloaf that I bulk up with ground-up mushrooms and carrots so you don’t need as much meat.

I went to a seminar tonight on the school lunch program at my daughter’s school district and feel much better about her getting the occasional (weekly) hot lunch: they really do make an effort for food to be nutritious and nourishing. And, as one of the representatives who spoke tonight pointed out, it’s nice to have a warm meal at lunchtime every so often. I try to send soup or hot foods wrapped in aluminum foil but I doubt they’re any hotter than tepid by the time my girls eat them. Wish I could find a really good soup thermos!

Monday: 

Lunch: Turkey sandwich, carrots and cherry tomatoes, pickles, honey whole wheat pretzels, and a trial-sized L’arabar I found in the cabinet (a sample given out at Summer Shade Fest?)

Dinner: Out (Mommy has a meeting)

Tuesday:

Lunch: Corn dogs with ketchup or mustard, cucumber slices, plums, popcorn

Dinner: Beef and mushroom meatloaf, salad, parmesan bulgar

Wednesday:

Lunch: Turkey, baby bell cheese and crackers, baby carrots, apple

Dinner: At Nana’s?

Thursday:

Lunch: Veggie burger patty rolled up in tortilla, avocado with lime, dried mango

Dinner: Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli, polenta

Friday:

Lunch: Hot lunch

Dinner: Out!

Monday

Lunch: Out

Dinner: Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Brown Rice

Tuesday

Lunch: Sandwich Skewers (turkey, cheese, cherry tomatoes, bread on toothpicks or skewers); popcorn, tangerine segments, graham crackers

Dinner: Slow Cooker White Bean Soup with Sausage and Collards, 

Wednesday

Lunch: Hot Lunch

Dinner: Dinner at Nana-Poppy’s?

Thursday

Lunch: Soup, cheese and crackers, yogurt squeezes, cucumber slices

Dinner: Shrimp and Artichokes over Parmesan Grits

Friday

Lunch: Bean and cheese roll-ups, carrots and cherry tomatoes, graham cracker, yogurt squeeze

Dinner: Take-Out!

I’m back to logging the week’s menus. Chip and I are both on a get-fit-slash-diet regime so I think meal planning will be even more crucial than ever. Expect to see a lot of “spa cuisine” dinners on the dinner menus. Plus, it really is so much easier in the mornings when I know exactly what I’m planning for lunches. Finally, since we’re eating lots of salads these days, I figure it’s a good time to test some dressing recipes for my upcoming book on condiments. 

Monday

Lunch: Turkey sandwich, cucumber salad, apple, graham crackers

Dinner: Tomato Soup and BLTs (Test mayonnaise recipe)

Tuesday

Snack for Gilly’s class: fresh fruit, whole-wheat bagels with cream cheese

Lunch: Quesadillas, baby carrots, applesauce, graham crackers

Dinner: Butternut Squash Ravioli with Spinach Pesto, salad (test Maple-Tarragon Vinaigrette)

Wednesday

Lunch: Turkey roll-up, sliced cucumbers, pretzels, graham crackers, mini yogurt

Dinner: Chicken & Dumplings with Cornmeal-Herb Dumplings, salad (test Lemon Poppyseed Dressing)

Thursday

Lunch: Tomato soup, cheese and crackers, grapes

Dinner: Leftover chili on baked potatoes, salad (Test Lime-Cumin Vinaigrette)

Friday

Lunch: Hot Lunch

Dinner: Out!

I love when there is stuff in the freezer I can use to make dinner! This week I’m using some leftover salmon from the other week, and excess chili that I’d frozen awhile ago. What’s your favorite freezer-diving meal?

Monday

Lunch: Bean and cheese roll-ups, grapes, carrot sticks, yogurt

Dinner: Out

Tuesday

Lunch: Cream cheese and jelly sandwiches, grapes, carrots, applesauce

Dinner: Asian fish and rice in rice cooker

Wednesday

Lunch: Hot Lunch

Dinner: Sausage and Quinoa Pot, acorn squash 

Thursday

Lunch: Tofu edamame bites, cucumber salad, fresh fruit

Dinner:  Chili-topped baked potatoes

Friday

Lunch: Turkey sandwich, cucumber and carrots, yogurt

Dinner: Out

I’m heading to New York for work this week. It’s just for 3 days, but that’s 3 days that Chip is going to be on his own with the girls. So I’m trying to plan easy lunches for him to pack, and at least one easy dinner they can have at home.

Sunday

Dinner: Patak weiners on buns, baked beans, kale and parmesan quinoa salad

Monday

Lunch: Turkey and Cheese Sandwich, Cucumber Salad, Grapes

Dinner: Asian salmon, Coconut Rice with Edamame and Tofu, Steamed Green Beans

Tuesday

Lunch: Wiener, Cherry Tomato and Cheese Kebabs, Crackers, Yogurt Squeezes (Milk for Gilly, water for Sadie)

Dinner: Some sort of Trader Joe’s easy dinner TBD.

Wednesday

Lunch: Hot Lunch

Dinner: Nana & Poppy’s

Thursday

Lunch: Turkey and Cheese Wraps, Pirate booty, Carrot Sticks, Grapes

Dinner: Out - My flight gets in around dinnertime

Friday

Lunch: Bean and Cheese Tortilla Roll-Ups, applesauce, celery sticks, popcorn

Sadie’s kindergarten class has a snack every afternoon, which the parents take turns bringing in. On the snack schedule that gets sent home, the teacher encourages parents to bring healthy snacks, but obviously the definition of healthy differs from person to person - I was depressed one day when Sadie came out of school clutching a half-eaten bag of Lay’s potato chips that was her snack. I hate feeling out of control with what she’s eating - I have worked very hard for my kids to have an appreciation for and an enjoyment of healthy, wholesome foods, and I worry that being exposed to a daily dose of junk food will completely undermine this.

I brought this up with Sadie’s teacher and we agreed that I could write up a list of snack suggestions - things that are affordable, healthy, and easy for the teachers to serve in the classroom. Here’s what I came up with and sent to the teacher. Any other ideas?

Healthy School Snacks

The healthiest, most satisfying and filling snacks for kids are ones that contain fiber and protein, which will help keep them full until their next meal. Here are some ideas for affordable snacks that are easy for the teachers to serve in the classroom.  Most of these can be found at Kroger, Publix, Aldi or Target; Trader Joe’s also has a great selection of healthy snacks at low prices. I’ve given rough price estimates in some cases. These foods, especially the boxed and bagged snacks like crackers and pretzels, are often on sale or have coupons, if you keep an eye out and stock up when the price is right.

Ideally, a good snack would be two things from two different food types: cheese and crackers, a handful of cereal with a few carrot sticks, a half-bagel with cream cheese.

Carbs

• Multigrain Wheat Thins or Triscuits ($5 for 2 packs at Kroger) – look for crackers that say “Contains Whole Grains” and that have at least 2 grams of fiber on the ingredient list
• Plain or lightly seasoned low-fat popcorn ($3 for a big bag at Trader Joe’s)
• Whole-wheat pretzels ($3/bag)
•  Whole-grain, low-sugar cereal like Cheerios or Frosted Mini-Wheats ($4.50/box)
• Baked tortilla chips
• Whole wheat bagels ($6 or $7 for 12, plan on 1/2 per child)
• Nutri-Grain Bars or store-brand Fruit and Grain Bars ($2.50 for pack of 8)
• Whole wheat mini pita

Fruit/Vegetables

• Baby carrots ($1.69 per bag at Kroger)
• Bananas ($4 for about 12- a half banana for each child)
• Watermelon, cut into cubes ($5-6 for 1/2 watermelon)
• Raisins or dried cranberries
• Apples, cored and cut into slices and wedges (Typically $2-3/pound, plan for 1/2 apple per child)
• Oranges (plan for 1/2 per child)
• Applesauce (Buy big jars and bring in Dixie cups and spoons)

Protein

• Cheese, cut into slices or cubes ($2.50 for 8 ounces, probably need about 1 ounce per kid)
• Yogurt (buy 2 or 3 large 32-ounce tubs and bring Dixie cups and spoons)
• Cream cheese (spread on a bagel half)
• Cooked, shelled edamame (soybeans, found in the freezer section)

I also came up with a few interesting links in my research: