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meal plan
sunday:
dinner: grill and chill (or Brett cooks something from his favorite cookbook)
brett grills chicken + plenty of chicken for lunches
freeze half the grilled chicken for future quick meals
burrito bowls or my favorite bean and rice bowl
instant pot black beans or slow cooker refried beans
I omit the onion in both recipes out of personal preference
freeze half in these containers
jk I can’t limit myself to only two favorite bean recipes. I also love this copycat chipotle recipe, or this beloved slow cooker bean recipe of mine. i love beans so much.
plenty of mashed avocado + pinch of salt to taste
pico, queso*, shredded lettuce, salsa, crema, onion, cheese, etc
could also grab sauces/sides/fresh tortillas from one of our favorite Mexican restaurants
we THRIVE on this Build Your Own Dinner and we thrive even more on the leftovers all week.
monday: sandwiches
why we love a weekly sandwich night
if time/energy, make my favorite apple pecan salad with creamy lemon dressing
could also sub veggie box
big bowl of fruit
tuesday: tacos, tostadas, or bean bowls
our absolute favorite wraps we love year-round, but live off of during the summer
use leftover grilled chicken from Sunday
the sweet potato tater tots in our freezer
big bowl of fruit
wednesday: pizza, pasta, or rice
(brett can add leftover grilled chicken to his)
or cheese tortellini in garlic basil sauce? creamy tomato tortellini?
or that frozen ravioli in our freezer? with jarred pasta sauce?
frozen breadsticks + whatever fruit is still hanging around
thursday: soup, crockpot, or IP
my favorite soup - creamy tomato parmesan soup with a ton of veggies, made via crockpot
freeze leftovers in these containers - here’s how i freeze (and reheat!) soup
but because brett won’t touch soup when it’s above 40 degrees outside, I’ll serve this with a bagged salad and a big pile of grilled cheese with caramelized onions so that he’ll hush
friday: eggs, pasta, or leftovers
easy tostadas or quesadillas using Sunday’s leftovers
or leftovers
saturday: snack dinner saturday or dinner with loved ones
that trader joe’s mandarin orange chicken hanging out in our freezer
white rice? that trader joe’s fried rice lurking in our freezer?
any leftover fruit still hanging around
that bag of edamame also hanging out in our freezer
this dinner may be questionable in terms of authenticity, but it’ll be delicious and it’ll clean out the freezer. YES.
and really, in terms of “My Word, Groceries are So Dang Expensive so We’re Eating at Home Way More and Trying to Be More Intentional With What We Have, But Also Planning Easy, Restful Meal so Haley Doesn’t Burn Out,” this dinner scores an A++.
meal prep
i usually do a little meal prep on Sundays as a part of our Grill and Chill, but I may instead do a bit here and there throughout the week. (you’ll notice I allow space in my daily rhythm for potential meal prep.)
below is the list of what I hope to meal prep this week - it may not all happen, and that's okay! even 5 minutes of prep is super beneficial.
prep some dinner components:
during the summer, I prep as much dinner stuff on Sundays as possible, so that KK and I can spend plenty of time at the pool after her nap
prep produce, make veggie box
pick up our ranch dressing for the week
make croutons - post coming soon!
prep some sort of dessert for the week:
see here why this is our new favorite thing for our marriage.
none - brett is sick :)
prep some things to make breakfasts/snacks/lunches smoother:
thaw veggie rice soup for brett
pulled from the freezer in these containers - here’s how i freeze (and reheat!) soup
I follow my own recipe - and need to write it down - but the linked recipe is a similar version
make the weekly pot of beans so I can make this other favorite quick breakfast/lunch
favorite bean recipes: instant pot black beans or slow cooker refried beans or this copycat chipotle recipe, or this beloved slow cooker bean recipe of mine
let’s prep smoothie cups in these containers
make a batch of oatmeal like this
excerpt from my “my breakfast and lunch favorites” blogpost:
up until, like, a year ago, i swore I disliked oatmeal. but it turns out I was just eating the wrong kind. my mom one day made oatmeal like this with good oats, and served it to me plain with a generous slab of butter stirred in. it was this savory risotto-like situation. it was heavenly. and from then on, I was a converted oatmeal lover.
move some frozen mango/pineapple/cherries to mason jars in the fridge for KK like this
slice lemons for hot lemon water
make a big batch of carrot orange juice, if time/energy
read more about my juicing routine here
Need more ideas for make-ahead breakfasts and lunches to meal prep? Here’s my list of favorites!
favorite things
my new silicone face brush + cleanser
my skin is loving this serum, too
added the cleanser and serum to our Subscribe and Save order
our list of the vitamins + supplements we love - there are ones we take every day (especially me), but right now we’re also taking very specific ones (listed in the post!) since Brett is sick.
like my vitamin d and KK’s vitamin d
did you see? I finished alllll the Monthly Themes for Play except November! weeeeee!
the big list of things, systems, and routines that help me feel my best - I’m always updating this post and it’s the best place to start to get a lot of FAQs answered!
want more?
i’m always sharing our favorite routines, our favorite systems, and our favorite dinners on Instagram.
and know that when you share kind words with me or share my page with your followers, I do a happy dance. your support means everything, and your support allows me to spend time creating free content, like this menu plan. xo.