2016 in Review: Reflections from the Table
lifestyle
When Jared and I were first dating we reflected on the year’s highlights and landed (surprisingly!) on all of our favourite meals! It’s since become a tradition each New Year, and this year we’ve…
In short, a list of all the meals we regularly make. And I can’t recommend making your own one of these enough, so grab a pen and paper!
Why?
As I head out each week to do a big food shop, I plan the week’s food, check our cupboards, and make a plan. (Read about my exact process, money saving tips, and weekly buys HERE). Planning is THE ONLY WAY, I stay calm, only shop once a week, and keep our family on a great budget while eating clean organic food. It’s possible.
As I sit down to write the shopping list I need a meal plan to build from and sometimes my mind is completely blank as to the options so I find it easier to have a list of the things we love that I can build it from. Usually we’ll modify each dish depending on what we have in the cupboards/fridge that needs using and what is seasonally available.
Get the family on board!
I’d highly recommend you do the same! If you’re wanting to get your family on board with healthy eating, let them contribute to the list and find the meals that work well for everyone, even letting them help build the meal plan a bit (within some guidelines). When I shop I ask Jared if there’s anything he’s wanting that week, and also periodically if there’s anything he’d like added to the master list.
Help the budget!
I also have an idea of the price of each meal, not down to the cent but I know which I pricier and which are more frugal. That REALLY helps me to balance our budget. I don’t fill one week with all the expensive things. If we’re doing a big pizza night with meat pizzas and wine, there will be some extra bean/rice/chicken bowls in the week to balance it out. So either have an idea in your head or even make a note beside the budget friendly, and pricier options on your own list.
THE LIST
BREAKFASTS
- Nut butter/seed butter on sprouted spelt toast
- Paleo option: Paleo bread or nut butter on a banana for a 10 second prep brekkie!
- Eggs and toast
- Paleo/low carb option: Eggs, with half and avo and greens
- Smoothie (low sugar): Usually cocoa/cauliflower/a few berries/almond butter/zucchini/protein/almond milk.
- Smoothie bowl (low sugar): As above but less liquid and add toppings!
- Waffles: Buckwheat or oat flour waffles topped with nut butter, and fruit.
- Paleo option: Almond flour waffles
- Buckwheat pancakes: Can be made as crepes, or thicker pancakes. So easy to make in a blender and then freezer well for prep ahead.
- Breakfast tacos: Either sprouted spelt tortillas or paleo ones with scrambled eggs, avo, raw cheddar and salsa.
- Granola: I usually make big batches of granola for Jared when I’m gone so he can have simple granola and almond milk in the mornings without thinking.
- Gluten free but not paleo: Honey Nut Granola
- Raw and paleo option: Grawnola
LUNCHES
- To go Jared usually gets a simple salad, a mix of some of the following: romaine, raw cheddar, black beans, garbanzo beans, chicken, corn, peas, grated carrot, sunflower seeds, almonds, raisins, avocado, rice, quinoa. And a homemade dressing such as raspberry vinaigrette, tahini dressing, asian pear vinaigrette or some hummus to mix in.
- Veggie/quinoa/egg bowls
- Paleo/low carb option: Use cauliflower rice or just omit the quinoa.
- Leftover dinners!
- For lunches usually I’ll batch cook big bowls of ingredients for the week. Then each day we just make bowls with quinoa/rice/lettuce and add on meat or eggs, veggies and a dressing or dip. It makes for fast and nutritious lunches!
- Hummus bowl with a big pile of Sprouted Bean Hummus and lots of leaves and roasted veggies.
- Paleo option: Use a yummy bean free carrot hummus
DINNERS
- Homemade Pasta (with pesto or tomato sauce)
- Paleo/raw/low carb version: Zoodles, or just roasted veggies with the sauce.
- Pizza: our go to is a sprouted spelt crust with tomato sauce, raw cheddar, whatever meat with have, and veggies.
- Gluten free version: Use the Rosemary and Garlic Chick Pea Flatbread as a base, load up, and bake! We love this just as much and it’s the best GF base there is.
- Low carb/gluten free version: Use a cauliflower crust, either bought pre made or make yourself.
- Stir fry with meat, garlic, ginger, veggies, quinoa/rice, then stir in coconut aminos and a couple of eggs for egg fried rice/quinoa – delicious!
- Low carb version: Use cauliflower rice or just have the veggies!
- Seasonal soups – use whatever veggies you have on hand, with some good stock, and aromatics, blend and go! Ex. Broccoli, basil and white bean, Vegan Carrot, or Sweet potato with pomegranate
- Grass fed beef burger (with spelt bun or protein style)
- Chicken nuggets, we use chicken thighs coated in almond and coconut flour, fried in virgin coconut oil.
- Beef chili and paleo corn bread
- Paleo option: Add extra veggies and omit beans in the chili
- Grilled chicken and roasted veggies
- Zoodles
- Quinoa bowl/beans/avo/salsa/chicken
- Nachos or nacho salad or sweet potato nachos
- Tacos with whatever meat we have on hand, raw cheddar, salsa, or using up anything we have in the fridge. Tacos are a great way to use up leftover bits!
- Green Chicken Enchiladas
- Paleo option: Use Stupid Easy Paleo tortillas
- Breakfast for dinner (eggs and avo toast, bacon, pancakes)
- Slow cooked pulled pork (with tacos or a rice bowl)
Thanks for the ideas! They are really helpful…..
This is awesome! Thanks so much! You are my number 1 food inspiration right now 🙂
Aw I’m so happy to be able to help!! 🙂
Kezia you’re amazing! Do you ever ‘cheat’?
I wouldn’t say I cheat because I really truly don’t have rules, I eat what I want. But I definitely have more indulgent days than others, and when I’ve had a few I know how to pull myself back to my norm, but I don’t think of it as ‘getting back on track’ or ‘being good again’ because I try not to see indulgent days as going ‘off track’ or being ‘bad’. If that makes sense?! I know what works for me and what I value and because it’s things I believe in, it feels easy to always always eat that way. But some days I eat a whole lot of chocolate, and drink a glass of wine and eat a pizza. I just make it good wine, clean chocolate, and organic sprouted grain pizza – that way I know I win every way round 😉 I wrote a blog post about indulging intentionally or something like that that says a bit more!
xxx