The boyfriend and I have been avidly pursuing spending less money and eating healthier, so for us the best way to do that was to meal plan. With that in mind, we sprung into it head first last week and were pretty successful! This Sunday while I was setting up this week's menu I looked through the grocery store ads and realized the time of year for delicious produce is upon us and planned accordingly. Here's the menu for the week and the thoughts behind them:
Sunday: Cheat Day! Eat whatever you want! (We ordered a pizza)
We need at least one day a week with no rules and since we usually spend Sunday lazing around the house it seemed like the perfect day to get to eat whatever we were in the mood for.
Monday: Steak night with balsamic roasted asparagus and baked potatoes
Red meat is a requirement, gotta get that iron! Asparagus was on sale and can be cooked quickly and easily in the oven. This was the perfect meal after a long day because it took little to no prep work and can all be done in the oven.
Tuesday: Pasta Salad and Cucumber Chips
Tuesday is our busiest day of the week, the man works all day and teaches at night and I almost always have a 12 hour clinical. I tried to plan something I could cook the night before and stick in the fridge for when I got home. Recipe to come for the cucumber chips... They are the bomb!
Wednesday: Chicken tacos with fresh avocados on spinach tortillas
Wednesdays are a little more relaxed around here and I can take the time to cook a nice meal. Can't say no to avocados this time of year! They're so tasty and can easily take the place of sour cream saving a few extra calories!
Thursday: Enchilada Soup served over rice
I like to have a soup night once a week and this was perfect because I will be able to use any leftover chicken from the tacos on Wednesday. Serving it over rice makes it a little bit more filling while still allowing us to eat lightly.
Friday: Night out!
We usually go out one night a week anyway, so it's nice to be able to plan ahead when we can. This week I have a class field trip so my classmates and I will be going out to eat afterwards.
Saturday: Leftovers
Chances are good that I'll be too tired to cook anything when I get home from my Saturday clinical, so if we just plan to eat whatever is lying around I won't be tempted to get Taco Bell on my way home.
That's the plan this week! So far so good. Dinner tonight was delicious, I splurged a little and got nice grass-fed rib eyes from the butcher. It was so worth it.
Here's a simple recipe of mine to try out on your own! It's easy, healthy, and absolutely delicious.
Balsamic Roasted Asparagus:
Ingredients: Asparagus, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, olive oil, chopped garlic
Preheat the oven to 375
Cut the ends off and wash your asparagus, place uncovered on a cookie sheet
Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over asparagus, I use about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
Sprinkle fresh ground pepper, salt, and garlic powder over the whole mess
Add fresh minced garlic for extra flavor and garnish
Bake 8-10 minutes for "al dente" style
Serve hot, fresh out of the oven. We eat them like french fries!
Sunday: Cheat Day! Eat whatever you want! (We ordered a pizza)
We need at least one day a week with no rules and since we usually spend Sunday lazing around the house it seemed like the perfect day to get to eat whatever we were in the mood for.
Monday: Steak night with balsamic roasted asparagus and baked potatoes
Red meat is a requirement, gotta get that iron! Asparagus was on sale and can be cooked quickly and easily in the oven. This was the perfect meal after a long day because it took little to no prep work and can all be done in the oven.
Tuesday: Pasta Salad and Cucumber Chips
Tuesday is our busiest day of the week, the man works all day and teaches at night and I almost always have a 12 hour clinical. I tried to plan something I could cook the night before and stick in the fridge for when I got home. Recipe to come for the cucumber chips... They are the bomb!
Wednesday: Chicken tacos with fresh avocados on spinach tortillas
Wednesdays are a little more relaxed around here and I can take the time to cook a nice meal. Can't say no to avocados this time of year! They're so tasty and can easily take the place of sour cream saving a few extra calories!
Thursday: Enchilada Soup served over rice
I like to have a soup night once a week and this was perfect because I will be able to use any leftover chicken from the tacos on Wednesday. Serving it over rice makes it a little bit more filling while still allowing us to eat lightly.
Friday: Night out!
We usually go out one night a week anyway, so it's nice to be able to plan ahead when we can. This week I have a class field trip so my classmates and I will be going out to eat afterwards.
Saturday: Leftovers
Chances are good that I'll be too tired to cook anything when I get home from my Saturday clinical, so if we just plan to eat whatever is lying around I won't be tempted to get Taco Bell on my way home.
That's the plan this week! So far so good. Dinner tonight was delicious, I splurged a little and got nice grass-fed rib eyes from the butcher. It was so worth it.
Here's a simple recipe of mine to try out on your own! It's easy, healthy, and absolutely delicious.
Balsamic Roasted Asparagus:
Ingredients: Asparagus, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, olive oil, chopped garlic
Preheat the oven to 375
Cut the ends off and wash your asparagus, place uncovered on a cookie sheet
Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over asparagus, I use about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
Sprinkle fresh ground pepper, salt, and garlic powder over the whole mess
Add fresh minced garlic for extra flavor and garnish
Bake 8-10 minutes for "al dente" style
Serve hot, fresh out of the oven. We eat them like french fries!
