Last weekend I spent more time than usual on my meal planning and prepping. I really wanted to have enough food to make it through the week without ending up throwing things away. As a result I think we ended up spending more than we would have liked on groceries- however, I think we bought just the right amount of everything. Anything we have extra of will still be good going forward into next week.
I even planned out more specific breakfasts and lunches this week, although I knew I wouldn’t stick to them specifically. It did help with estimating leftovers and how much other stuff to buy for lunches. This is how my meal planning worksheet looked:
Here is a clearer version of my meal plan with links to recipes:
Sunday: Pulled pork sliders, butternut squash mash**, asparagus
Monday: One pot chicken thighs with green beans added
Tuesday: Salmon, roasted red potatoes, broccoli
Wednesday: Paleo stuffed peppers
Thursday: Paleo steak fajitas
Friday: Bison bacon sweet potato sliders** and green beans
Saturday: Spaghetti squash with paleo meatballs** and salad or spinach
Breakfasts: Twice baked potatoes**, Sausage frittata, eggs with bacon and veggies
Lunches: Salads with grilled chicken or steak, leftovers
Other: Apples, berries, baby carrots, sweet potato chips, chicken and zucchini poppers, plantain chips, paleo ketchup
While everything this week was good, the recipes with ** are ones that I recommend trying and personally will definitely be making again!
And now for the prep. I spent way longer than I would have liked in the kitchen last weekend. At least it was a 3 days weekend, so that helped a little.
1. Washed, cut, and stored broccoli for Tuesdays’ dinner
2. Peeled garlic and stored in airtight ziplock bag for recipes throughout the week (so many of my meals this week had garlic in them!)
3. Cooked steak for salad
4. Stored other steaks in ziplock bag in freezer for Thursdays’ dinner
5. Washed, trimmed, stored green beans
6. Peeled and cut carrots for Monday’s dinner
7. Washed and sliced peppers for salads
8. Washed and chopped mushrooms for stuffed peppers
9. Roasted sweet potatoes for lunches
10. Washed and sliced cucumber for lunches
11. Made plantain chips
12. Made zucchini poppers
13. Roasted broccoli for lunches
14. Made apple chips
15. Made twice baked potatoes
16. Made sausage, veggie and egg frittata (I didn’t follow a recipe….I used Fresh Market Southwest sausage, onions and peppers, kale, spinach, tomatoes, and eggs)
17. Rob grilled chicken for lunches on indoor grill
Whew! That makes me tired all over again just typing it out! Goals for this week are to spend less money and spend less time in the kitchen. However, since its the last full week of Whole30 I also want it to be a good one, so we’ll see. Last weekend I spent about 3 hours food prepping, plus 45 minutes meal planning and maybe an hour or so grocery shopping. That just seems like way too much time out of a weekend to put towards this stuff!
If you meal plan and/or prep, how much time do you spend on it?
Do you have any Whole30 meals that we should try during our last full week?
Do you plan your meals by day or just pick a bunch or meals you will make each week?
I’ll also be linking up with Mommy Run Fast and Jill Conyers for their meal planning link-up!
So many yummy looking dishes! As usual I’m impressed by how organized you are!
Thanks!
That sure is some awesome meal prep! I am very impressed 🙂 I always plan meals for 7 days, not specific as to which day. I end up changing my mind as to what I’m in the mood for if I do it too specifically.
Your meal plan also looks really good! I made a big batch of my (paleo) meatballs that I adapted from my grandma’s recipe, but they haven’t actually made it into any sort of meal – we’ve been snacking on them.
Meatballs seem like a great dish to make over the weekend and use throughout the week in both snacks and meals!
Everything looks good! When I meal plan I do it by day too. It’s easier for me if I get really specific.
Agreed- it even just helps with knowing what meat I need to freeze versus leave in the fridge!
I am impressed with how organized you are with all of the planning ahead! Enjoy the last week of Whole30. Looks like you have some awesome dishes on the menu. 🙂
Thanks! I can’t believe its the last full week already!
Your meals look so delicious! I’m impressed how organized it you keep it and how much prep you do!
I plan out dinners day by day but I usually end up moving them around throughout the week based on how busy our evenings end up being.
Thats a good idea and sort of what we end up doing too- like if I end up going to a yoga class or something one night Ill switch to a meal that takes less time to cook!
You’ve been killing it with the meal prep lately – all of this looks and sounds so good! I may take a page out of your book and start doing some Sunday prep, at least for lunches, as I’m finally going back to work this week and there is NOWHERE healthy or even appealing near my new office.
Sounds like a great idea! We usually cook up some meat on the weekend to use in salads or roast some veggies for work. Its nice to have healthy options that don’t cost as much as eating out!
Great job! So glad you enjoyed the sliders! They are always a hit around here and one we make when we have non paleo friends over. They LOVE them! If you haven’t tried Nom Nom Paleo’s Kalua Pig yet that’s a really delicious, simple recipe that can be used throughout the week 🙂
I’ll need to look into that- thanks!
1 more week! Are you excited for wine? I tried to click to the butternut squash mash and it didn’t take me to the recipe. Would you mind sending the link? It sounds like something I would love 🙂
Hm that’s weird! Here’s the link: http://healyeatsreal.com/delicious-salty-sweet-mashed-butternut-squash-vegan/
I am sooo excited for wine!!:)
I know what you mean about that feeling like a lot of time and effort to put into food. I go through phases where I do a lot of extra prep, and then others (like now) where I wing it a bit more.
Exactly- some weeks I just have more energy to put into it than others!
This looks great! Spending extra time in the kitchen during the weekend can definitely help throughout the week.
Very true! The weeks when I spend more time on meal prep set me up for a very smooth week.
Wow! That is some impressive meal prep! You are dedicated!
Thanks!
Those bison sliders sound fantastic! Will have to give them a try. Your weekly posts have inspired me to put more effort into planning, it saves so much time during the week
Definitely give the burgers a try! And good luck with your planning- it really does pay off!
I can’t plan our dinners ahead because I never know what we will feel like so I buy our staples and can throw basically anything we would want together pretty quickly. When I used to work in an office, I would prep a bit on Sundays just to have salads ready to go (like roasting my veggies in advance)..My only issue with roasting a ton of vegetables in advance is that I tend to eat them all up at once lol.
I know, I need to ration myself with things like roasted veggies, otherwise they are all gone by Monday! That’s why it helps for me to think about how to make my food last for the full week.
Great job with the meal prep! Sometimes I slack on it because of the time it takes, but it’s best to get it all out of the way!
It can be time consuming, but when I have a free weekend I feel like I have no excuse but to get it done! The weeks when I don’t do any I always regret it!
You absolutely amaze me with your dedication and organizational skills! I hope this last week is a good one. I’m so impressed!
Thanks! I definitely kept it a little simpler for this upcoming week but should still have plenty of good meals!
You definitely out in a lot of time last week but it sounds like it was well worth. I’m normally good for just going with the flow during the week. I tend to eat the same thing a lot so my shopping list is easy and I usually have something simple to eat!
Sometimes I have weeks like that where i just plan to make very simple meals that I have eaten a million times before. However, I know I regret it when I don’t have certain things like breakfast and lunches prepped to save time during the week!
My son saw your meal plan and is BEGGING me to eat meat haha. He is totally down for the Whole30 as long as it involves MEAT 🙂 When I meal plan, sometimes I do it by day and sometimes just meals for the week. When I do it by day, things are less stressful and way more organized. By the week…well..sometimes I don’t always stick to it 🙂
Haha I think most people are surprised by the Whole30 and how you can eat meat, fat, etc. I agree that it helps to do it by day, but I find that if Im not too busy during the week I don’t necessarily need to plan each day and it still works out pretty well.
Your organization never ceases to amaze me. I’m totally embarrassed by my list-making skills after seeing yours. I have started to get a lot better about this though. I actually know what we are having for lunches and dinners through Wednesday. It’s a miracle.
You’re a meal prep machine! Over time menu planning is fine tuned and if you stick with it you’ll over-shop less and less. You can also try meal planning with ingredients you have leftover from the previous week.
Have a magnificent Monday Lisa!
Those are great tips…I definitely try to use up any leftovers from the previous week!
I am in awe of all the prep you do on the weekends! I think that is one extra step I could take that would really help with cooking our meals during the week. I’m going to have to try that out.
Best of luck with your final week on Whole 30!
Thank you! It can be alot of work on the weekend but definitely pays off during the week!
I hate how long meal planning takes also, but when I reflect on how much time it saves me throughout the week, and how much better I feel when I am prepared and healthy, it is well worth it. I spend at least an hour grocery shopping (unless I can finagle my hubby into doing it for me) and usually 3-4 hours prepping. Add that to your weekly cleaning, and half your weekend is over! Gahhh! Weekends need to be longer!
That sounds alot like my weekend! I am trying to figure out ways to save some time, but I think some weeks are just better or worse than others based on what I decide to do.