The Weekly Spread

May is a busy time for sports and school concerts, so I'm making fast and easy recipes this week like the ones below. If you try one thing my menu this week, I recommend trying pesto noodles. Kids usually love them and it's a great way to eat your greens!

Monday: whole wheat pasta w/pesto sauce (from a jar) + sliced salami + cauliflower from the freezer + grapes

Tuesday: crock pot lentil soup + cheese sandwiches + chopped apples (I'm just going to put carrots, celery, onion, bouillon and lentils in the crock pot with broth and let it cook all day).

Wednesday: Instapot pulled pork sandwiches + coleslaw from a bag + canned pineapple

Thursday: One pot pasta (my 11 year old is cooking) + watermelon + green salad

Friday: Lettuce wraps (I will loosely follow that recipe) + pan fried tofu + boiled carrots + frozen mangoes blended with milk in the blender

Saturday: leftover night!

The Weekly Spread: A Dieitian's Mealplan

The best way to save money on food is to avoid waste. Eat leftovers or put them in the freezer to eat later. Plan meals around food you already have in your fridge before it goes bad. If you can't cook it before it goes bad, stick it in the freezer.

Then, don't forget about the food in your freezer!

Every week, before planning a menu, a take a quick look in my freezer to see what needs to be used. This way, leftovers don't turn into giant balls of freezer burn before I get to them. This week, I found some Salami, a gallon bag of leftover chili, and some pesto in my freezer that need to be used up. I also have a big bag of carrots in my fridge that need to be used up before they go bad.

Here's the menu I planned around those items. Take a look in your freezer and assess what needs to be used!

Monday: leftovers from the weekend (I ended up making hummus and tabouleh Saturday)

Tuesday: Elk Tenderloin from the freezer + roasted carrots + orange slices

Wednesday: Rice and bean salad (using leftover rice from sunday's stir fry) + whole wheat tortillas + mango smoothie using frozen mangoes

Thursday: Chili from the freezer + grilled cheese sandwiches + green salad + sliced oranges

Friday: Pizza using salami and pesto from the freezer + any fruit left in the house

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: Mother's Day! We are going to a family gathering and bringing tortellini salad + my all-time favorite dessert

The Weekly Spread: A Dietitian's Meal Plan + money saving tips

The temperatures are rising and so are food prices! Click the following link to get helpful tips for saving money on groceries: Shop Smart | MyPlate.

My 3 favorite tips are:

1. Only buy fresh produce that is on "sale" or at a good price. This will change every week depending on seasonality and availability. Learn what a good price for produce is, and only buy things when they are a good price.

2. Only buy what you need. Make a list and stick to it. Don't buy extra chips, soda, candy, ice cream or other things you don't need. Not only are they unhealthy, but they are also expensive!

3. Shop by unit price. See this link for more details.

Here's my menu for the week:

Sunday: Split pea soup + homemade whole wheat bread + salad from my garden

image from link above

Monday: Baked eggs with frozen broccoli (my 10 year old is cooking) + homemade whole wheat bread

Tuesday: Cooking Class!! Lentil Tacos + canned corn + tortillas + cheese + strawberries

Wednesday: Lasagna (my 11 year old is cooking) + fresh salad from the garden + whatever fruit is a good price at the store

Thursday: An instant pot meal from my freezer (probably red lentil soup) + naan bread I bought on clearance and froze

Friday: Food from Malawi (cornmeal mush + cooked greens) + baked beans + applesauce

(we try to learn about new culture every month as a family, this month we are learning about Malawi)

image from link above

Saturday: Fondue night + frozen cauliflower, cut carrots, frozen brussel sprouts + bread + apples

Image from link above