The Weekly Spread: A Dietitian's Meal Plan

It's dark, it's cold, and I'm ready for comfort food. At the same time, food prices have jumped in the past few weeks and I'm looking for ways to use the things I have in my pantry and like rice, noodles, dry beans and canned tuna. So here's a menu based on inexpensive comfort foods!

Monday: Tuna Noodle Casserole + cooked mustard greens + peach/grape smoothie

New casserole recipe, not my favorite, but it sure was easy! If you have a beloved tuna casserole recipe, please email it to me! nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com We are doing tuna casserole for cooking class in January and I'm determined to find a recipe that is easy and yummy.

Tuesday: Bean Burritos + canned corn + apple slices. I cook my own beans in a pressure cooker, it requires no soaking and is so easy. Here's how you can do it yourself.

image from Budgetbytes.com

Wednesday: Smokey Black Bean Soup + crockpot roll recipe (trying it for thanksgiving!) + apple slices

image from budgetbytes.com

Thursday: Butternut squash risotto + green salad + canned pears

(this recipe is a bit involved and is gourmet, but I have squash, apples and sage from my garden I want to celebrate!)

image from SeriousEats.com

Friday: Homemade pizza with zuchinni, pepperoni and pesto (all in the freezer!) + green salad + applesauce

Image from me! Taken this summer.

Saturday: Cottage cheese spinach lasagna + green salad + whatever fruit is left in the house

This is my favorite lasagna recipe, it's easy, it's yummy and my 11 year old is making it for us.

image from foodandfamily.com

Have a good cozy week!

The Weekly Spread: A Dietitian's Meal Plan

This week, I want to introduce you to a concept called COOK ONCE, EAT TWICE.

The idea is that you double a recipe with the intent of eating leftovers another day. I'm going on a trip and leaving the kids home with a sitter - so this will make things easier while I'm gone.

The important thing to remember when cooking once, eating twice - is to choose meals you know your family likes. Our favorite meals are: hummus/tzatziki, rice and bean salad, and tortellini soup.

Here's the menu!

Monday: Green salad with hard boiled eggs, cheese, walnuts, garbanzo beans, apples and bacon! Homemade breadsticks (I love this recipe! Image below is from the website melskitchencafe.com)

Tuesday: Cooking class: chicken with rice + butternut squash + green salad + pears

I'm so excited to see you guys on zoom!

Wednesday: Cooking class leftovers!

Thursday: Elk tacos (which are just like regular ground beef tacos), cabbage w/lime juice, cantaloupe, Rice and bean salad, tres leches cake to celebrate a family member’s birthday!

Friday: Tortellini Sausage Soup + apple slices (recipe and image from budgetbytes.com)

Saturday: Hummus, tzatziki and naan bread before trick or treating

Sunday: Leftover rice+bean salad with cheese tortillas and fresh fruit (whatever is on sale this week)

Monday: Leftover hummus, tzatziki, naan bread

Tuesday: Leftover tortellini soup + cheese sandwiches

Wednesday: cottage cheese pancakes + scrambled eggs w/any veggies in the fridge (I’ll just be getting home and will need something simple + fast, this recipe I created has more protein than regular pancakes!)

Thursday: leek cabbage soup + whole wheat bread and green salad

Friday: out to eat with friends at a Thai restaurant

The Weekly Spread: A Dietitian's Meal Plan

I'm back from fall break. I came home to an empty fridge, so I had to quickly make a meal plan and get to the store. I hate shopping without a plan and list, but when I've got a meal plan and a list of what I need, it's much less stressful! Sorry this is low on photos, I'll take some this week so there will be photos next time I post these recipes!

Here's what I already had:

chopped leeks in the freezer,

elk roast

apples from a friend's tree

the last tomatoes and peppers from the garden

roasted red bell peppers from the freezer

frozen peaches from a friend's tree

Here's my menu:

M: Mollie Katzen Tortilla Soup (uses up all those tomatoes, peppers and roasted peppers from the freezer) + quesadillas and avocados

T: Elk roast on whole wheat tortillas with salsa and cheese (pretty much a taco), peach smoothies, lettuce from the garden

W: Crock Pot Leek soup, sliced apples, green salad, cheese sandwiches

Th: Tacos, my 11 year old daughter found some new recipes she is going to try.

F: Squash Goulash + the last melons from the garden + green salad + toast

S: Vegetable Tortellini Soup + sliced apples + whole wheat bread

(image from budgetbytes.com)

S: Make something creative with leftovers