Menu Plan Monday

It’s the first full week of menu planning for a healthier me. Actually, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. And a lot less expensive than I thought it would be – only marginally more than what I normally spend for a week of groceries. I managed to find many recipes that are a lot like what we normally eat. I hope they turn out as well as I hope.

My goal is to shoot for 1500 – 1800 calories a day. I have found two websites that are really working and helping me meet that goal. The first is the Beautify Your Heart Challenge. Their website is much easier to navigate and more user friendly than the website for National Body Challenge, and their recipes are what I call “realistic for real people.” Once you sign in for free, you can see everything. The only thing they are missing is some type of daily tracker. I found a free food intake and physical activity tracker on Mypyramidtracker.gov that is not only easy to use but also very informational. After you input your food intake and activity it will compare it to daily standards, past input, and balance calorie input and calorie expense so you actually see how well you are doing. I like how it tells me at the end of the day if I’ve eaten enough servings of each food group. That will help me adjust my menus as I go for the healthiest benefit to my family.

So are you as excited as I am? Here’s what’s on the menu for this week. You’ll notice that I’ve gone back to the FULL menu planning, snack and all, so that no calorie goes uncounted. 😉

Sunday:

• Breakfast – Cereal
• Lunch – Taco Salads & Spanish Rice
• Supper – (Held over from last week) Spaghetti w/ Meatsauce, Cucumber & Tomato Salad, Steamed Squash, Garlic Bread

Monday:

• Breakfast –Breakfast Tostadas (modified using egg substitute and an oven instead of a microwave.)
• Lunch – Leftovers or Sandwiches, Sliced Apples
• Snack – Sliced Bananas w/ Yogurt, Topped w/ Cereal.
• Supper – Family Casserole, Ritz Crackers

Tuesday:

• Breakfast – Cereal
• Lunch – Tuna Salad, Ritz, Sliced Cheese
• Snack – Carrots, Celery, Ranch Dressing
• Supper – BBQ Chicken & Black Bean Burritos, Guacamole & Chips

Wednesday:

• Breakfast – Eggs, Turkey Bacon, Biscuits, Banana Slices
• Lunch – Grilled Chicken Salad w/ Mandarin Oranges & Almonds
• Snack -Leftover Guacamole & Chips
• Supper – Salisbury Steak, “Good For You” Green Bean Casserole, Lite Mashed Potatoes

Thursday:

• Breakfast – Cereal
• Lunch – Baked Potatoes w/the Works, Fruit Salad
• Snack – Cheesy Popcorn
• Supper – Skillet Baked Ziti, Meatballs, Salad

Friday:

• Breakfast – Fruit Salad & Turkey Bacon Sandwiches
• Lunch – Meatball Subs (From Leftover Meatballs) & Sliced Veggies
• Snack – Bananas, Yogurt, Cereal
• Supper – Chili & Cornbread

Saturday:

• Breakfast – Biscuits & Gravy, Turkey Bacon
• Lunch – Leftovers or Sandwiches
• Snack – Peanut Butter, Ritz, Cheese, Apple Slices
• Supper – BBQ (Chipotle) Chicken, Diced “Fried” Potatoes, Ranch Beans, Steamed Broccoli

See? Now that wasn’t so bad. I love how I have meals on here like the Salisbury steak with green beans and mashed potatoes or the chili and cornbread. It’s the kind of food we usually eat, just slightly modified. I’ll let y’all know how good they are next week.

Whether you’re “gittin’ fit” or not, there’s a “whole mess” of menu plans over at I’m An Organizing Junkie! Why don’t ya just hop on over and check it out… 😉