anthonysma
i have never been the best at planning meals for the week and following it but know that my income is lower i need to plain so i don't spend more then i need to while shopping. the problem is its just me and my picky 3 year old so i don't want to cook meals that can feed 3 or more with just 2 people eating and one eating enough to feed a mouse.
my son would be happy with pb and j for 2 meals a day and dry cereal for bk.
so my question is how do you or what kind of meals do you plan if you do and how do you stick to it if its possible to.
Answer
If money is an issue then one of the best things you can do for your budget is cut down the amount of meat you eat. Vegetable based proteins (legumes are best) are healthier, but also cheaper. Grain based proteins (barley, quiona, etc) are available in bulk and are very filling.
For recipes look to the Middle East for inspiration. Dals, curries, and wheat salads are well balanced meals and they're cheap and easy to prepare. Middle Eastern dishes also all use the same spices, so you only have to go on one spice run (buy cheap from the ethnic aisle at the grocery store, or an actual ethnic market).
Some of what we eat here, all approved by my one year old:
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Tabbouleh-1000079388
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Eggplant-and-Cucumber-Salad-Sandwich
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/08/WIGOOQ59H11.DTL#pair4
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/02/red-kidney-bean-curry/
http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/02/chana-masala/
Here, all the beans, rice, and lentils average about a buck a pound. Normally you can get two recipes out of each pound and each batch will make a lot of food. I know you're looking for smaller portions, but large portions have an advantage. All of this stuff freezes well. Make large batches without the extra effort, feed yourself and your son then pop the rest in containers and freeze. They make great lunches or dinners at any time, especially if you're going through a week that's tighter than normal.
If you're a confirmed omnivore and the thought of giving up meat bothers you then trim down your meat bills.
Buy whole chickens instead of just the breast. You can roast the whole thing in one go and eat it for dinner one night then take all the meat off the bones and save it. You can get up to another 3-4 meals of the remains. After you stripped the bones you can roast them then boil them along with the skin, with vegetables, spices, and cold water to make stock. You can use the stock to make rice, couscous, quinoa, soup, stews, casseroles, etc.
Buy beef that's been reduced ("expires" the next day). It's cheaper and tastes the same, if you're freezing it then it doesn't matter much what the date is as long as you use it when you thaw it.
There are meat dishes that use the same spices as the vegetarian options I linked earlier:
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Chicken-Skewers-with-Dukkah-Crust
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Spiced-Chicken-and-Chickpea-Stew
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Grilled-Chicken--Fennel-Kebabs-with-Tzatziki
http://www.antoniotahhan.com/2009/07/19/stuffed-eggplants-and-seattle/
Recipe for chicken stock: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_chicken_stock/
I buy a lot of legumes and grains. We eat a lot of vegetarian meals here, actually at this point the only meat my daughter and I eat is fish. My husband still eats meat, but it's easy for me to add that to his portion without cooking another meal or adding meat to mine or my daughter's plate. Having one meat eater in the house has cut our grocery bill (which wasn't the point, but a happy side effect).
I plan my meals a week ahead of time. I have a calender that I write in our meals on then I write out a list of ingredients those meals use. I try to plan things so that if I have a recipe that uses 1/2 lb of mushrooms, but I can only buy a pound that something else will use up the rest of them a few days later so we don't waste food.
We don't do a leftover night here, instead I freeze our leftover meals and we eat them for lunches or on a day where I don't really feel like cooking.
If you're really trying to meal plan, the best thing you can do is make a list. Triple-check it, make sure you wrote down everything you need so you only have to go once a week. Lists cut down on impulse buys, so does going to the store infrequently.
If money is an issue then one of the best things you can do for your budget is cut down the amount of meat you eat. Vegetable based proteins (legumes are best) are healthier, but also cheaper. Grain based proteins (barley, quiona, etc) are available in bulk and are very filling.
For recipes look to the Middle East for inspiration. Dals, curries, and wheat salads are well balanced meals and they're cheap and easy to prepare. Middle Eastern dishes also all use the same spices, so you only have to go on one spice run (buy cheap from the ethnic aisle at the grocery store, or an actual ethnic market).
Some of what we eat here, all approved by my one year old:
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Tabbouleh-1000079388
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Eggplant-and-Cucumber-Salad-Sandwich
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/08/WIGOOQ59H11.DTL#pair4
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/02/red-kidney-bean-curry/
http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/02/chana-masala/
Here, all the beans, rice, and lentils average about a buck a pound. Normally you can get two recipes out of each pound and each batch will make a lot of food. I know you're looking for smaller portions, but large portions have an advantage. All of this stuff freezes well. Make large batches without the extra effort, feed yourself and your son then pop the rest in containers and freeze. They make great lunches or dinners at any time, especially if you're going through a week that's tighter than normal.
If you're a confirmed omnivore and the thought of giving up meat bothers you then trim down your meat bills.
Buy whole chickens instead of just the breast. You can roast the whole thing in one go and eat it for dinner one night then take all the meat off the bones and save it. You can get up to another 3-4 meals of the remains. After you stripped the bones you can roast them then boil them along with the skin, with vegetables, spices, and cold water to make stock. You can use the stock to make rice, couscous, quinoa, soup, stews, casseroles, etc.
Buy beef that's been reduced ("expires" the next day). It's cheaper and tastes the same, if you're freezing it then it doesn't matter much what the date is as long as you use it when you thaw it.
There are meat dishes that use the same spices as the vegetarian options I linked earlier:
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Chicken-Skewers-with-Dukkah-Crust
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Spiced-Chicken-and-Chickpea-Stew
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Grilled-Chicken--Fennel-Kebabs-with-Tzatziki
http://www.antoniotahhan.com/2009/07/19/stuffed-eggplants-and-seattle/
Recipe for chicken stock: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_chicken_stock/
I buy a lot of legumes and grains. We eat a lot of vegetarian meals here, actually at this point the only meat my daughter and I eat is fish. My husband still eats meat, but it's easy for me to add that to his portion without cooking another meal or adding meat to mine or my daughter's plate. Having one meat eater in the house has cut our grocery bill (which wasn't the point, but a happy side effect).
I plan my meals a week ahead of time. I have a calender that I write in our meals on then I write out a list of ingredients those meals use. I try to plan things so that if I have a recipe that uses 1/2 lb of mushrooms, but I can only buy a pound that something else will use up the rest of them a few days later so we don't waste food.
We don't do a leftover night here, instead I freeze our leftover meals and we eat them for lunches or on a day where I don't really feel like cooking.
If you're really trying to meal plan, the best thing you can do is make a list. Triple-check it, make sure you wrote down everything you need so you only have to go once a week. Lists cut down on impulse buys, so does going to the store infrequently.
Good vegetarian recipe!?!?
tayluhhpan
Im trying to eat healthier and i want to know some good recipes.
Got anything?
Answer
I'm not going to write all the actual recipes but you can look them up on recipe websites to get a whole lot of variations on them.
Eggplant Parmesean
I make it in layers of eggplant, marinara, italian cheeses & bake it for about 30-45 min (until bubbly) at about 350 degrees.
Stuffed Peppers/Mushrooms
Mixture of breadcrumb, beaten egg and cheese and herbs stuffed and baked
I make a lot of pasta dishes with whole wheat pasta, fresh veggies, a simple sauce but for a healthier kick add navy beans or garbanzo beans. For extra flavor, try roasting your veggies with olive oil and herbs at 425 degrees for about 30-40 and then add them to your pasta.
If you eat eggs, spinach/veggie omelets are great.
Portabella mushroom sandwiches
Toast some whole wheat bread and melt some monterray jack cheese (or whatever) on each slice. Saute sliced portabella mushrooms with some onions in marsala and a little butter for the inside of the sandwich.
Hummus and veggie wraps
Saute some veggies of your choice in a little olive oil. Add some hummus to a pita and then add the cooked veggies.
Veggie BBQ pizza
Thin crust with bbq sauce instead of marinara. Add the veggies and cheeses that you like and bake according to the crust package directions.
Those are some of the healthiest ones I can think of off the top of my head. Hope this gives you some ideas!!! Good luck!
I'm not going to write all the actual recipes but you can look them up on recipe websites to get a whole lot of variations on them.
Eggplant Parmesean
I make it in layers of eggplant, marinara, italian cheeses & bake it for about 30-45 min (until bubbly) at about 350 degrees.
Stuffed Peppers/Mushrooms
Mixture of breadcrumb, beaten egg and cheese and herbs stuffed and baked
I make a lot of pasta dishes with whole wheat pasta, fresh veggies, a simple sauce but for a healthier kick add navy beans or garbanzo beans. For extra flavor, try roasting your veggies with olive oil and herbs at 425 degrees for about 30-40 and then add them to your pasta.
If you eat eggs, spinach/veggie omelets are great.
Portabella mushroom sandwiches
Toast some whole wheat bread and melt some monterray jack cheese (or whatever) on each slice. Saute sliced portabella mushrooms with some onions in marsala and a little butter for the inside of the sandwich.
Hummus and veggie wraps
Saute some veggies of your choice in a little olive oil. Add some hummus to a pita and then add the cooked veggies.
Veggie BBQ pizza
Thin crust with bbq sauce instead of marinara. Add the veggies and cheeses that you like and bake according to the crust package directions.
Those are some of the healthiest ones I can think of off the top of my head. Hope this gives you some ideas!!! Good luck!
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