Planning A Healthy Food Week

I never understand how my kids are always hungry. As soon as the kitchen is cleaned, my sink is shined, one of them comes wandering in, "Mom, can I have something to eat?"  I wish I could answer with something like "Hell, no, and don't ask me again." Unfortunately, that isn't really an option. So, I try something more maternal, like "Absolutely, have a banana or some grapes."

Now that the kids are back in school, meals have become even harder to prepare. With our hectic schedules, it feels like a scene from Mission Impossible to prepare dinners some nights.  After our third fast food trip last week, I knew I had to get serious about a plan. So I sat down, drew up a menu and went on a massive grocery trip. I wanted it all, quick, healthy, waistline friendly, convenient, kid friendly, and on a budget. When it was all said and done I wanted to be able to sit down every night to something resembling a nutritious homemade dinner (Old-fashioned, I know), and one that wouldn't make my  "McButt" any larger.

Then I drew up a seven-day meal plan. We eat a lot of fresh, local food, so planning by the week works best for us. But, if you prefer to only shop every few weeks or once a month then you can buy frozen or canned produce and meats. So you know what's on sale, get the grocery store fliers mailed to your house (you can sign up at the store) or save some paper and get them e-mailed to you. You can almost base your purchases off what is on sale and save money in the process of eating healthy.

Once I had the food I needed, I went to work. I spent an entire morning cooking. This could be done on a weeknight or weekend, just when you have 4-5 hours to devote to the process (tell your husband to take the kids to the park or a ballgame). I fired up the grill and par-grilled all the meat for the first half of the week. I cleaned and prepped most of the produce. I washed grapes and put them in a Ziploc baggie for fast snacks. I baked two types of bread, made and froze gluten-free pancakes, and cooked bacon for fast breakfasts. It was a big job, but so much easier to get in the zone and knock it out. Plus, I only had to clean the kitchen once!

Breakfast is important for everyone, but especially for kids. It's important for kids to develop good eating habits. So, a nutritious breakfast is an absolute must. If you don't have time to prepare one, or have picky eaters, here are some very fast, healthy ideas:

• frozen whole grain waffles with peanut butter
• turkey bacon
• bananas
• toast with organic jelly (traditional jellies are just High Fructose Corn Syrup)
• hard boiled eggs
• oatmeal
• fruit bowls
• cereal (under 9 grams of sugar per serving)

If you set the table and do some simple prep after dinner the night before, it makes the morning go much smoother.

If you have a picky eater or a small child, I recommend packing their lunches. Going through a lunch line and making choices can be daunting task for a five year old. If you are avoiding nitrates or sodium, a traditional ham or turkey sandwich is out.

I recommend the following options:

• fruit and cheese tray
• peanut butter and jelly (as above, without HFCS)
• whole wheat pretzel
• carrots, broccoli, or celery with fat-free Ranch dressing
• bananas
• applesauce
• a non-carbonated drink

I have to confess to being a little bit of a sucker, so I usually pack a treat in my kid's lunches. But in my defense most of the options I like are gluten free brownies and cookies such as Newman's Own or Amy's Organic. Throw some of the above in a cooler and put a blanket in your car. It will help avoid fast food trips which kill your waistline and budget. 

Dinners are a totally different beast. Who has the time and energy to fix a meal at 7:00pm after a full day of work, school, and activities? It's much easier to grab carryout or fast food. That's why a plan is necessary. If you have picky eaters, ask them what they would like and try to incorporate one or two items into the nightly menu. Fix enough staples for four or five nights of dinners. When you are ready to eat, heat up the meat, steam some veggies, or throw a salad together. We also try to have a meatless dinner once a week. There are thousands of simple soup and salad recipes online. I also use the slow cooker a lot in winter. I prep my meals in plastic containers once a week, and throw them in the cooker before we leave the house that day. Most nights during the week, we eat on paper plates. As long as we are having dinner at the table as a family, I don't feel guilty about paper products. It cuts down kitchen clean up time and makes life easy. Also, allow yourself a night off. Every Thursday is "Pizza" night in our house. We are nearing the end of the week, Thursdays are always crammed with things going on, and it's just too much to pull off dinner. Most school PTA's have dinner nights at local restaurants, where a portion goes back to the school. You can try and coincide with that evening as your night off if need be.

With some basic planning, staying on a budget and making meals happen can be painless. Don't expect to get it right the first time. It's a trial and error process. If you have older kids, make them help with meal preparation and clean up. Keep healthy, quick snacks on hand and in the car. Move dinner to a later time if you need to so you can spend that time together as a family. Don't buy unhealthy food that you will be tempted to eat. It will ruin any efforts in trying to maintain or lose weight. Before you go to the store, have a written plan and list. ONLY buy what is on the list! And the next time you begin to hear the whining of hungry children, you won't have tell them to dig around the backseat for old French Fries.