Intuitive movement. Taking the dog for a walk. A long day at work. Lounging by the pool. Kids soccer games. Kids homework. Household chores. I mean the list just keeps going and I bet the last thing on your mind is creating a nutritious meal plan for the week. As much as I’m against the “create a meal plan for me” saying, I think it’s a great tool to leverage and start a conversation around. Because here’s the thing, I love butternut squash and you may hate it but your 2 year old can’t get enough of it and your husband is allergic to it. See where I’m going with that thought? So when I work with clients we talk about what foods they want to have included and what’s fits into their lifestyle (because lord knows we have 99 things on our to-do list with only 8 hours (haha yeah right) to do them (ideally 16 of the 24 hours being consumed already by work and sleep). So let me help you out here with a few ideas of what to put on your menu this week instead of mindlessly scrolling through Pinterest. Here’s everything you’ll need to be prepared to kick off National Family Meals Month! Enjoy!

GROCERY LIST:

• 2 bunches kale
• 1 head lettuce
• 1, 10oz pkg baby arugula
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 2 large avocados
• 1 red onion
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 cucumber
• 1 bundle green onions
• 1 bulb garlic
• 2 leeks
• 1 lemon
• 1, 4 oz pkg presliced mushrooms
• 1 ¼ lbs small Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1, 8 oz box bowtie pasta
• 1 pkg arborio rice
• 1 pkg Lite Thomas English Muffin
• 2, 14 oz cans wild caught salmon
• 8 skinless and boneless chicken thighs
• 12 ounces ground turkey breast
• 1 pkg bacon
• 1 pkg hardboiled eggs
• 4 oz shredded Parmesan
• 3 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
• 1, 5.3 oz plain Greek yogurt
• 1, individual serving 0-1% milk
• 1 bottle Caesar dressing
• 1 jar harissa
• 1 can corn
• 4 roasted nori seaweed sheets

PANTRY STAPLES:

Salt, pepper, sugar, whole wheat flour, olive oil, toasted sesame oil, lemon juice, dried dill, garlic powder, dried thyme, dried ground cumin, dried ground ginger, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard seed, honey, apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, light mayo, sriracha

To preface this list most of the meals will serve 4-6 people. So if you are cooking for two people choose 2-3 recipes and utilize the leftovers for lunches!

MONDAY: KALE & SALMON CEASAR SALAD

Dietitian Tip: 

• start with 1-2 Tbsp dressing. If you need more then add it!

TUESDAY: SHEET PAN CHICKEN WITH ARUGULA & GARLIC YOUGRT

Dietitian Tip:

• Use more than 2 oz of arugula! Make it the base that your chicken sits on!

WEDNESDAY: HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN SALAD WITH BACON & AVOCADO 

Dietitian Tip:

• when making your own dressing start by adding a little sugar (in this case honey) at a time. I like about 1/4 cup

THURSDAY: TURKEY & SWISS SLOPPY JOES

Dietitian Tips:

• If you’re “fancy lazy” like me, skip making the rue (milk, flour, and swiss)  and ask the deli to slice Swiss for you to top yourself
  • If you do end up making the rue, try whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour. 
• Want even more fiber? *raises hand* Switch the whole wheat hamburger bun to a 100 calorie Lite Thomas English muffin (8g fiber vs 2-4g from the normal bun)

FRIDAY: SALMON SUSHI BOWLS

Dietitian Tip:

•  Try canned wild caught salmon instead of fresh to reduce time spent cooking and save a little cash money heyyyyyyy