Is it just me or is our school district the last to still be in session? It’s only Wednesday, but this week feels like it’s taken all month! Just one more sleep and it’s officially summer break…phew. Between work and end of year activities, I’m so thankful not to have to think about what’s for dinner or whether I have to stop at the store. More than anything, I love meal planning because I think about it now, so I don’t have to think about it later…and future-Heather always appreciates when past-Heather follows the plan.
The end of the school year signals a shift in my meal planning framework. No school means I have to plan (and buy) six lunches for my family of three, instead of my son eating school lunch a few times per week. This increases our weekly food bill so I make adjustments to other meals since I have a teenager on the swim team who eats like a machine, and I don’t want to increase the food budget by too much. Summertime also means we’re out and about later, and it’s hot, so meal planning and meal prep looks different than in other seasons.
This summer, I’m challenging myself to try something a little different and for a few different reasons. Here's the challenge:
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I will stick to the shopping list (for the most part) week after week so my food bill is predictable.
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I will try new dishes using similar ingredients so I don’t get into a slump preparing and eating the same foods week after week.
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I will focus on nutrient-dense meals and whole ingredients to reduce snacking between meals.
What's my "Why"?
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I want to maintain my weekly food budget (under $160), while increasing the number of meals I am planning and buying for.
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I want to reduce the amount of time I spend on planning and preparing ingredients.
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I want to clean up my diet and eat less processed food.
I'll also be leaning into my 9 go-to low-cook/no-cook dishes for when it's just too damn hot to use the oven or stand over a stove top. Stay tuned for updates...I have a camping trip coming up so I'll officially kickoff my challenge the week of 6/ 19 - 6/26; Friday is my overlap day and my meal planning week is Friday dinner through Friday lunch.
Comment below if you're interested in my summer default shopping list.
Until next time, happy eating!!
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