Figuring out Meal Planning

One big piece of this journey has been figuring out how to plan for my week.  Since it is just me I have to make sure that I use all of the food I buy and since it is now so perishable I have to make sure to use it before it goes bad!  So far I'm doing pretty well.  I've decided that 2 trips a week to the grocery is going to be needed to be sure the produce stays fresh.  (Had to throw out some items this week because I overestimated their 'shelf life')   My hubby has agreed - in exchange for his weekly Granola and Fajitas (that list is going to grow I have no doubt!) that he'll stop at Whole Foods on his way home from work on Wednesday nights.   This will really help!  

Tonight I made a list of everything I've got that needs to be eaten & made sure that I'm using these items in my meal planning soon!  Here's what I've come up with for the week: 

SATURDAY:

Breakfast: Banana pancake & fresh banana sliced on top (still have some frozen ones left from my first batch and 2 bananas that need to be eaten)

Lunch:  Chicken Bean & Greens Soup & an apple (still have left overs of soup and 2 apples that need to be eaten)

Dinner:  Cobb Salad with Ranch Dressing (I've got the lettuce I bought last week & everything I need except for an avocado & tomato - which I'd rather buy fresh anyway!) 

SUNDAY: 

Breakfast: Banana pancake & fresh banana on top (gotta use that last banana!)

Lunch:  ?  Hubby has mentioned sushi and I'm not passing that up!  Leaving this one open!

Dinner:  Homemade pizza & side salad (I've got a cucumber to use and will have left over tomato from Saturday's dinner so gotta add that salad ... plus I feel all grown up with actual sides!  Hubby claims he's not going to participate in this meal ... I have a feeling he'll change his mind - it's PIZZA!)

MONDAY:

Breakfast:  Homemade granola (still have quite a bit left from what I made last week)

Lunch: Chicken Bean & Greens Soup & an apple (all leftovers!)

Dinner: Spinach & cheese quiche (may add a small side salad if I've got any lettuce left.  Hubby claims he WILL try this!  We'll see ...)

TUESDAY: 

Breakfast:  Homemade granola 

Lunch:  Leftover quiche or pizza (depending on what hubby does eat!) 

Dinner:  Grilled cheese & tomato sandwich (kind of a caprese salad sandwich - good for using any leftover fresh mozzarella and the cheese from the quiche plus the loaf of whole wheat bread I've barely touched!) 

WEDNESDAY: 

Breakfast:  Homemade granola?  (I need to google how long it will last me ... It's a huge batch & I don't want it to go bad!) 

Lunch: PB&J (natural peanut butter, all fruit jam & whole wheat bread ... I bought this on my first week but loved the other meals so much I never went for it.  I need to use that bread!)

Dinner:  Whole grain pasta with Green Olive pesto (another way to use that leftover mozzarella if there is any left! Tomatoes too!)

(This is the night hubby will run to the grocery so the rest of the week's produce will be fresher)

THURSDAY:

Breakfast:  Homemade granola ?  (I doubt I'll be sick of it but if I find out it will last a couple of weeks I may do eggs or something else) 

Lunch:  Leaving this open - want to see what leftovers I have / need to use.

Dinner:  Vegetable Fajitas (3rd week in a row but I love it and my hubby requested it so I feel I must!  This means making more homemade tortillas this weekend too)

FRIDAY:

Breakfast:  Homemade granola ?

Lunch: Leftover Veggie Fajitas (if there are any left - if not I'll do PB&J or whatever I can figure out)

Dinner:  Sesame Fish Filet & Asian salad 

SATURDAY: 

Breakfast:  Homemade granola? 

Lunch:  Red Cabbage & Blueberry Smoothie (there is red cabbage in the Asian salad so I did a search for 'red cabbage recipe' and saw this ... gotta try!)

Dinner:  Open ... Friday night will be meal planning again & Saturday grocery so we'll see!  

So in terms of all of this - taking into account what is already in the house my grocery lists are: 

SATURDAY GROCERY: 

• Black olives - 2 cans of sliced
• Avocado - 1 ready, 1 harder
• Tomato - 1 ready
• Eggs - 1 doz
• Dry active yeast
• 9" pie pan (don't have one and need it for the quiche)
• Whole wheat pasta - 1 box
• Muir Glen Organic Pizza Sauce - 1 can (I searched for pizza sauce that had all ingredients I understood and found this one ... probably better to make my own but convenience wins this time!)
• Frozen edamame unshelled
• Onion x2 
• Bananas - 1 bunch
• Whole milk - 1 gallon
• Cheese - cheddar or other - 1 block
• Butter 
• Popcorn 

WEDNESDAY GROCERY: 

• Basil - fresh
• Parsley - fresh
• Cilantro - fresh
• Avocado - 1 ready, 1 harder
• Tomato
• Mushrooms - 1 pack
• Yellow pepper
• Lime
• Red cabbage
• Shallot
• Cucumber
• Carrot 

 Now if I don't BURN anything like last week I think my grocery bill will be reasonable.  I'm trying to watch closely how much I'm spending now vs. how much on average I spent at HyVee before.