Menu planning is a foundational and grounding exercise for me. Having a menu plan keeps me sane during our crazy days. Rarely do we come to a meal time and panic. The plan also unites and balances our family as we come together for meals through out our busy days. Sitting down to the table with my family around, lighting a candle and reciting a meal time blessing is one of my favorite times of the day. I look forward to everyone sharing their plans and wishes for the day at breakfast and their accomplishment and highlights at supper.
I also use my menu plan to insure that my family is getting wholesome and nutritious food. When it is all laid out I can see the amounts of fruit and veggies everyone is getting. I also make sure that proteins are balanced. And now I'm checking to make sure we all get a variety of grains. Recently there has been a huge increase in the number of people who are sensitive to wheat and corn. Personally, I feel that much of it is due to the pesticides used and the GMO varieties. I also think it stems from modern day methods of preparing wheat and corn, as well as the gross amount many of us eat. If you read food labels you know it is almost impossible to avoid corn. There are so many fabulously nutritious grains out there. How come we aren't eating them? Well I vow to get more of them into my families diet. For a great post about the daily grain idea check out this post from Becca of CedarRingMama. She has a fabulous menu and some great recipe ideas to incorporate more grains into your families diet.
Monday (rice)
Breakfast: Blackberry Muffins
Lunch: Grilled Cheese and Roasted Tomato Soup
Dinner: Hamburger Stroganoff over Rice and Green Beans
Tuesday (barley)
Breakfast: Cheese Omelets and English Muffins
Lunch: Hummus, Pita Bread and Veggie Sticks
Dinner: Chicken Legs, Orzo with Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes, and Broccoli
Wednesday (millet)
Breakfast: Green Smoothies and Millet Squares with Apple Butter
Lunch: Mac and Cheese with Peas and Apple Slices
Dinner: Smokes Sausage, Baked Beans, Brown Bread and Corn on the Cob
Thursday (rye)
Breakfast: Homemade Yogurt with Maple Almond Granola
Lunch: Rye Crackers with Cheese and Tomato
Dinner: Spaghetti with Sausage, Garlic Bread and Salad
Friday (oats)
Breakfast: Oatmeal Bar with Fruit and Nuts
Lunch: Tuna Sandwiches with Carrot and Celery Sticks
Dinner: Pizza
Saturday (corn)
Breakfast: Pancakes and Bacon
Lunch: Hot Dogs with Kale Chips
Dinner: Chili with Corn Bread
Sunday (wheat)
Breakfast: Cinnamon Toast
Lunch: Zucchini Fritters
Dinner: Steak, Baked Potatoes, Corn on the Cob and 90 Minute Rolls
Looking for some more menu inspiration? head on over to Menu Planning Monday sponsored by I'm an Organizing Junkie.
looks wonderful!! wish we could have a bigger variety of grains :) that is a fun planning idea!
ReplyDeleteLisa, I know glutten is an issue but there are many gluten free grains - amarnath, buckwheat, teff, quinoa, millet, rice, corn, oats(some). Some of them aren't easy to find locally, but are redilly availble on line. And most of them are budget friendly. Hope this helps.
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