Happy Monday, everyone! This week is starting off to a dreary start here in Dixie! But what better way to start the school year off right than a zero-waste meal plan and breakfasts decadent enough to be desserts! Keep in mind, this week’s menu will again reflect my family eating, shopping, and meal planning from our pantry and freezers. Lunches will once again be packed bento box-style. Most breakfasts will consist of make-ahead mason-jar style meals and several dinners will include farmer’s market produce or blanched freezer veggies.
The total out-of-pocket cost for this week’s meal plan for my family of three was $27.31.
Here’s what we will be having this week:
Monday
Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding.
Lunch: Olive spread with crackers, grapes, and almond milk.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Spicy Thai Noodles and Sunbutter Sauce, steamed broccoli, and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, stevia, and almond milk smoothies.
Tuesday
Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding.
Lunch: Olive spread with crackers, grapes, and almond milk.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Mexican Jar Salad and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding.
Lunch: Grilled cheese sliders, grapes, and ice water.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Deconstructed Sushi Salad and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, stevia, banana, and almond milk smoothies.
Thursday
Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding.
Lunch: Pumpkin Mac and Cheese, steamed broccoli, and ice water.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Cruciferous Jar Salad with Asian Sesame dressing and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.
Friday
Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding.
Lunch: Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with grapes and almond milk.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Rainbow Mason Jar Salad and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.
Saturday
Breakfast: Granola Cereal with Blueberries and Almond milk.
Lunch: Grilled Go-Veggie Pear, Basil, and Cheese Sandwiches, grapes, and almond milk.
Snacks: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Asian Noodle Salad and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.
Sunday
Breakfast: Banana pancakes, strawberries, and almond milk.
Lunch: Grilled Go-Veggie Pear, Basil, and Cheese Sandwiches, grapes, and almond milk.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Orzo Salad with olives and cucumbers and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.
Now for the fun part! This week for breakfast we will be enjoying make-ahead Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding! I love chia seeds and use them all the time in cooking at home. Chia seeds are like little mini workhorses which pack more calcium than milk, more antioxidants than blueberries, and more Omega-3 than Salmon. The best part? Chia Seeds have a natural ability to soak up liquids and gel that they lend themselves to many sweet and breakfast recipes, such as Chia Seed Pudding!
This is such a super simple recipe that it literally takes under four minutes to make. I finish the pudding with strained Greek yogurt and mini chocolate chips for a little extra sweetness! You could also add extra berries, nuts, bananas, or dried fruit you have around your kitchen too!
To make my recipe I used fresh organic 2% milk from Organic Valley. This milk is ultra creamy, lower in fat, and makes this healthy recipe cold, rich, and delicious! Chia seed pudding is a simple and delicious way to easily get the benefits of chia seeds and could be put in reused baby food jars, small mason jars or even squeeze pouches to be included for school lunches. The possibilities are endless.
For those who may not be familiar with this awesome organic company, you should know that Organic Valley is an independent cooperative of organic farmers based in La Farge, Wisconsin, United States.
I also wanted to mention that the awesome folks at Organic Valley sent my family and I an awesome gift box this past week which included free product coupons, a packet of pollinator garden seeds, several packages of Non-GMO, organic Mighty Bar jerky, beef bar and beef sticks, Lundberg Family Farms Organic Lightly Salted Caramel Rice Cakes, and two handy products for fall, a thumb drive, and a silicone spatula. Such awesome swag from such an amazing company.
If fact, did you know that in 2016 the renewable energy systems utilized by Organic Valley farmers save 4,160 metric tons of CO2e from our ecosystem. Which is just another reason I will continue to use Organic Valley products for my puddings and smoothies this coming season! If you’d like to try these products out for yourself, click here to find an Organic Valley store locator in your area.
So, folks, that’s this week’s Monday Meal Planning session. Simple, basic food options. So now I have to ask, what’s on your menu plan for this week? I’d love to hear about it below!
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