[yumprint-recipe id=’47’]
[yumprint-recipe id=’47’]
Happy Monday, everyone! This week is starting off to another sunny, windy, and wonderful start here in Dixie. This past weekend has been very eventful for us as a family. From minor plumbing issues to having to purchase yet another dishwasher, this past weekend was anything but boring. Thankfully, with the start of each new week’s, there’s the pleasant certainty of a well planned, money-saving meal plan. A plan I am ever so grateful to have!
This week’s menu again reflects our need to eat down our food stockpile. As we are having to consume everything we have on-hand first, though we did purchase several items food and home consumables, each of which garnered us back online app rebates, which will give us groceries and products that can help us in the weeks to come for our family of three as part of a minimalist meal plan.
While I’m sure most of my readers will already know what a minimalist meal plan consists of, here’s a recap of the five categories I use to help me create minimalist meal planning for the past three weeks for those looking to create such a plan for their families at home:
Consistency: The goal of minimalist meal planning is to consistently prepare and present my family with home cooked, healthy meals each day this month.
Cost: Posted meal plans are based on seasonal sales cycles with attention paid to both frugality and minimalist efficiency. This week’s menu reflects our budget of $160.00 monthly for a family of three.
Power Consumption: I wanted to plan meals that do not require vast amounts of energy zapping stove-top and range preparation. A little food for thought: did you know that it costs an average of 18-24 cents an hour to run a gas range, 24-30 cents an hour for an electric range, 16-20 cents an hour for a microwave oven, a mere 3-5 cents an hour to run a toaster oven or convection top. With this in mind, I will be gearing this month’s meal planning to encompass dishes that utilize minimalist power consumption standards. Meals this month will utilize my toaster oven and convection stove top for all my baking and needs.
Streamlining: I was a little apprehensive about whether or not my family will be turned off of the idea of food simplicity. I quickly realized that my family loves whatever I cook them, and with this, in mind, extreme food plan simplicity will give me an extra hour each day to devote to spending time with my family and not in my kitchen. In order to streamline my meal plans, to have a true minimalist food strategy I am going to assign each day of the week with a single meal.
Travel: I wanted meals that could be planned monthly in advanced and shopped for locally (I live in a small town with limited mass shopping or chain retailer options) either weekly or monthly, depending on need. As I shop in reverse, buying groceries on rock bottom pricing and then shop from my pantry, this keeps weekly food costs low.
Here’s what I purchased this week:
Weekly total: $33.87
So what does this leave me with? My monthly minimalist meal plan will consist of default meals streamlined around items already on hand that requires less than a half hour to prepare, and cost under $5.00 per meal to create. Also worth noting, before I venture out to the market I first shop from my pantry and cabinets, only add weekly sales that are 60% or more below cost, and then create easy meals. With this in mind, you’ll find my menu for this week below.
Monday
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk and strawberries.
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sliders, with Crystal light lemonade.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Three bean vegetarian chili, steamed corn, and corn bread.
Dessert: Greek yogurt, granola, and blueberries.
Tuesday
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk and strawberries.
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sliders, with Crystal light lemonade.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Taco Tuesday.
Dessert: Greek yogurt, granola, and blueberries.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk and strawberries.
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sliders, with Crystal light lemonade.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Chicken, carrot, broccoli quinoa bake, with Crystal Light lemonade.
Dessert: Greek yogurt, granola, and blueberries.
Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk and strawberries.
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sliders, with Crystal light lemonade.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Bakes Zucchini, Greek yogurt, and quinoa gyros, with Crystal light lemonade.
Dessert: Greek yogurt, granola, and blueberries.
Friday
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk and strawberries.
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sliders, with Crystal light lemonade.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Meatball hoagies, side salad with Greek Yogurt dressing, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Greek yogurt, granola, and blueberries.
Saturday
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk and strawberries.
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sliders, with Crystal light lemonade.
Snacks: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Chicken mole, served with steamed rice, corn, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Greek yogurt, granola, and blueberries.
Sunday
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk and strawberries.
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sliders, with Crystal light lemonade.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Crockpot cheddar, chicken, and broccoli rice, with green beans and Crystal Light lemonade.
Dessert: Greek yogurt, granola, and blueberries.
Cost of food shopped from pantry and freezer: $26.45
So that’s all, everyone! I’m hoping that this streamlined plan will leave me feeling anything but restricted. With my family eating well and meal planning becoming more automated, I’m thinking of bringing back Family Game Nights! Incorporating minimalism into my weekly meal planning will help me be a few steps closer to realizing my minimalist dream. That said, if this streamlined plan doesn’t work for my family this month I can always change my plan again!
I’m ready to take back an extra hour from my day, each and every day this month. I’m ready to devote more time to creative endeavors, taking advantage of work opportunities, spending time with my family, and not slaving over a hot stove.
So, that’s what we will be having this week. I’d love to hear what’s on your menu as well!
Here’s to Monday meal plans,
Welcome back to another great week at Happiness is Homemade Link Party!!! A new month is upon us – can you believe it’s March already?! Let’s see what you link up this week! Will it be Spring cleaning tips? St. Patrick’s Day recipes, Easter treats? Home Decor? Easy dinner recipes? Whatever you decide, give us your best!