Back-to-School Monday Meal Plan (8/7/17-8/13/17)

Happy Monday, everyone! This week is starting off to a sunny, humid, and unseasonably warm start to the back-to-school season here in Dixie! What better way to start the school year off right than a zero-waste meal plan I can’t wait to share with you all what we will be having this week!

This week’s menu will again reflect a little bit of a change. For the past six months, we have made a point of eating our freezers down to zero. Now we will be switching gears and making a priority out of eating down our home pantry stockpile. As with last week’s plan, this week’s menu will seek to utilize excessive pantry staples to feed our family of three for one week. Mind you, I will be continuing on with my Personal Trainer Foods 28-Day meal plan, so leftovers will be rolled into additional meals as needed.

Here’s how I make them:

Layer 1: Add 1/8 cup of your favorite dressing.
Layer 2: Add 1/2 cup of your favorite Summer veggies. Think tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, asparagus, celery, peppers, carrots; these veggies act as a sog-proof barrier between your dressing and your other ingredients. 
Layer 3: Add 1/4 cup beans, lentils, peas, or corn.
Layer 4: Add 1/8 cup boiled eggs, cheese, or nuts and tofu. 
Layer 5: Add 1/8 cup rice, pasta, quinoa, or couscous.
Layer 6: Add 1/2 cup greens; cabbage, lettuce, spinach, kale, or arugula.

A few quick tip:

• Prep your ingredients ahead of time. Cut, peel, wash the veggies, boil the pasta, quinoa or rice, and prep your dressing.
• Jars keep in the fridge up to one week. 
• Another fun way to pack these salads is in a stainless steel tiffin or lunchbox. Zero-waste lunches at their finest! 

Here’s what we will be having this week:

Monday
Breakfast: Pecan Cinnamon Muffins with almond milk and grapes.
Lunch: Olive spread, with crackers, grapes, and almond milk. 
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Peach Tomato Basil Salad and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, stevia, and almond milk smoothies.

Tuesday
Breakfast: Avocado, Banana, and Almond Milk Smoothies.
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: Pecan Cinnamon Muffins with almond milk and grapes.
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: Avocado, Banana, and Almond Milk Smoothies.
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: Pecan Cinnamon Muffins with almond milk and grapes.
Lunch: Grilled cheese sliders 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 cheese 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: Baked Spaghetti, green beans, and ice water.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Italian Orzo Salad and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.

And, are you looking for a great back-to-school cookie recipe that can be eaten for breakfast, snack, or dessert? Then you’ve got to try my Knock-Your-socks-Off Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies! They are the softest peanut butter cookies I’ve ever tasted. They contain organic coconut sugar gives them a warm caramel layer to their base that’s so good. They are vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free yet every bit as decadent as their traditional counterparts! And pair amazingly with, you guessed it, a tall, cold glass of plant-based milk. Check them out here!