Hey all! It’s time for some meal planning!

Regarding the whole clean eating thing I’ve been doing, I’m going to write a separate post about it instead of updating here in the weekly menu. As I talk to people in real life, I’m finding that even the most reluctant want to give some variation of this a try by the time we are done with our conversation. So, I’ll write a post explaining how I have adjusted my diet and why, along with tons of ideas for food you can actually eat when it feels like everything is off limits. Stay tuned!

Until then, here is my menu for the week, with modifications for my current way of eating in parentheses.

MONDAY:
– Thai Beef Basil with Brown Rice

TUESDAY:
– Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

WEDNESDAY:
– Chicken Stir Fry, Brown Rice and Potstickers (no potstickers for me)

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Taco Night (Carnitas and Chicken; I will be having a fajita bowl with brown rice)

SATURDAY:
– Eat out night

SUNDAY:
– Breakfast for Dinner: Pancakes and Smoothies (Going to try these for myself and adjust to make them flourless and dairy-free)

You all know the drill! Share your menus in the comments! Love that we are all back on this meal planning train together!

Hi everyone!

For those who care about the whole clean eating thing that’s happening with me right now…I went to the doctor and it is definitely food that is causing the trouble. All test results came back super healthy, so I’m dealing with food allergies and sensitivities. So, all in all, good news…but maybe a bit annoying. 😉 I’m still eating crazy healthy and going to slowly experiment with different foods to see what kind of reaction I have (if any) to different things. Quite frankly, when I wrote last week’s post I was feeling so grumpy about what I couldn’t eat and quite bored with my options. Another week in and my mindset is completely different. Eating this way is definitely getting easier (I never in a million years thought I would breathe those words because bread and also food writer). Anyway, this really is a fascinating process and I’ll write more soon. Promise. Until then, let’s get down to business with planning out dinner this week, shall we?

MONDAY:
– Roasted Chicken (link to my recipe coming this week – will update when it’s live!)
– Roasted Vegetables and Salad

TUESDAY:
– Boozy Beef Stew

WEDNESDAY:
– Stuffed Peppers

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Thai Beef Basil with Brown Rice

SATURDAY:
– Eat out night

SUNDAY:
– Chicken Stir Fry with Potstickers (I won’t be eating the potstickers, but my kids will revolt if I don’t provide them anyway!)

You all know the drill! Share those menus you’ve got planned in the comments below! THANK YOU!

Hey everyone! So, one week ago when I planned my weekly menu it was a regular old week. Except for a horrific rash on my face that had been bothering me for nearly two weeks, that is. I went to the doctor on Tuesday. She told me to essentially eat like a hunter gatherer for 1 week and that I absolutely could not eat sugar, dairy or wheat for the week. So, since Tuesday I have only eaten meats, beans, vegetables, fruits, eggs and brown rice. (I’m allowed to eat oats, too, but just haven’t yet.)

If you know me at all, you know special diets are just not my thing. But I of course listened to the doctor and got on it stat. And I have good news, which is also bad news in my opinion because I love bread so much. This clean eating stuff actually worked. WHAT THE?! Here are my conclusions so far:

• This way of eating not only has cleared up the rash (which was terrible, friends…terrible), but my skin overall has never looked this good. I have always struggled with acne, so this is saying something.
• I have lost over 6 pounds already. I’m sure some of that was water retention, but every time I step on the scale the number is lower. Note: I am not actively trying to lose weight. Note #2: Don’t worry, I’m not wasting away or anything. 😉
• Eating this way was easier than I thought it would be and the food I have been eating has been delicious.
• Eating this way requires a lot more food prep. Which just takes a little more planning. But I am also using way more fruits and vegetables, which is fantastic. I took about 30-45 minutes on grocery shopping day to prep a bunch of raw veggies so they are waiting in the fridge for a snack or for cooking.
• I AM ALSO BORED TO DEATH WITH FOOD. Really. Today the food boredom is really kicking in. This boredom is manifesting itself in two ways. First, I’m sick of thinking so hard about food. Second, I am just bored with the options. I wish I could eat more things.

I meet again with the doctor in two days to go over test results and to discuss the diet changes and next steps, including reintroducing foods slowly. The reason I am telling you all of this is because this is a food blog and this has been a pretty significant development in my daily experience with food. I won’t write about it all the time, but it was just so fascinating to me that results came so quickly with this diet shift. Crazy stuff.

Okay, so here is this week’s menu, which is one I should be able to enjoy if I have to continue with the food restrictions beyond this Tuesday.

MONDAY:
– Carnitas Rice Bowls

TUESDAY:
– Boozy Beef Stew

WEDNESDAY:
– Stefania’s Braised Chicken

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Grilled Chicken with Salad

SATURDAY:
– Eat out night

SUNDAY:
– Roasted Veggie Scrambles

Your turn! Share your dinner plans for the week in the comments below! (And any clean eating wisdom…I’ll take it!)

Happy President’s Day weekend! We have been taking it easy today. I feel like we needed it after spending Friday at Disneyland, which turned out to be a madhouse that day. SO fun, not complaining, but definitely needed some quiet days after. Now it’s time to take a break from taking it easy to plan out this week’s dinners.

MONDAY:
– Caprese Paninis

TUESDAY:
– Chili

WEDNESDAY:
– Spaghetti and Meatballs
– Salad

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– BLTs
– Smothies

SATURDAY:
– Eat out night

SUNDAY:
– Roast Chicken and Vegetables

Your turn! Please share your weekly menu in the comments! I know I’m a broken record, but seriously, I love reading through your meal plans each week as I plan, they are so helpful!

It’s Monday already?!?!?!

MONDAY:
– Pat’s Asian Chicken Salad

TUESDAY:
– Chicken Pot Pie

WEDNESDAY:
– Roast Chicken
– Side Veggie and Potatoes of some kind

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Disneyland with the kids! Eat out 🙂

SATURDAY:
– Caprese Paninis

SUNDAY:
– Breakfast for dinner: Waffles, Smoothies, Eggs

Yay! I’m actually excited about this week’s dinner plans, both cooking and eating. You know the drill, folks…please share your weekly menu in the comments! Thank you!

Happy Monday! Sorry my menu is coming a little late in the day…I got distracted by the grocery shopping!

MONDAY:
– Chicken Caesar Wraps

TUESDAY:
– Spaghetti Bolognese

WEDNESDAY:
– Cora’s Ground Beef Tacos

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Pat’s Asian Chicken Salad

SATURDAY:
– Eat out night

SUNDAY:
– Chicken Pot Pie

You all know the drill…share your menus in the comments! I love that we are all back in the groove and getting so many great menus each week, they are truly helpful every time I sit down to plan. Have a great week!

Happy Monday! It’s the start of another week, which means it’s time for another menu. And it’s the start of a new year, which means a lot of us are making that annual attempt to eat a bit healthier. In that spirit I have a special guest menu for you today from Kalyn Denny of Kalyn’s Kitchen!

Kalyn and I talked about having her do a guest menu months ago but decided to wait until January to publish. Kalyn’s site is about carb-conscious eating and is a great resource for all kinds of special diets, including low-carb, South Beach, low-glycemic and more. We thought January would be the perfect time for her to share some dinner ideas! I met Kalyn nearly a decade ago. She was one of the first food bloggers I connected with in person as I began this journey and she’s been a wonderful support and friend ever since. Coincidentally I took a trip to her hometown last week and we even had the chance to meet for lunch. She’s one smart cookie and I am so happy she’s here on the blog today with a great dinner menu to inspire us!

MONDAY:
– Low-Carb Chicken Stir-Fry Sheet Pan Meal

TUESDAY:
– Instant Pot Low-Carb Loaded Cauliflower Soup

WEDNESDAY:
– One-Pan Low-Carb Greek Skillet Chicken

THURSDAY:
– Asian Lettuce Cups with Spicy Ground Turkey Filling

FRIDAY:
– Easy Baked Pesto Chicken (with rice or cauliflower rice)

SATURDAY:
– Dinner Out

SUNDAY:
– Low-Carb Ground Beef Stroganoff Casserole with Cauliflower Rice

Click here or on the image above for a free printable PDF of this week’s dinner menu and ingredients list!

Thank you, Kalyn, for all the great dinner ideas! As usual, can’t wait to see what everyone has cooking this week! Be sure to share your own dinner plans in the comments!

Happy Monday! Menu time…

MONDAY:
– Homemade Hamburgers
– Crispy Rosemary Roast Potatoes

TUESDAY:
– Chicken & Chickpea Tikka Masala
– Naan and Salad

WEDNESDAY:
– Creamy Pesto Fettuccine
– Salad and Garlic Bread

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Roasted Vegetable Egg Scramble
– Smoothies

SATURDAY:
– Eat out night

SUNDAY:
– Pot Roast
– Mashed Potatoes + Veggie

Alrighty, you know the drill…share your own menus in the comments! And with that I am off to the store!

Happy Sunday! Everyone in my family (except little Owen) is still asleep, so I’m just gonna sit down, plan out some meals and hit the store! I just realized I’m going to be out of town most of the week, so I need to plan out meals the kids and Nate can take care of easily.

MONDAY:
– Spaghetti and Meatballs

TUESDAY:
– Roasted Vegetable Scrambles

WEDNESDAY:
– Hot dogs and brats
– Salad

THURSDAY:
– Naan pizzas

FRIDAY:
– Chili

SATURDAY:
– Eat out

SUNDAY:
– Chicken Pot Pie

Your turn! Please share your meal plans in the comments below! It was SO WONDERFUL seeing your lovely names and menus last week! Keep it coming! They were a huge help as I sat down to plan this morning. 🙂

Happy New Year! (Related: How are we already 1 week into January? WHOAH.)

We just returned from a 2-week trip to New Jersey and New Hampshire. Yes, we were there for the bitter cold. Yes, we got to watch the blizzard in New England from my in-law’s couch in their 1775 farmhouse and it was awesome. Yes, traveling at Christmas was as stressful as I thought it would be. And, yes, it was totally worth it! (Although, it may be another 15 years before we do it again. Sorry, grandparents!)

It’s Monday and I actually do have a meal plan for the week. It’s boring but it’s done and I did the grocery shopping, so I’m feeling good about life. I’ve been getting messages about how people miss the weekly menu. So, let’s get this party started, shall we? GO MEAL PLANNING!

MONDAY:
– Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

TUESDAY:
– Taco Tuesday

WEDNESDAY:
– Rachel Sandwiches

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Ravioli and Caesar Salad

SATURDAY:
– Eat out night (or maybe I’ll cook something special as my mom will be visiting!)

SUNDAY:
– Cilantro Sour Cream Enchiladas

OKAY, PEOPLE. We want to see your weekly menus! In the spirit of the New Year, please share your meal plan for the week in the comments! Remember, all menus are welcome here at This Week for Dinner. Fancy, simple, vegan, gluten free, whatever! We love all ideas!