I always feel so much better about the week when I take the time to Menu Plan, Grocery Shop, and Prep food for the week. Knowing that I have several options to chose from for Dinners makes me WAY less stressed. It also makes me less likely to spend extra money (and Calories) Eating out. The problem is when I go to plan my meals I usually just sit at my blank piece of paper awhile and try to figure out what meals to plan. I have a few go-to favorites I use over and over (and over and over) again. Pinterest is always a great tool. I’ve actually started the process of organizing my food boards into categories to make it easier. I just recently found out that Emeals has a Paleo menu and I had to try it out. I love that they give you 7 meals and a shopping list, with each ingredient numbered. There are some meals that they have on the menu that we just won’t eat (fish… ick) so I just cross those ingredients off the list and replace with one of our favorite go-to meals. I spent yesterday shopping at Sam’s and Dierbergs for the groceries we needed and actually had a plan for a healthy dinner. Usually when I go grocery shopping I’m NOT in the mood to cook after. This time I was prepared! Shopping was way less stressful and I’m pretty sure I saved money, but I’ll have to average out over the next several trips to make sure. So here is what we have planned for the week:
Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday meals are all from the Emeals Paleo plan. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday are either pinterest finds or repeat meals.
We aren’t strict Paleo, I just try to follow a mostly paleo eating plan. I feel better when I eat that way. When it comes to meal planning I am not always set on having these exact meals on these days. I try to be flexible, it is way less stressful that way! Usually for lunch we will have leftovers or something easy like tuna salad. Breakfast nearly every morning is eggs and bacon. If you need some help planning breakfast and lunch too – emeals has you covered! They have meal plans for both lunch and dinner. Right now they are offering a free week of their breakfast plan. If you like it, use the code BREAKFAST30 for 30% off!
So far I’m loving this emeals plan. It takes the stress out of menu planning and shopping and still allows me to deliver healthy delicious meals to my family.
Do you meal plan? What are your favorite resources?
imperfectly courtney 
I try to plan – but it is hard work. I do on Sunday evening and then flex from there:) Happy Monday.
LikeLike
I like knowing what meals I have available to make and I switch them out whenever I feel the urge.
LikeLike
One thing my husband has taught me is that you don’t always need fancy recipes. Usually my “meal plan” starts with figuring out which nights we are both actually home for dinner (if we’re not both home, the one who is just makes eggs or something). That’s usually 4-5 nights. Then I get 3-4 dinner veggies and 3-4 dinner meats. And a frozen pizza since I know once a week we will not want to cook or be super healthy. We always have a ton of spices on hand and this allows me some flexibility. Maybe I was planning on burgers and sweet potato fries, but I can decide to do baked sweet potatoes with chicken and have brussel sprouts with burgers instead.
LikeLike
Great Ideas! I love to try new things and sometimes find having just a meat and veggie to be kinda boring (like I put it off all week when that’s on the list to cook) I am more a fan of complex meals and usually love cooking so it works out great. Now if only the kitchen would clean itself after I cook…
LikeLike
Hahaha. Agreed! It helps that my husband does a ton of the cooking.
LikeLike
Butternut squash & chicken is one of my favorite combinations!!! Nicely done 😉 Can I come over for dinner?
LikeLike
absolutely!! The chicken was great, but I overcooked the butternut squash so it was more like butternut squash mash. lol
LikeLike
I’m with you — I’m not 100% paleo, but about 80% — life happens and I don’t have the ability to be 100%, but I just feel so much better when I am paleo! Chicken Salad on spinach for lunches this week, sausage and kale + Paleo stew for dinners 🙂
LikeLike
I like living within some sort of guidelines, but I don’t like telling myself I can never have Chickfila again. I do feel better when I eat Paleo too! What recipe do you use for the Chicken Salad? Do you mayo or no?
LikeLike
Yea chick-fil-a is AMAZING! Plus you can stay pretty good there. I do mayo in my chicken salad — paleo mayo — it’s super easy!
LikeLike
LOVE THIS!!!! I am interested in doing a paleo food change just not sure what it all truly consist of.. & i really need to meal plan!!! Keep up the GREAT work!
LikeLike
Check out the book It Starts with Food, great resource! It talks about the whole 30, which is an awesome challenge.. I hope to do one soon!
LikeLike
That is awesome to have someone plan your paleo meals for you! I’m pretty much the same as you – I try to eat paleo most of the time, but have my go-to meals for in a pinch (usually spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles and something).
I NEED to know about that General Tso’s.. I was just commenting on another blogger’s post about needing to find a paleo way to do the general! That’s one of my absolutely favorite “cheat” things and I have not had that indulgence in months.. 🙂
LikeLike
Oh! I found it somewhere and I have the pin… http://pinterest.com/pin/72831718945603287/
I think I’m trying it tonight!
LikeLike
I keep wanting to switch to a paleo plan—or at least start on that path. Checking pinterest is a great suggestion!
LikeLike
YES! It is one of my go to. I also have a few of my favorite paleo sites like PaleOMG.com (This girl is hilarious) Health-Bent.com and FastPaleo.com
LikeLike