We’re gonna have a little something new happening around here — Meal Plan Mondays!
I thought since I’m always looking for meal inspiration, and drive myself crazy if I don’t plan my meals, I’m probably not the only one who could benefit from seeing how other Real Fooders do it — and get a peek into their meal planning schedule!
So, I’d like to start taking submissions for this series, from you guys! Send me a week’s worth of meals from your planner, and I will try to put as many of them as I can here on the blog, one each Monday.
If your submission is chosen to be featured, you’ll get some goodies!
- A free e-book. My very first e-book to be sold on the site is coming shortly, and each featured Meal Plan Monday submitter will be getting a free copy. (as soon as it’s ready!) It’ll be worth like, lots of money of course. 😛
- 10 bonus entries into the next giveaway. Whatever the next prize giveaway is here at BB, you’ll get 10 bonus entries for free!
- Promotion of your blog or website. You’ll of course get a link and I’ll write you a little blurb, but you could also include links to your own recipes in your weekly meal plan!
If you wanna play, here’s how!
To be featured in this series, submit a week’s worth of meal planning from your meal calendar — preferably with links to recipes if they can be found online — to me by email: emily @ butterbeliever . com (minus the anti-spammy spaces.) Of course since we’re all about real, traditional food around here, your meals have got to be legit. So obviously, no toxic, fake, or processed ingredients. If you’re not sure what counts as real food and what doesn’t, dig around here a little or just ask me.
Your weekly meal plan could be as simple as just a list with days of the week and what you’re feeding your household for each day — breakfast, lunch dinner, and hopefully even a few snacks or dessert thrown in there. Or you could get fancy, and submit an image from your meal calendar, or a spreadsheet, or whatever. We just wanna know what you eat!
But, I’d love for this to be about more than just meals. In addition, I’d love for you to include the following with your submission:
- Food/nutrition goals: What are some ways in which you’re hoping to do better in the kitchen? Mastering grain-free baking? Adding in more fermented foods? Buying more of your food from local sources?
- Health goals: What are you hoping to learn or achieve with your real food lifestyle? Weight loss? Managing a health struggle? Fertility?
- Questions: Is there anything that I or my usually way-more-knowledgeable readers might be able to help you out with? Ask away!
- Kitchen tips: What have you learned in your experience cooking and preparing traditional foods that you’d like to share?
- Favorite gadgets or cookbooks: What are the must-haves in your kitchen?
- Pictures: It would be awesome to see some pics of your food, your kitchen, your homestead, whatever!
- Your “food conversion” story: Were you raised eating traditional, real food? Or was there a turning point in your life that brought you to this lifestyle? We’d love to hear it!
So, what do you think? Sound like fun? I know I’m pretty excited. I can’t wait to see what’s in your meal planner! We’ll be starting with the first Meal Plan Monday next week, so please hurry and submit your plans! (or else I won’t have anything to put up!) 😀
[image credit: shimelle on Flickr]
Hi Emily! Nice idea – do you want us to submit only meal plans or anything related to food? I honestly don’t do meal planning – I’m on the fence about it. I try to “plan” loosely around what I have available, especially if I get a super good deal. Let me know what you are thinking about….:-).
Hey Adrienne! Anything related to food like, preparation stuff? Soak flour on this day, dry nuts on that day, etc? That would be awesome! And really anything else goes too, kind of like the goals/questions/tips stuff I suggested. Would all be great to hear!
You know, even if you aren’t a religious meal planner, someone like yourself with tons of recipes up her sleeve could probably easily put together a week’s worth of meals to share anyway! I would looove to see that from you since your recipes are so yummy! 😀
I’m with Adrienne… I have to maintain some semblance of “flexibility” and strict meal planning only makes me a control freak (which is one of my food issues that I am trying to overcome in the new year).
That being said, I am really eager to read your suggestions for meals! I could always use some new ideas!
Hey Jana! 🙂 Yeah, I try not to be super strict about it even when I’m being “good” with the meal planning. But I know that when I don’t at least try to fill up my little calendar with some things for each day, I wind up having no idea of what to make, or a bunch of recipes I’d love to make but didn’t get the ingredients for. That’s why I love my Plan to Eat program! It spits out a grocery list based off what I’ve planned. It also lets me just drag and drop meals that I didn’t end up making to another day/week/whatever, which gives me the flexibility I need.
I love this idea SO much. When I’m back at my computer I’ll try to put something together. And I really can’t wait to read these posts each Monday. Will you start with something from your own kitchen?
Yaay!! Thank you! I can’t wait to see what you come up with Emma! Oh gosh, that’s probably a good idea… maybe I will go first next week. Break the ice a lil’ perhaps. 😉
Aloha, Emily! It’s Kelly from The Nourishing Home. I just love what you’re doing here! I create a meal plan every two weeks for The Better Mom. It features links to more than 40 of my healthy and delicious real food recipes. You’re welcome to check it out and post whatever you like on your new series. Just let me know. Thanks so much!
P.S. I was in your awesome little town a couple years back and had shave ice at matsumoto’s. I know it’s probably chock full of sugar, but I have to admit – it was so good, especially the little scoop of vanilla ice cream in the bottom of the cup. Next time, we’re in Haleiwa, maybe you can recommend some great spots to eat?
Blessings, Kelly
I almost forgot to give you the link to my meal plan: http://www.thebettermom.com/bi-weekly-meal-plans/
Well Aloha, Kelly! That is too cool that you were just right here in my backyard not long ago! Ah, yes… Matsumoto’s. With a line out the door that practically wraps around the building twice. Yeah, that stuff is pretty good! I think I might have to have one last go at it before I start the GAPS diet — no flakes of frozen sugar water for me, then! 😉 You will definitely have to let me know if you’re ever in town again and I will personally give you the grand tour of all the good spots to hit!
And thanks so much for pointing me to your meal plan! That is amazing!! Wow, what a great resource. I would love to use a week’s worth for the series! Maybe you could also answer some interview questions so we could all get a bit more of an insight into a seasoned real food planner’s experience! I’m sure you have lots of knowledge to share. 🙂