Week 6: Menu

This week's challenge is to start incorporating good fats into your diet, and reduce the bad ones.

I've decided to post a list for you to choose from, rather than a weekly menu (as it seems most people are picking and choosing anyway!!) All of the meals will include enough for two nights' dinners, for two people, so you'll be preparing dinner just three evenings (or if you're like me, all in one day to minimize cooking!). Adjust recipes accordingly if you are cooking for more than two.


Features
When necessary, prepare these early in the week so you have them on hand for recipes and munching!

Bread - Choose your own bread! (Note: If you are trying to lose weight, I would cut out the bread...)

Soup - Tomato Balsamic Soup

Snack - Peanut Butter Cups

Must-Make Recipe of the Week: Peanut Butter Cups!!!!

MENU
Breakfasts
Smoothies

Baked Oatmeal

Thin Herb Fritatas (scroll past Kiku recipe)


Lunches
Vegetable Salad

Peanut Butter Stir-Fry

Turkey Bacon Sandwiches


Dinner
Easy Apple Pork with green salad and/or garlic smashed or roasted red potatoes

Coconut Shrimp with Indian Rice and some sort of steamed green vegetable (kale, collards, broccoli), with butter!

Spiced Chicken with leftover Indian Rice and Roasted Carrot Puree

Snacks
Butternut Squash fries

Peanut Butter Cups (Mark and I have eaten about a dozen of these...each...in two days!)

Power Bars

Crispy or sprouted nuts


Natural yogurt (no added sugars or "vitamins") with unsweetened coconut, soaked nuts, and cocoa powder

Hummus with veggies or crackers

Homemade popcorn, popped on stove in coconut oil

celery with all natural peanut butter and raisins

Week 4 Menu

This is the week of the crockpot! There are at least 3 crockpot recipes this week, but if you don't have one, a stock pot will do. I've been known to leave a stock pot cooking for days (yes, unattended.) Just makes sure the flame is on low!

In efforts to streamline meal preparation, take advantage of the weekly features. The menu plan will include use of a large pot of grains, bread, a soup, and snack. Additionally, all of the meals will include enough for two nights' dinners, for two people, so you'll be preparing dinner just three evenings (or if you're like me, all in one day to minimize cooking!). Adjust recipes accordingly if you are cooking for more than two.


Features
Prepare these early in the week so you have them on hand for recipes and munching!

Grain - Millet--Reserve 1 cup uncooked
Bread - Pitas
Soup - Lentil or Pea Soup
Snack - Soaked muffins

Prep: Before the week, slow cook a chicken, and some veggies. This can serve as a quick lunch and will also provide you with the carcass for stock!

Day 1
Breakfast - Soft boiled eggs with bacon and sourdough
Lunch - Crockpot chicken and veggies
Dinner - Vegetarian Crockpot Chili

Day 2
Breakfast - Muffins and Smoothies
Lunch - Crockpot chicken (either with veggies, or add mayo, seasoning, and celery to chicken and make a chicken salad!)
Dinner - Left over chili

Day 3
Breakfast - Oatmeal
Lunch - Lentil/Pea Soup
Dinner - Easy Palestinian Synia


Day 4
Breakfast - Dirty Scrambled Eggs (scrambled eggs with bits of veggies mixed in)
Lunch - Yogurt Parfait
Dinner - Left over Synia

Day 5
Breakfast - Muffins and Smoothie
Lunch - Tuna tahini sandwich (mix 1 can of tuna with 1 cup of tahini sauce from Synia)
Dinner - Chickpea Millet Stew

Day 6
Breakfast - Breakfast Crepes
Lunch - Lentil/Pea Soup
Dinner - Chickpea Millet Stew


Day 7
You'll probably have enough leftovers to take you through the day! Most people enjoy a meal or two out once a week as well, so these recipes should take you through.


Snacks
Power Bars
Crispy or sprouted nuts


Natural yogurt (no added sugars or "vitamins") with unsweetened coconut, soaked nuts, and cocoa powder

Hummus with veggies or crackers

Homemade popcorn, popped on stove in coconut oil

celery with all natural peanut butter and raisins

potato skins or sweet potato fries

Eliminating white flour - Week 2 Menu

The challenge for Week 2 is the elimination of refined flour. There is strong evidence that refined flours (and possibly whole wheat flour - but more on that later!) contribute to many digestive diseases. Some informational posts will follow, but I am posting the menu so that people can buy food over the weekend.

If you choose any recipe for the week, I suggest the dinner from Day 1. I love having a whole chicken every few weeks so I can enjoy the meat, AND use the carcass for stock and eventually soup. I've included a whole chicken recipe so that you can make stock this week. Later in the week, enjoy Chicken and Rice Soup--it's delicious and easy: a great lunch or dinner for cold days!

Here's my suggested menu - take what you like from it, adapt some things - do what you need to do to get more real foods into your diet! Please give me feedback as to how I can best serve you. Is this format helpful? Would you rather a list of recipes to choose from? More soups? Less meat? I tried to keep these recipes as quick and easy as possible - and I'll bet you don't even miss flour!!

Day 1
Breakfast - Scrambled eggs and bacon (cook the night before)
Lunch - Vegetable Leek Medley
Dinner - Slow cooked or roasted chicken, carrots, potatoes and greens (reserve congealed fat and carcass for soup)

Prep: Grate and soak potatoes in water, whey, and salt
Form salmon cakes and pan sear.

Day 2
Breakfast - Sweet Potato Pancakes (this recipe makes enough for leftovers!)
Lunch - Salmon Cakes and salad (cook the night before)
Dinner - Leftover chicken meal

Prep: Soak oatmeal in water and whey
Prepare stock

Day 3
Breakfast - Oatmeal
Lunch - Vegetable Leek Medley with whole wheat pita pockets (recipe at bottom of post)
Dinner - Meatloaf

Prep: Prepare yogurt dough for quiche

Day 4
Breakfast - Sweet Potato Pancakes
Lunch - Salmon cakes and salad
Dinner - Leftover Meatloaf

Prep: Assemble and cook quiche


Day 5
Breakfast - Oatmeal
Lunch - Quiche
Dinner - White fish, steamed broccoli with lemon and garlic, and brown rice (make an extra cup for chicken and rice soup)

Day 6
Breakfast - Soft boiled eggs, sourdough toast w/ butter, and you may want to try this guest recipe for chicken/turkey sausages!
Lunch - Quiche
Dinner - Chicken and Rice Soup

Day 7
You'll probably have enough leftovers to take you through the day! Most people enjoy a meal or two out once a week as well, so these recipes should take you through.


Snacks
Crispy or sprouted nuts
Natural yogurt (no added sugars or "vitamins") with unsweetened coconut, soaked nuts, and cocoa powder
Hummus with veggies or crackers
Homemade popcorn, popped on stove in coconut oil
celery with all natural peanut butter and raisins
potato skins or sweet potato fries

Week 1 Menu

I'm still working on the food shopping list with brand recommendations and some rationale as to why you're consuming so much meat and butter.

If this menu looks a daunting, don't worry. We use some of the same base ingredients to make the preparing process easier; plus, none of them take longer than 30 minutes to prepare. And we're into improvising, right? Change the order of the meals, only cook half of them, but double the recipes, whatever works. Remember, we're implementing small changes, gradually. So this week, focus on cutting out sugar and do your best with the rest. One of the most important additions to your weekly food routine should be stocks! Check out the post below on why stocks rock!

I'll be posting a tutorial on sugar soon, and a list of food/beverages you may want to scrap if you're going sugar-free, so check back frequently!

Day 1
Breakfast - Spinach Kiku
Lunch - Turkey bacon sandwich on sourdough
Dinner - Salmon, kale, and brown rice

Day 2
Breakfast - Spinach Kiku
Lunch - Oriental Meat Salad
Dinner - Mexican Soup

Day 3
Breakfast - Oatmeal
Lunch - Tuna salad or sandwich
Dinner - Spiced chicken, brown rice, and squash

Day 4
Breakfast - Oatmeal
Lunch - Turkey bacon sandwich on sourdough
Dinner - Mexican Soup


Day 5
Breakfast - Softboiled eggs, sourdough toast with butter, and bacon
Lunch - Oriental Meat Salad
Dinner - Leftovers or try another soup!

Day 6
Breakfast - Dutch Baby Pancakes
Lunch - Omlette
Dinner - Shepherd's Pie

Day 7
Breakfast - Dutch Baby Pancakes
Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Spaghetti and Meatballs with Yogurt Herb bread

Snacks
Hummus with veggies or crackers
Homemade popcorn, popped on stove in coconut oil
celery with all natural peanut butter and raisins
potato skins or sweet potato fries

Don't forget to read all of the recent posts! Make sure you sign up for demonstrations this Saturday if you're interested!!!