Cannot believe we are half way through March already. And just when I was getting used to it feeling like spring the threat of snow is back. Which I will be honest is quite a bit more than little crap! I am positive I have said it several times already, but I am ready for sunny, coat free days, sunnies, picnics and more flowers than you can shake a stick out. Anyway back to business and this weeks meal plan.
This last week have really enjoyed changing things up a bit and adding a veggie dish in with the savoury rice proving that sometimes simple is far more satisfying. With that in mind I have added another veggie dish with pasta this time. I am loving eating a rainbow of veggies most nights with the odd treat inbetween, and fake-aways are by far the best way to reward your healthy eating efforts. The flip side of course is swapping the fake-away for actual take-away or dinner out. Yes you can plan in dinners out and take-away treats too! The whole point of the meal plan is to take the stress and guess work out of what is happening when. For us we have decided to treat ourselves to dinner out, and seeing as our youngest always has something Italian (or bangers and mash) we decided to pop that in the plan for you this week.
Another tip is to swap and change the dinners to whatever suits your family. These handy printables are a guide to help and inspire you with meal options that even our fussiest of eaters has had a go with! So be creative, change things up and get excited about weekly family mealtimes again! Click to grab this weeks meal plan and shopping list or head to The Vault where all my downloadables are together in one place.
Helpful hints and tips for this weeks menu:
Soft Tacos & Salad – these are so tasty with any mince even a meat free one! It is all about the seasoning which you can create yourself or grab a little packet off the shelf. Add onions, mushrooms, chick peas, kidney beans, peppers, whatever takes your fancy! For added lushness add a sprinkling of cheese, guac or soured cream.
Mediterranean Veggie Pasta – one of my favourite things to do is to lay the veggies on a roasting tray, drizzle olive oil over them, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and roast for about 15 minutes. Then toss them in with your favourite pasta drizzled with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil and serve with garlic bread. It is quick easy and you can change it up with different veggies such as roast cabbage, roast cauliflower or any other veggies that take your fancy!
Angus Burgers – my lot call this dinner ‘Mommy-Donalds’ because they prefer it to any fast food joint! Of course you can swap the burgers for veggie options or other meats even like a grilled chicken breast. Whatever you go with it will be a crowd pleaser. Don’t forget the American Mustard, tomato and onion though as to me that makes the burger.
Baked Potatoes – These are always so versatile and if you are a busy family with a slow cooker, individually wrap the potatoes in foil in the morning and leave them on low for the day. Light fluffy potatoes will await your return home and you can each grab one out as and when you are ready, My favourite filling is cheese and beans with a dollop of coleslaw … mmmmmm so good.
Chicken Wraps – Ok this is another fast food fake-away. We keep salad dressings in to slather on the sliced chicken, put loads of lettuce in there with tomatoes and go to town on something that is relatively healthy compared to it’s fast food counterparts. It is also a lot kinder on the pocket too. Also you can always swap this out for the real thing if you fancy a night of cooking too.
Spaghetti Meatballs – This is a no brainer dinner for us. Two pans can cook the whole thing. One for the spaghetti, one for the meatballs and sauce. Yup cook the sauce in a single pan to make the most of the flavours. Use a jar marinara sauce or through in onions with the meatball while you brown them. Then add a tin of chopped tomatoes, passata, Italian Seasoning, Balsamic Vinegar and leave to simmer for about 20 mins. Done! And again so good with garlic bread! You can even go all out and grab a glass of red wine (we like Tempranillo). Like it spicy? Add a teaspoon of crushed chilli for a good kick.
Roast Beef with a Mustard Crust – There are loads of recipes out there for you to check out via Google or Pinterest, and dependent on your taste you can find one to suit. We mix a bit of whole grain and a little english mustard and paint it over the meat about half way through. Juicy medium rare with Yorkshire Puds and a good glass of Malbec for the perfect Sunday roast.
And there you have it! This weeks meal plan. I would absolutely love to hear any suggestions you have for future meal plans, and of course if you have given the plans a go, so drop me a comment below or hit me up over on my social media pages.
Sophie x
