Meal planning

Share a great recipe or restaurant, ask a question about how to cook something, or mention a good ingredient substitute or packaged food.

Moderators: JeffN, f1jim, carolve, Heather McDougall

Meal planning

Postby lucidguppy » Tue Dec 14, 2021 11:15 am

I've been asked to plan the week's meals now. I've been doing quite well cooking only for myself; making my weekday lunches over the weekend and making air fried potatoes for dinner. For breakfast I swap between oatmeal and hash browns every other day.

Now that I have to cook for the whole family, I want to know if you had tips for prepping dinner and lunch for a family.

-What compliant foods are good to put in a lunch bag that can't be refrigerated?
-Do you bulk cook dinners on the weekend?
-What do you do about people who don't want what you're making?
User avatar
lucidguppy
 
Posts: 188
Joined: Sat Oct 17, 2015 6:42 am
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Meal planning

Postby Daydream » Tue Dec 14, 2021 4:51 pm

Every weekend I batch cook and do food prep for the week so everything is ready to eat during the week. I'll make a pot of some type of dried bean (I cook 2 pounds in my Instant Pot). I also will cook a pot of brown rice or some type of whole grain. I'll make a big pot of soup or stew. I bake 2 big trays of Japanese sweet potatoes. Then I'll wash/chop assorted fresh veggies for salads (carrots, red pepper, romaine, red cabbage, celery etc).

For myself for lunch, I would take a salad, a Japanese sweet potato and a piece of fruit. If I was making lunch for a child, I would probably make a nut butter sandwich on whole grain bread, a piece of fruit (you can send a whole banana or slice up an apple) and some sliced carrot sticks. I would send the compliant foods they love the most. If an adult doesn't like the food I make, they can make their own! Fortunately my husband and grandsons love the food I make. Find out the compliant foods that your family likes and make those.
User avatar
Daydream
 
Posts: 669
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 11:16 pm

Re: Meal planning

Postby lucidguppy » Wed Dec 15, 2021 6:36 am

Daydream wrote:Every weekend I batch cook and do food prep for the week so everything is ready to eat during the week. I'll make a pot of some type of dried bean (I cook 2 pounds in my Instant Pot). I also will cook a pot of brown rice or some type of whole grain. I'll make a big pot of soup or stew. I bake 2 big trays of Japanese sweet potatoes. Then I'll wash/chop assorted fresh veggies for salads (carrots, red pepper, romaine, red cabbage, celery etc).

For myself for lunch, I would take a salad, a Japanese sweet potato and a piece of fruit. If I was making lunch for a child, I would probably make a nut butter sandwich on whole grain bread, a piece of fruit (you can send a whole banana or slice up an apple) and some sliced carrot sticks. I would send the compliant foods they love the most. If an adult doesn't like the food I make, they can make their own! Fortunately my husband and grandsons love the food I make. Find out the compliant foods that your family likes and make those.


Thanks for the ideas! Sounds like a lot of work - but less overall.
User avatar
lucidguppy
 
Posts: 188
Joined: Sat Oct 17, 2015 6:42 am
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Meal planning

Postby michaelswarm » Wed Dec 15, 2021 12:41 pm

lucidguppy wrote:-What compliant foods are good to put in a lunch bag that can't be refrigerated?
-Do you bulk cook dinners on the weekend?
-What do you do about people who don't want what you're making?


Congratulations! I suppose that’s a compliment to your cooking.

For my kids lunch I pack sandwich-toast with their favorite toppings. Think peanut butter and jelly. Their tastes do not lean toward vegetable salad type sandwiches yet. Along with fruit, usually apple, and some baked corn chips. They also love beans, and a cup of black beans is also a favorite.

I batch cook staple ingredients throughout the week. Depending on shopping schedule or when previous batch runs out. For me, this includes a pot of beans (2 lbs, usually Mon), a loaf of whole wheat bread (1 lb, usually Thu), and 4-6 cups of marinara sauce (usually Fri). Everything else I make fresh, but also make plenty of extras, so there are usually prepared ingredients in refrigerator that include brown rice, brown lentils, steamed potatoes, salsa, etc.

I make what I want myself and enough to feed everyone. There are always extra prepared ingredients for the rest of the family. The kids often do want something else, often just to exercise their independence. Bread for toast, oven fries and ketchup are all usually in the refrigerator. Black bean tacos or pasta and marinara sauce are quick to heat up. My wife can make her own food, or use mine for meal, side dish or sauce.
User avatar
michaelswarm
 
Posts: 854
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 11:01 pm
Location: Traveling Mexico and United States

Re: Meal planning

Postby lucidguppy » Thu Dec 16, 2021 6:54 am

I wish my kids liked peanut butter. They like hazelnut spread.

Do you make your own bread? Do you have a recipe?

michaelswarm wrote:
lucidguppy wrote:-What compliant foods are good to put in a lunch bag that can't be refrigerated?
-Do you bulk cook dinners on the weekend?
-What do you do about people who don't want what you're making?


Congratulations! I suppose that’s a compliment to your cooking.

For my kids lunch I pack sandwich-toast with their favorite toppings. Think peanut butter and jelly. Their tastes do not lean toward vegetable salad type sandwiches yet. Along with fruit, usually apple, and some baked corn chips. They also love beans, and a cup of black beans is also a favorite.

I batch cook staple ingredients throughout the week. Depending on shopping schedule or when previous batch runs out. For me, this includes a pot of beans (2 lbs, usually Mon), a loaf of whole wheat bread (1 lb, usually Thu), and 4-6 cups of marinara sauce (usually Fri). Everything else I make fresh, but also make plenty of extras, so there are usually prepared ingredients in refrigerator that include brown rice, brown lentils, steamed potatoes, salsa, etc.

I make what I want myself and enough to feed everyone. There are always extra prepared ingredients for the rest of the family. The kids often do want something else, often just to exercise their independence. Bread for toast, oven fries and ketchup are all usually in the refrigerator. Black bean tacos or pasta and marinara sauce are quick to heat up. My wife can make her own food, or use mine for meal, side dish or sauce.
User avatar
lucidguppy
 
Posts: 188
Joined: Sat Oct 17, 2015 6:42 am
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Meal planning

Postby danielfaster » Thu Dec 16, 2021 8:00 pm

Hello,

I have relatives in Canada that want to get into eating healthier but need something quick and easy. Leafside came to mind, but does anyone know of a whole-food, plant-based meal company that functions in Canada? I appreciate any help!
danielfaster
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2021 7:57 pm

Re: Meal planning

Postby michaelswarm » Thu Dec 16, 2021 11:13 pm

lucidguppy wrote:Do you make your own bread? Do you have a recipe?


Yes, I make my own bread. There are many good 100% whole wheat recipes on the Internet. Good to watch videos to see some technique and tricks. I find it still takes some practice, however, to get a feel for the dough, and the methods and the timing. My first try was dense, but improved each time. Seems to me the key to whole wheat baking is sufficient water (hydration), time (patience) and practice (repetition).

I use same recipe for loaves, rolls and pizza dough. Basic ratios below. Makes 6 rolls or 2 12x9 pizzas.

4 cups (500g) whole wheat flour (hard white wheat)
1/4 tsp yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/4 cup + 1-2 Tbsp (335-347g) water

I use 5 cups flour and 1-1/2 cups + 1-2 Tbsp water (same ratios as above, just scaled up 25%) for larger size loaf.

Can just use 1-2 tsp yeast from the start, and mix everything together and knead, skipping the sponge step, for faster loaf. I think slower ferment has slightly better taste. Less yeasty, more sour.

My preferred method is slow and low yeast, with 3 rises. I start with sponge in morning (first rise). Add remaining flour and water in afternoon (2nd rise). The fold and shape just before dinner (3rd rise). Takes some practice, learning tricks, getting feel for dough, how much rise is enough or too much, handling dough so wet inside and not too sticky outside, sifting whole wheat flour for finer flour when shaping, shaping by flattening dough into rectangle and rolling into spiral, misting top of bread to add a bit more moisture back and allow any seed topping to stick, how long to preheat oven, etc.

Method
1. Makes sponge, a wet dough, with 1/2 of flour, and most of water. For above 4 cup recipe, the sponge is 2 cups flour + 1 cup water + 1/4 tsp yeast. Very little yeast, because let rise for ~4h. Yeast doubles every hour or so, and whole wheat flour has plenty time to soak. Should double in size.
2. Add remaining flour and water. For above 4 cup recipe this is 2 cups flour + 1/4 cup + 1/4 tsp salt. Salt hinders yeast, so gets added last. Mix and knead 5-10m. I wet my hands during kneading so dough does not stick, adding extra 1-2 Tbsp in process. Allow rise ~4h. Should double in size.
3. Sift working surface lightly with flour. Punch down dough. Stretch and fold a couple of times, then shape. Sift additional flour as needed to handle. I use scraper to handle dough. Roll into loaf shape, transfer to parchment paper lined bread pan. Allow final rise 45m-1h, until nicely above bread pan. Bake in preheated 450F oven 22m. Remove from bread pan and parchment and allow cool on rack.
User avatar
michaelswarm
 
Posts: 854
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 11:01 pm
Location: Traveling Mexico and United States


Return to Food, Recipes & Meal Planning

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google Feedfetcher and 10 guests



Welcome!

Sign up to receive our regular articles, recipes, and news about upcoming events.