Meal Planning 101

I believe I have mentioned this before, but the reason I started a blog is because a friend made the suggestion that I should. I'm easily convinced, obviously. His blog is an instructional blog on how to couponing. It's pretty great, and you should check it out here. He gave the suggestion of starting an instructional blog on meal planning and ultimately, that is what I'm attempting to do.

Meal planning is one of the ways, if not the BEST way, to stick to a budget with food. For my husband and I, we spend about $50/week on groceries. **Note this is an average. I go both above and below depending on what's going on that week** If you plan, you can still save some money by stretching your purchases and not going hungry! You don't have to starve yourself to stay within budget. After a year of marriage, I think my husband finally believes that! It took a long time though...

There are many benefits to meal planning:

• You can save money. I'm a broken record at this point

• You eat healthier. If you plan in the right mind (i.e. not hungry), a well-balanced meal of garlic roasted chicken breast with asparagus and red potatoes might sound a lot better than a fast food burger.

• Your family gets involved. I love asking the hubs what he wants for dinner for the upcoming week, then by the time we have it, he's super excited for the meal. 

• There are fewer surprises. Fewer because things will always come up. It happens. But if you've planned your week of meals ahead of time, you'll know exactly what is is coming. This can actually...

• Save time! Thaw that meat the night before or throw the meal in the crock pot before you go to bed, put it in the fridge and start it as you're running out the door in the morning. Knowing what we're having for dinner has saved my tush a few times. 

• You waste less food. I can't stand throwing food away. If I plan a week and actually stick to the plan 100%, my fridge is pretty empty by Saturday. I love it. 

I can go on and on about meal planning benefits, but truth of the matter is it might not be for everyone. Over the next few weeks, I'll go over my method of planning and give step by step tutorials on all things involved. I can't guarantee that my methods will work for you and your family, nor can I guarantee that it will save you X-amount of money. But hey, it's worth a shot ;)

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Holy Guacamole!

I love summer. I really only love summer for the food...I hate the heat. Most of my favorite fruits and veggies are in season, not to mention the farmers markets are in full swing. Avocados are one such fruit that I can't seem to eat enough of during summer months. They are so versatile and can be used in many ways. I even like to eat them plain sometimes! They are a great source of healthy fats (yes, you need some fat in your diet!) and high in fiber. Another fun fact, they have more potassium in them than bananas!

I used to work at Chipotle Mexican Grill. It was definitely the best job I have ever had. I learned so much and I'm extremely impressed with the company from a food service stand point. I'd work for Chipotle again in a heartbeat, I just can't do that and my current job in the same time. Since I can't eat their food every day anymore, I'm forced to get by replicating it in my own kitchen.

Their guac recipe is hard to beat in my opinion. It's just so fresh, and simple.

Of course I scale it down and use only 3 avocados instead of 12 at a time. My recipe is similar, but not entirely the same.

Take your avocados and clean them out. Add the lime/lemon juice and mash with a fork or masher until all chunks are gone. Stir in onion, cilantro, jalapeños and salt.

There ya have it! Its so easy and quick to throw together when you have all ingredients on hand. The best part is you can add more or less as you desire! There really isn't a wrong way to make guac!

Recipe Card!

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An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away

It isn't a saying for no reason, that is for sure. The final food group I'm going to really cover is of the colorful variety. Fruit is great because it is healthy and good for your diet.  Very rarely can you find someone who doesn't like any kind of fruit. That's because fruit is delicious...duh.

Why, you ask? Because it has a whole load of sugar in it. (GASP) I know, its life shattering. But don't worry! It's a good sugar, if there is such a thing. The sugar is natural, not added, therefore not "bad" for you. I like to think that fruit has that wonderful, sugary taste because God wanted you to be able to eat something healthy that didn't taste like the ground.

Fruit is considered a nutrient dense food, meaning you get lots of benefits from eating just a little. Many essential nutrients that are under-consumed in the general diet can be found in fruits like potassium, dietary fiber, and vitamin C. These specific nutrients can lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancers. The fiber itself has many benefits, including reducing cholesterol and regulating bowel function. I always tell my patients who are having some bowel issues to eat bananas. They usually look at me like I'm crazy, which is debatable, but I promise it can help!

My favorite benefit of eating fruit is the amazing effects it can have on your skin! Fruits are full of vitamin C which is a key ingredient in skin cell formation. They are also chalk full of antioxidants and the majority are made of mostly water, which we can all use more of. Think of fruit as a resurfacing agent. Who needs those expensive creams?? Just grab some oranges!

The USDA recommends consuming 2 cups of fruit per day. This may sound daunting, but I like to eat fruit as a snack and can easily get in two cups. This brings up fruit's best qualities: it is generally low in calories (not carbs) and can be helpful in filling you up.  For example, a cup a grapes (lots of antioxidants and vitamin K) is about 100 calories. How many grapes in a cup? 32. Yes 32. That's a whole bunch if you were wondering. Definitely fills me up, and I didn't break my calorie bank for the day! It also satisfies a sweet tooth if you have one. See? Good sugar!

I don't incorporate fruits into meals very often, unless I am scrambling for more to eat. But like I said, they usually make an appearance as a snack. Fruit can get expensive, especially if it isn't in season. I am not against canned fruit, and usually recommend it for my clients who are trying to stretch a dollar. As long as the fruit is in natural juices, there is no added sugar and still as nutritious as fresh...although fresh is always better tasting in my opinion.


OKAY, I'm done rambling about food groups. Now I can move on to more interesting things! Get excited. I might post a recipe next, so if you have any suggestions, let me know!

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