Today I've got three freebies for you...two to help with food planning and a printable weekly calendar.
Although, I keep a thin calendar in my purse, it helps me to sit down on Sunday and write out our week. I hang it on the fridge and it's there for all of us to see. It helps prepare my brain for the week ahead. I hope it will help you too.
Here's a blank one for you! Click on any of the photos to get the free printables!
With three boys and a hungry hubby, I spend a lot of time thinking
about food! It helps keep my budget in check and helps keep the stress
down in the afternoons when it's time to cook dinner. It also helps us remember to vary our breakfast instead of eating a bowl of cereal every day. We usually have smoothies, oatmeal, cereal and yogurt parfaits on our list. Sometimes we have muffins or pancetta egg cups too. On the weekends the hubby likes to make homemade pancakes and homemade biscuits. He's quite the breakfast chef extraordinaire! What's on your breakfast list?
Lunch is something I struggle with. Mr. Jones would like to have a hot dog EVERY SINGLE DAY! Not me. We do like the Hebrew National Kosher {all beef, reduced fat} hot dogs on occasion, but not e v e r y s i n g l e d a y ! Our lunch list usually looks like this: hot dogs, deli turkey and cheese for sandwiches or wraps, PBJ, grilled cheese and tomato soup, salad. Sometimes we have chicken salad or mediterranean tuna salad. I struggle with lunch and would LOVE your ideas! We always have fresh fruit and veggies, but a lunch "main dish" is a struggle for me. Lunch box lunches are easy because they are happy not having a lunch "main dish," but at home they often want to eat like Daddy. Please give some ideas in the comments!
I do plan out my dinners and it has helped so much! I know what days I'll cook and I know I'll have plenty of leftovers for the nights we rush in from karate for a quick dinner. Thinking about it ahead of time is a HUGE help! It saves stress, money and crazy last minute grocery runs.
I love this next one because it helps me see the variety of snack foods we have available instead of reaching for a bag of goldfish every time. We try to keep yogurt, cheese sticks, fresh veggies {carrots, cucumbers, celery}, whatever fruit is in season + bananas, dried fruit, granola bars (sometimes store bought/sometimes homemade). What healthy snacks do you like to keep on hand for your family?
My other downfall is the freezer. I stick stuff in there and totally forget about it! I've been using the calendar and menu for a while, but the snack/freezer list is new. I hope it will help me utilize what's in the freezer instead of forgetting about it.
Enjoy and leave your ideas on what you will put on your lists! I'd love some new, healthy ideas! Thanks for stopping by and let me know what you think! Would you like this in different colors? Let me know and maybe we'll have some more freebies!
