If you are part of the plastic challenge, enjoy your bonus weekly meal plan! Read here for a description of how I structure our family meals.
Day 1: Braised cabbage with apples, Banana bran muffins
Day 2: Baked salmon topped with pesto, Kohlrabi and carrot sticks
Day 3: Homemade pizza, Tossed salad
Day 4: Beef and butternut squash stew, Crusty bread
Day 5: Avocado toast, Apple and orange slices
Day 6: Hot dogs with sauerkraut (hold the bun), Fruit smoothie
Day 7: Lentil soup with garlic olive oil, Crusty bread
Notes: We eat soup just about every week. There is a reason for that. First, it is easy to double and freeze for future quick weeknight meals. Second, it is a nutritious comfort food during the cold months, although we eat it year round. Third, it is a great way to use up any produce that is on the verge of turning into a science experiment. Don’t throw away those wilted veggies, instead chop them up and throw them in the pot! Soup is very forgiving. Soft carrots, limp celery, wilting greens. These are still perfectly good to eat, but aren’t as tasty eaten raw. So, as long as there is no mold, don’t let them go to waste. This week I have both a soup and a stew on the menu. Feel free to adapt the recipes to what you have in your refrigerator. I will be adding leeks, green onions, and celeriac (directly to the left of the oranges in the picture above) to the lentil soup.
What pairs well with a hearty soup or stew? Bread of course! I am not a huge proponent of eating a ton of bread as too many carbohydrates can lead to weight gain and health problems. And bread these days is not the same as your great grandmother’s bread. Therefore, since there is bread on the menu a few times this week, you will also see that a couple of the meals are grain free.
Last week I broke into my summer preserve stock for some tomato soup. This week I am reaching in the freezer again, this time for pesto. If you have been following me for awhile than you know that I made A LOT of pesto last summer using various greens like kale, basil, and spinach. I am ready to put this to use. It is good for lunches with raw veggies, over pasta, and this week I will serve it with baked salmon for a quick to prepare dinner.
To restock my freezer I will be making a double batch of the banana bran muffins and popping the leftovers in the freezer for quick snacks in the future.
GLP tip of the week: Try something fermented! For thousands of years, different cultures have been eating fermented foods as a means of preservation. Kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, yogurt, and cheese are examples of the types of foods I am talking about. The fermentation process uses the natural sugar of certain foods (e.g. vegetables, tea, and milk), salt/starter, temperature control, and time to allow the growth of good bacteria and prevent the growth of bad bacteria. This method preserves food and also gives us a dose of probiotics. And, unless you’ve been living under a rock, I’m sure you have heard of the probiotic craze. The reason for the growing popularity of these invisible bugs is that more research is finding that they are especially good for your gut health, and that helps control everything from your weight to your mood. People have tried to bottle up probiotics and sell it, but I think the best way to get a dose of healthy bacteria is to hit up your grocery store or ferment your own foods. Pair sauerkraut and kimchi with a burger or hot dog or try it on its own as a snack. If you are really ambitious you could try making your own kombucha or yogurt. I’ve been making yogurt for years and it is much easier than I ever thought (future blog post in the making). And who doesn’t like cheese?!? Give one of these foods a try today!
If you want to read more about fermented foods check out these resources:
- Cooked by Michael Pollan
- Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
- https://www.thekitchn.com/23-essential-fermented-foods-for-better-gut-health-229599
