Day 1: Baked Chicken Fingers, Butternut Squash, Sauteed Kale, Apple Slices
Day 2: Shrimp fajitas, Guacamole, Orange Slices
Day 3: Chickpea and spinach curry served over rice (or cauliflower rice)
Day 4: Homemade Pizza, Tossed Salad with Olives and Shredded Carrots
Day 5: Mozzarella stuffed turkey meatloaf, Roasted root vegetables, Steamed green beans
Day 6: Vegetable and lentil soup
Day 7: Tuna Salad Wraps, Carrot Sticks, Berry Smoothie
Notes: I try not to repeat meals too often in order to keep my family from growing tired of one food. Usually I make something every 1-2 months, except for our weekly pizza night I previously told you about and common sides that are easy, like muffins I can freeze or a smoothie. So a few of these recipes will look familiar to others I’ve made over the past couple of months. I recommend that you use my meals as a general blueprint and substitute your own recipes as you see fit. My hope is that I can at least get you started so that the whole process can be a breeze.
Green tips: I have extensively researched liquid dish soap to find the most effective, non-toxic, and plastic free version that I can. The best product I have found is Biokleen. A 1 gallon bulk jug = 5 individual plastic bottles and you can you can fill your own carafe (this is what I use, made from recycled glass). The Biokleen soap does contain SLS, but it is a plant-based, low-risk SLS (compared to petroleum based SLS). All other liquid dish soaps I have reviewed that do not have SLS tend to contain much worse chemicals, even in those marketed as eco-friendly and non-toxic. For example, Seventh Generation contains methylisothiazolinone which is ranked as a 7 on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) for neurotoxicity and immune system effects.
Whatever liquid dish soap you choose, be sure that it is free of synthetic fragrances as these typically contain a plethora of chemicals, including phthalates (known to cause reproductive effects and linked to cancer and diabetes). Additionally, these smelly soaps leave residue on your dishes that will transfer to your food and tastes terrible!! Look for products labeled “Free and Clear”, but be aware that does not necessarily mean the soap is free of all toxic chemicals. The most important thing is to get into the habit of reading ingredient labels and then you can look up individual ingredients on the EWG site.
