Adjusting To Summer Weekly Meal Plan

Adjusting to the summer time schedule without school has been a challenge this year. With a heavier work schedule, more ambitious riding goals to chase, and a munchkin who rarely naps, I feel like my days are an endless to do list chase. It’s easy to let healthy, home cooked meals fall by the way side, but with some advance planning I feel a little more able to get it on the table without losing my sanity.

Despite the almost fifteen years since my last school style “summer vacation” I can’t help but think of summer as a time of slower schedules. At least for now, it doesn’t really feel that way. Although I work from home and my hours are somewhat flexible, I still need to carve out 6-8 hours a day for those tasks in addition to the daily tasks of house work, working out, spending time with my son and husband and riding.

So although I am home more I don’t feel like I really have more time to cook. Dinners have become especially challenging because of my son’s evening swim lessons – we leave the house at 5. Our choices are to have a very early dinner for he and I and a snack when we get back with my husband or to eat together, but later. I’ve found that the best option is usually a dinner that I can mostly put together before we leave so we’re eating as quickly as possible when we get back.

Breakfast

leftover soup

hard boiled eggs

egg scramble with fruit

Lunches

Salad In A Jar + leftover protein

Creamy Chicken Soup

Dinners

Brined Pork Tenderloin, roasted dijon cabbage and rosemary potatoes

Lasagna Rolls

Creamy Corn Soup + Grilled Cheese

Lime cilantro chicken, coconut rice and green salad

Whole roasted chicken with stuffed sweet potatoes and broccoli

Eggs Benedict with potato “muffin”

Weekends are generally more relaxed. We usually eat out at least one day for lunch and finish up leftovers or random ingredients for dinner.

Sunday Meal Prep

Salad-In-A-Jar

Both my husband and I eat a large green salad with lots of vegetables for lunch – I make 10 Salads-In-A-Jar on Sundays to keep my lunch prep to a minimum.

Brined Pork Tenderloin

I’ve never been a huge fan of pork roast (although my husband is) until we tried this seen-on-Food-Network technique. I keep things simple, using a brine mix that I buy bulk during my occasional trips to Whole Foods or Central Market in Austin.

Lasagna Rolls

The beauty of this dish is that it can be prepared 24 hours in advance, making it the perfect busy weeknight meal.

Lime Cilantro Chicken

When I buy chicken, I tend to buy chicken breasts or tenderloins in bulk and divide it at home in dinner meal size portions (about 2 lbs). I use this versatile dish frequently so I can go ahead and prep the marinade when I divide the chicken before popping it in the freezer. This way, it marinates as it thaws and is ready to be thrown into the pan!

 

Want more menu inspiration while making your plan for the week? Check out my recipes and weekly menus for easy and healthy ideas.