Sample 4 Week Menu for Lunch and Dinner

This is my meal plan for lunch and dinner for the next 4 weeks. I use this menu as a base and build off of it. For example, the main dish of lunch may be mac & cheese, but I will add applesauce or veggie sticks or both. Same with spaghetti - sometimes I add TVP 'meat' balls, sometimes I add vegetables or we may just have it with pasta sauce only. And our spicy gravy biscuits are often accompanied by eggs and fruit. If you have some great additions, I'd love to hear about them.

A few items may need some explanation:

OYO - On Your Own - Everyone in the house makes their own meal with whatever is in the house, including leftovers.

EAT OUT - Pretty straightforward, eating out as a family.

Chik - mean faux chicken meat products, usually the strip or breaded patty type.

Dogs/Burgers - the vegetarian kind for me, the meat for everyone else.

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Meal Plan Not-Mondays

I couldn't think of how to alliterate anything related to meal planning and Thursday.

I am getting over the stomach flu my darlings so graciously shared with me, so the last 2 days have been PB+J and grilled cheese. I am feeling slightly better today, and had to go grocery shopping since a big snowstorm is barreling through the Midwest right now.

I generally meal plan on Thursdays since that is when my husband gets paid and because he works a really irregular schedule, and it is easier for me to do one big shopping trip once every two weeks and then a couple of smaller trips later as needed for produce and perishables without having to haul around the monkeys. I try to shop for 10 meals since I am aiming for 2 weeks. I don't necessarily go in the order I originally write up, usually I go by which produce needs to be used before it goes bad.

Meal 1: Homemade macaroni and cheese, Hot Sauce Glazed Tempeh (from Veganomincon), and sauteed kale.

Meal 2: Yogurt quiche with veggie bacon, butternut squash biscuits, and green salad.

Meal 3: My copycat of Kashi's Frozen Entree Black Bean and Mango, it's going to be either really good or a disaster.

Meal 4: Homemade roasted vegetable pizza and more green salad.

Meal 5: Tempeh Helper from the PPK blog with whatever frozen veg I feel inspired to add.

Meal 6: Pumpkin pancakes, scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit.

Meal 7: Home Seitan BBQ Ribs (from the Susan V's FatFree Vegan Kitchen blog,) mashed potatoes with white country gravy, and roasted green beans.

Meal 8: 2 bean nachos, and more fresh fruit.

Meal 9: Marinara and spaghetti with roasted broccoli.

Meal 10: Red Lentil Soup (from Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan) with homemade focaccia.

Which leaves me 4 meals that can be either PB+J, grilled cheese, or just putting the old Cheerio trough out.

Oh, and here's a pic of my new enamel cast iron skillet I found at Aldis. It's so pretty, I can't wait to season it.

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