on the menu

One of the hardest things about doing a 180 on your food habits is trying to decide exactly what to eat. Add kids - four of them at that and all with different likes & dislikes- into the equation and it can feel downright impossible to figure out an acceptable meal plan.

If you're in the same boat, or just looking for some new menu ideas, perhaps this (hopefully weekly) feature will help you. These ideas are for dinner times but also can be used for lunch, too.

Here's what "on the menu" for this week:

Tonight: "veggie night" Obviously every night is now a veggie night for us. But this is what I would call it when we also were eating meat & dairy. It includes oven fries, raw veggies and hummus. I may throw in a peanut/almond butter & raisin dip for variety.


Saturday: ? I'm hoping I'm off the hook for this night as it's supposed to be a date night with my parents watching our kids, but we're also battling a virus so I may need to come up with something in a pinch

Sunday: black bean dip, corn chips, guacamole, raw veggies

• Here's link to the recipe for one of the black bean dips we use adapted from one I found at Whole Foods Market site. Since I haven't posted it here yet, the link is on my sister's blog. Just ignore the part about the cheese. 
• My brother-in-law discovered a tasty, healthier way to enjoy corn chips - Trader Joe's carries corn tortillas. Simply cut them into triangles, spritz with lime juice and a dash of chili powder if desired and place under the broiler until lightly toasted)

Monday: pizza and salad

• My current favorite for pizza toppings is hummus, pizza/pasta sauce, liberal shakes of garlic powder and dried oregano, diced onions, sliced tomatoes and finished with sliced (pre-cooked) eggplant. It looks as yummy as it tastes.

Tuesday: tacos made with TVP and black beans. On the table I'll have plenty of fresh veggie toppings including tomatoes, onion, cilantro, corn and green pepper.

Wednesday: veggie hodgepodge which will include baked potatoes, green beans, sauerkraut and raw veggies with hummus

Thursday: brown rice pasta and salad (yeah for meals that feel "normal" while we're trying to find our new normal)


Bon appetite!