The Lunch Menu Plan

Does your brain turn to mush at 11:45 every day when your brood starts clamoring, �I�m hungry! What�s for lunch?�

Never fear, your plan is here!

By keeping a list of basic ingredients on hand you can quickly throw together a quick and easy lunch that is healthy also!

If these recipes� (located to the right) don�t suit your family, then simply use it as a springboard for creating your own Lunch Menu Plan.

 

When making your own Lunch Menu Plan think about these things as you peruse recipes.

How long does it take to prepare? How many ingredients does it take? Short prep time meals belong on your busy days.

How healthy is this? Kraft Dinners, hot dogs and frozen pizza do not belong on this menu plan.� : ) Ditch the processed foods and move towards whole foods.

Do I have access to these ingredients year round or is this a seasonal recipe? It�s just fine to plan a Winter Lunch Menu and a Summer Lunch Menu.

How expensive are these ingredients? Can we grow them in our garden?

Don�t forget to make a menu that all your children can eat. Little children have a hard time chewing meat, ground meat is easier for them. Do you have children with food allergies? It takes more time and work to make different foods for different people, don�t be a short order cook. Be efficient and make food that your whole family can eat and be happy with. This might take time and experimenting with different recipes. And remember this, it takes 3-10 times for a new food/recipe to be �accepted�.

 

The next step to a plan like this is to plan your snacks. Aim for a healthy whole food plan like this:

Monday-apple slices

Tuesday-oranges

Wednesday-kiwi, cut them in half and eat with a spoon

Thursday-bananas

Friday-grapes

Saturday-peaches

Of course, fresh fruit is very expensive out of season so take this into account when making your snack plan and make exchanges with the seasons.

Why make a snack plan?

It is a concerted effort in getting healthier food into your diet,

�and brings peace of mind when you know it�s Monday-apples and you have an answer for �I�m hungry Mom.� There�s always somebody who�s hungry around here.

Another snack� I do, especially in the summer, is to have a large divided vegetable tray with cut up veggies and a homemade dip at ready in the frig. This is an especially good snack for the late afternoon.