Meal Planning in Full Swing

If there is one thing that I've learned over the past couple of years is that if I make a meal plan and stick to it then we do great and if I don't... well, we do terrible with our healthy eating efforts. I have been so unbelievably slack these past months, but this week I have things back under control and I promise myself and my family that I will continue to do so!!

On Monday morning we went off to get groceries with a detailed list. Getting everything wasn't as easy as I had hoped. We ended up going to Costco and three grocery stores. And came home with a great haul of fruits and veggies. Missing in the picture are avocado, lettuce, cucumber, and teriyaki sauce.

This, along with what already sits in my pantry, fridge, and freezer will pull together the following meals. Yeah, there are some holes in the menu, but it is a start.

Monday

Lunch

Supper
Thai Salad with Zucchini & Yellow Squash
Asian Cabbage Slaw
Asian Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
Rice

Tuesday

Lunch
Spicy Pinto Bean and Chicken Salad

Supper
we were invited to a BBQ at friend's house

Wednesday

Lunch
Black Bean, Mango & Chicken Wrap

Supper
Walmart Black Angus Steak
Shrimp Macaroni Salad
Left-Over Soup

Thursday

Lunch
Thai Chopped Chicken Salad

Supper
Smoke Pork Roast
Coleslaw
Left-Over Shrimp Macaroni Salad
Grilled Mushrooms

Friday

Lunch
Grilled Avocado

Supper
Cob Oven Pizza (still may need additional groceries for this)

Comments

Mango-Avocado Salsa with BBQ Chicken

One of my favorite foods in the whole wide world is avocado. It's a great thing to love because they have nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins, and folic acid. The only thing that I need to be careful with is that they are loaded with calories as well. One whole medium sized avocado is a whooping 250 calories! I was recipe searching back in April and came upon a mango-avocado salsa that I just had to try. We've had mango salsa many times before, but adding avocado was a whole new ball game. It was quite simple... cubed avocado, mango (I used frozen), and tomato, plus some diced red onion. Mix it all up and there you go. I served it over BBQ grilled chicken. Usually we have our chicken smothered with BBQ sauce, but this time I only marinaded it in some Budwiser brand BBQ sauce. Millard put it on the grill and held off on the extra sauce. It was a good choice. Our sides were sauteed a mix of fresh and frozen peas and asparagus.

BBQ Chicken Rub

Yup, chicken again! Don't be surprised if we start clucking soon. We do tend to eat quite a lot of chicken anyway, but we recently hit a good sale on whole chicken legs so we took full advantage of it. What's bbq chicken without seasoning? Only thing is we are cutting our sodium intake these days. Most bought mixes are absolutely full of sodium... not heart healthy! So... I searched online and found a low sodium rub at www.LowSodiumCooking.com : Rub #2 - The Mild One A sweeter, less spicy rub for grilling and smoking. 1/2 c Paprika 2 T Black Pepper,Freshly Ground 1/3 c Brown Sugar 2 T Chili Powder 2 T Onion Powder 2 T Garlic Powder Mix well, store in a cool dark place. Yield: 22 Servings 'The Mild One' was rubbed on the chicken and grilled to perfection. Of course I took the fat off first! It was very tasty and crusted nicely on the outside, but was moist and tender on the inside. I served it with Corn on the Cob with just a little chili seasoning sprink...

Yummy Salad

Salad can get boring so today I got creative... romaine lettuce, a little ranch mixed in with the lettuce... then shredded cheddar, raspberries, grape halves, strawberry, and just a few almonds. A nice fresh salad for a warm day. Yum!

Healthy Family Hangout

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