1. Read over the meal plan from start to finish and take notes.
- I like to highlight where all the chopping, shredding, peeling, dicing etc. is. Then I see at a quick glance which days are going to be busy in the kitchen and I can prep ahead or switch a day based on my schedule for the week.
- Note (I underline) anywhere there is a recipe from another page or leftovers. This is helpful if you are making part of your meals (say dinner) for anyone else. It may be that the dinner salad serves 2, but you need leftovers for the next day, so you may want to make double or tell your husband he's on his own.
- Note (I circle) any fresh herbs. These go bad so fast for me (and they're not cheap), and they are so delicate you can't pre-chop any- it may change your mind about buying them. If its only a tsp in one recipe thats towards the end of week, I may think twice about buying it or make plans to make a tabouleh next (it uses a ton of fresh herbs)
- Note anything that is repulsive to you. I am all for trying anything once, but sometimes trying a lot of new things at once is too overwhelming. Think about how you can sub without making too much change. I can't eat seeds of any kinds sprinkled over fruit, but I love them in my oatmeal. So I might move 1 ingredient from a snack to breakfast. I also HATE celery sticks, I can handle them chopped but if that doesn't work I may sub out cucumbers, slightly more calories but the important thing is that I'm not letting one ingredient derail my whole menu plan.
- Note any errors. The magazine (God bless them!) is not perfect. The strawberry shake this month does not list strawberries as an ingredient. Possible oversight? Probably. Go with your gut if it doesn't make sense and don't be afraid to make mistakes.
2. Look over the shopping list and make notes of anything you can buy to save you time in the kitchen. For instance if most of the cabbage listed was shredded, by the preshredded kind. Unless you have all the time in the world to spend in the kitchen, then sure do it all yourself. Heck, you might as well grow it yourself too. For the rest of us here are my favorite timesaving products: preshredded lettuces & carrots, carrot & celery sticks (for those of you who like my son adore celery), precooked lentils and beets (avail. at Gelson's and Trader Joes's), precooked chicken strips (read labels carefully so your not getting a bunch of chemicals), precut butternut squash, sliced mushrooms, Steamfresh frozen brown rice and veggies, hardboiled eggs.
3. Have a prep day. The Sunday before (or whatever day works for your schedule) set aside some time to pre-chop or cook some of your meals. I love to do the longer recipes (not on the actual meal plan page, but the following pages) and the side bar recipes (on the meal plan page). If its a salad, I bag the veggies and dressing separate. If its anything that browns quickly (potatoes, apples, bananas, avocados), I save it for right before I eat. I also might prep any of the other meals that look time consuming or prep them just the night before-obviously for work days I do this.
4. Making substitutions. Obviously the more you change the plan the less effective it will be. That being said, the most important thing is that you do what you can-anything is better than what you use to do right? Do your research and make your subbing smart. Can't find a specific granola bar listed, look it up online, look at the stats paying attention to calories, fat, protein and fiber and make your substitute.
5. Cooking for kids or picky eaters. I find myself constantly surprised at what my kids eat if I'm careful about the "sell". I originally made my meals and then made them something different and they often wanted what I was eating instead. Their favorites are the shakes, anything with peanut butter on it, fish dishes and plain ole steamed veggies. I do keep a supply or frozen meatballs and burritos on hand, but don't often end up using them. I will often deconstruct a meal for the boys, like put the tuna, potatoes and green beans on the plate separately with "sauce" on the side instead of serving it as the salad it is. That way one scary ingredient doesn't ruin the whole dish for them. I ask my yr. old to taste test everything for me so I know whether to make it again-he seems to relish this position of power and will at least try everything. Also I reserve the right to not feel judged by what my family will or won't eat. I've served them the same meal many times and sometimes they scarf it down and other times turn their noses up at it. They won't starve during my 2 week plan if they pass on the Kale Barley Soup and at least I can say I've offered them the best that nature provides.
6. Start small. Depending on your diet and schedule this might be an overwhelming amount of change. If you only eat 3 meals a day, you may want to start by just adding the snacks. If you skip breakfast (shame on you!) start there. Don't worry about adding food to your diet, this is the good kind of food. It took me 2 or 3 months to work my way up to the dinners (they looked either bizarre or blah). But once I was ready to try, it all fell in place (and was delicious)!
7. After the 2 weeks. The magazine doesn't come out monthly so unless you are scouring someone's back issues its kinda hard to do back to back meal plans. Although you can always repeat the weeks or just your favorite meals. I took the opportunity to just maintain until the next issue came out. I reflected on what was new for me about this latest menu plan (maybe a new cooking technique or food combination or habit like snacking) and concentrated on putting that into play on a daily basis. I think I ate Greek yogurt with apples and walnuts for a snack everyday for a month, then it was bananas, honey & yogurt in a wrap for the next month. I also spent time looking for products that were healthy and clean but easy to eat-I'll have a product review post coming soon. (BTW-Chobani flavored yogurts are now my go to for my kids and me!)
