How Can I Feed My Family?

This is a question I ask myself a lot. It comes with other questions like “What can I feed my family that is healthy?” or “What are the meals my family will actually eat?” or “What do I have time to make that is easy?”. This also comes along with budget and cost of meals too.

This question became even more daunting for me as my son Noah turned 2, and we found out we were having another boy. Would I have the time and the space to cook for everyone and their appetites without going crazy and needing to haul trucks of food to my house?!?! I needed a PLAN.

To add to the task, Brynn, my step-daughter, is a picky eater and is only with us half the time. So, I had to make a plan that would have healthy meals that catered to her modern child taste buds. I also needed a way to track meal planning with Brynn’s schedule. This helped me make a good rotation that would provide variety and allow me to plan shopping and prepping food ahead for quick meals.

28 Dinner Meals (4 Weeks)

Week 1: (M-no Brynn, T-Th-Brynn, F- no Brynn)

• BBQ pork stuffed sweet potatoes or sweet potato bar, cauliflower
• Nacho Night with smoothies
• Steak and Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli
• Almond Flour Chicken, sweet potato, carrots
• Gluten-free bacon grilled cheese with tomato soup (Panera copycat with bone broth, coconut sugar, full-fat coconut milk, extra butter/cream)

Weekend 1: (just me and the boys)

• Sushi
• Bacon cheeseburger casserole

Week 2: (M-Brynn, T-Th- no Brynn, F- Brynn)

• Rotisserie chicken, brown rice pasta, unsweetened applesauce
• Baked Burrito Casserole 
• Tuna salad and crackers or White bean chicken chili – with bone broth, organic/GF cream of chicken, 2 types white beans, organic taco seasoning, no green chiles
• Maple bacon breakfast pie with smoothie
• Pot Roast – roast, carrots, potatoes, beef broth

Weekend 2: (with Brynn)

• Ribs with sweet potatoes and broccoli
• Shrimp and Feta pasta (use brown rice spaghetti pasta), peas

Week 3: (M-no Brynn, T-Th-Brynn, F- no Brynn)

• Chili – sweet potato/bacon/etc
• Bean and Cheese Quesadillas
• Pork and ramen noodles
• Sweet Potato Bar Night – bacon, sour cream, cheese
• French Dip Sandwiches – gluten-free bread, bottle red wine, beef broth, 3 lb brisket

Weekend 3: (just me and the boys)

• Cassava Flour Pizza
• New recipe night or Lamb Roast with sweet potato and asparagus

Week 4: (M-Brynn, T-Th- no Brynn, F- Brynn)

• Burgers, smoothies
• Salmon/Salmon burgers with sweet potato fries
• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Creamy Crockpot Mexican Chicken
• Parmesan tilapia with brown rice spaghetti noodles, peas

Weekend 4: (Brynn)

• Bacon Potato Soup (with cassava flour) or butternut squash soup
• Honey ham (buy one without nitrites/sulfites, sugar), mac and cheese (using chickpea pasta and arrowroot starch), peas