Eating seasonally and cooking form real food is the most economical way to feed your family, if there is enough interest I will continue to share how we eat for the week and ideas that may inspire you to cook with what is affordable (in Tasmania) that week.

As I am out of the house for the day every weekday at Tafe or working and I have a few late nights with kid’s activities during the week I meal plan and cook a few things the weekends.

Yesterday I made Tuesday nights lasagne ready to pop in the slow cooker with a timer on Tuesday so we can walk in the door and dinner is ready after the girls dancing lesson, necessary when you have a tired toddler and there is the temptation for quick takeaways!

Wednesday nights curry is already cooked, I try to always cook a family meal but sometimes I want something hot and spicy so the kids can have veggie packed spaghetti bolognaise that is already in the freezer. 2 vegie soups are made and I will do some baking today for the lunch boxes. I guess I am lucky that I enjoy cooking and I don’t find it a chore at all but even if you don’t enjoy cooking if your organised, cooking from real food is not at all tome consuming. And you might even start to enjoy it.

Before having my three kids I was a chain smoker and although at the time I always thought I was fat, I was always in my healthy weight range. Now after having kids and giving up the smokes I have kept a few kilos with each pregnancy, this absolutely isn’t a diet plan, I am not claiming that’s its perfectly ‘healthy’  as I’m not a nutritionist and there are now so many different opinions on what is healthy. However I lost 10 Kg last year and I’m a few kilos into losing a few more this year to get me back into my healthy weight range while still enjoying all the good things in life, a little less wine and more exercise and meals plans similar to this.  I don’t eliminate food groups, I think home made is best but I will sneak the odd packet of cheap packet pasta in to the groceries for a weeknight meal. I aim to feed my family our 5 serves of veg each day, 2 serves of fruit some protein and carbs but try to keep it all as home made as possible that way I know what’s in the food and its generally better. Obviously white bread for breakfast, white bread sandwiches and white bread with your dinner is not a smart meal plan but I think bulk packets of rice and potatoes are probably necessary if your family is on a food budget. I admire Jamie Oliver, Michelle Bridges and Tara from The Nutrition Guru and the Chef who all have a common sense approach to eating.

Breakfasts and lunches are pretty much the same all the time I will add to these lists as i remember things.

Breakfasts:

Fruit toast make your own fruit bread or buy store bought topped with ricotta, sliced apple and cinnamon.
Apple and cinnamon porridge
Toast and soft boiled (dippy) eggs
Cornflakes or an occasional better choice box cereal
Yogurt
Bircher musli
Toast
Savoury muffin or scone (on the go)

Lunches

Soup in the thermos- I make two vegie soups each week
i have made cauliflower & cheese and pumpkin, sweet potato & leek.
Baked beans in the thermos
Leftovers in the thermos
Sandwiches & wrapS
Saladas or corn thins
Sushi or rice paper rolls

PLUS
Cheese and biscuits (from the packet and the cheese block)

2 pieces of fruit

home made option small portion treat this week it is coconut berry loaf

veggie sticks -normally eaten on the way home in the car when there is nothing else left to eat. I think having 1-2 portions in the lunch box of veg is helpful  to ensure I get the 5 serves into my kids each day the soup also help with this. Apart from the one homemade treat I don’t add chips, lollies, biscuits etc.to the lunch box aside from being ridiculously expensive and a frustratingly huge amount of packaging waste, there is no way my kids would eat there veg if that is on offer, party food is for parties.

 

Monday crumbed fish and vegies

Tuesday Lasagne

Wednesday madras curry and spag bol for the kids

Thursday salmon casserole

this recipe is from my new book Seafood everyday

Friday Thai green chicken curry

Saturday home made pizzas

Sunday Roast chicken

 

I have not got all these recipes for this week on this site yet, Oscar it about to wake up and I’ve got some cheese and bacon rolls to go and bake, hopefully i get time to adding the recipes soon. let me know if you are interested in weekly meal plans Thanks