The end of the school year marks the end of my meal plan for the semester. During the summer I am on my own for meals and being the cheap and healthy-minded individual I am, I bringing my own lunch. Two nights a week I also have class and don’t have time to stop at home to eat dinner (I need to eat dinner before my 6 pm class – 10 pm is way too late for dinner for me).
As you know, I am not much of a morning person and am completely horrible at making any sort of decision. So lunch (and on Monday and Wednesday dinner) must be decided and packed as much as possible the night before.
Here is how I am doing it. Before grocery shopping on Saturday I create seven meals I can do as much prep as possible on Sunday before the week starts. The list for this week:
- Leftover pasta from Thursday night (will be consumed on Monday) – 1 meal
- Leftover Pizza from Saturday night – 2 meals
- Lentil Salad (made Sunday) – 3 meals (a recipe from Alice Waters’s the Art of Simple Food)
- Tuna Sandwich – 1 meal (the only thing not prepared yet)
I also cut up a bunch of fruit and vegetables and will bring all of this to work with me on Monday
- Carrots
- Cherries
- Grapes
- Sugar Snap Peas
Depending on what I have for breakfast and also what I am in the mood for, I can have fruits and vegetables for a snack and also with my lunch and dinner. If this runs out, I have apples, cucumber and more carrots at home I can easily pack up later in the week.
Lastly, I have my “accessories” – a box of crackers to scoop up the lentil salad, yogurt for snacks and chocolate for dessert.
I keep all my “meals” in my home fridge and will bring either 1 or 2 for work depending on the day. I also already have some Flatout Flatbreads and string cheese, soy nut butter and jelly already in the office fridge in case I need an additional snack or am not in the mood for my prepared meal.
How do you meal plan for the week?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I never plan ahead! (I don’t really need to I guess) I totally admire your work here
Katherine
I think it’s so funny that you say you’re not a morning person, yet you get so much accomplished each day before work!
Good luck in your new class & I’ll talk to you on the conf call on Wednesday! 
ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CANNOT FIND THAT LINDT ANYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!
i keep ending up buying the 85% Lindt dark but i want the sea salt one !!!! i heard its fantastic!!!!!!!!!
I wish I could plan like that! So jealous! I suppose having a full fridge and kitchen might aid me in this….hmm oh well
I plan 5 meals for each week (most weeks…though I’m a slacker sometimes) and we try to do leftovers on the weekend with one meal out. The best part is not trying to figure out dinner at the last minute. Though I will switch the meals around I know that I have the fixins’ for 5 meals