Meal Plans

Meal planning - the key to a functional, efficient, and creative home kitchen.

Why Meal Plans??

I believe that meal plans are one of the most beneficial yet underutilized tools in the kitchen. Meal plans help you shop efficiently (both time and money), reduce food waste, and explore creative meals for you and your family. This page is an evolving resource. My goal is to provide you with access to a variety of meal plans to choose from. Right now, I will be posting my meal plans for the week along with the grocery shopping list. As Culinary Field progresses, I will be adding more tailored meal plans. For now, I hope this at least provides you with some inspiration!

Essentials

Pantry Staples

These are things that I always keep on hand, and when they run low, I immediately purchase on my next trip to the grocery store. By keeping the essential stocked, it can make meals-on-the-fly possible and set you up for success.

 

Grains, Nuts, Legumes

Lentils, red and brown/green

Oats - rolled not quick

Pinenuts

Nuts - whole almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pecans (note: I’m allergic to cashews and pistachios and don’t really care for hazelnuts)

Seeds - chia, sesame, sunflower, hemp, flax (whole and ground)

Rice - brown, white, arborio

Dried beans - garbanzos, black

Pasta - any type/shape

Rice noodles

Udon/soba noodles

Farro

Stone ground grits

Polenta

All purpose flour

Whole wheat flour

Almond meal

Semolina flour

Oat flour

 
 

Canned Goods

 

Coconut milk

Black beans

Diced tomatoes

Garbanzos

White beans

Vegetable broth base, low sodium

Boxed heavy cream (shelf stable, from Trader Joe’s)

Kirkland pesto (kept frozen)

 
 

Fats, Oils, Vinegars, & Sauces

Extra virgin olive oil

Canola or vegetable oil

Coconut oil

Sesame oil

Red wine vinegar

Balsamic vinegar

White wine vinegar

White balsamic or other flavored balsamic

Rice wine vinegar

Mirin

Soy sauce or Tamari (reduced sodium)

Coconut aminos

Fish sauce

Oyster sauce

 
 

Produce

 

Carrots

Yellow onions

Garlic

Ginger (sometimes I cheat and buy the pre-minced stuff in a jar)

Sweet potatoes (mostly because Beckett loves them)

Some type of green, i.e. spinach, kale (great for throwing into things for a little health boost - can always freeze if getting old)

Bananas - can always freeze if I don’t use (but Beckett usually eats them)

 Some notes about my meal planning process

  1. I try to incorporate foods that I know Beckett will be able to eat for lunch at daycare.

  2. I often base meals off of the weather…i.e. when it’s going to be cold, I plan for soup!

  3. I am allergic to fish, cashews, and pistachios, therefore, you won’t see them on my menus.

  4. I try to maintain a heavy plant-based diet - meat and/or shellfish is a treat in our house! I use eggs freely, but do try to keep my cheese consumption to a minimum. This is for both for the health of us and the health of the planet.

  5. Meal planning is fun for us! We take the time, usually on Friday or Saturday night, to look up ideas, peruse cookbooks, and develop the plan for the week.

  6. I always keep a few frozen meals on hand - soups and curries freeze really well - because sometimes, life is crazy, and I have to stray from the plan. We also have an amazing pizza place nearby for emergencies…like that time my split peas didn’t cook even after 4 hours…