What Farmers Eat (and bonus Pepperplate review)

Pay attention, y’all…

Eating healthy is 80% of a healthy lifestyle…fitness aside.  

Eating healthy while managing a life, family, ministry, job seems, at times, to be almost as hard as me getting through a post without being slightly weird and snarky – which is, basically, impossible.

If good, nutrient-dense, whole, lower-in-calorie foods are not being consumed, well, your fitness regime will be virtually meaningless as I have seen happen over and over… to others, yes, but to myself, most definitely.

Here’s what it comes down to:

Eating healthy requires planning ahead.  

I know from experience.  If I don’t plan, I will eat what is convenient and what is convenient is usually not the best or most satisfying – I’m lookin’ at you, Tostitos Whole Grain Tortilla Chips!

So I will be introducing our What Farmers Eat meal plan – what we, the Farmers, will be eating over the course of a week.  

But first and foremost and MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR SUCCESS, how I get myself organized.

As you may have read in my FitBit review, I do love the wonder and the genius of technology.  So, no surprise that I love to use technology as my little helper to get myself organized for meal planning, shopping etc.

And here is that little helper.

Behold…Pepperplate.

Aw yeah.  And pay no attention to the bajillion tabs I have open… yes… I have a problem. 

Pepperplate is a website.  Pepperplate is also an app.  Pepperplate is your one-stop-prep-plan-list for recipes (which you can import from a variety of websites, like Cooking Light, Skinnytaste, Bon Appetit), meal planning, shopping list and making set menus (which I hardly do).

First, the importing/manual entering of your favorite recipes – which is probably the most time-consuming step.

Once, by the sweat of your brow and the click of your mouse, that is accomplished, you choose the recipes you want – either by this handy list… or by the search feature in the top right corner:

Click on the recipe, add to your weekly meal planner and add any ingredients you might not have to the shopping list… like so: 

 Once all is said and done, your list is ready to print OR be accessed through your smartphone.  

Easier than a million free meal planning sheets pinned on Pinterest.

So there you have it!  And behold, our menu plan for the week.  Some standard faves in our house, some upcoming recipes for future posts and some newbies… all of which are posted below… 

Lunches for Mom & Dad:

P90X Vegetable Soup (I make a huge pot and eat it throughout the week w/turkey wrap on the side)

Lemon & Red Pepper Tuna Melt (recipe coming soon)

Family Dinners:

Sunday:   Crock Pot Minestrone Soup (I always use the crock pot for Sunday eves as I sing at Mass and get home just in time for everyone to be hangry and in near meltdown state – including myself)

Monday: Pasta w/Butternut Squash Sauce, Spicy Sausage and Baby Spinach, Romaine Salad w/Red Wine Vinaigrette 

Tuesday:  White Chicken Chili (recipe coming soon)

Wednesday:  Salmon Rosti , Brown Rice Risotto and Roasted Broccoli

Thursday:  Brown Rice & Black Beans w/Ginger Chili Salsa, Green Salad, Fruit

Friday:  OktoberFeast at a local church… Bratwurst and Sauerkraut are healthy, right?

Saturday:  EATING OUT… as I am a single mama this weekend, will be getting my PiYo certification and will be ready to pass out when that’s done.  I’m thinking… Chipotle.  

So, there you have it, you wanna-be-planner-and-healthy-eaters… 

Now get out there and plan!