Menu plan for the Week of Sept. 8th

Healthy Living Mama
Sep 5, 2019
3 min read

Having a bit of difficulty planning your weekly menus? Give ours a try! Weekly FREE recipes are gluten-free, dairy-free, low sugar and good for everyone in the family!

15 Minute Vegan Tacos from Simple Vegan Blog

So, I won't lie. Being prepared with a plan of healthy food for the week that won't break my budget is a struggle for me. My new goal is to be ready with a menu each week. And, if i have to be ready with a menu, I might as well share it with you!

Why gluten-free and dairy-free?

My family has lots of auto-immune issues. If you've read my bio, you know we have PANDAS, EDS, chronic EBV, plus probably some other things going on. Gluten and dairy both tend to be inflammatory, so its best to try to eliminate them where possible. I don't do a good job of this on a consistent basis. Plus, I'm busy. Budgeting is tight and gluten free/dairy free food is expensive. There's a laundry list of excuses of why its hard- but my body feels so much better when I don't eat the gluten or the dairy and tend to be more plant based.

Menu for the week of September 8th

I don't want to keep you reading, so, here is the inaugural menu plan for Focus on Healthy Families! Each menu plan will consist of six dinner meals (the seventh can be either leftovers or a dining out night), a breakfast meal, a drink and a snack. Lunch can be leftovers, however I will do an entire post of lunch meals soon. (You're welcome!) You can mix and match these as you wish.

Meals- Main with Side Courses

Day 1- 15 minute Simple Vegan Tacos with Cilantro Lime Rice. Look for taco shells that have simple ingredients and no preservatives, such as this option from Amazon. If you purchase through this link, a portion of your purchase goes to support the Midwest PANS/PANDAS Parent Association. I am not an Amazon affiliate at this time, so, disclaimer, I get NO money should you purchase through that link! LOL!

You could add vegan cheese, however I would advise against it as vegan cheese is mostly starchy fillers. Double the rice, refrigerate and use for the following recipe within the next three days.

Day 2- Oven Baked Chicken and Rice with steamed broccoli. Not the most exciting recipe in the menu, but definitely a delicious staple!

Day 3- Keto Low Carb Beef and Broccoli (Mix it up by serving it with quinoa instead of rice, or a rice noodle! Coconut Aminos make a great gluten-free and healthy substitute for soy sauce. You can probably find it in the health food section of your local grocery store. For something a bit easier on the wallet, you can also look for tamari in your Asian aisle. Both are great gluten free options!)

Day 4- 5-ingredient Turkey Meatballs with "Zoodles". If you've never had zoodles, they are just zucchini noodles. I like to lightly saute them in a splash of olive oil and kosher salt. If you would like the taste of tomatoes, cut about a cup of grape tomatoes in half, then toss in with the zucchini noodles while sauteing. Replaces canned spaghetti sauce!

Day 5- Paleo Chicken Fingers with Baked Sweet Potato Fries. Looking for almond flour on a budget? Check out Aldi's- they have a bag of almond flour that is budget friendly and tasty!

Day 6- Honey Pork Chops for the instant pot. You could also make these in the oven, I would guess in a dutch oven, 350 degrees for an hour...or in the crock pot on high 4 hours, low 6 hours...depending on the thickness of your chop. Serve with salad and Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Bonus Breakfast recipe:

3-ingredient Healthy Banana Pancakes. Don't forget to pair with some additional fruit. You also may wish to add a good vanilla protein powder into the mix as well- I recommend Juice Plus+ French Vanilla Complete plant-based protein powder. If you do, you will want to add a plant-based milk such as almond milk to thin the batter a bit.

Bonus drink recipe:

McDonald's Strawberry Banana Smoothie from Copykat Recipes. I'm sure this one is WAY healthier than what you would actually get at McDonald's though- it is literally just strawberries, banana, and ice!