Meal Plan, Takeout Fatigue, etc.

Before I get into the meal plan for this week, I don’t check Facebook all that often anymore. However, someone added me to a group that I do find quite interesting. It’s called the Non-Consumer Advocate. It’s all about finding ways to do things without necessarily spending money or otherwise consuming. Or if you do spend money, how to be smart about it. If you’re interested in that sort of thing, I highly recommend joining!

So, you’ve seen our $98 Aldi haul for this week. Our meal plan this week is nothing shocking or particularly interesting. I am trying to use up the things we have left over from vacation. (PS: Want more meal planning? Here’s the last time I wrote about this subject. And here’s all my posts on it.)

I’ll just be giving you the dinners we’re eating. Breakfasts are usually eggs and toast for Stephen, a protein smoothie for me, cereal + fruit for Ada, and waffles for Eloise. Lunch has been quite random as well this summer. I’m still trying to eat raw once a day, by the way. Should I do an update on that? Let me know in the comments!

Also: I’m trying to get Ada into more diversified eating, so I’ll try to touch on this subject another day. Snacks are things like Greek yogurt mixed with peanut butter, popcorn, carrot sticks, homemade granola bars, etc.

DINNERS

• Coconut Curry Tofu w/ Freezer Veggies + rice
• Veggie Burgers (bulk + frozen), onion rings
• Veggie Quesadillas with greek yogurt + salsa
• Pizza Night
• Hummus, homemade pita, and Greek salad
• Omelettes + homemade kale chips
• Mexican Quinoa Salad

The girls will eat the veggie burgers, quesadillas, pizza, hummus, omelets, and Mexican quinoa dish with us. Or at least try. We also have some staples on hand for them, like mac and cheese or pierogis, if we think they won’t enjoy a meal (or if we’re eating at different times).

Thoughts on Eating Out

We definitely have takeout fatigue. I loved sampling cuisine from our favorite restaurants while on vacation. That said, it was mega-expensive (regrettably so!). And you know what? I missed cooking. I think we may even make better meals than some we get out. While a good meal out can certainly be a nice indulgence -- even a regular one -- I think we’re going to skip for a while. Even with my birthday coming up, a home-cooked meal seems much more pleasurable than anything else right now.

You get a lot of facts and figures if you look up how much the average family spends going out to eat each year. I estimate that we probably spend around $50 a week on an average week getting a mix of takeout, dining out, etc. That’s figured into our “entertainment” budget category. So, if we stopped doing that . . . that’s $2,600 a year. I only took the time to figure this out just now.

And now I feel a bit sick to my stomach. Do you know how many places that money could go? Holy moly.

What’s your policy on going out to eat? I doubt we’ll stop doing it altogether. But I’d like to save it for only special occasions. Maybe once a month? That sounds like cutting to the bone, but I think it’s doable. 

Recipe Liberation

Here’s my parting idea for the day . . . and it’s something I’ve neglected to mention on the blog. I rarely follow recipes (even my own) exactly. Well, if I have everything on hand, yes. But if I’m missing ginger for a stir-fry, for example, I’ll skip it. Of course, it’d be nice to get the extra flavor, but usually there are other spices + things that will do enough of the heavy lifting. If the ingredient is non-essential, like peppers for veggie quesadillas, I’ll leave it out, too. (This rule doesn’t apply with baking usually. Especially with things like baking powder, baking soda, etc.)

Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to explain is that cooking can be flexible. I am sure many of you know that. But I think some others think we must follow recipes exactly. Not the case at all! You can make all sorts of substitutions, swaps, and omissions. Heck, you can add things, too. It takes time to get cooking right. You’ll make missteps along the way. But you may even make something particularly delicious -- accidentally.

I’ll be back soon with a recipe for Greek salad, homemade granola bars, and some notes on getting back to from-scratch cooking and baking. Feels good.

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Mommy + Me Meals // Slow Cooker Soup

This post from my old family blog is just about two years old. It's still one of my favorite food tricks if Ada's being picky! And I actually think I may make slow cooker soup or chili tonight for dinner. Yum!

I must admit that as Ada nears age 3, she’s been much more adventurous with her eats. Some of her new favorites? Black olives and roasted beets. Stephen opened a can of olives to toss onto our pasta dinner one night, and we heard a little: “Whadder doze?” And the rest is history.

Still, assembled meals allude us. So, I needed a way to get Ada to eat what we were eating now that it’s fall. Why does that matter? I make my many slow cooker soups, and she just wasn’t interested -- in any of them. Rather than make a completely separate meal (which is what we’ve done for far too long), I got this sort of weird and wonderful idea.

It’s Soup and Not Soup

For this particular slow cooker soup, I made a batch of this delicious Whole Foods recipe, but instead of red beans -- I used a mix of black and pinto. Instead of red rice, I used brown. I skipped the greens.  I tossed in some salsa and pumpkin puree for wet ingredients versus the wine. And then instead of cooking it on the stovetop, I simmered for several hours in the slow cooker (after the beans had soaked in water overnight).

You get the idea. Keep it loose, use what you have, and improvise.

I like to serve chunky soups and stews with cheese, so that’s why you see that in the mix. The olives were added because Ada likes them. And you see some canned black beans on Ada’s plate -- that’s because she’s only now starting to like rehydrated beans. They are ever-so slightly tougher and less salty . . . so the canned are like the gateway beans on her plate.

Here’s a closer look:


And that’s right. This is the same meal, though it looks quite different, right? The strange part: I strained Ada’s beans and rice versus serving them in soup form. I tried soup first just to see, but she turned her nose. This is much the same nutrition, minus the goop.

You can either use a slotted spoon to do the work. Really picky kids might need light rinse in the colander. Since I’d eventually hope Ada will enjoy some soup, I am going to keep trying to serve it to her in its original form before going to these measures. But we do what we need to do. It’s better than admitting defeat and serving yet another PB+J.



She was skeptical at first, but ended up eating the whole thing (plus an apple)! I’m absolutely thrilled to see Ada trying new foods. I’m going to continue to encourage it, but also keep following her lead. Thanks for you patience with this post -- I know some of you had been looking forward to it for over a week!

Have you made any good mommy + me meals lately?

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Trying Hello Fresh (Again) + Giveaway

It's no secret that we've been pretty busy these last several months. What I haven't told you is that many nights it's felt like we were drowning. I've been really tired, Ada's been cranky, and Stephen's been, well, coaching late nights and Saturdays. Nothing the typical family doesn't deal with -- but it was really taking a toll on family dinner time, which I think made the situation so much worse. Gathering together at the dinner table even just a few nights a week helps our family stay connected and sane.

Truth time: I slacked on making dinners, big time. And the dinners I was making were the same old ones I've been making for the last several years. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. But with food -- a rut is never good. We were bored. In desperation I went searching for help one night and then remembered that years ago I had reviewed Hello Fresh when they first unveiled their vegetarian meal options.

So, I decided to sign up for the service myself (so, this is an unsponsored review, just FYI) and see how it's changed over the years. I actually used a code from a friend and got $40 off my first order (more details later). Here's what we've been eating, what we think of the freshness/quality, and if we'll sign on to do more weeks.

Our Meals 

What I noticed first and foremost is that the packaging has majorly improved from when I reviewed them back in 2012. Everything used to be wrapped in plastic. Now much is in recyclable cardboard and some stuff, like kale, is just out within the box. So, that's a huge step in the right direction.

We get our UPS deliveries very late in the day (6PM), so I was concerned that the food wouldn't be fresh/cold enough with the heat wave, but it was just fine with the cold pack. And another change from 2012 is that I didn't need to be around for delivery. Score!

Here's what we got in our box. Everything was separated by recipe and all the instructions were clearly indicated on easy-to-follow recipe cards.

#1: Sweet Potato Niçoise Salad

I'm not big on eating a salad for dinner. But with all the variety in this mix -- and the lemon-dijon dressing -- I didn't feel like it was lacking. The veggies included: Sweet Potato, Persian Cucumber, Lemon, Red Onion, Parsley, Garlic, Chickpeas, Green Beans, Dijon Mustard Glass Jar, Grape Tomatoes, Spring Mix. The only thing with this dinner that frustrated me is that I didn't feel like it came with enough greens. This meal took less than half an hour to make and had 22 grams of protein per serving.

You can read more details here.


#2: Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl

This one was Stephen's favorite of the bunch. It was bursting with olives, feta, and kale chips. So many different flavors and textures. And then you have the quinoa, which is something that Ada loves to eat. This meal only took about 20 minutes to make and had a nice 17 grams of protein per serving.

You can read more details here.


#3: Rigatoni Al Forno

Oh, man, oh, man. You guys. I loved this recipe. And I don't really like pasta. Roasted eggplant is such a rich ingredient. Add that to big noodles tossed with homemade tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella? AND then you add a crispy topping of panko and parmesan? I was in heaven. This meal took around a half hour to make and boasted a whopping 32 grams of protein per serving.

You can read more details here.

Verdict?

Overall, we were impressed enough with the service to give it another week's try. We should be receiving our food tonight -- which means dinner is already planned! I have had mixed feelings about trying a service like this because I really do know how to meal plan. I've done it successfully for years. I also love and know how to cook my own meals. But I will say that the variety and fresh recipe ideas did inspire me to branch out a bit with the other meals in the week.

I guess I think these sorts of services serve a purpose. Like, right now we are really stretched to the max -- and I need help in this area. Once the baby comes, I could also see this being a good option for the first several months versus getting caught up in a takeout cycle. I also like that there's no huge commitment. If we decide to get back on track on our own, we simply pause/cancel the service by Wednesday. Done.

$40 Off Your First Delivery

Are you interested in giving a meal service like Hello Fresh a try? Like I said, I was resisting this whole trend because I felt like it was too expensive, especially considering I'd need to spend time cooking anyway. But it has turned out to be a bit of fresh air that we've needed to get back into the cooking routine again. It's definitely less expensive than takeout and -- being in my third trimester -- it helps motivate me to quickly throw something together so we can get back at family dinners.

If you'd like to try it for yourself, you can get $40 off your first delivery.

Visit Hello Fresh and use code YCEAHR at the checkout.

Or Win a FREE Box

I also have a FREE box of food to give away to one lucky winner.

• Leave a comment below telling me what meal services you've tried or how you've otherwise fought your way out of a food rut. 
• I'll need your email address or some other way to contact you. 
• I'll announce the winner next Wednesday, June 8th.

More soon!

Many of you seemed interested in this whole concept when I posted my meals to Instagram. I'll probably do another post on this week's delivery soon. I'll cover more about how we're fitting it into our tight food budget, as well as how we're modifying the meals to meet the needs of an athlete, a third trimester pregnant woman, and a hungry preschooler.

I may also pause my service and try out Blue Apron or another service sometime soon to compare. Do you have any suggestions?

Read more...

Aldi Haul

Here are my top five favorites from this week's Aldi haul. Organic seedy bread. A gigantic package of strawberries (for just $5!). Eight (!!!) avocados that were like half price. Canned pumpkin -- again -- at a half price steal. And Boca burgers for crazy weeknights.

I'll admit that I got really lazy and started going to Wegmans for the bulk of my shopping in recent months. It had everything to do with my cravings, but I can't believe how much our grocery budget got out of control. Last night, we filled our cart to the brim with more than a week's worth of food at Aldi for $101 . . . and I didn't even write a list. Score.

We got:

• Organic tortilla chips
• Greek yogurt
• Organic whole milk yogurt
• Cereal
• Organic popcorn
• Large package rolled oats
• Organic apple instant oats
• Organic honey
• Unrefined coconut oil
• Pound of walnuts
• Organic soy milk
• 4 cans chickpeas
• 4 cans pumpkin puree
• 2 packages whole wheat tortillas
• Loaf organic seedy bread
• 2 blocks of cheese
• 1 package queso fresco 
• Package string mozzarella
• Organic bananas
• Strawberries
• Green onions
• Carrots
• Zucchini
• Onions 
• Large container spring mix greens
• Small container arugula greens
• Multicolored bell peppers
• 8 avocados 
• 2 packages Boca burgers 
• 2 packages of unsweetened organic applesauce
• Organic linguine noodles
• Organic pasta sauce
• Organic quinoa
• Pizza sauce

I'm probably surely forgetting something. Anyway, if you haven't shopped Aldi in a while -- GO BACK. I'm not paid to write this. I just feel super enthusiastic about the store. I feel like in the few months we haven't been there that they've started carrying even more delicious organic items. I was skipping around the aisles.

Meals for the week are pretty basic.

Breakfasts will be either oatmeal or cereal with strawberries and/or banana. Plus we have yogurt on the side!  

Lunches will be hummus melts or large salads. Ada usually eats PBJ. Sliced peppers or  carrots on the side with applesauce, misc. pantry snacks (popcorn, etc.).  

Dinners will be veggie burgers, slow cooker soup + tasty biscuits, veggie quesadillas, linguine + veggie pasta, breakfast for dinner, something with quinoa, and a few I'm not sure of yet.

My favorite snack/dessert this week: Vegan chocolate + peanut butter no-bake cookies -- no refined sugar. Stay tuned for that recipe soon.

What's on your menu this week? Read more Aldi posts + recipes here!

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Do You Snack?

Do you guys snack? Or do some of you never eat between meals? I find this whole issue incredibly interesting. I have friends who swear by eating several (5+) small meals per day and others who say their weight and energy is better when they eat just breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

I am a regular snacker. I always have been. And with my recent diet changes, I definitely feel like it’s not how often you eat -- but what you eat that matters most. I always knew it . . . but I actually feel it. For example, when I start my day with a huge bagel or stack of syrup-covered French toast, I tend to crave sugar all my waking hours. If I can eat eggs or greens or something otherwise savory, I fare much better.

None of this is new information for most of you, I’m sure. It’s funny how you can “know” so much about diet and exercise, but still fall prey to bad habits. With snacking, I always stuck to sweeter stuff. Carbs, mostly. Quick energy lifters. In the last couple months, I’ve tried doing more nut butters, chopped veggies, bean dips, hardboiled eggs, and low-carb, low-sugar alternatives. It seems to be working in the short-term, since I’ve lost a couple pounds, but I’m still left wondering if I can keep it up.

Now, snacking isn’t universally accepted as a great way to stay slim and healthy. A recent study revealed that 41 percent of respondents actually skipped dinner to eat only snacks at least once in a 30-day period. And often snacks are used to satisfy cravings, so that’s usually not cravings of the healthiest choices on the menu. What’s more, though snacking is often used to help regular appetite and energy, it might actually contribute to overeating and excess calorie consumption in the long run.

Hmmmm . . .

How do you approach snacking?

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Sunday Meal Prep Ideas

Like many of you, I like to do a load of meal-prep on Sunday afternoons. Since I've been doing so many grocery posts, I thought it'd be helpful to show you the sorts of make-ahead items I'm creating these days specifically.

Many of them utilize all Aldi ingredients and some require additional foods (chickpeas, quinoa, herbal tea, canned pumpkin, etc.).

Here we go!

// HARDBOILED EGGS

We always make a dozen hardboiled eggs to split between the two of us all week (Ada doesn't like them at all!). I mostly just eat them plain, but sometimes we'll mix them into Avocado Egg Salad or Mayo-Less Egg Salad. Other times I'll slice in half and make quick deviled eggs with lots of smoky paprika.


// MINIMALIST CHICKPEA SPREAD

This word combo sounds like the equivalent of "conscious uncoupling" just for tahini-free hummus. I don't think I've ever shared my go-to hummus recipe on the blog. Combine 1 can drained chickpeas, around 1/4+ cup water, a teaspoon of spice (I like paprika or even curry!), a clove of garlic, pinch of salt, and that's it. Use for snacking + veggies, sandwiches (Hummus Melts!), etc.


// SLOW COOKER SOUP

Are you getting tired of this one yet? Not me. It's getting warmer, but I'm still a crockpot fiend. If you haven't seen all my tips yet, here's 10 tips for how to make the perfect slow cooker soup with whatever you happen to have on hand, every single freakin' time.


// ROASTED VEGGIES

Whether it's carrots, broccoli, onions, zucchini, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, or whatever else -- just chop up a pan-full of them and roast until browned. Then keep in your fridge to us in Veggie Burgers, Veggie-Loaded Quesadillas, delicious soups, and even as a simple side to other dinners.


// QUICK BREAD OR MUFFINS

Breakfast prep can be just as helpful as the work is for lunch and dinner. Usually I don't go too overboard with my morning meal, but a nice Banana Bread (Nutella Banana Bread!) or Zesty Orange-Ricotta Muffin does the trick every time! And if you'd like to use up your juice pulp -- try these One Bowl Juice Pulp Muffins, simple and delicious for the week!



// RICE OR QUINOA

During the week it can be a pain to make a grain to go along with dinner. So, we like to make a large batch on the weekend and refrigerate + reheat for mid-week enjoyment. I like brown rice and quinoa best, but I think making ahead works alright with most like-ingredients. Particularly helpful if you enjoy making veggie burgers and need to toss in a grain.


// PESTO

Seriously. You will be happy you took time to pulse together this simple, satisfying spread. I have tons of easy recipes -- and most of them don't require any fuss. Just use raw greens!

Pesto + Avocado Sauce (Video)
Pumpkin Pesto Rolls
Garlic Scape + Swiss Chard Pesto, 2 Ways
Steamed Pesto Dumplings
Pesto Pizza Dough
Baby Kale Pesto
Walnut Basil Pesto
Basil-Pesto French Toast
Pesto French Toast, II -- with Avocado Butter
Pesto Quiche with Oatmeal Crust
Pesto Garlic Knots
Pesto Portabella Sandwiches
(Pesto) Smothered Mother


// HERBAL TEA

I like drinking cool tea (not iced), so I'll often steep a few bags of my favorite fruity variety over the weekend and pour into a pitcher to cool in the fridge. A nicer option for a zero calorie flavored beverage than all those weird water squirts I keep seeing at different grocery stores. I usually make a pot with around 4-6 bags and go from there.


// PIZZA DOUGH

It's on the menu every week: pizza or garlic knots. Our go-to recipe continues to be the Pumpkin Pizza Dough we made way back when. But sometimes we substitute in other pureed vegetables (beets, cauliflower, carrots, etc.) and just adjust the liquid level depending on the consistency of the dough. I find that pizza dough turns out better if it's given a full night to rise and then refrigerated. Could just be my preferences, but who knows!


What's on your weekly meal-prep list these days?



And don't miss our 90 healthiest recipes of 2013! Lots of delicious, wholesome foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and beyond. Includes both vegan and vegetarian recipes to please the entire family -- even toddlers!




Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Grocery Budget: $60 Average Continues

As I wrote in my last grocery budget post, we've started shopping at Aldi to save some major money on our grocery bill each week. By now, we've decided this isn't some short-term experiment or novelty that we'll grow out of when the next fad hits. We're pretty much sure we're switching stores for good.

Here's our latest receipt.

If you look closely, you'll notice that we have DOUBLE a lot of items. That's because this $70 total is a good portion of groceries for two, yes, TWO weeks combined with what we still have left at home. We'll have to go back to get some items like bananas, fresh fruits + veggies, and bread next week, but I don't see that being over $25-$30.

You'll also notice we have a bag charge. I have no idea how we forgot to bring our bags. Live and learn, I guess. Also, you guys have helped me settle on the classic canvas bags versus the mesh totes. You're right that the durability and washability trump pretty colors!

// THE DOLLARS AND CENTS

Basically, we've been averaging out around $60 a week if you count the added canned goods + few items (tofu, Earth Balance, whole wheat flour) we use otherwise. This is at least $30 less than we had been averaging per week when we were shopping at Wegmans. And if I'm being totally honest, we were seeing $100-$110/week for a while.

. . . so, for us, we're talking a monthly savings of up to $200!


I owe our saving $$$ to:

• Less selection, but all the necessities are covered.
• Lower cost in general of all the foods b/c they are store brand.
• Less temptation, so I can stay on task.
• Fewer aisles, so shopping is fast and efficient.
• Less expensive toddler convenience foods -- big help in our house.
• Motivation from seeing a lower price tag = invaluable.
• Fewer ingredients mean simpler meal planning (see meals below).
• Continuing to make most meals at home, from scratch.

I guess I've been most surprised and impressed by the quality of the food. Traditionally, I thought of Aldi as a store with expired foods or ones that were discarded. I think there's some perception that discount equals this sort of thing, but all our food from Aldi has been fresh, tasty, and all well within date limits.

This past week, we had to stock up on quite a few items. Our cart was so full, I was absolutely convinced our total was going to be outrageous. We had even snuck into the cart some "extras," like steel-cut oats, a frozen stir-fry mix, and several 85% dark chocolate bars.

As always, I feel it's important to mention a.) That this post isn't sponsored in any way -- I have no affiliation with Aldi, b.) Our toiletries and house items go in a different "household" budget and c.) Our weekend fund is around $50, which we mostly use to go to a movie ($20) and then out to eat or buy special foods to make some weekend meals.


// WHAT WE'RE EATING FOR DINNER

Another concern of mine was that we'd be eating boring, bland dinners. That just hasn't been the case. My produce selection, yes, is a bit leaner than I'm used to, but we just sent in our paperwork for our CSA share (which is around $24/week, if I remember correctly). So, that should soon be covered, though with some local offerings popping up in our store -- I wonder how produce selection changes seasonally at Aldi.

Otherwise, I'm finding some great staples to cook with and learning to love others. Combined with a solid spice collection (which, I have discovered I'll be able to stock up again on a lot of them at Aldi), we've made anything from basic pizzas to more complicated Indian dishes.

Cheese + Bean Quesadillas

Tortilla Shells, Shredded Cheese, Canned Black Beans, Organic Salsa, Greek Yogurt, Avocado

Slow Cooker Soup -- following these handy tips!

Vegetable Broth, Zucchini, Onion, Canned Tomatoes, Canned Beans

Veggie Pizza

Tomato Sauce, Shredded Cheese, Roasted Onion, Green Pepper + Mushrooms, Homemade Crust

Spinach + Avocado Pesto Pasta

Spinach, Garlic, Parmesan, Avocado, Pasta Shells (from this post) -- Salsa and Egg, too.

Chana Masala w/ Roasted Cauliflower

We had spices, but Cauliflower, Chickpeas, Tomatoes, Onion, Garlic, Bell Pepper

Basic Veggie Burgers

Whatever veggies are on hand, Beans, Oats, Seasonings, Toast

// RELATED POSTS:

Shopping at Aldi: Our New Secret Weapon
Shop For TWO Weeks, Save Money
Ongoing Grocery Saga + YOUR Tips
10 Favorite (Cheap!) Grocery Staples
How Low can we Go?
$60 Sweet Spot
Eating Well Need Not Cost a Fortune
Grocery Bills: Progress
Grocery Bills: Even More Progress
Grocery Bills: What's Up Now?
Slashing Grocery Bills: We're Going Strong
Grocery Bills: Major Fail!
How to Store Bulk Foods
Cooking and Baking on a Budget: How To
How to Bake It Vegan: Common Substitutions

// WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Some of you said you'd been meaning to try Aldi.

Did you check it out this weekend? I'd love to hear your experiences!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Automatic (Healthy) Eating // Tip 3

I used to sit down with cookbooks or my recipe archives and set out to make all these amazing meals each week. Even back when I worked outside the house full time, I made meal planning + cooking a huge priority. I'd go through and meticulously write out the ingredients needed, write up my list, and take lots of time each day preparing food.

But just as setting unrealistic fitness goals can be overwhelming and defeating, so too can being overly ambitious in the kitchen. Even the best plans can be super organized, easy to follow, and even frugal. If they're too labor intensive, you'll likely fail -- and what's at stake isn't your ego, it's your health.

Or at least that's how it worked for me.

// TIP 3: Create Simple, Go-To Meals

Simple meals don't need to be boring. Instead, they need to be easy + fast to prepare AND feature healthy ingredients. That being said, if you're not used to assembling meals without recipes, it can take some practice to get into a good groove.

Mastering a few key recipes can be a fantastic use of your time. Focusing on a few to start is helpful if you're learning, but can get somewhat boring. Good news: Before too long, you'll gain more confidence and independence from books + blogs and be able to make your own no-fuss meals like a pro.

A well-stocked pantry is all you need. And maybe a few ideas . . .

BREAKFAST:

Oatmeal
Smoothies
Eggs + Toast
Banana Scramble
Breakfast Burrito
Homemade Freezer Waffles

LUNCH:

Avocado Egg Salad
Tofu Avocado Salad
Couscous Salad
Hummus Melts
Apple Melt
Other Salads
5-Minute Bruschetta Toast

DINNER:

Veggie Stir-Fries
Veggie Chili
Whole Wheat Pasta + 10-Minute Tomato Sauce
Anything with frozen veggies!
Stuffed Peppers
Slow Cooker Soups + Stews
Roasted Veggies w/ Baked Tofu


What these meals have in common is that they use relatively few ingredients and rely mostly on spices and seasonings to give them flair. I love roasting vegetables as a side for dinners because most just require preheating the oven to 400 degrees F, chopping, and drizzling with olive oil (and adding salt + pepper to taste). After roasting around 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes or so, they should be golden.

I like to keep beans on hand for hummus and soups. I use my slow cooker every Sunday to effortlessly simmer a delicious lunch chili. A little prep ahead of time -- hard boiling -- can make work-week egg salad a breeze. And when in doubt, we cook up tofu or tempeh and toss with some frozen or fresh veggies stir-fried with soy sauce and sesame oil.

Using ingredients in their most basic form + seasoning is the way to go.

What are your go-to meals? How do you make them healthy?

(If you're catching up, check out tip #1: stock up on frozen veggies + tip #2: buy greens and actually USE them.)

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Hello Fresh: Vegetarian Boxes

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Hello Fresh is service that delivers recipes to your door. These recipes are "created by world-class chefs who ensure that your meals are delicious and easy to prepare within 30 minutes."

And some exciting news for us: These recipes now include tasty vegetarian meals.

Hello Fresh sent me a box of three meals to test out in our very own kitchen. Good timing, too, as we've been in a bit of a crunch with our renovation project taking over both our house and our time.

Let's take a look inside the box.


As for the vegetarian fare, here's what Hello Fresh currently offers: Lean and Green Veggie Pasta, Tofu and Shiitake Stir Fry, and a Virtuous Vegetarian Curry.


My favorite was the Tofu and Shiitake Stir Fry. All the flavors were there, which isn't always the case when we cook a weeknight meal. Ginger, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, all topped off with a delicious sauce and sesame seeds.

Oh, and rice! That's something we always want . . . but by the time we figure it out, we don't have 45 minutes to let it cook. The instructions reminded us to stick rice in the pot first, before starting anything else on the stove.


Some PROS:

• All ingredients are separated and labeled according to meal. This makes things super easy to identify at cook-time.
• The ingredients are comprehensive. Whereas we tend to skip things like sesame seeds or chopped nuts, fresh herbs or certain condiments to top off a dish -- they are all included . . . and make a huge difference!
• The meals are absolutely delicious. I told Stephen more than once that it was better than going out to eat. 
• And that's not only because they taste great. The actual process of cooking was fun -- the recipes and methods are simple, everything is portioned out and just needs to be cut and cooked. 
• The portion sizes are gigantic and -- after each meal -- I had leftovers for lunch the next day. 

Some CONS:

• Though I like how everything is labeled and separated, it creates quite a bit of packaging. I've been told by Hello Fresh that they are working on making things more environmentally friendly.
• I am excited to see these 3 vegetarian meal offerings, but I'd like to see more variety if I would ever plan to sign on and get the service regularly. I imagine since the offerings are new, there's more good stuff on the way.
• To receive the box, I had to be present to sign off on delivery. I don't know if this would be every week -- but if I worked outside the home, it wouldn't be convenient for me.

Other information:

• You can place a hold at any time -- giving you some flexibility. Free delivery
• No minimum duration (6 day notice period) if you just want it for a short period of time.
• Payments are deducted weekly (after delivery) versus all up-front.
• You can purchase enough food for 2, 4, or 6 people.

BOTTOM LINE: 

I really enjoyed cooking up our Hello Fresh meals. The package came quickly and everything inside was fresh and super organized. The experience of cooking and following the recipe cards was fun. And -- seriously -- the food was delicious.

I personally don't think I could justify the expense on a weekly basis all year long, BUT if I was working full-time outside the house OR if I had a busy month (cough -- newborn days??? -- right?), I could totally see taking full advantage of a service like this for a set period of time.

I also feel like it would make an excellent gift. But that could just be Christmas on the brain and the fact that I still haven't finished my own shopping!


TRY IT OUT:

If you would like to check out the service yourself, Hello Fresh has generously offered our readers a 30% off discount with code HF_Neverhomemaker. Code is valid until the end of January 2013.

Have you ever tried a delivery service like Hello Fresh? Or do you think you'd ever try one? Oh, and you can also check out the HF Facebook page for more information on their services, as well as chances to win cool stuff.

*** Hello Fresh sent me a box with 3 meals for 2. My opinions in this post are my own.

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