I’m wining and dining in Canmore with some of my favorite ladies – my mom, sister and aunt in law. Court’s Aunt Pat let us invade her home for the weekend and we’ve been enjoying an indulgent girls weekend. Lots of good food, conversation and wine!
I drove us ladies to Canmore on Friday afternoon, and when we arrived, Pat was already in the kitchen creating salad and Paella.
Pat holds the key to my heart – not only did she serve up a fabulous seafood dinner and red wine, she placed a brand new jar of almond butter in front of me at breakfast. *Swoon*
As promised, here’s my meal plan for the week! Court is on grocery shopping duty while I’m out of town. He’s good.
Wednesday- Baked Honey-Tamari Glazed Salmon + Steamed Asparagus + Wild Rice. If you’re not sure how to prepare salmon, here is a helpful tutorial. Prior to placing the salmon in the oven, drizzle on 3 tbsp of tamari (or soy sauce) followed by 1 tbsp honey, and a dash of ground pepper. While salmon is baking, prepare the asparagus and rice.
Thursday: Sushi Salads <– How amazing do these look?!
One thing that has helped me stay on track with my wellness goals is to create a weekly meal plan. Not only has it prevented me from having a nervous breakdown in the grocery store (not knowing what to buy or make) it saves time and money. I put an end to mindless wandering around the store, filling a shopping cart with impulse purchases that may not serve a purpose. (Although that can be fun at times!)
My goal is to create a wellness community on LMG with a somewhat-structured weekly meal plan where we can share our favorite recipes. You don’t have to prepare each meal on the specified night, but with ‘the plan’ in place, at least you will have 5-7 options to turn to during the week. Submissions are always welcome – recipes don’t have to be your own creation – a link to an online recipe is perfect. It doesn’t even have to be something you’ve made before – lets keep an open mind and try some new dishes!
Mixed greens with strawberries, apples, pecans and avocado dressing
Creamy Vegan Spaghetti
Black Bean Quesadillas, Roasted Corn Salsa & Spicy Guacamole
Here’s an example of my meal plan I’m following this week:
Monday: Thai Chickpea Burgers + Sweet Potato & Yam Fries + Greens Tuesday: Avocado Shrimp Spring Rolls + Spicy Peanut Sauce Wednesday: Homemade Margarita Pizza + Greens Thursday: Roasted Rosemary Chicken, Wild Rice, Roasted Asparagus & Parsnips Friday: Spaghetti & (Bison) Meat Sauce – for Court. (I’m out of town) Saturday: Eat out (both of us) Sunday: Organic (local) Beef Burgers + Greens – for Court
Before I get into the first weeks meal plan, I want to discuss the importance of having a kitchen that is stocked with staples. Life is so much easier when you have options readily available for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Before grocery shopping, I do a quick inventory to see if anything needs to be restocked. I’ve created a list of what I regularly have in my kitchen.
I don’t expect anyone to rush out and purchase everything on the list, but rather to use as a guideline.
Please try to purchase organic produce whenever possible. There are ways to fit it into your budget. Are there things in your life you can cut back on or eliminate? Tim Hortons? Buying lunch everyday? Magazines? Start small and build a savings strategy from there. Use that money towards a health investment: higher quality, sustainably farmed produce that isn’t heavily sprayed with pesticides.
Veggies & Herbs
Spinach
Mixed Greens
Carrots
Celery
Sweet Red Onion
Green Onion
Yams or Potatoes
Frozen Corn (buy organic!)
Frozen Shelled Edamame (only purchase if it is organic)
Frozen Peas
Sliced Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Fresh Cilantro
Fresh Basil
Broccoli Slaw
Broccoli or Cauliflower
Minced Garlic
Fruit
Apples (whatever variety is on sale)
Bananas – I buy 2 or 3 bunches at a time. Once ripe, slice and freeze for smoothies!
Lemons & Limes
Avocado (when in season)
Fresh seasonal berries, or frozen
Frozen tropical fruit (mango, pineapple) – if on sale
Canned/Jar Goods
Chickpeas
Black Beans
White Beans
Crushed Tomatoes
Plain Tomato Sauce
Tomato Paste
Unsweetened applesauce
Meat & Dairy With farmers market season in full swing, now is a great opportunity to meet and connect with local farmers. Again, please try to purchase local and organic meat and dairy products whenever possible.
Eggs
Egg Whites
Chicken Breasts
Ground Bison or Extra Lean Ground Beef
Wild Salmon
Plain Greek Yogurt or Plain Goats Milk Yogurt
Soft Goat Cheese or Feta
Mozzarella, Cheddar, Havarti – whatever is on sale
“Milk” consider switching to non-dairy milk. It’s less expensive. I use unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk, Organics almond, Good Karma flax and on occasion, Natura soy.
Grains& Flour & Baking Supplies
Whole Grain Wraps (I buy regular wraps for Court, brown rice for myself)
Whole Grain Bread (I buy sprouted grain bread for Court, and Udi’s gluten free bread for myself)
Whole Grain Pasta (I alternate between organic corn, quinoa and brown rice)
Brown Rice
Wild Rice
Quinoa
Rolled Oats
All Purpose Gluten Free Flour (or spelt, all purpose whole wheat)
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Pure Vanilla Extract & Vanilla Beans
Pure Chocolate Chips (Enjoy Life is a favorite brand)
Dates
Raisins
Nuts, Seeds, Oils & Spreads
Chia seeds
Hemp Hearts
Flax seeds
Raw Almonds
Raw Pumpkin seeds
Walnuts
Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
Peanut Butter
Almond Butter
Fruit Juice Sweetened Jam or Reduced Sugar Jam (avoid anything artificially sweetened or flavored)
Raw Honey
Pure Maple Syrup
Butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Spices & Herbs
I use these ones the most:
Sea Salt & Pepper
Fresh Ginger (store it in the freezer – just grate as needed and place it back in)
Chili Spice
Cinnamon
Basil
Cumin
Dill
Oregano
Turmeric
Medium Curry (for times when you don’t have eight hours to mix spices)
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Condiments& Dressings
Dijon Mustard
Reduced Sodium Tamari (an organic, gluten free alternative to conventional soy sauce)
Jalapeno Tabasco
Salsa (Herdez is my fave brand)
Tomatillo Salsa
Organicville Island Teriyaki Sauce (gluten free & no sketchy ingredients)
Balsamic Vinegar (Williams Sonoma has THEBEST aged balsamic vinegar)
To submit your recipe link, email me: joannagregson(at)live(dot)ca
Lastly, at the bottom of this post, there’s a print option in case you want to use my kitchen staples as a shopping reference.
If you have any questions or ideas, please leave them in the comments section!
Look for the first meal plan post this coming Sunday, June 10.
