This week's menu

So often I get asked:  so, what CAN you guys eat????  Today, I will attempt to give a snapshot of what our week's menu looks like. 

We are embarking on new territory:  a budget (beyond paper and in real practice).  An area that I can greatly contribute financially is in the grocery department.  Yes, healthy food is "expensive" if you compare it to a box of generic Mac & Cheese, but if you compare the nutrient density to the price (how much you are actually paying in regards to ACTUAL nutrients per calorie and not just fillers and/or empty..as in ZERO nutritional content...calories) you will find that healthy food is actually VERY affordable.  Since changing my family's diet four years ago, we have gone from seeing our family doctor monthly to annually, and truly several of those visits have only been for our "well child" updates.  Factor in co-payments and medication and all the other added expenses to being sick and it's easy to ascertain that eating healthy is one of the biggest bangs for one's bucks available.

I tend to gravitate towards favorite blogs of the moment.  Most of my meals this week revolve around one blog.  I am in love and adore the flexibility and flavor her recipes offer:  Against All Grain .

"cheese" chips...J ate about 8 of these!

Monday:  crock-pot-mexican-chicken-soup-with-cheddar-cheese-chips (I used Daiya's Pepper jack cheese shreds and they worked beautifully), black beans, and Spanish cauliflower "rice" (wasn't a huge fan)

Tuesday:  chili-lime-chicken-burgers (I am subbing turkey as that's what we have), corn on the cob, and leftover black beans

Wednesday:  Meatloaf, sweet potato french fries, and "fried" squash  (my own concoctions)

NOTE:  I am trying a very NEW recipe for Thursday and always try to ensure that I have a suitable "leftover" for J-Bob in case it's too much for his sensory issues.  We have come a long way and he will have to try at least 8 bites of our *new* thing, but it isn't enough to fill him up completely...babysteps...so proud of how far he's come!

Thursday:  chile-verde-chicken-enchiladas-scd-primal (this is my Hero's first day off in 7!!  Tonight will be a fun feast), more black beans, and a big green salad and probably a dessert of some sort.

Friday:  battered-gluten-free-chicken-strips (note this is a different blog...LOVE her, too), green beans, and another big green salad

NOTE:  I try to make sure I sandwich a very new recipe with two tried and true recipes so as not to create any unnecessary anxiety around dinner.  No reason to come this far only to be counter-productive.

Saturday:  Grill, grill, grill.  I HEART the grill.  I try to pile up plenty of meat and veggies for us to snack on, and on the weekends the kids each get to get a bag of chips of choice.

Sunday:  honestly, I am too fickle to plan THIS far. 

I usually try to hit Kroger's manager specials during J-bob's therapy to find Organic and/or humanely raised meat on sale.  If you notice, I am trying to have a type of bean several times a week in an effort to desensitize my family to the texture so that maybe in a few  years we can have several meatless days.  I am not against eating meat; we have come to appreciate all the nutrients it provides our hypoallergenic bodies.  I am against factory farming and the over-indulgent-over-consumption of meat...and I'm on a strict budget...which means this family better learn to like some beans, baby.  I wish I could mesh the awareness of Vegans with the awareness of the Paleo community in an effort to show that healthy diets lifestyles MUST involve fruits and veggies and unprocessed foods...the rest is just personal needs and preferences.

I keep our breakfast super easy.  I have found a Gluten-free bread, Rudi's, that is very good and reasonably priced.  The kiddos have a piece of toast and a glass of Bolthouse Farm's Green juice. 

I have a cup of coffee with a splash of So Delicious Coconut Creamer (french vanilla) and a banana.

We snack on fruit, almonds & raisins, and chocolate almond milk unless J-man has his chips still and then he enjoys chips and hummus (we add chili powder and cumin to make it taste more cheese dip-ish).  I also make smoothies and Popsicles and have organic suckers on hand. 

Our lunch is usually leftovers or a spinach salad with baby carrots, celery, and sweet potato french fries or a grilled "cheese" sandwich for the kids (we try to keep lunch veggie focused in an effort to get enough in our daily diet). 

Mermaid and I gladly ate this again for lunch!

I get a lot of personal emails and FB requests about how/where to start and what to eat; I hope this little snapshot into our week's menu has helped.  I try to remind everyone that it all starts with a first step.  I think we should all begin by simply adding our needed 8-10 glasses of water a day and slowly go from there..one meal, day, week, and year at a time.  Babysteps.