This week has been one of those very British weeks. We’ve had really sunny times, rain and then cold and very windy all in one week. Its been a little more difficult to meal plan for the week ahead, I know but it absolutely can be done and we have done it! Meal plans are not set in stone. Life sometimes gets in the way, but what can you do? Still plan ahead and continue to see your savings in terms of time and money. This week we had a meal plan with a Mexican twist.
Ever since we started planning our meals, we have been amazed at how much less food we waste, how healthier our eating is, and how much savings we make. Here are 9 benefits of meal planning.
I helped one of the little ones in doing some research on Mexico for a school project and I took a liking to the sound of some of the dishes from that culture. So the first one we tried and incorporated into this week’s meal plan is Enchilada. I guessed this would please everyone and it did.
As a side, it is a good idea to incorporate some learning into home life so that it can concretize what the kids are doing at school and make things more ‘real’ for them. So in addition to making the enchiladas at home, we also went to see this movie about the Day of the Dead which is a big part of Mexican culture. As part of a series we are filming this month, we also recommended enchiladas.
The meals for the week were:
Monday, homemade fish pie with peas and sweetcorn
Tuesday, Chicken enchiladas with carrots and broccoli
Wednesday, Pasta bake
Thursday, Chicken enchiladas with salad
Friday, salad in a jar
I really did enjoy the salad in a jar which were so easy to make and which afforded us each a chance to eat the vegetables we enjoyed without having to scrape away the bits. That’s because when you make a large salad, there isn’t much of an opportunity to let family members have only what they liked. It worked really well for us, reduced food wastage, and was so refreshing on one of the hottest days of the week.
Watch the video of me making them here:
We found most of the ingredients we used this week at Aldi and their Super Six section was full of salad ingredients that we relished. The colours were popping and vibrant (more vitamin A and the textures so varied we really got carried away and outdid ourselves.
For the Chicken Enchiladas, we used wholemeal wraps, cooked chicken pieces, sweetcorn, tomato sauce and spices such as cumin. We love that this dish is so adaptable and you can swap and change some of the ingredients. Making a large one allowed us to use half and save half in the fridge for later in the week.
We always recommend refrigerating or freezing leftovers instead of wasting it. Even if the leftover is only enough for one serving, it’s one serving that will come in handy when you really need it.
So what did your meals look like this week? Have you found ways to save money while enjoying healthy meals with your family? I’m glad this week went smoother than last week and we didn’t spend a penny on takeaways.
This week we are linking with Katy Kicker and Naomi of the Organised Life Project to share our meal plans for the week. It has been a great learning experience each week.
Hi, I’d love to contribute to your Frugal/thrifty 101 group board. My Pinterest email is grace[AT]glossybelle.com and my Pinterest URL is https://pinterest.com/glossybelle. I’ve followed all of your boards. Thanks so much!
I love the look of the salads in a jar. So bright and colourful. They look fun too. Way better than just eating them off a plate. x
The salad jars certainly make salad look appealing x
I agree with saving even the smaller leftovers. Sometimes the 3 of us have something different each for lunch but it’s still a saving on food, cooking time and energy costs! Thanks for linking up – off to watch your salad in a jar video now!
Those salad in a jar look fantastic. How long did they last for? I quite like the idea of making a few days’ worth in one go! We love Mexican food too – enchiladas are always a hit. Thanks for linking up.