An Easy-Peasy Meal Plan for the Pregnant Mom
Posted By Erin O On July 27, 2012 @ 3:00 am In Menu Planning,Pregnancy | 18 Comments
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Do you ever wonder what the writers on Keeper of the Home really eat? Wonder no longer. One writer each month will take a turn to share an actual two-week menu plan. Erin, who is due with her third baby two weeks from today, is sharing an easy meal plan for pregnant moms. Be sure to click back to Natalie's meal plan [2] from last month!
Written by Erin Odom [3], Contributing Writer
I must confess: When I volunteered to write up the July meal plan a few months back, I was shooting for an easy assignment. I knew I'd be very pregnant with our third child [4] (I'm due two weeks from today!), and how hard would it be to share my next two week's worth of meals?
Well...if I'm completely honest with you, meal planning has been challenging to me this entire pregnancy [5]! Truly, I've really slacked off (and I'm not proud of that!).
I've never been and probably never will be a gourmet cook, but I strive to feed my family simple whole foods meals (quite the contrast from my early homemaking days of meals consisting mainly of canned creamed soup casseroles and boxed pasta dishes). Time and time again this pregnancy, I've turned to my quick and easy meals list [6] because I honestly just haven't had the stamina to slave hours away in the kitchen. (And, realistically, what mom of toddlers and preschoolers really does have that time?)
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What has helped in my meal planning the most? Stephanie's Plan It, Don't Panic [8](both the challenge and the book), using my recently-won List PlanIt [9]membership (the Lord knew I needed that one!) and, even more recently, Plan to Eat [10]. I also try to keep my plans flexible, so I can take advantage of any clearance items at the grocery store [11] if I happen to find them.
So today I'm giving you a two-week plan that is nothing fancy...but it's real. Most of these meals don't take very long to prepare, and, really, anyone can make them. For frugality's sake, I incorporate a lot from our garden in our summer meals [12]. One thing you will not see are soups [13]. My husband does not like soups in the summer (and can I blame him in 90+-degree heat?), so I only serve soups from about October through March.We also do not eat a lot of breads.
Without further ado, here's an easy-peasy meal plan from a an aspiring gourmet chef very humbled homemaker [14]:
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Image by Mycophagia [16]
Week One
Sunday
- Breakfast: sausage, scrambled eggs and fruit
- Lunch: crock pot chicken & quinoa [17] (Crock Pot meals are my favorite for after church...although I admit we've eaten out a lot more frequently this pregnancy!)
- Dinner: leftovers before church Life group
Monday
- Breakfast: gluten-free banana-flax muffins [18] and fruit
- Lunch: leftovers from Sunday's lunch
- Dinner: rice flour fried chicken [19], green beans, oven-roasted potatoes [20]
Tuesday
- Breakfast: gluten-free banana-flax muffins [18] and fruit
- Lunch: salmon pasta salad [21] (great omega-3s for baby's developing brain!)
- Dinner: taco salads (For these, I simply place a handful of tortilla chips on each plate, top them with lettuce, tomatoes and peppers and place either ground beef or poultry cooked with my homemade taco seasoning [22] on the very top. I sometimes cook black or kidney beans instead of the meat to save money. I garnish with shredded cheese and either sour cream or plain yogurt). This is Stephanie's version of taco salad [23].
Wednesday
- Breakfast: protein-packed pancakes [24], fruit
- Lunch: salmon pasta salad [21]
- Dinner: Greek lemon chicken [25] with veggies from the garden (usually squash and zucchini)
Thursday
- Breakfast: protein-packed pancakes [24], fruit
- Lunch: Mediterranean chickpea salad [26]
- Dinner: pasta with chickpeas and garlic sauce [27] (a new meal I found on Pinterest [28])
Friday
- Breakfast: thick peanut butter smoothies [29]
- Lunch: leftovers
- Dinner: quesadillas (I simply place cooked meat or beans, some shredded cheese and veggies from the garden inside a tortilla, fold it in half and cook each side for a few minutes on an oiled skillet.)
Saturday
- Breakfast: sausage, scrambled eggs, fruit
- Lunch: leftover quesadillas
- Dinner: stir-fry over rice [30]
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Image by jugglerpm [32]
Week Two
Sunday
- Breakfast: sausage, eggs and fruit
- Lunch: crock pot stuffed peppers [33]
- Dinner: leftovers either before or after church Life group
Monday
- Breakfast: Gallo Pinto [34] (a traditional Costa Rican breakfast)
- Lunch: leftover Gallo Pinto [34]
- Dinner: baked chicken tenders [35], asparagus, brown rice
Tuesday
- Breakfast: breakfast bars [36], fruit
- Lunch: veggie/hummus plate
- Dinner: simple sugar snap pea pasta salad with shrimp [37]
Wednesday
- Breakfast: breakfast bars [38], fruit
- Lunch: leftover pasta salad [37]
- Dinner: garden salads [39] topped with grilled chicken
Thursday
- Breakfast: homemade pumpkin-flax seed granola [40]with yogurt or milk
- Lunch: leftover salads
- Dinner: easy baked spaghetti [41], garlic cheese biscuits [42]
Friday
- Breakfast: quick cinnamon rolls [43] (sub in whole wheat flour, palm shortening and sucanat or organic sugar), fruit
- Lunch: leftover spaghetti [41]
- Dinner: crock pot chicken cacciatore [44] over rice
Saturday
- Breakfast: bacon, eggs and fruit
- Lunch: leftovers
- Dinner: Italian cream cheese chicken casserole [45]
What do your meal plans look like during life seasons like pregnancy?
Top Image by jugglerpm [32]
Article printed from Keeper of the Home: http://www.keeperofthehome.org
URL to article: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2012/07/an-easy-peasy-meal-plan-for-the-pregnant-mom.html
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/realmealplans_500x350.png
[2] Natalie's meal plan: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2012/06/getting-back-in-the-swing-of-meal-planning-and-my-two-week-plan.html
[3] Erin Odom: http://www.thehumbledhomemaker.com/2011/03/confessions-of-cloth-diaper-convert.html
[4] very pregnant with our third child: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2012/05/10-things-never-to-say-to-pregnant.html
[5] meal planning has been challenging to me this entire pregnancy: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2012/04/real-food-pregnancy-cheatsshort-cuts.html
[6] quick and easy meals list: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2012/07/20-quick-easy-dinner-ideas-real-food.html
[7] Image: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/simple-snap-pea-pasta-salad.jpg
[8] Plan It, Don't Panic : http://www.keeperofthehome.org/my-books/plan-it-dont-panic-a-complete-meal-planning-resource
[9] List PlanIt : http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1389051
[10] Plan to Eat: http://www.plantoeat.com/ref/x6yggldyna
[11] I can take advantage of any clearance items at the grocery store: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2012/06/how-to-take-advantage-of-clearance-produce.html
[12] I incorporate a lot from our garden in our summer meals: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2011/05/box-gardening.html
[13] soups: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/soupssalads
[14] very humbled homemaker: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/about
[15] Image: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/stir-fry.jpg
[16] Mycophagia: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mycophagia/
[17] crock pot chicken & quinoa: http://christianmommyblogger.com/slow-cooker-chicken-and-quinoa/
[18] gluten-free banana-flax muffins: http://thefitcookie.com/2011/12/17/scrumptious-banana-flax-muffins/
[19] rice flour fried chicken: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2012/06/rice-flour-fried-chicken.html
[20] oven-roasted potatoes: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2011/10/easy-oven-roasted-potatoes-and-plan-it.html
[21] salmon pasta salad: http://quickeasycheaphealthy.com/2011/04/tuna-pasta-salad-for-spring/
[22] homemade taco seasoning: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2011/07/homemade-homemaking-taco-seasoning.html
[23] Stephanie's version of taco salad: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2008/07/great-recipes-sauteed-mushrooms-and-taco-salad.html
[24] protein-packed pancakes: http://www.realfoodallergyfree.com/2011/12/protein-packed-pancakes/
[25] Greek lemon chicken: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2011/10/lemon-greek-chicken-and-plan-it-dont.html
[26] Mediterranean chickpea salad: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2012/07/10-minute-lunches-mediterranean-chickpea-salad.html
[27] pasta with chickpeas and garlic sauce: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pasta-with-chickpeas-garlic-sauce-10000001011294/
[28] Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/humbledhomemakr/
[29] thick peanut butter smoothies : http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2012/05/thick-peanut-butter-smoothies.html
[30] stir-fry over rice: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2011/09/plan-it-dont-panic-meal-plan-for-919.html
[31] Image: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/enchiladas.jpg
[32] jugglerpm: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jugglerpm/
[33] crock pot stuffed peppers: http://www.stacymakescents.com/fix-and-forget-friday-crock-pot-stuffed-peppers
[34] Gallo Pinto: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2011/11/gallo-pinto-traditional-costa-rican.html
[35] baked chicken tenders: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2011/10/almost-fried-chicken-tenders-and-plan.html
[36] breakfast bars: http://frugalfoodallergies.com/dairy-free-egg-free-breakfast-bars/
[37] simple sugar snap pea pasta salad with shrimp: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2012/05/simple-sugar-snap-pea-pasta-salad-with.html
[38] breakfast bars: http://www.keeperofthehome.orgbreakfast%20bars
[39] garden salads: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2012/05/how-to-make-an-amazing-green-salad.html
[40] homemade pumpkin-flax seed granola : http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2012/05/homemade-pumpkin-flax-seed-granola.html
[41] easy baked spaghetti: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2012/06/easy-baked-spaghetti.html
[42] garlic cheese biscuits: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2011/11/better-than-red-lobster-garlic-cheese.html
[43] quick cinnamon rolls: http://arestful-place.blogspot.com/2011/12/quick-cinnamon-biscuits-recipe.html
[44] crock pot chicken cacciatore: http://lindaslunacy.com/2011/09/crockpot-chicken-cacciatore/
[45] Italian cream cheese chicken casserole: http://www.naturallyknockedup.com/italian-cream-cheese-chicken-casserole/
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