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The first installment of the Bean and Veggie Meal Plan Analysis:

Here’s a Menu Plan from Health, Home and Happiness, where Cara is eating really nutritiously and doesn’t really need my help, but I’ll take a look anyway!  I’m analyzing her meals to look for places she could get in more beans and veggies. Why beans?  I’ll try to give everyone ideas about how to theoretically (if not practically) get more of both healthy foods in YOUR meals throughout the week.  My voice is in italics.

This is ‘The Maker’s Diet Phase 3′ since that’s the phase you’re supposed to stay on. Mostly. I’ll note any exceptions.

Breakfasts: We mostly always do soaked whole wheat bread, toasted with organic peanut butter. And coffee with coconut milk for me.
I don’t know much about the Maker’s Diet, but eggs for protein (with a few spoonfuls of beans and a handful of spinach) is always a good addition to a breakfast list.

Lunch: Leftovers if there are any (!) and egg salad on soaked wheat bread (above)
I bet a few beans, especially white beans mashed or tiny lentils, would hide in egg salad, or throw some cold ones on a lettuce salad with hard-boiled eggs instead of the sandwich.

Snacks: Fruit, organic tortilla chips from Costco, crispy almonds. Afternoon Iced Mocha (dairy free) for me most days during nap time.

Dinners are what I really plan, we follow the same plan each week but add a little variety within that plan.

Monday: Chicken and rice. Barbiqued chicken thighs this week, marinated in olive oil, orange juice, and apple cider vinegar. Jasmine rice since we’re still using that up! Broccoli too, steamed with the rice.
Of course, put some beans in with that rice!  Brown rice would allow a complete protein to be formed with the legumes.

Tuesday: Tuesday is pizza night. Going out on a limb and trying soaked wheat for the toddler’s and my pizza. Regular white pizza dough for hubby’s.
Good for you to try soaked whole wheat!  I always encourage spinach as a pizza topping, especially good with some pesto sauce.

Wednesday: Beans and Rice. And salsa and avocado and tortilla chips.
Well done!  Cara could add some chopped onions and garlic to her beans to (a) add some lovely flavor and (b) add some super nutrition.  Mashed beans are also a place to stick pureed, frozen cubes of vegetables like kale, sweet potatoes or squash.  The avocado, of course, is a nutrient-packed addition to any meal!

Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner, we’ll do whole wheat waffles again, with scrambled free range eggs and turkey sausage
You know what I’m going to say here – spinach and beans in the eggs (my fav scrambled eggs recipe)!

Friday: Pizza again. Easy french bread pizza to give mom the night off.

Saturday: Burgers on the BBQ, homemade fries, green salad.
I’m still looking for a good homemade baked bean recipe.  Any ideas?  That always goes great with burgers.  Cold beans, maybe black or kidney, on the salad.  Garbanzo beans with fancy dressing is great for company, too, which Cara mentions she’s having this night.

If you’re interested in me analyzing your meal plan, email it to me (click contact) or go to this post to leave your link in the comments.  If you do it at the beginning of the week, I’ll try to get to it right away so you can actually make (some of) the changes I recommend.

Meal Plan Analysis Number Two.

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Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.