Arizona Daily Star Wednesday 19 July 2000 Edition
Meal plan helps busy parents
Initially, it will take time to create your notebook, but it will be worth the effort. You will have easy, quick, nutritious meals available each day. © 2000
By Diana Koenig
Q: Every night I am faced with the dilemma of what to fix for dinner.
It is hard to plan meals and prepare them while driving children from one activity to another.
I need an easy solution.
A: Our busy lives make it difficult to plan and prepare the evening meal every day.
When you are taxi service from school to sporting events and then you have an evening meeting to attend, it is easy to rely on fast food as an alternative to home cooking.
A written plan you have prepared ahead of time is a great tool to help you serve nutritious meals to your family.
Use a three-ring notebook with a plastic insert on the front cover.
Type or write "Simple Meals Planned by (insert your name)."
Put your personalized paper in the plastic insert of your notebook. Add paper to your notebook.
At the top of the first page write "Meal 1."
On the top of the second piece of paper write "Meal 2" and continue until you have completed 10 meals.
Start with Meal 1 and write down the name of each food item that you plan to prepare.
If it includes a recipe, make a notation next to the item and include the name of the cookbook with the page number.
Continue with the other meal plans until you have completed 10.
If you would like more variety, you can add other meal plans at a later date.
Your notebook can continue to grow as you have time to create new plans.
You could purchase cookbooks that already have meal plans, but your customized plan will please your family's taste buds.
Choose meals that are easy to prepare and foods your family will enjoy.
Plan balanced meals, including an item from each major food group.
One problem with fast foods is that the fruit and vegetable food group is ignored.
If you need to include a green vegetable and if broccoli is not popular, choose another vegetable, such as green beans.
Initially, it will take time to create your notebook, but it will be worth the effort.
You will have easy, quick, nutritious meals available each day.
Your meal plan is designed primarily for use on the days you do not have time to play the roll of gourmet cook.
Do not let your meal plan notebook be a substitute for the days you choose to put on your gourmet hat and prepare a new food dish.
It is important to introduce your family to new foods.
When you have completed your meal plan notebook, look at your weekly schedule and write the meal number on your calendar or daytimer.
Before you go to the grocery store, look at which meal plans you will be using during the week, so you can purchase the necessary ingredients.
Some meals can be prepared ahead of time and frozen, such as lasagna.
You will need to make a notation on your calendar to thaw the lasagna in the refrigerator ahead of time.
We have a couple of popular meal plans at our house:
Meal 1
Sloppy Joes
Brown 2 pounds of hamburger, drain and add ketchup and barbecue sauce. Serve on hamburger buns.
French fries
Baked in the oven.
Green beans
Frozen or canned. Cook on the stove or microwave.
Watermelon slices
(This is a fast meal to prepare, and everyone in the family enjoys it.)
Meal 2
Upside-down pizza
1 pound hamburger
1 medium onion
1 (15 2/3-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
2/3 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
6-ounce can black olives sliced and drained (optional)
1 (6-ounce) package shredded mozzarella
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Brown hamburger and add onion. Drain juice and add spaghetti sauce, mushrooms and olives.
Heat until it bubbles, then pour into ungreased 9-by-13-inch pan.
Sprinkle mozzarella on top.
In blender, whirl eggs, milk, oil, flour, and salt until smooth.
Evenly pour over mozzarella, then sprinkle Parmesan. Bake 25 minutes, uncovered at 400 degrees until crust is puffed and brown.
Lettuce salad
You can buy a bag of your favorite prepared salad
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