The Plan:
Day 1: Broccoli cheddar soup, Crusty bread
Day 2: Roasted cauliflower over curried quinoa, Zucchini muffins
Day 3: Homemade pizza, Tossed salad
Day 4: Grilled brats with sauerkraut, Baked acorn squash
Day 5: Chopped salad with quinoa, sweet potatoes, and apples
Day 6: Out to eat! (birthday celebration)
Day 7: Egg roll in a bowl
This meal plan was curated using local foods that are in season now or preserved during the peak growing season in the U.S. Midwest. The plan is an exact replica of what our family is eating this week unless we are out of town. Meal plans are developed using whole foods and my meal planning system (click here!) and are meant to be healthy and easy to prepare. Most recipes will take no more than 30 minutes of active cooking time. Occasionally meals may require all day slow cooking, advanced prep, or some oven time. Recipes are provided when available. I sincerely hope this will help with your own meal planning!
Pantry Shuffle:
Out of Storage: (preserved when in season and coming out of my root cellar, freezer, canned, or dehydrated stash)
- Zucchini muffins
Into Storage:
- Pumpkin puree (freeze in 2 cup portions in quart sized zip top bags)
- Butternut squash cubes (freeze in quart sized zip top bags)
- Beets (they keep for months in the refrigerator in a produce bag)
- Brussels sprouts (will keep 2-3 months in the refrigerator in a produce bag)
- Acorn squash (will keep 3-4 months in root cellar 40-60 degrees F)
- Potatoes (store in a paper bag in root cellar at 40-60 degrees F)
- Sweet potatoes (store in a paper bag in root cellar at 40-60 degrees F)
Notes: The Recycling Myth
Here we go again…. I’m seeing multiple news outlets reporting on the Greenpeace USA 2022 Update on Plastic Recycling.
It is a quick read that will engage you, but if you don’t want to read it, I’ll summarize: Plastic recycling is a sham.
No matter how much we desperately want to believe that what we put into our blue bins is getting recycled, the ugly truth is that it is not. The truth is only 5-6% of plastics overall actually get recycled.
So if only 5-6% of plastic gets recycled, where does the rest go? Most plastics that are collected for recycling are incinerated (burned), releasing chemicals and carbon into the air. Additionally, plastic is piling up in landfills, the ocean, and the side of the road. Microplastics are found in multiple human tissues, snowing down in the artic, and on almost every square inch of our planet. The chemicals from the plastic are seeping into ground water and polluting animal habitats. This is a problem.
I hate when someone points out or complains about a problem, but never offers any solutions (maybe that is why I hate so many politicians!) Unfortunately, we can’t count on the large corporations or government to make changes. We’ve tried that route and it hasn’t worked. It has been over 30 years of promises to recycle away the problem and there is clear evidence that is a lie and won’t ever be the solution.
The empowering thing about the plastic problem is that the average person can actually make a big difference since most of the plastics that are floating around out there are from things that we consume on a daily basis. If we, as consumers, stop buying these things and demand change, the corporations will follow.
With the holidays approaching, it is time to be super intentional about what you let into your home. Only buy what you really, truly want or need. Research before making purchases and try to buy things that are going to last. Avoid buying products that are made from plastic (usually other materials are more durable anyways). Avoid companies that package products in plastic or ship in protective plastic materials. If there is a product that you really like, but it is shrouded in plastic, write to the company and let them know you would like to buy their products, but just can’t support all the plastic use.
When it comes to food, cooking at home is one of the best solutions for avoiding all that plastic waste that goes along with grabbing takeout (this is the number one source of single use plastics). Look for grocery store products that are “naked”, or packaged in aluminum, glass, or paper. If you get your food from local farms, that is even better. My weekly farm share has very little to no plastic packaging at all!
Plastic recycling is a myth. Let’s work together to stop our dependency on this material .
P.S. If you are serious about making lasting change, check out my 90 day plastic free challenge. You will find ideas to change your plastic habits in almost every aspect of life. It’s not as hard as it seems!
