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Intuitive Eating, Life, Weekly Eats

How I Meal Plan Nowadays

September 16, 2020 By Robyn 21 Comments

Now with two tiny humans in the mix, I needed to adjust how I meal plan right now.

Near the end of pregnancy I was tired and lacked inspiration and so meal planning looked like this:

DINNER

Sunday = cook

Monday = eat Sunday leftovers

Tuesday = cook

Wednesday = eat Tuesday leftovers

Thursday = clean out fridge or eggs + toast for dinner

Lunch

sandwiches + chips + fruit/veg for like 6 weeks straight lol

Now with a newborn and toddler, I don’t have time (and don’t want to take time) to make a sandwich during nap time because usually, I’m not child free during Cal’s naps. Sometimes I get Teddy to nap laying down and not on me during Cal’s nap, but that isn’t often. So, this is my new meal planning strategy that is working so far.

We have community group (a small group that meets from our church) on Sundays from 5-7pm so we pick up Roots for dinner on that night. My go-to bowl is the El Jefe – tasty and filling since the portions are hefty. I really like not cooking on Sundays.

Mondays for lunch we eat leftovers from the weekend or eggs + toast.

Then on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I cook dinner and the next day we eat the leftovers for lunch. Tuesday dinner becomes Wednesday lunch and so on.

To put it simply, it looks like this:

Sunday dinner = eat out

Monday lunch = leftovers or eggs + toast

Monday through Thursday dinner = cook

Tuesday through Friday lunch = leftovers 

And then most Fridays we grill pizza and either have a quieter night in with just us or we invite friends over – it just depends on how busy the week has been and what we have going on the rest of the weekend. Trying to perfect our grilled pizza has been really fun and been something “new” to do during the weirdness of COVID when life can feel really mundane and unexciting. Although, we don’t make our pizza dough. We live about a five minute walk from Albemarle Baking Company which makes amazing breads, baked goods and pizza dough – and so as long as we live this close to an incredible bakery, I have zero motivation to spend my time learning to use yeast. Maybe one day…maybe.

We do make our own sauce though! Using this recipe. And most weeks we are purist and top the pizza with cheese + pepperoni. If others are joining us we branch out and make the second pizza with spicy sausage + pepper + onion. It’s taken some trial and error to get the grilling part down but dang, you guys, now that we have I think I can confidently say our homemade grilled pizza is my favorite in all of Charlottesville – and there is some really good pizza here!


Back to how I meal plan right now. Cooking dinner each weeknight and then having leftovers for lunch the next day is working well in this season of life for two reasons.

1) All I have to do is heat and eat

2) I have a hearty meal ready to go which works well to tame breastfeeding hunger. That doesn’t mean you can’t/shouldn’t eat dinner leftovers if you aren’t breastfeeding (that goes without saying) but rather, a snack plate lunch or salad or something like that just isn’t going to cut it these days

I typically have 2-3 quick meals planned and 1-2 meals that are new recipes or something that takes longer than 20-30 minutes to get on the table. Before Teddy was born, when it was just Cal, Nick would usually go running with Cal in the jogging stroller while I cooked dinner (it was so nice for me to cook solo with a podcast)…but now with a newborn, sometimes they still go jogging and Teddy sleeps on me in the wrap or if the tiny humans are more needs, it’s a team effort to get dinner cooked and everyone fed.

Thankfully (seriously, it was so helpful!) I didn’t have to cook for the first time until Teddy was almost six weeks old because we had a wonderful meal train, my momma was in town for two weeks feedings us well and Nick’s parents were here for a week after that and did some cooking. Now that I’m getting back in the swing, I’m back to doing the meal plan and grocery ordering + delivery on Fridays. That works well for us.

Last week’s meal plan lineup was:

Monday – salmon burgers (using this recipe) with garlic aioli + roasted yukon gold potatoes + roasted broccoli **this day was…A DAY. So at 6pm when dinner was nowhere in sight and we had two upset children in our hands we called an audible and made cheesy eggs + baked potatoes and roasted broccoli. Life with two under two (and kids in general) means always being prepared to pivot. 

Tuesday – spaghetti with meat sauce + salad + garlic bread

Wednesday – grilled bbq chicken with corn on the cob, roasted potatoes and green beans

Thursday – hawaiin chicken tacos from POY (this is a new recipe) + chips and salsa

The salmon burgers and chicken tacos might take longer than 20-30 minutes for this week. Spaghetti and anything on the grill is always super quick and easy. Other simple fast meals I might make from week to week are tacos, quesadillas, baked ziti and when it gets cooler curries are always pretty fast.

For snacks, we usually have a good stock of bars, granola, etc (I spent our life savings at Costco before Teddy was born and we are still working our way through that stock) and then throughout the week Cal and I bake something one or two afternoons – usually some rendition of banana bread or a snack type cookie or bar. We made these last week and they are fab.

I am always interested in rhythms that are helpful for other people – as I am transitioning to a new season of life, I’m in the process of shifting our rhythms with meal planning, cleaning, organizing etc so they work well for us as a family of four. So, share yours in the comments!


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Filed Under: Intuitive Eating, Life, Weekly Eats

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Comments

  1. Savanna says

    September 16, 2020 at 7:17 am

    Great tips! I’m 37 weeks with baby #4 and my other 3 are 4 and under so I can relate to some days just being overwhelmed thinking about dinner. The Instant Pot has been such a blessing as well as having easy non-fancy meals saved on Pinterest for the IP. I also keep plenty of pantry items like diverse seasonings, tons of sauces(bbq, curry, Thai, Asian, Mexican, etc.) so that if all else fails I know I can shred chicken or brown some ground beef/turkey, make rice quickly and add a veggie. Then top it with whatever sauces we want. However, I do highly suggest finding a deep freeze(FB marketplace is amazing for these) to have a large selection of frozen meals. Even if you’re not into freezer cooking you can always stock up when meat is on sale, breads, veggies, fruits, etc. for quick grabbing and sanity saving.

    I love seeing recipes you tried because they’re always yummy! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 28, 2020 at 9:43 pm

      these are great ideas! and from a seasoned mama 🙂 congrats on baby 2!

      Reply
  2. Megan says

    September 16, 2020 at 7:46 am

    I don’t have kids (yet!) but this is the meal planning rhythm that’s working well for me and my husband right now. I meal plan on Thursday’s and grocery shop on Friday.

    Friday: takeout
    Saturday: cook – usually something more time-consuming
    Sunday: cook – usually something more time consuming
    Monday: cook – something quick/easy
    Tuesday: cook – something quick/easy
    Wednesday: sometimes cook/sometimes leftovers depending on how things go
    Thursday: leftovers (and start the process all over again!)

    Reply
  3. Sarah says

    September 16, 2020 at 12:30 pm

    Love this post. I am in a season of full time work + a two year old and I HIGHLY recommend Naptime Kitchen’s freezer guide- or evening just checking out her insta for tips. Double batches and utilizing our freezer for meals two or three times a week has been a game changer for my family.

    Reply
  4. Hilary says

    September 16, 2020 at 2:16 pm

    Love these posts, and I look forward to reading the comments! I’m in a “cook once, eat twice” mode, so we make dinner that lasts for at least two nights. We usually pick 1-2 things for lunch such as a soup, grain salad, sandwiches, snack plates to make for easy lunches. We love baking with our toddler, so we like to make a bread or muffins on the weekend to stock the freezer. Like another commenter, we’re big in stocking the freezer and always have tons of IP shredded chicken, frozen veggies, frozen rice, frozen tortillas and breads, and so on so we can make a stir fry or quesadilla at a moment’s notice! I’d love to see some fellow readers’ fave IP meals these days!

    Reply
    • India says

      September 16, 2020 at 10:33 pm

      YES! I love the “Cook Once, Eat All Week” cookbook. That helped us so much for a period of time.

      Reply
  5. Ashley says

    September 16, 2020 at 2:26 pm

    I love bake and forget meals. Like sausage with potatoes, onions and peppers in the oven and I am then free until it is done. I have a one year old and being able to spend the time playing with her is more valuable to me than a super complicated dinner.

    Reply
  6. Julie says

    September 16, 2020 at 2:45 pm

    I’m 9 weeks with my first and all I want is takeout… I give you props for being so organized with two babies!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 28, 2020 at 9:41 pm

      I’m a big fan of take out, eat all the takeout you want mama!

      Reply
  7. India says

    September 16, 2020 at 10:32 pm

    I’m envious of the community you’ve developed in a quick period of time. I love that they brought you meals. We’ve been in our current town for 2 years and despite my many efforts, don’t quite have community like we’ve prayed for, so no meal train for us with baby #2 due in a few weeks. I’m happy you had meals for 6-ish weeks!! We hired a house cleaner to come once a month & it saves us. My hubby doesn’t love spending the weekends prepping for the week, so that allows us to get a quick 20 minute clean every week & have someone come in for the deep clean. I’m so thankful! I’ve been nauseous my entire pregnancy, so we are all about the quick meals and I don’t see that changing with baby 2. I love freezing burgers to make quickly & anything from POY (thanks to you!). I love hearing from you, especially in this stage. Thanks for posting! I’d love a snack roundup if you have time…snacks with BF hunger are essential!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 28, 2020 at 9:42 pm

      I’m thinking of you and hoping community comes your way with time – I’ve been on both sides and know it can be hard and lonely. Hugs to you India and congrats on baby 2!

      Reply
  8. sallie says

    September 17, 2020 at 11:30 am

    homemade grilled pizza is THE BOMB. all other pizza just doesn’t compare. and that’s coming from someone who lives less than an hour outside of NYC!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 28, 2020 at 9:42 pm

      AGREED!

      Reply
  9. Melissa says

    September 24, 2020 at 11:14 am

    Always love when you post!! This was a refreshing perspective for me as we are about to have 2 under 2 as well. Whenever you get the chance I would also love to hear about baby life- sleep, tandem nursing, self-care, etc!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 28, 2020 at 9:44 pm

      I have a pp post coming tomorrow that I hope you enjoy 🙂 as for sleep, I’m bedsharing from the start this time (didn’t do that with Cal until 9 months) and while not for everyone, it has been SO GREAT for getting the most sleep. congrats to you!

      Reply
  10. M says

    September 25, 2020 at 10:49 am

    Thanks for the interesting post!
    I’m wondering which kind of running stroller do you use.

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 28, 2020 at 9:45 pm

      we bought a Bob off FB marketplace since we wanted a jogger but already had a main stroller – we’ve loved it so far!

      Reply
  11. Kittie says

    September 29, 2020 at 6:38 am

    I always love to read healthy tips and this post is just awesome. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day!

    Reply
  12. Sarah @ Bucket List Tummy says

    September 29, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    Enjoying reading your exerpts because we’re in the same boat over here! Havent had any motivation to meal prep and after rour freezer meals ran out, we’ve actually been relying on meal delivery currently. It’s nice to change things up, though we still have to cook the meals. The transition from 1-2 has been mind blowing but we’re figuring it out! 🙂

    Reply
  13. Adriana says

    September 30, 2020 at 8:31 am

    The thereallife is literally the BEST loss blog.I read it everyday.I.m also grateful I found https://bit.ly/2SoOdx3 help me a lot to lose weight.Hope this method to help others too.

    Reply
  14. make says

    January 19, 2021 at 5:36 pm

    Thanks for the inspirational content! I love your page and it’s been helpful. I figured I had share with everyone a product that has helped me lose weight. I hope it can help others too
    https://bit.ly/3isC1r6

    Reply

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A non-diet dietitian and nurse practitioner helping women find peace with food, accept their natural body size and heal from hormonal issues and period problems.

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🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻 two babies are asleep at the same time in their beds (and not on me) for the FIRST TIME IN 7657 DAYS and dear lord I could cry tears of relief straight into this latte and bowl of chocolate chips bc I woke up this morning exhausted and weary and told Nick I didn’t want to parent today 🤣 Not even calling this self care. It’s sanity right now. And even if it lasts 5 minutes it will be 5 minutes of freaking glory. p.s. yes that brick is crooked bc v uneven floors are part of the charmed package of this old house
Learning over and over again in this season that f Learning over and over again in this season that feels unsettled and chaotic and longgggggg that sometimes, you just need the viewpoint of a toddler to remind you that the seemingly insignificant things & moments really are....straight up magical. And that yes, these mundane days are packed full of goodness & beauty if I keep my eyes fixed on what actually matters.
Spent two hours at Lowe’s this morning and wow, Spent two hours at Lowe’s this morning and wow, wowww 🤯 Asked at least six people where to find something and their opinion on all the options bc holy decision fatigue. Nursed my newborn on the floor of the paint aisle. And BLESS my new contractor friend Matt I found in the lumber section that pushed my cart around and helped me avoid the mistake of buying exterior wood for some DIY bathroom shelves.
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I’m giving all our bathrooms a DIY makeover and I couldn’t be more of a rookie. So shoutout to all my Lowe’s buddies and YouTube 😜 You’re making this happen.
We are now officially homeowners. WUT? We didn’t We are now officially homeowners. WUT? We didn’t plan to close on a house 10 weeks after having a baby, but here we are. And we are so, so grateful.  And I’m also terrified. We’ve moved three times and lived in three different states since we got married three years ago. After six years spent living in New York City and Boston, moving back to Charlottesville was really, really hard for me. I cried a lot those first six months because my heart ached for the northeast and for city life. I wanted to pack up and go back to Boston ASAP. It felt so different and so quiet here and at times, very lonely. Even though it felt like the next right step, I second guessed our decision A LOT.
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But here we are 10 months later ready to continue investing in this neighborhood we’ve come to love. And this community of people that have become so dear. Ten months later and it feels so, so right. And although committing to settling down here for a good bit feels really scary to me, it also brings so much peace to know we aren’t moving again anytime soon. We are here to plant and grow. And raise our babies in this house as we make it a home. It’s also really fun to have one of your best friends be your realtor. We love you @kelli.teter.nesting 🤗
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Now, to see if we make it out of this kitchen renovation all in one piece 🤪
my go-to breakfast these days is two fried eggs in my go-to breakfast these days is two fried eggs in ghee with sautéed spinach (also in ghee) and an english muffin with more ghee + some sort of jam on half for that sweet & savory combo. we discovered these local english muffins (from The Bread Basket) and they are doughy and delicious and we are obsessed.
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I’ve found that I need a solid source of protein and lots of fat for breakfast to keep me full while breastfeeding this time around vs with Cal, I was so into big bowls of pb & chocolate chip banana oatmeal. just goes to show our bodies know what they need and change cravings accordingly. also, just a psa: go pick up the maple butter from @traderjoes bc it is bonkers 🤤 and lastly, shout out to my husband bc a lot of mornings he is making this bfast for me while I nurse & try to pull myself out of bed - don’t for a moment think I’ve got it together 🤪
I’ve had many thoughts rolling around in my brai I’ve had many thoughts rolling around in my brain of if/how to use this platform in a way that aligns with how I want to live my life. I’m finding it tricky to discern that when 90% of my use on this app is for professional purposes. But I’m not sure if even professionally, it makes sense for me. Because I feel more aligned with what matters to me when I’m not regularly present here.  I’m not really sure what things will look like moving forward, but for right now I’m here to share with you that I somehow found some spare minutes between newborn & toddler life to write a post with some semi-coherent thoughts on life lately. 🤪 You can head there by clicking the link in my profile.
I’ve been completely disconnected from social me I’ve been completely disconnected from social media and that’s been vital for me during this tender postpartum period of transitioning from a mama of 1 to 2. But today, I’m bopping on briefly to share how Teddy entered this wild world with you - if you’re into a lengthy, detailed birth story, the link in my profile will lead you to the blog post 💙
Theodore “Teddy” Lars Nohling joined our famil Theodore “Teddy” Lars Nohling joined our family at 12:48am on Wednesday after a quick and swift labor & birth at home 💙 Thank you Father for another healthy baby boy & your abundant, tender love for us. What an undeserved gift.
Very grateful to be carrying another baby past his Very grateful to be carrying another baby past his due date, but also....LET’S GO DUDE. Still over here eating dates (check out the @ebbirth article on the research showing dates can help ripen (aka soften) your cervix, reduce the need for medical intervention in labor and can overall, improve birth outcomes) drinking red raspberry leaf tea and sleeping as much as possible with a 19 month old running around. And also trying to survive July in VA without public pools or splash pads bc it is BLAZIN HERE (and I’m a wuss with the heat 🤪)
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Lunches for the past month or so have been some re Lunches for the past month or so have been some rendition of a sandwich + chips + fruit. SUMMERTIME 😎I’ve switched to open faced only bc there just ain’t much room left in there for food at 38.5 weeks 🤰🏻90% of the time at the end of a meal, no matter how “small” the portion, I’m feeling stuffed and like the food is in my throat (just what you wanted to read on this lovely Tuesday afternoon 🤪) but my point here is...intuitive eating doesn’t mean find-the-perfect-fullness and eat-only-when-hungry. Sometimes it means eating when you’re not hungry and feeling overly full often and trying to eat foods lower in fiber and higher in calories.
Found this photo on my camera roll today from a wa Found this photo on my camera roll today from a walk I took a month or so ago. Between quarantine and spending my days with a toddler, life is much less hurried and a lot more mundane these days. But those two things are helping me to stop & notice and to chill out on checking things off my to do list and instead just being present with whatever is in front of me. I want to have the curiosity & wonder my 18 month old has as I go about my day - with my surroundings and people I encounter and really, everything. Life is way more meaningful that way. Ending my evening with that reminder and a white chocolate chip cinnamon blondie covered in vanilla ice cream before I go take an Epsom salt bath and read.

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