Weekly Meal Plan 17

Here's your FREE Weekly Meal Plan for Week 17, April 25 - May 1. Don't let dinner time be a daily crazy event! It's hard, right? I hope these menus are helping you to stay on budget and save time in the kitchen!

If you have any suggestions or needs, let me know. I'd love your input. Together we can enjoy delicious affordable meals!

Meal planning and prepping tips

If you're new here...

Every week, I share a free meal plan for you to use the following week. You'll have seven main dish recipes, along with  a few extras and of course dessert.

Typically the weekly meal plans are named by number of the week and date. For example, if the plan is for the first week of January, I'll name it Weekly Meal Plan 1 - Jan 3-9. Next year the plans will be updated for the corresponding dates and tasty new recipes!

Don't forget - if you have a busy day and plan on eating out, just drop a day off the menu and adjust the meal plan to fit YOUR busy life!

I found some great tips on an old email and with the rising cost of groceries, now is the right time to find easy ways to stretch your budget and USE items before they spoil in the refrigerator.

Stretch your budget

Do you realize that over 72 billion pounds of food is thrown out every year? The average American household throws out over 30% of it's food. That's unbelievable! {Source Forbes}

That's pretty shocking!

An easy way to cut down on your waste is to store items correctly. Here are some tips to help you waste as little as possible.

The BEST way to stretch your produce; here is what to do now to ensure your herbs and vegetables stay fresh even longer. 

Herbs - parsley, cilantro, basil - slice off the end of the stems, fill a glass with water and put them in water, keep them in the refrigerator. Green Onions can also be placed in a glass of water and refrigerated.

Another way to increase the "shelf life" for herbs and green onions is to immediately wash them. Shake off the majority of the water and wrap them in a paper towel and place in a plastic bag. Store in the crisper.

Either of these methods will significantly increase their life. When they become, soft, brown or squishy, it's time to say goodbye!

Asparagus - trim off the ends and place them in water. This will keep them plump and fresh when you're ready to enjoy them.

Spinach - I've been craving fresh vegetables and I picked up some spinach at the store last week. My friend Michelle shared her best tip which is to rinse, shake off as much water as you can. Lay it flat on a paper towel and roll up cigar-style and place in a plastic bag. It will last even longer that way. 

Expert Tip: Also for both herbs and spinach removing the wire twisty will help it to last longer.

Cauliflower - They will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator and are so delicious roasted! (I forgot to include this veg earlier this week!!) 

Most vegetables, like carrots, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and celery should be stored in the crisper drawer in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Mushrooms are best stored in a paper bag. Do not wash vegetables until you're ready to use them. Vegetables should be stored in a different part of the fridge than fruit. This will prevent them from ripening too fast.

Radishes, Beets - any root vegetable will last longer if you trim off the greens. I keep radishes in a bowl of water after trimming the tops off, they will last a week or longer.

Cheese - Best stored in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator, where the temperature is cold and stable. Although you can use a plastic bag, it's best wrapped in aluminum foil or parchment paper, then in plastic wrap to seal. The harder the cheese, the longer it will last.

Butter - lasts 1-2 months in the refrigerator, up to six months in the freezer.

Here are some shortcuts and tips for this week's menu!

• Pasta Primavera Casserole is a big casserole! Leftovers freeze well.

• Leftovers of roll-up sandwiches and BLT pasta salad makes for yummy lunches later in the week!

Find all of the weekly plans by clicking here.

April 25

April 26

April 27

April 28

April 29

April 30

May 1

Dessert

Meal Planning Worksheet

Click on the link below to download a PDF of the meal planning worksheet so you can easily make notes and your grocery list for this weeks recipes!