Clean Eating Menu and Meal Prep Plan Week 11 (Whole30 Paleo Keto)a stress-free clean eating menu for busy households and plan for how to meal prep for the week.  Simple, family friendly, and free of processed food!  Free printable meal planning template included.

Hey friends! Happy 2020 – I’m so happy you’re here! With the new year always comes lots of plans to set new goals, revive old goals, and of course eat healthier.  This year is no different – while I won’t be doing a legit Whole30 this month, my plan is to stick mainly to a Whole30-style menu (whole foods only), limit eating out, and get back to meal planning and prepping on a regular basis. My husband has been on a Keto diet for about 6 weeks (with great success!), so I’ll be trying to cook according to his needs as well with a few modifications for myself and the kids.

If you’re new here or to the clean eating lifestyle in general, Welcome! Whether your healthy eating goals involve Whole30, Paleo, Keto, or basic clean eating, I think you’ll find plenty of meal inspiration that will fit your plan.  One of my top tips for adopting a new eating plan is to keep it simple, so every recipe here is easy to make, family friendly, and fuss-free. I’m here to help, so please feel free to reach out at anytime with questions or comments!

This year, I’ll be sharing my clean eating meal plan every week on Saturday so that you can follow along and have time to plan, shop, and meal prep on the weekend.  If you haven’t already subscribed to the newsletter, click here to be added so you don’t miss a thing!

Benefits of Meal Planning and Meal Prepping

  1. Huge time saver – although it may feel like you’re giving more time towards planning and prepping ingredients, it saves in the long run!
  2. Budget saver – meal planning and prepping cuts down on food waste and the temptation to eat out.  And those pre-packaged convenience foods?  Not cheap!
  3. No more listening to “what’s for dinner?” 18 times a day.  The menu is planned and posted and everyone knows what to expect.
  4. Less stress – making breakfast, packing lunches, figuring out a dinner plan, etc.  Just an overall easier, more organized and simplified approach!

How to Meal Prep for the Week in Under 2 Hours

I totally get it – meal planning and prepping can seem overwhelming and not worth the effort or easy to put into practice!  For many years, I flew by the seat of my pants when it came to dinner meal time and relied on convenient packaged foods to keep things easy.  After discovering Whole30, I made the decision to switch my family to a clean eating lifestyle, but it definitely didn’t happen overnight.  Over time, I developed a formula for how to meal prep for the week that is all about keeping it simple, family friendly, and free of processed foods.  It saves my family time and money, and with practice and repetition, can become a healthy habit for even the most reluctant busy mom!

Here’s my basic Meal Planning strategy for a family of 4, which is totally open to interpretation and can easily be modified to meet your own preferences, tastes, and time constraints.  To keep my family on track with a clean eating lifestyle, my menus are for the most part also Whole30/Paleo compliant and gluten free or can be modified easily.

  1. Plan 4-5 dinner meals for the week.  I do this on Friday or Saturday for the week ahead so there is time to grocery shop and meal prep.  For me, 4-5 planned meals is plenty.  I don’t like to overwhelm myself and prefer to have a little wiggle room in the plan.  The weekends are for leftovers, eating out, and just plain winging it.  When I’m planning weeknight meals, I take into account our family schedule, weeknight events, and how much time is available for cooking on any given night.  I also do a check of my freezer, fridge, and pantry to see what can or needs to be used.
  2. Make a Meal Prep list of at least 1-2 breakfast items, 1-2 proteins (this is my favorite source of organic and grass fed meats) for lunches, 2-3 sides/snacks, and any extras needed for meals.  This takes the guesswork out of breakfast and lunch, and cuts down on the urge to eat out or grab something unhealthy.
  3. Make a shopping list of everything needed for planned dinners and meal prep items.  Don’t forget to double check your current stash first!
  4. Do your grocery shopping and spend a couple of hours on Saturday or Sunday tackling the meal prep list.  Be sure to multi-task while meal prepping!  While one thing is cooking, work on other items on your list.
  5. Bonus tip: I stay stocked up on pantry essentials with Thrive Market.  Once or twice a month, I take inventory and stock up on organic tomatoes, beans, broth, baked goods ingredients, spices, and a few convenience snacks.

Week of January 6 Clean Eating Meal Plan

Sunday: Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites with Baked Rosemary Curly Fries and Salad

whole30 paleo bacon wrapped chicken bites

 

Monday: Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies

 

Tuesday: Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore with Cauliflower Rice

 

Wednesday: Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Rosemary Potatoes and Veggies

 

Thursday: Instant Pot Italian Beef with Mashed Cauliflower and Salad

Instant Pot Italian Beef Whole30 Paleo Keto

Friday: Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings with Salad

Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

 

 

Saturday: TBD or Leftovers

Meal Prep Ideas:

Whole30 Chili

Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Veggie Tray

Instant Pot Deviled Eggs

Let’s Get Started!

Make your own Meal Plan!  Click here for the blank printable template

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