Simplicity in food
January 25, 2012 § Leave a Comment
My good friend Jackie introduced me to a book called Simplicity Parenting. I have been reading it slowly and soaking in some wonderful ideas that really make sense to me at this moment in my life. The chapter I am currently reading is dealing with the importance of regular rhythms for kids. Regular schedules and activities become anchors for kids who have so much going on in their lives. I think this is even true for me – I like routines and rhythms in my life.
One area I want to inject good rhythm into is food. The author suggests having a regular menu plan according to the days of the week (i.e. Tuesday is rice day, Wednesday is soup day, etc.). I LOVE this idea. Since the end of last year, I’ve been attempting to plan out the week’s dinners ahead of time to avoid the dreaded standing in front of the fridge thinking, “WHAT can we EAT!?” Coming up with meals on the fly was stressing me out, and also leading to some food waste. Having a plan has been super-freeing! So I’m excited to simplify even further by having a category for each day. Hopefully it builds in a good and predictable rhythm for our family.
An app called Zenbe stores my grocery list, which I update as I plan the week's menu.
I’m thinking something like this (examples in parentheses):
- Monday: soup/stew (chicken soup, beef barley soup, chili)
- Tuesday: vegetarian night (bean and cheese burritos, quesadillas, falafels)
- Wednesday: rice+ (roast chicken, stir fry, chicken a la king, ma po tofu)
- Thursday: leftovers and sandwiches
- Friday: rice+
- Saturday: pasta (chicken and sun-dried tomatoes, pesto)
- Sunday: Meal with our house church
I think I’ll do it for awhile and see how it goes. Perhaps if it works well, I will menu plan lunch as well (currently I scrounge around). The author brings up that if you have a regular rhythm, it also makes breaking out of rhythms really exciting. ”I know tonight is soup night, but we’re going out for dinner!”
