How to Make Amazing Meals at Home

When I shared last week's free meal plan pics, I received soooo many messages along the lines of "I wish I could make my food look that good! Do you deliver?" 🚗

The answer?

I don't prepare & deliver (yet, lol!), BUT you can TOTALLY make food this good in your own kitchen!! 🤘🏼

This is beauty of these meal plans -- ALL of the hard work is done for you. We've developed and tested the recipes to ensure they don't suck. 👌🏼

Then, we outline what you'll need for each meal, complete with a specific grocery list for the week & pantry staples. Like literally just print and go. 📄

Oh! and a bonus weekly video with time saving kitchen hacks. 💃🏻

Still feeling short on time?

We include #easybutton hacks with each recipe, perfect for people who are busy, want to cut down on prep time, or who value convenience over budget. 🙌🏻

Expect these to be simple. Life is already crazy enough--there is NO need to over-complicate things! We include only what you need to know to get the end result (a fab meal). No fluff. 🦄

If meal planning isn't your jam...if it makes you feel overwhelmed...if you want to eat healthy but are tired of boring, bland food, want more variety and better health-- outsource that shiz! Give yourself the GIFT of these weekly meal plans!! 🎁

{tap the photos to see all the goodness}

This week's plan is LIVE and TO DIE FOR!!

I'm talking tacos for breakfast🌮

The meanest avocado toast you've ever experienced 🥑

A seriously bomb stir fry 🌶

Hearty black bean soup 🍲

...and a tex mex inspired salad for the taking. 🥗

Learn more and get yours here: https://www.sarahkaminski.com/meal-plans

Free Plant Based Meal Plan Download!

I know from experience that trying to eat better can feel confusing, overwhelming and taste bland and boring. So, we’ve been working on an exciting project that makes eating your veggies not suck 👌🏼

Here’s a sneak peak of what’s on the menu this week and you can download it completely free this week!! 😍 (click the image to see them all!)

So, why more plants? 🌱

Aghhhhh where do I begin?!

It is not uncommon for people to experience any combination of the following by incorporating more plant based foods into their diet:

Physically >> Lost weight/inches, lowered blood pressure, lowered blood sugar, lowered cholesterol, balanced hormones, healthier hair & nails, healthier skin, lessened joint pain, regulated bowels 🙌🏻

Mentally>> Eliminated brain fog, increased energy, clearer thinking, overall sense of happiness, regained sense of control, reduced anxiety/depression 🧠

Another huge perk? You'll likely find you are saving money by eating more meals at home, having a plan, utlizing pantry staples, incorporating more plant-based proteins, and have an overall lower grocery bill! 💰

Actual reflections from people eating from the plans:

“The food tastes great. Best of all I have not been constipated since incorporating your food!! Finally!!!!”

"My energy is increased, and my skin is clearing up!"

"The recipes share ingredients so there is no waste!"

Learn more about The Veg Out Meal Plans here 

👉🏼👉🏼https://www.sarahkaminski.com/meal-plans/

This is the last week the free plan is available! Get your hands on it here 

👉🏼👉🏼http://www.sarahkaminski.com/freemealplan

#fueledbyplants

Meal Planning 101: Part 3

Money.  We all have it, we all spend it.  It’s the HOW we spend it that gets us most often,  Today let’s talk tips to saving the moo-lah when shopping for food.

STEP 3:  DOLLA DOLLA BILLS

Let’s first get back to getting in tune with your kitchen.  Since you now know what is IN your fridge, you know when it needs to be cycled OUT.  We don’t always get around to using every last bit of everything, even though it is our best intention.  At the end of each week, take a look at what’s in your fridge and PRESERVE.  The easiest way to do this is to prep and freeze.  Just about everything can be frozen and used later--let’s look at some examples.

Kraut is super easy and a delicious way to preserve a giant cabbage.

Veggies:  Braise and freeze.  I’m talking greens, broccoli, carrots, peppers...Just about everything (with an exception of lettuce & celery) freeze well for later use. Chop them up, braise in salted, boiling water for a few minutes, drain and pop into a freezer baggie to use in your next culinary creation.  Don’t have time for this? Start a freezer baggie for not-so-hot looking veggies to make a broth for later.

Half open containers of just about anything:  I’m talking the half used quart of veggie stock, the half can of beans in the tupperware, the cup of  cooked rice left from Wednesday.  Measure it, mark a freezer baggie, and pop in the freezer.

Leftovers:  Again, the majority can be frozen--even if it is just one portion.  Great to pull out of the freezer on a whim for lunch or dinner down the road.

2.  Buy in bulk.  You don’t have to be a member of Costco to take advantage of purchasing bulk food.  Buy QUARTS of yogurt rather than cups, BOXES of crackers rather than snack packs, 5lb bag of carrots instead of baby carrots and shop in the bulk section of your grocery store for grains, nuts, and other goodies when it is an option for you.  A pound of organic rolled oats in the bulk section at Whole Foods will run just over $2.  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

3.  Commit to one plant-based meal a day.  This will, without a doubt, keep some money in the bank.  Bonus?  Better for your health and the environment!  

4.  Join a CSA!  A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is basically a local farm share.  There are so many great options and benefits here.  Our CSA typically breaks down to $23 per week, and provides all of the veggies (plus some fruit!) that we need for the week.  Most farms offer a budget plan, which allows you to spread out payments across a few months.  Ccheck out LocalHarvest for one near you! 

CSA Shares from 2017

5.  Commit to ONE grocery shopping day per week.  You’re using that list you created while meal planning, so no excuses here.  Chris and I were the KINGS of stopping to get “one thing” on the way home from work and would come out $40 in the hole.  Multiply those “one thing” stops by 3, and you’ve spent some serious cash!!  There is a rare exception we allow ourselves to revisit the store each week.  Make that a rule for yourself and stick to it.  

6.  Consider making 2 grocery stops.  Go ahead, call me crazy.  If you are serious about saving money, you should DO THIS!  We make 2 lists each week--one for Aldi, a discount food store in our area, and one for Whole Foods.  The stores are located just miles away from one another.  We get what we can from Aldi, and then get the rest from Whole Foods.  I am more and more impressed with the organic options available at Aldi, and their selection is always changing.  

7.  Commit to the Dirty Dozen list when purchasing produce.  The clean 15 represents produce lower in pesticide residue, while the dirty dozen is the highest, so best to buy organic.  By sticking to this list, I feel good about what I am feeding my family and doing my part to protect the environment from the pesticide funk.

What tips do you have to saving the moo-lah?  Share below!

Meal Planning 101: Part 2

STEP #2:  MEAL PLANNING

Now that you are IN TUNE with your kitchen, here comes the fun part--planning what you are going to EAT!  If you love food as much as I do, this part is actually a lot of fun.  I get super psyched when I find new recipes for our family to try.  So, where do you begin?

ONE:  Always begin your weekly shopping list with your staples that need replenished.  This will likely also include things like milk, yogurt, bread, eggs...and whatever else you always have on hand.  (Refer to the list you made yesterday of your kitchen staples, too!)  

Then, use what you have** to inspire next week’s meals.  It’s important to start in the fridge, since this is what is most perishable. Leftover broccoli? A half block of cheddar?  Leftover quinoa?

Then, move to the freezer.   Frozen pizza dough?  A bag of spinach?  

And finally, the pantry.  Cans of black beans?  Tons of pasta?  

You are going to use THESE INGREDIENTS as the baseline for next week’s meal plan.  We are all well equipped to do this with the internet, so no excuses here.  We GTS (Google That Shit) or we use the index of our favorite cookbooks.  

Let’s go back to the example above.  I am looking up the keywords broccoli, cheddar, quinoa, pizza dough, spinach, black beans and/or pasta.  The recipes linked below are recipes that were inspired by doing just this.    Let’s see what what we can come up with….

**Have nothing to start with?  Use your grocer’s sales flier as your starting point!

Search one:  Spinach recipes.  Found braised coconut spinach with chickpeas and lemon (UM YUM) So, I look at the needed ingredients, add sun dried tomatoes to my list.  I think I will serve this over rice, but have that on hand, too!  

Search two:  Quinoa recipes.  There is an amazing recipe for Quinoa and Potatoes in my favorite cookbook, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, by Mark Bittman.  I'm in this one for the win.    

Search three:  Broccoli recipes.  Found Broccoli and Sun-dried Tomato Pasta. Perfect!  This recipe hits most of ingredients on the head, so the ONLY thing I need to add to my shopping list is goat cheese.  

Search four:  Black bean recipes.  I make an awesome 4 bean salad that Ziggy loves.  That’s going on the menu this week.  I’ll add a bell pepper and purple onion to my list.  I have everything else on hand.  

And, you continue on searching, creating your menu, adding to your shopping list, and adding ONLY the ingredients you need to make these dishes.  Doing this will save you *money* *time* and will *minimize waste.* Bonus?  It adds to an ever growing list of new amazing dishes you can go back to!!  

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And sometimes, you just need to let your toddler be a human tornado, eat chocolate granola bars for dinner, and then watch cartoons wearing nothing but a yoga mat. 

Now before you call me crazy, know that we do not go all out on the cooking front every night.  I always look at our calendar and make sure to plan not-so-crazy meals on nights we are going to be home late or have a lot going on.  I find that there is almost one weekend night each week that we are attending a cookout, meeting with friends or family, or are going to be out and about, so there is one less meal to plan for. Breakfast is a go-to dinner option for us during the week.  So are tortilla pizzas with a side veggie or these rice bowls.

I often make a grain salad or big pot of soup on Sundays for lunches and/or dinner options.  We also do nights every so often we call “fend,” where Chris and I “fend” for ourselves and Ziggy eats lmac and cheese or frozen spinach nuggets.  

What we can't do:  create 26 hours in a day.

What we can do: Take time to MAXIMIZE what you already have at home, and taking 30-60 minutes each week to plan and create a shopping list, you will make the best out of the time and money you have when you are in the midst of the madness.  

I promise!

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Need support?  Not sure where to get started?  Our next group program kicks off MONDAY!  Comment below, or send me a quick message HERE for everything you need to get started! 

In good health,

xo sarah

Meal Planning 101: Part I

How much was your grocery bill each week?  I shoot to keep our weekly grocery bill to around $130, and at least 50% of what we buy is certified organic.  Though sometimes a little bit over, and sometimes a little bit under, I am always within $20 of that budget.  

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STEP #1: GETTING IN TUNE WITH YOUR KITCHEN

So, here’s the deal guys.  If you don’t know what is lurking in the back of your freezer, pantry, or (eeek!) fridge, you’ve got to get your organizing on.   I {almost} always know what we have on hand, what is about to see its last day, what needs to be rotated into the freezer and what we need to buy more of.  This saves us time cooking/shopping, saves money, and eliminates waste.  It is an easy thing to do once you get in the habit of it, but where do you start?!  

ONE:  Clean house.  Take everything out, purge if necessary, and reorganize.  Literally.  Start with your freezer.  Take everything out.  If you find yourself saying “what’s that,” “ew,” “I can’t believe this was back there,” or “2013?!” THROW IT AWAY.  It is taking up valuable space for things that you are actually going to eat.  Repeat this task with your pantry and your fridge.     

TWO:  Take inventory.  As you are cleaning house, take note of what you have on hand through this process:  Pasta?  Quinoa?  Frozen chicken cutlets?  Frozen broccoli?  Carrots?  Kale?  Coconut milk?  Canned tomatoes? If you aren’t good at taking mental notes, WRITE IT DOWN!  This is an essential piece to effectively planning meals.  

Ahhhhhhh.  Don’t you feel better?!

THREE:    Now that you are organized, you are ready to conquer!  The next step is Identifying your kitchen staples.  These will vary from household to household, but it is important to know what need to have on hand in order to create and cook stellar meals.  My list includes ingredients that serve as the backbone for the majority of our meals. Take a minute and write down your essential staples.  Remember, there is not end-all-be-all here, this list will change and evolve as you do.  

What did you discover??

Stay tuned for part II next week!