Affordable week 3 menu for 2 includes ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Substitute different vegetables if you don’t like the ones I’ve selected. Also, if you don’t like some of the spices found in the recipes substitute them for ones you do like.
All recipes are suggestions. I can’t remember the last time I followed a recipe exactly to how it was written. I use what I have to keep cost down. If I don’t have the pasta it calls for I just make one I do have. If I don’t have the type of beans it suggests I use ones I do have.
Growing up we had meat with every dinner so as an adult it still feels strange to have a meatless dinner. I think Portobello mushrooms are a perfect substitute for meat because they are filling and have good texture. Chili – Lime Mushroom Tacos are bursting with flavor that will leave you wanting more!
Rice –
I prefer the taste of long grain rice, basmati rice or jasmine rice versus minute rice. I know cooking rice can sometimes be tricky but just watch your heat to water ratio and you will be just fine. I prefer to cook rice in my instant pot. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend picking one up.
Nutritional Insight
Everyone has their own nutritional deficiencies and goals they are trying to manage on a daily basis. Our household is trying to accomplish anti-inflammatory, high protein and high fiber. It’s not easy and every meal does not always meet the mark.
We try to focus on making sure we incorporate a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, berries, fatty fish, healthy oils, lean protein, legumes, fermented foods, nuts, warm spices, and whole grains through the week. We really try to limit or not eat fried foods, processed cheeses, processed meats, packaged snacks, sugary drinks, and baked sweets.
Affordable Menu for 2 people – Week 3
Sunday
Breakfast
Side:
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
Lunch
Snack
- Sprinkle with feta cheese
Dinner
Side:
- Salad
Monday
Breakfast
Side:
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
Lunch
Snack
- Sprinkle with feta cheese
Dinner
Side:
- Garlic Smashed Potatoes
- seasonal vegetable
Tuesday
Breakfast
Side:
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
Lunch
Snack
- Sprinkle with feta cheese
Dinner
Side:
- Salad
Wednesday
Breakfast
Side:
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
Lunch
Side:
- Apple
Snack
- 2 large carrots
- 1/8 cup hummus
Dinner
Side:
- cauliflower and potato mash
Thursday
Breakfast
Side:
- 1/4 cup fresh fruit
Lunch
Side:
- Apple
Snack
- 2 large carrots
- 1/8 cup hummus
Dinner
Side:
- Rice
- seasonal vegetable
Friday
Breakfast
Side:
- 1/4 cup fresh fruit
Lunch
Snack
Dinner
Side:
- cauliflower and potato mash
Saturday
Breakfast
Side:
- 1/4 cup fresh fruit
Lunch
Snack
Dinner
Side:
- Rice
- seasonal vegetable
Prep the week!
Let's start prepping!
I like have a few vegetables washed and placed in containers for easy snacking. If I have vegetables washed and ready to eat we are more likely to eat them than let them go to waste.
I prefer to make all the salad dressings and dips for snacking at the start of the week so they are just ready to grab and eat. I will also make the dried beans I need for the week. I portion out the remainder of the beans I am not using and freeze for use at a different time.
If I have bought a large fruit such as a melon or pineapple I cut it up right away. We eat considerably more fruits and vegetables if they are already washed and ready to eat.
Tips and Tricks for the weekly meals to go flawlessly!
Always start by reading the recipe all the way through then read my tips. Doing this before you start will help prevent “surprises” along the way.
If I’ve posted it then I have eaten it and called it good. Also, I know that the portions should work because I have done it. No guess work here.
Measuring out your portion might be new for you and still leave you hungry after the meal. This is normal and it will take your body time to adjust. Try these tips:
- Don’t miss your afternoon snack because being ravenous at dinner time will lead to over eating.
- Drink 8 ounces of water before you begin your meal and after you end your meal.
- Eat a salad or raw vegetables with your meal.
- Eat a piece of fruit after a meal like an apple, pear, orange, etc. This will subside the hunger and it’s good for you.
- Wait 1 hour after your meal and if you are still hungry make some pop corn.
Vitamins and Minerals
Blurbs on How they are Important
- Antioxidants
- Fights tissue-damaging oxygen molecules known as free radicals.
- Avenanthramides – reduce inflammation and relax arteries improving heart health
- Carotene
- Gets converted to vitamin A. It is a great source of antioxidants and full of anti-inflammatory properties.
- Carotenoids
- Pigmented nutrients that are made by plants and algae as well as some bacteria and fungi. They are antioxidants that battle free radicals.
- Fiber
- Pectin – breaks down in your gut and helps with diarrhea and constipation.
- Soluble fiber traps cholesterol-containing bile, removing it from the body before it is absorbed.
- Beta-glucan lowers cholesterol and helps the body empty the bowel.
- Insoluble fiber Absorbs water to cause stools to become larger, firmer, and easier to pass.
- Flavonoids (apigenin, phytonutrients, polyphenols)
- Plant compounds that offer a range of health benefits including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties
- Iron (mineral)
- is a key component of hemoglobin which carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. It is vital for brain development and function, helps create and spread immune cells, a key component of myoglobin which provides oxygen to muscles and gives your body energy. Iron also is involved in the production of hormones and the regulation of body temperature.
- Magnesium (mineral, electrolyte)
- Helps regulate your heart rate
- Regulates blood pressure and blood sugar levels and promotes energy production and nerve function bone health.
- Magnesium glycinate helps promote sleep
- Magnesium citrate is a powerful laxative
- Magnesium oxide is an antacid and migraine relief aid
- Magnesium sulfate (Epsom slat) muscle relaxant
- Manganese (mineral)
- Helps you process cabohydrates and fat and create hormones. It is critical for healthy bones, connective tissue, blood clotting and nerve function. It lowers inflammation
- Phthalides
- the phytonutrient improves blood flow through the arteries
- Potassium
- Electrolyte that carries a positive electrical charge which balances the fluid in your cells, contracts muscles, transmits nerve signals to your brain.
- It consumes the salt in your kidneys lowering your blood pressure.
- Vitamin A
- Preserves your vision, strengthens your immune cells by supporting white blood cells and the mucus membranes in your lungs, intestines and uinary tract. Wards of infection and toxins that cause inflammation and disease.
- Carotenoids (provitamin A) plant based foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes. Need to eat with healthy fats in order to consume this.
- Retinoids (retionol or preformed vitamin A) are found in animal based foods such as eggs, fish, milk and liver
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
- Your gut converts it into two coenzymes: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP). These coenzymes allow your body’s cells to communicate and work properly.
- Vitamin B6
- Has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It makes DNA, Hemoglobin, and Neurotransmitters (the chemical messengers that send signals from nerve cells to other cells
- Vitamin B9 (folate)
- Body uses to make healthy blood cells and support your nervous system.
- Helps red blood cells mature. It is also important for cell division, growth and development.
- Vitamin C
- Immunity booster and one of the most important antioxidants in your diet. It helps to neutralize free radicals harmful molecules that can damage your cells and increase your risk of chronic disease.
- Consuming vitamin C in the same meal as iron rich plant foods boots your body’s ability to absorb iron.
- Vitamin C can decrease wrinkles, improve effectiveness of sunscreen and reduce areas of discoloration.
- Vitamin K
- Helps regulate clotting and helps keep your blood pressure in check. You need to eat some healthy fats along with foods rich in Vitamin K in order for it to really absorb.
