For some people, meal planning is just one more task that makes life complicated. But planning your meals in advance can save you both time and money, and in addition, you’ll be eating a healthier diet.
You’re not running to the grocery store every day, and if you’re stumped for what to eat after a long day at work, you’re not going to stop for an expensive, unhealthy fast-food burger and fries on the way home because you’ll know exactly what’s on the menu when you get there. You can also take an afternoon to prepare some of the meals in advance and then they’ll be ready to cook or heat up later in the week. Finally, you’ll have a pre-planned way to use leftovers so you don’t waste money on food that ends up going bad in your refrigerator.
We’ve come up with a sample menu using healthy, delicious, and versatile Coleman All Natural Meats. Feel free to swap meals around or add your own recipes. We have plenty of ideas in the recipe section on our website.
Day One
Day One begins with a spicy and hearty breakfast of shakshuka, a Middle Eastern dish of eggs poached in a tomato sauce with kielbasa.
For lunch, we have a delicious sourdough BLT with bacon, arugula, tomato, and a lemon aioli for a little extra punch. Cook the entire package of bacon and tightly wrap what you don’t use, then refrigerate. You can use the leftovers for meals later in the week.
Dinner features a tender, juicy pork roast with a delicious honey, mustard, and apple flavor, as well as a mouth-watering mix of roasted vegetables.
Day Two
Smoky and Sweet Peach Baby Back Ribs
For breakfast, use one of our favorite cuts, a ham steak, to create this hearty and filling, yet simple quiche.
Corn & Bacon Chowder is an easy and satisfying soup. You can use frozen corn or scrape fresh kernels off two or three ears. Use some of the bacon you cooked yesterday for a garnish on top.
For the Smoky and Sweet Peach Baby Backs, we suggest making the peach glaze and brining the ribs a day in advance. You can cook these in the oven or on the grill or smoker.
Day Three
The Bacon Veggie Frittata is another simple breakfast dish that cooks quickly and uses leftover bacon. And if you don’t have any left, cook up another package to use today and tomorrow.
At lunchtime, how about a healthy salad? The recipe calls for pork chops, but this is a great time to use any leftover pork roast from dinner. You can use peaches or whatever fruit is in season—apples would be a nice addition—along with your favorite fruity vinaigrette dressing.
For dinner, start with our Sweet Italian Pork Sausage, add your favorite cheeses, jarred sauce, and no-cook noodles, and you have a steaming pan of lasagna on the table in about an hour. That’s a midweek dinner for anyone to love!
Day Four
Savory Bacon & Cheddar Cheese Scones
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Island Salsa
Savory Bacon & Cheddar Cheese Scones are easy to make, and their cheesy, buttery goodness will get your day off to an excellent start.
If you want something to shake up your tastebuds at lunchtime, Mapo Tofu is for you. Based on a Sichuan recipe, this protein-packed and spicy stir fry includes our ground pork, tofu, zippy Sichan peppercorns, and red chile flakes. It just takes a few minutes to cut up the ingredients and another few minutes in the wok.
Pork tenderloin is the most tender cut of pork, and it also cooks quickly on the grill or in the oven, making it ideal for a weeknight dinner. Here, we glaze it with a combination of lime and honey, then serve it with a tropical salsa made of mango, kiwi, red bell pepper and onion. It’s like a little vacation to the islands.
Day Five
Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops
Unlike the typical sweet French toast smothered in syrup, this dish is hearty and savory. Soak the bread in a mixture of eggs, seasonings, and cheese, then, after frying, turn it into a sandwich with a filling of our pork chorizo. If you still crave a little sweetness, drizzle with some hot honey.
For lunch, use any leftover pork tenderloin from last night’s dinner, along with cooked bacon, to create a filling sandwich in almost no time. Lunch is served!
After you’ve finished lunch, get out the Instant Pot and put together a simple dinner. First sauté the pork chops in the Instant Pot, then switch the function to slow cook, add the other ingredients, and you’ll have dinner on the table in four hours. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, use a skillet and your slow cooker.
For the remaining two days of the week, do potluck out of any leftovers you might have, and take a night off for a dinner out. Don’t forget to leave some time for planning next week’s meals!
The Coleman Way, since 1875, is our commitment to quality, taking pride in humanely raising animals on family farms in the U.S.A. with no antibiotics ever, no growth hormones, and 100% vegetarian fed. The result is premium, great-tasting, all-natural meats in a variety of cuts and flavors that can be easily prepared and that you can feel good about serving to family and friends.
