Family Meal Planning: Pivot in Planning for the End of the School Year, Summer Produce & Summer Social Plates
It is that time again!
To catch you up to speed…
- Family Meal Planning – this was the introductory post that I created to help other big families with some ideas on meal planning, and how to make your way through!
- Family Meal Planning: Eating Seasonally, Fall Produce & Meal Plan Switches – followed with some information on eating seasonally and specific fall produce. I even included how we switch up our meal plan rotation to use some of these seasonal foods.
- Family Meal Planning: Winter Produce & Meal Plan Switches – after a lot of great feedback and inquiry, I continued with what we do in the winter time, but I also included some insight to comfort eating because it’s definitely the time of year for warmer and heartier meals.
- Family Meal Planning: Spring Produce, Meal Plan Switches & Pantry Spring Cleaning – this meal planning included a lot of the spring cleaning that we do in the house with our pantry and with excess ingredients that have built up overtime because of things we may have missed cooking.
And now that brings us to the Summer… We have now made it around to finish up the year and different seasons.
Also , this blog will repeat some of those things just for the sake of education, or if you have missed the previous one, I do want to share our reasoning, for why we eat seasonally and then I will share how we do our meal planning specifically but also how we change it up to get in some of those different things that are more in-season in the spring..
Eating Seasonally
Selecting seasonal produce ensures superior flavor and nutrition compared to prematurely harvested or artificially ripened alternatives, though long-distance transportation can compromise quality.
Turning to local farmers through farmers’ markets, CSA programs, and local food initiatives fosters community connection and supports regional agriculture, while also offering fresher produce and reducing transportation costs. In-season crops are more affordable and environmentally friendly, while out-of-season produce tends to be costlier due to shipping and storage expenses.
- Farmers’ Market
- Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
- Seasonal Food Guide for more specific information for your state
Also, check out my post on how to store fresh produce properly.
Summer Produce
What will no longer be in season by fall?
Apricots, Artichoke, Arugula, Avocados, Berries, Cherries, Chili Peppers, Corn, Cucumbers, Melons, Okra, Peaches, Plums, Strawberries, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Sorrel, Watermelons, Zucchini
Meal Planning: The End of the School Year
This is not fancy.
This is not gourmet.
This is not adventurous.
This is what gets us through.
The weekends are filled with things that may be more fancy, gourmet, adventurous and filled with celebrations and friends and family.
We minimize what’s happening during the week in order to help save us time & energy because those are things that we are very low on. This also helps us manage our budget very well during this time. We are able to save a good deal of money by the simplifying of the different meals for the night and the meal prep for the week.
The automation ability of using Apple’s Reminders App with set dates and everything being repeated helps us not have to try to remember exactly what we’re going to do.
We are also able to simply stop at the grocery store whenever we need to without preparation before hand. And because my husband and I share this list with each other, it’s even possible for either one of us to do whenever we have a spare moment.
We also allow ourselves space for meals to be shifted by not planning seven meals for the week. There are plenty of nights when we may not make it home at a decent hour to have dinner made at home and lean more into last minute meals from Easy Backup Meal Strategies to Help Stay on Track.
Summer Social Plates
If you’ve been following along with some of the other posts recently, I have been breaking down this season a little bit more than I have others. This is a season that becomes a bit more challenging with food similar to the stretch from Halloween to New Year’s.
Summertime Changes in our Eating & Food Environment – Cues, Cravings, Strategies for Food Environment Changes, Handling Extra Food in the House After Events, and Portioning
Summertime Changes in our Eating, Drinking Options & Recipe Links to Our Favorites! – Barbecuing & Grilling Foods, Beef Cut Macros, Salads & Chilled Soups, Lighter Fare & fresh Fruit Desserts, Picnic & Portable Foods, Alcohol & Other Caloric Beverages, and Portioning Help On The Go!
Where we get creative with our recipes within the summer season… the plates we bring or the plates we serve. we have an opportunity to spend a little bit more time, feeding others using fresh produce and enjoying these plates in connection.
Here are a few of my favorites using what will no longer be in season by the fall:
- Grilled Pesto Chicken and Tomato Kebabs
- Veggie Kabobs or Grilled Veggie Skewers
- Cucumber Salad
- Grilled Chicken, Strawberry, Avocado Salad with Citrus Dressing
- Tropical Fruit Salad
- Frozen Mango, Kiwi, Raspberry Fruit Pops
- Peach-Raspberry Crisp
