Meal Planning Guide for Mums

Here at Starting Solids Australia we obviously spend a lot of time focusing on feeding our little people but we don't want to forget the Mums (and Dads although 99% of our audience is Mums so were pretty sure the balance and mental load of feeding our families is still heavily placed on Mums). We've put together this simple meal planning guide to help you work out how to balance your diet a little easier, make it a little more family friendly and hopefully make healthy eating as easy and delicious as possible.

Basics of Meal Planning

Include a big serve of vegetables in at least 2 meals per day.

Aim for half your plate to be vegetables. Try to include a variety of different ones and pick 2 new vegetables each week. Eating seasonally or utilising frozen and canned veggies (the are just as nutritious as fresh) is a really easy way to get good variety on a budget. Generally speaking the bigger the variety the easier / more likely it is that we are consuming a wide range of nutrients!

Breakfast:

Capsicums, mushrooms, onions, tomatos, spinach, asparagus, olives, kale, leeks, avocado.

Lunch:

Salads, salad sandwiches, wraps, vegetables soups and stews, veggie rich fried rice, leftover dinners.

Dinner:

Baked vegetables, steamed vegetables, beans and legumes, carrot and zucchini grated in spaghetti, diced veggies in soups, veggie noodles, roasted veggie salads, veggie rich curries and stirfry, potato and vegetable baked, adding a side salad to any meal.

Snacks:

Cut up veggie sticks, hummus, vegetable dips, edgell snack time chickpea and black bean cans, vegetable fritters.

Choose lean proteins.

• Aim for one quarter of your plate to be a source of lean protein.
• These include: Lean red meat, skinless chicken, lamb, pork, fish, egg, tofu, legumes, lentils, nuts/seeds.
• Try to have 2 meals a week that are from plant based proteins - e.g. legumes, lentils, tofu, quinoa.
• Try to include oily fish 3 times a week. (Salmon is a very easy family friendly choice)
• Try to limit red meat to twice a week.
• Choose lean poultry like chicken or turkey once or twice a week

Include grains. Choose whole grains over refined grains (and no you don't need to soak, sour or ferment these prior to consuming).
Try to include a serving of whole grains or good quality carbohydrate at each meal. Approximately one quarter of your plate would be grains or carbohydrate to balance your meal.
Good options include: Oats, whole grain cereal, whole grain bread or crackers (try to choose ones with visible seeds), brown rice, quinoa, barley, whole grain pasta or noodles, potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, corn. Choose healthier fats over saturated fats (most of the time).
Before you say anything we know saturated fat is the not the devil and if you want to stick to full cream milk and dairy thats completely fine. We know the evidence now suggests these don't present any more increased risk for individuals who don't have any risk factors for heart disease. However there is still plenty of evidence to suggest limiting our intake of saturated fats and not consuming excessive amounts!

Adding some healthy fats to your meals will help you to feel fuller for longer and provide essential fatty acids and vitamins. It will also make your meal taste delicious as fat is what gives food a lot of its flavour. Some good options are extra virgin olive oil, avocado, nut butters, yogurts, nuts and seeds.

Where to start?

Create a menu! Having a plan in place helps you avoid last minute, less than ideal choices. It saves you time during the week and it also saves you money! Your menu doesn't need to be complex. It just needs to include nutritious meals based off the principles you learned above that you know your family will love. If planning is something you normally don't do so well with, just start by planning a few days at a time.

After you have planned your meals and snacks for the week the next step is to write your grocery list. Shopping at the start of the week and stocking the pantry full of all the things you need for your menu sets you up for success. When your house is filled with options that are healthy and nutritious you will find it much easier to stick to healthy habits!

Tips:
- Leave one day a week free so you can have some spontaneity in your week.
- Our meal planner and shopping list notepads can help set you up for success at the grocery store.

Meal Ideas

Breakfast
1 slice of whole-grain toast with extra virgin olive oil spread
1 poached egg
Add: cooked tomato, mushrooms, onion, baby spinach, and roast beetroot, pumpkin and zucchini (choose a couple)
2 slices of whole-grain toast with 1/4 avocado topped with rocket and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds with a squeeze of lemon juice
200g of natural yoghurt 1/4 cup muesli
1 tablespoon of mixed seeds (chia, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower) 1/2 handful of dried blueberries
1 cup of ready-made whole-grain cereal topped with milk
1 cup raw oats cooked with milk and topped with 1/4 cup of dried apricot pieces, pine-nuts and sunflower seeds
1 slice of whole-grain toast with extra virgin olive oil spread 130g can of baked beans.
Add: Cooked tomato, spinach, kale, zucchini. (Choose a couple)
Smoothie: 2/3 cup of milk, a handful of frozen fruit (berries, banana, mango) and 2 tablespoons of chia seeds. You can add leafy greens to this if you enjoy green smoothies.
Caprese Avocado Toast - 1 slice of whole grain toast, top with 1/2 diced avocado, 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 30g fresh mozzarella, basil leaves and drizzle balsamic glaze. Lunch
Whole-grain sandwich: 2 slices whole-grain bread with extra virgin olive oil spread
1 slice of ham or chicken to cover the bread,
1 slice of cheese, mixed green leaves, tomato and pickles.
2-3 handfuls of mixed green leaves (rocket, spinach, lettuce),
Edgell Ready to Eat Lentil or Legume Salad,
1 small can of tuna in olive oil. Mix it all together for a delicious salad!
3-4 whole-grain crackers with 2 slices of cheese, sliced tomato and 1 small can of tuna in olive oil.
Shredded cabbage and carrot, a handful of shredded chicken breast, 1 tablespoon (thumb) of toasted slivered almonds,
1 handful of dried cranberries,
dressed in mustard, honey, white wine vinegar and mayonnaise.
Wholegrain wrap with a 130g (the baby one) can of bean mix, 1/4 avocado, green leaves, cucumber and capsicum.
1 steam fresh vegetable pouch, a small can of flavoured tuna or salmon, 1 microwave cup of whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, barley).
1 tin of Campbell's Farmhouse Vegetable soup with 2 slices of whole- grain bread with extra virgin olive oil spread.
Multigrain rice cakes topped with 1/4 avocado, 3 tablespoons cottage cheese, 1/2 tomato and slice (30g) of smoked salmon or roasted turkey. Dinner
Broccoli, Carrot and Avocado Salad with Sesame Dressing
Salmon fillet (with skin), roasted potato, sweet potato and pumpkin, and 1/2 cup couscous, brown rice or quinoa.
Brown Rice Salsa Salad
Palm-size steak, steamed carrot, broccoli and beans and roasted potato in their skins.
Spaghetti bolognese with grated carrot and zucchini, sliced mushrooms and whole-grain pasta and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese - serve with a side of green leaves dressed in olive oil or green beans and broccolini
Steamed chicken breast, steamed greens and brown fried rice Asian chicken and vegetable salad
Chicken and stir-fried vegetables with soba noodles and a jar of stir-fry sauce
Coconut Curry Chickpeas
Veggie Pizzas - Use wholegrain pizza crusts. All you do is add tomato paste (or sauce) on top of your crust and layer it with sautéed broccoli, spinach, onions, and garlic.

Snacks

Cheese and crackers
2 whole-grain crackers and 20g (1 slice) of cheese Yoghurt & muesli
200g plain natural yoghurt 1/4 cup of muesli 1/2 handful of dried blueberries Protein balls
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
Combine in a blender, blend and moisten with water if required. Roll into balls about the size of a 20 cent piece and chill in the fridge. Vegetables
Dippers - carrots, snow peas, capsicum, cherry tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, celery, radish, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli.
Serve them with a dip or nut paste: 2 tablespoons hommus
2 tablespoons french onion dip
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 tablespoon Wattle Valley Chunky Basil with Cashew & Parmesan
1 tablespoon Red Rock Deli Roast Pumpkin, Caramelised Onion & Cashew 1 tablespoon Chobani Meze Dip Beetroot & Dill
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup tzatziki
1 tablespoon nut paste Fruit
1 medium piece of fresh fruit (eg. apple, banana, orange, pear, small mango 2 small pieces of fresh fruit (eg. kiwi, plum, mandarin, nectarine)
1 punnet of berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
1 cup of chopped fruit (watermelon, rockmelon, pineapple)
A handful of grapes (~15 grapes)
140g of canned fruit (snack pack size)
1/2 handful of dried fruit (sultanas, apricots, prunes, apple, mango, pawpaw Nuts & Seeds
Handful of plain unsalted nuts or seeds (~30g) 10 walnuts ,15 cashews, 8 pecans, 15 almonds Dairy
Tub of yoghurt (170-200g) 250ml milk
40g cheese Protein
1 small can of fish (tuna / salmon / sardines) 1 hard boiled egg
1 chicken drumstick (less the skin)
1 packet The Happy Snack Company Roasted Legumes 130g can of baked beans
1 can - Edgell "Snack Time" Chickpeas