Operation: Quit Eating Crap

Guys, I'm gonna talk about something besides pregnancy.

WHAT?!

Yep, it's happening.

Here's what I would like to discuss:

The awesomeness of Meal Planning.

First, let's start with this: I'm not a big planner.  So, doing something like weekly meal planning is kind of a big deal for me.  

I'm definitely more of a Go to the Grocery Store Every. Single. Day. kind of person, and I kind of hate this about myself.

I hate going to the grocery store.

And in the very near future I fear it will be rather impractical with a newborn in tow.

In fact I loathe people at the grocery store with small children and I have vowed to never do this unless absolutely necessary.  Baby can stay with Daddy for half an hour!

Since I hate going to the grocery store I think meal planning is the greatest idea ever invented...in concept.

I've pondered meal planning and I've attempted meal planning.

I even wrote about Meal Planning.

But the part of my brain that requires me to plan out a week of meals and what goes into each of those meals does not work very well and no matter how I try to remedy the situation I still leave the grocery store missing some key ingredient and have to go back anyway...so I just shut that part of my brain off, quit trying and kept going to the grocery store every day.

Until the husband stepped in.

I'm not sure when or why he decided to bring up the idea of Weekly Meal Planning but he presented it to me as a team effort in which we'd sit down once a week and plan out our meals and then go shop for those meals together.  So if HE was interested in helping me make meal planning a reality I was on board.  

I also went ahead and let him think meal planning was totally his idea and something brand new that I'd never thought of.

Btw I think this works on all husbands, let them think the idea is THEIRS and they're way more interested in helping you.

So, we started meal planning.

And I LOVE IT.

On Fridays we sit down and have a chat about what we should cook for the week and Saturdays (Farmer's Market Day!) we shop for the week.  

And then THE BEST PART, Dom is always inspired to pick something to cook once a week and as long as it's all planned out and all the ingredients are on hand, HE COOKS ONCE A WEEK.

And it's like a little slice of heaven because I HATE COOKING.

Yes, the cook in the house hates cooking.  But what're you gonna do.  I'm jobless, he works too much, clearly I should be in charge of cooking whether I like it or not.

So, in a nutshell WEEKLY MEAL PLANNING IS AWESOME and you should all do it.  We also attempt to double recipes that are easily doubleable (totally not a word, I made it up) and freeze the extras so on nights when cooking is the last thing on your mind, VOILA! There's something to heat up in the freezer!

Now, the real reason I'm writing about meal planning...

I suck at it when my husband is gone.

Surprise, surprise!

And unfortunately he's been gone A LOT lately.  So, what do I do when he's gone?

I eat crap.

I eat a lot of crap.

And I have no idea why.

When he's here I'm really good about being the responsible eater in this home.  I cook 5-6 nights a week and I do not cook crap (unless I'm craving Fried Chicken).  Crap being fried greasy food or carbs, there's not a lot of carbs in this household, etc.  And we don't buy snacks like potato chips, so generally speaking there's not a lot of "bad" food in our house.

Lots of protein and lots of fresh veggies.

You get the picture.

BUT by myself I just can't do it.  I hate cooking so I go for simple when it's just me.  And guess what's simple?

Carbs are simple.

Chicken with broccoli, pasta and parmesan.  

Chicken with cous cous.  

Cereal.  

Pizza.  

Indian.  

All carb heavy and all are wreaking havoc on my digestive system.

 So, what's a girl to do?  A pregnant tired girl, no less.  No, better, a pregnant tired girl who HATES COOKING!

There's no brilliant solution is there?  I just have to suck it up and keep cooking...or eat crap.  It's Thursday and we got back from Oregon on Tuesday, guess how many times I've already been to the grocery store?

If you guessed 3 you'd be right.

Sigh.  Seriously, right back where I started.  Old habits die hard.

But at least I haven't eaten crap this week...