Dietary Restrictions

I would like to first and foremost say that our family does not have any dietary restrictions, though at times we tend to lean toward vegetarianism that does not mean we don't love us some bacon and steak - better yet bacon on steak with some blue cheese crumbles...yummy...anyway, our meal plans are not going to be vegetarian, vegan, atkins, paleo, low carb, gluton free, dairy free, or any other hip, trendy, cool, alternative, or "I need to be on this diet in order to fit in," thing.  Instead our meals will focus on a balance of protein, veggies, fruit, fat, carbs, sugars, and bacon...ok, ok, not the bacon part, but man I believe bacon should be in its own food group!  By the by, I don't mean any disrespect if you happen to partake in one of the "diets" above, whatever works for you is brilliant (ie; you have celiac disease and need a gluten free diet), as long as you are doing it in a healthy manor....I have a huge pet peeve regarding people who preach about how awesome and healthy their diet is (lets take vegan for example), but when they respond by telling me their diet consists of bocas, quorn, and other hightly processed faux meat products (not understanding the meaning of a "whole protein" and how to achieve it using real food) then complain about how they are sick all the time...begs the question!  Though there are many educated vegan, I have not met many (this is coming from an ex-vegan..please note I'm am ex-vegan because I have a love for bacon, if that wasn't already evident!)

Ok, ok, enough of my ranting and down to business...

My idea is to use some of my go to recipes for this weeks menu, but "healthy-ize" them.  Some of my initial thoughts are to substitute quinoa flour for my unbleached flour for baking (ie pizza dough and quick breads). I would like to experiment using applesauce instead of oil for baking. I would also like to add a variety of veggies (our go tos are steamed carrots and peas - boring). Lastly, I will substitute our boring tasteless boxed noodles with either whole wheat or quinoa.   Because I have a tendency to put too much on my plate, I think this is a good starting platform for the week.  Grocery shopping day is Friday, so I have 2 more days to get my meal planning in order.

Meal Ideas:  TBA

By the by, if you haven't gotten a chance to read the article, Surviving Whole Foods I highly recommend it - if nothing else for a good laugh!