2020 Summer Meal Plan
Like most other areas in life right now, because of the COVID-19 virus, the way we plan meals has been turned upside down. Availability at the store has been scarce and even getting to the store has become more exhausting than ever. For many weeks I flipped my usual method backwards — instead of deciding what we would eat for the week based on my Spring Meal Plan, I have stocked up on all the pantry staples I know we need + check the grocery stores for what they had and planned my meals off of that. Example: if I saw stew meat at Aldi, I’d grab it and add stew to the menu for the week. If they had ground beef we’d make burgers or pasta sauce….etc. I also have relied heavily on my Misfits Market orders to get quality produce that lasts us about 2 weeks on average. Filling in after that with any proteins needed and our usual weekly staples became a new rhythm.
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Now that summer is upon us, our meal planning is changing up again, at least slightly. I have a better idea of what meat options I can readily find, so I feel more comfortable using that as a guide in planning my Summer Meal Plan. Walmart pick up slots are also opening back up slowly, which will drastically bring down our grocery bill. Falling back on my Seasonal Meal Plan as a spine during this time has been SO helpful. I may have had to switch things up more than I ever have during a season based on store availability, but having my set SMP plan as a guide still saved me LOADS of time I would have otherwise spent searching for recipes. We also leaned into just super basic meals…..roasted or sautéed veggies, salads, a grilled protein or fish, maybe some quinoa or rice on the side. Done. I stocked our pantry really well with inexpensive staples to help me “shop my pantry” and meal plan off of what we already had, rather than having to rely on the store every week.
The process has definitely taught me to be flexible and grateful for the food we do have. I have genuinely felt a much deeper sense of gratitude for our meals than ever before. The fact that we can rework the budget to temporarily afford higher prices in groceries for a few months, having food on the table at all, and for so many other reasons…it all is a reminder of how abundantly blessed we are. I hope I never take this for granted again. How about you?
What is a Seasonal Meal Plan?
A Seasonal Meal Plan is a list of 16-20 tried and true dinner recipes that you choose at the beginning of the season to rotate through for the 3 months of that season. This eliminates wasted time each week scrolling Pinterest for the next inspirational meal idea to make your family, and streamlines the whole meal planning process down to about 15 minutes a week. Another beauty to creating a Seasonal Meal Plan is that next year, you’ll already have a curated list of recipes that fit the season to pull from to make your meal plan!
If you often find yourself bored of the food you cook, or are frustrated week in and week out with how long it takes and how overwhelming it is to plan your meals, then the Seasonal Meal Planner is for you. The SMP is special because it not only allows you a space to keep everything food related organized; but it actually prompts you weekly, monthly and seasonally on each step you need to take to keep meal times simple so you never have to be overwhelmed again. You'll also find that the thread of hospitality runs through it, encouraging you to make inviting others into your home an ongoing rhythm and priority of life.
Watch this video to learn more about Seasonal Meal Planning here.
Learn how to create your own Seasonal Meal Plan in my FREE 5 Day Meal Planning Course.
This summer I needed to tweak a few recipes and cut some completely out in order to make them low-histamine friendly (LH). I am undergoing a gut healing protocol, and have learned that foods high in histamines are causing some digestion issues. So while my gut heals, these foods are temporarily cut out or limited. Some recipes below have notes in regards to this.
Summer meal plan
1. Herb Crusted Salmon, roasted broccoli, coconut basil quinoa
Linked a recipe here but I typically season my salmon with salt and mix whatever fresh herbs I have with mayo or spread homemade ranch on top before roasting
I have always subbed chicken for the chickpeas and I will omit paprika for LH
Curry is not LH, so I am subbing it with turmeric….still such a delicious meal and surprisingly filling for not having meat!
Coconut aminos and fish sauce are fermented, but I let it slide for this dish and use it sparingly
sub almond butter for peanut butter
4. Burgers, sweet potato fries, sautéed greens, salad
This is one of the easiest meals because I just add garlic powder, salt, some dijon mustard and possibly fresh herbs to ground beef/bison/lamb and make burgers with it! This along with some roasted veggies and sautéed greens make for a healthy and super yummy (kid approved) meal.
5. Chicken Apple Sausage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and zucchini roasted sheet pan
6. Chicken Tenders, honey mustard sauce, salad, oven fries
I make an easy breading for my chicken tenders with almond flour, salt, garlic powder and some oregano flakes. Then dip in egg wash and coat in the breading before roasting at 425 F for about 30 minutes. For the honey mustard sauce, I just mix honey and dijon together until I find the flavor I want.
7. Nutty Harvest Kale Salad, with grilled chicken
This salad is sooo delicious! I know it is technically “fall” flavors but we are getting so much kale in our Misfits boxes that this is a super yummy way to use it up! And I don’t know about you, but once fall hits I am not about the salads…..but summer? All the fresh salads please!
I don’t take the time to mix the nuts with other ingredients or toast them — I just throw the nuts right in! Pistachios taste wonderful in this salad too!
Sub ACV for red wine vinegar
Omit cinnamon
8. Veggie Grain Bowls with grilled chicken
I’m just planning to roast whatever seasonal veggies we have on hand, make up a batch of quinoa or lentils, some lettuce or dark greens and grill up chicken + throw it all together! Easy and delicious. A simple dressing for this could be:
Mix olive oil, salt, garlic, honey and some lemon juice in a mason jar and shake
9. Grilled Pork with mushroom sauce, roasted veggies, quinoa
I sear pork chops on both sides until brown, then remove from the pan. Then add just enough bone broth to deglaze the pan, add sliced onions and mushrooms and cook down. Add pork chops back in and simmer until cooked through. While that’s going, cook quinoa and roast veggies!
Omit red pepper flakes
Cut coconut aminos in half and omit fish sauce
11. Peruvian Roasted Chicken, Salad
Use duck fat when roasting any chicken….I repeat, use duck fat!!! The flavor is exponentially better than using oil and it’s a bit thicker making it easier to brush over the skin. Just trust me on this one! I find my duck fat from Thrive Market, and it is Epic brand.
Omit paprika
I do not make the green sauce right now because avocado is high in histamine….but homemade ranch is a great sub!
I love to add veggies under my roasted chicken — I like adding carrots, cauliflower and potatoes in this one and they cook along with the chicken
12. Lamb Meatballs with mint pea pesto, GF pasta
We have tons of mint growing in our yard so this is a wonderful seasonal use for it!
I have been finding ground lamb pretty regularly at Imperfect Foods, and lamb is a great addition to your diet and supports the thyroid
13. Whole30 Deconstructed Spring Roll Bowl
Omit fish sauce
Sub turmeric for curry powder
Does this require lots of chopping? Yes. Is it worth it? Oh yes… the daikon radish is a must if you can find it in your area. This dish is so fresh and great for summer!
14. Instant Pot Kaluha Pig (using this for 3 meal ideas) —
Plantain pizzas
Caribbean bowls
Green chili
16. Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash
This has always been a favorite of many, but since I’m not eating tomatoes right now, we are going to try our hand at nomato sauce and see if it compares!
17. Salmon Patties, salad, roasted veggies
18. Anything on the grill! + slaw
Grilled Chicken thighs, sausage, burgers, etc. — we want to make grilling a big part of the summer as a ministry tool in our neighborhood
I love this slaw and it can be made with or without the tuna
19. Salmon Chowder
Now, don’t turn your nose up at a summer soup — this one is so delicious it’s worth it to me. Plus the salmon addition and coconut base makes it feel much lighter than most winter soups. It’s a really yummy AND low histamine approved!
That’s it for our Summer Meal Plan! What will you be cooking this summer? If you use any of these recipes, please share this post on instagram + tag me (@natashajred) so I can see and so others can benefit from the Seasonal Meal Planning method!