Discussion Board

Hi everyone!

I know there are several homeschooling moms/parents here. I was wondering if you have a regular meal pattern you settle into as you go through your school day/week with your children. (Including any SAD, vegetarian, etc. eaters in your family in your patterns and preparations.)

we have a three week rotating menu for supper(dinner). Since the rest of my family is not interested in McD'ing with me, I set it up to help me Meat is cooked on Sunday (in the slow cooker) and the left over meat is shredded up and they can add it in to various dishes throughout the week.

For breakfast and lunch, everyone is on their own.

ej

Hi Willow!

My husband prefers to SAD. My homeschooled children are dietarily between his and my style. He supplies the pantry with junk and I try to offer alternatives. I put my eldest daughter in charge of seeing that fruits and/or veggies are part of every breakfast and lunch, and my dessert-lovin' 11 yr old. is supposed to be seeking and making healthy versions of dessert. I'm not often able to plan more than a week ahead for meals, but I have a policy that works: while cleaning up after dinner, I plan the next night's suppers. I have a small crockpot that's perfect for cooking beans overnight. So after washing the dishes, I fill up the little crockpot with whatever beans I'm having the next day and get them going. In the morning I just shut it off and drain them when I'm ready to use them in the recipe. I get out my recipes and take the meat out of the freezer into the fridge the night before, too. This way I'm committed, and already started, so I'm less likely to blow it off and eat SAD.

I also have a big crockpot, and it's invaluable for cooking pot roasts, mashed potatoes, stews, chilis, etc. It's the only way I can maintain two menus and my sanity. Often I start dinner in the crockpot at lunchtime, so after school is free for exercise and straightening up.

Sometimes I think if it weren't for homeschooling, I could never cook healthy. When they were in school I spent so much time transporting them to this or that, and when they were home, I couldn't help with homework and make a proper dinner at the same time. Also, they are learning better eating habits here. At school they were trading with other children, and sometimes if they brought a salad or hummus or whole wheat bread, they were teased.

Nice to hear of other homeschooling McDougallers.

OK, I'll jump in. Much like 5underfoot my hubby is definitely eating SAD, and my children are a mixture. They most certainly chow down on meats and such.... but since their Dad is very overweight, always sleepy, never has energy for them, they see for themselves what a difference diet and lifestyle make in a person. So... I introduce veggie foods, and get them to eat more veggies than they would in PS. We've had vegatarian salsbury steaks, etc at lunch - things I wouldn't dare serve at dinner for my hubby. They want to eat healthier than Dad, but aren't to the point of McD'ing. Since my hubby takes ANY comment about his food choices very personally, I have to be extraordinarily careful to not make bad comments about SAD foods. Believe me, the marital angst is not good. My son went vegetarian for awhile, and my hubby was upset with ME even though I really did NOT tell my son to do that.

Hmmm, I got off topic. No, I'm not good at planning ahead, but I strive to plan ahead a couple of days at a time. Something to improve on!

I homeschool my two daughters (kindergarten). The whole family follows a vegan diet through the week. My husband and I McDougall to lose weight, but I do n't limit the girl's fats so much. My one daughter needs to gain weight, so if anyone has any tips, please let me know.

We eat three times per day plus one or two snacks between meals. For breakfast (about 8 am), we have either cereal, leftover, homemade pancakes (my husband makes them with the girls on Saturdays), waffles, or oatmeal. I usually let them pick what they want.

For lunch (around 12:30 pm), the girls eat soup and sandwiches (peanut butter and jelly, hummus, or grilled cheese (Tofutti). Dessert is usually some fruit.

We eat dinner about 5 pm. We have a typical McDougall meal (baked potatoes and veggies, pasta, rice, etc.).

For snacks, I serve a homemade trail mix, cornbread, fruit, crackers with a spread.

I consider cooking part of homeschooling, and let my daughters help me. We make cornbread (they love this) once or twice per week. I also make a quick bread on occasion, such as banana or apple sauce bread. Quick breads make a quick, healthy snack.

One of the first great things I learned when I came to the McDougall Discussion Board a few years back was about "Sandie's Menu":

http://www.geocities.com/sandieb101/Menu2.html

I was (am still am !) impressed with the re-useable process Sandie invented, and how the sleeve slips over the sheet, so she can circle each wk.'s menu choices, and not have to write everything out again each week).

A person could also write out the shopping list (or decide which meals to choose decided by what's currently in the pantry!) while planning a week's menus in advance, because the recipes are included.

Maybe something about this plan could be helpful for your needs.

I try to keep things simple, and what worked best for us was having a dinner plan for the week, and then leftovers or simple things for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is usually hashbrowns, cereal, or pancakes. Lunch may be sandwiches or some kind of stir-fry, and dinner may be pizza, tacos (our favorite), stir-fry, an Indian rice dish, beans, etc. And leftovers are always an option! My kids are all very good at finding leftovers if I'm too slow or if they don't like what I'm making.

Fortunately, my children are all vegetarian. DH is SAD, but he eats what I cook when he's home (he's not good at hiding the wrappers in his car from fast-food places ).

I know that if they were in school, it'd be much more difficult! I'm thankful that they get such good meals at home, and no one is thinking that what they eat is weird.

Love the Lorax,

That sounds a lot like my life. He keeps throwing up obstacles! It's so weird. And if the children get too veggie, he starts making fun of them and getting mad at me! I think he sees our differences as a personal criticism. It helps if I don't make a big deal about the food, and try extra hard to make him feel accepted and cared for at home. Unfortunately that doesn't work 100%, only sometimes, but it's worth it. So often I've just gotten sick of trying so hard and slowly defaulted back to SAD, but then I'm fatter, sicker, sluggish, and foggy with high blood sugars. With the high sugars come all sorts of related miseries, and you know what, I can't afford NOT to McD. Because my eating SAD doesn't magically make my husband happy anyway; it eliminates one topic of argument but makes me physically ill. So I'm here on this board for company in standing my ground. You keep on keepin' on, LTL, and I will, too.

Wow -- so many replies (so many homeschoolers here)!!

Thank you for sharing all your ideas, everyone.

ellenj, I love the meat on Sunday idea. Lunches on their own -- do you just keep sandwich fixings/leftovers on hand? Would you mind sharing your dinner rotation?

5underfoot, the idea of assigning things to the kids is great. The two I have at home yet (6yo & 8yo) are at the ages where they really want to help me. And the idea of planning tomorrow tonight is good. Right now, for the most part, I've simply been going day to day. But "just one" day ahead is an easy approach to handle!

Love the Lorax, I can relate! It's been a challenge at my house. My youngest actually prefers veg, fruit and rice (doesn't care for potatoes, though) -- but hubby insists she needs lots of meat/fat to stay healthy (Keep in mind, too, that he eats as if meat, dairy/fat and sugar are the base of his food pyramid, with veg being the occasional condiment at the top.) So..... I'm definitely cooking two menus around here (meat as a "side" or condiment doesn't always cut it).

Determined and momof4, thank you for the meal ideas. Perfect!

Clary, I'd forgotten all about Sandie's Menu. I'm going to try to adapt that to all the ideas here (and to hubby, LOL!!). I love the reusable format she suggests.

I keep getting pulled back to the SAD way of eating because of pressure/no support. But I have to eat right for my health (psoriasis, migraines, etc).

The support/ideas here are wonderful -- as always!! Thank you, everyone!!

Some of you may relate to this--in one of my organizing books, the author says she spent the first half of her life wondering whom she was going to marry, and the next half wondering what to make for dinner!

I've been married 15 years, and I even amaze myself when I sometimes find myself wondering, at about 3:30pm, what to make for dinner. I guess maybe I'm thinking that since I made it yesterday, why do I have to make it again?? Thankfully, I always have something on hand, but my husband has me figured out--when he asks what's for dinner, and I say, "pasta" or "spicey rice dish," then he knows I put no thought into tonight's dinner!

willow,

yes, I just keep lunch fixings on hand - and leftovers are available.

Things in our meal rotation:
Spaghetti/green beans/cheezy Italian bread
build your own taco salad
rice and beans brasilian style
baked potato bar (top your own potato)
chili and corn bread
stir fry
and one night every 3 weeks the kids choose the menu and cook (I usually have to do something for myself this night )

We made a list of things that the family likes to eat and I worked them to fit my way of eating.

ej

Sometimes this changes on its own naturally and no harm is done. I know we went through all sorts of contortions to try to get my son to gain weight when he was little. He never was sick from being a stick, though. In college, he filled out without really trying. (The same thing happened with my nephew. Super skinny, never a health problem from being so, then in his late teens he gained weight.)

Have you seen Dr. McDougall's suggestions about gaining weight? There is an article on this subject in one of his newsletters:
http://www.nealhendrickson.com/McDougall/030700.htm