Hello and Welcome to Lesson 10 of
Our Free "Meal Planning 101" eCourse

Hello, and welcome to your tenth lesson!  This week we focus on health again.  Read over your past meal plans and see how well you are fulfilling the requirements of Canada's food guide - for protein.

Lesson Ten;  A Healthy Review - Meats & Meat Substitutes

This week, take a peek at your previous meal plans to see if everyone is getting enough healthy protein.  Click here to visit Health Canada or here to visit the USDA's site to see the recommended number of servings for your family members - once again, you'll see that the recommended number varies by age and gender.

There is a huge range of protein foods.  In fact doing a Google search for protein sources will yield a wide assortment of results.  I personally think of them in 3 categories:

1. Sources for carnivores - specifically those of us who eat animals like cows and pigs and also including birds and fish (they are not vegetables ;) ). 
   
   I know some do argue that you can be "vegetarian" and still eat chicken or fish but until someone can show me a chicken or fish that's a "vegetable" and not a living, breathing thing, I'll stick with my definition ;) 
   
   As I see it, carnivores or meat eaters range in their preferences from those who eat red meat heartily to those who only eat fish occasionally.
    

2. Sources for vegetarians - those who don't eat meat but do eat things that come from animals like eggs and cheese. 
    

3. Sources for vegans - those who don't eat meat or anything that comes from animals.  Among other options, vegans can choose legumes and tofu and protein sources.

Keeping in mind where you and your family members are in those categories, you can add protein in an assortment of ways.  Once again, try leaner sources and remember that new recipes can help tremendously.  Here are some things that worked for us:

• Carnation Instant Breakfast.  These are pre-made drinks or powder packets that you add to milk, and they have a nice amount of protein in them. 

• Dips made with beans like Hummus and White Bean dips (do a Google search for recipes).  Using veggies as dippers makes it twice as heart healthy.

• Once again soup is good here.  From chili with beans & bean soups to chicken noodle soup and beef stew.

• Meat balls - kids like the smaller manageable size.

• Homemade chicken nuggets - these are great cold too.

• Casseroles with meat chunks added (this way they are nice and saucy and well hidden).

Crystal

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Again, all the sheets are in PDF format which means you need to have Adobe Acrobat to see it.  If you don't have Adobe, click here to download it – it's fast and free.

The Blank Shopping list is available online here. 

The Blank Meal Plan comes in two sizes:
 

1. Letter paper size - you'll also find this version online here.
   
    
2. Legal paper size - you'll find this version online here.

 

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