Getting Started with Menu Plan Monday

I first came upon Menu Plan Monday on the I'm an Organizing Junkie blog.  I thought it was a really cool idea, but being a single, very busy professional, I didn't think it was for me.  I thought it was for moms, particularly stay at home moms, who have a lot more time on their hands than I do (Don't judge me).  However, since I'm just recently starting my blog, I thought menu plan Monday would be a great way to get me writing regularly.  But, menu plan Monday is more than that now.  As I think about my life and how crazy busy it is, it'd be nice to force myself to sit down and figure out exactly what I'm eating everyday.  This is especially true now, because I'm trying to eat healthy and stay in shape.  Looking at what and how I eat will definitely help me focus my efforts on eating better.  Hopefully, this will also save me time and money.  And one day, when my life isn't so busy and I'm able to spend more evenings at home, than away, maybe my menu will actually include home cooked food, since I love to cook so much.  Unfortunately, for now, my days are spent at work, and my evenings are not usually spent at home, so my menu usually involves cooking school leftovers or restaurant fare.  Sad face.

Monday
Breakfast:  1/2 c. soy milk (vanilla) and Special K (vanilla almond)
Snack:  Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt
Lunch:  Chickfila Grilled chicken salad (fat free dressing)
Snack:  1/4 c. shelled pistachios
Dinner:  Gilbert's Cafe (Dinner out with Girlfriends)

Tuesday
Breakfast:  1/2 c. soy milk (vanilla) and Special K (vanilla almond)
Snack:  1/4 c. shelled pistachios
Lunch:  Mediterranean Monster Smoothie (Planet Smoothie)
Snack:  8 Reduced Fat Vanilla Wafers
Dinner:  Cooking School Leftovers

Wednesday
Breakfast:  Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt
Snack:  13 Ritz mini's with cheese
Lunch:  1/2 c. soy milk (vanilla) and Special K (vanilla almond)
Snack:  1/4 c. shelled pistachios
Dinner:  Cooking School Leftovers

Thursday
Breakfast:  1/2 c. soy milk (vanilla) and Special K (vanilla almond)
Snack:  Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt
Lunch:  Terriyaki Chicken and Steamed Rice (Sarku Japan)
Snack:  1/4 c. shelled pistachios
Dinner:  Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt, 13 Ritz mini's with cheese and 8 Reduced Fat Vanilla Wafers
(I have a hair appointment after work, so I'm eating a big lunch so I can eat a small dinner at the salon)

Friday
Breakfast:  1/2 c. fat free yogurt, granola and strawberries
Snack:  8 Reduced Fat Vanilla Wafers
Lunch:  1/2 c. soy milk (vanilla) and Special K (vanilla almond)
Snack:  13 Ritz mini's with cheese
Dinner:  Pizza - yuck
(I'm not even a small fan of pizza, but I'm volunteering at an event after work, and they plan to feed the volunteers pizza.  The things we do for charity (smile).)

Saturday
Breakfast: 1/2 c. fat free yogurt, granola and strawberries
Snack:  Glass of Wine, Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt (I have a mani/pedi and they give me wine. Horrible, I know)
Lunch:  Light snacks (I'm attending a conference where they will serve refreshments, I just don't know what's on the menu.)
Snack:  8 Reduced Fat Vanilla Wafers
Dinner:  Cooking School Leftovers

Sunday
Breakfast:  egg white omelet with spinach, onions, mushrooms and cheddar cheese
Snack:  1/2 c. fat free yogurt, granola and strawberries
Lunch:  13 Ritz mini's with cheese
Snack:  No snack today
Dinner:  Game Food (I have two super bowl parties to attend, and I have to eat the food)

As you can see, my schedule for this week does not even remotely allow me to cook at home, except for maybe lunch on Sunday, but since I'm eating so much for the Big Game, I don't want to overdo it.

Let me explain the Cooking School Leftovers.  For those of you not from Atlanta, there's a cooking store here called, The Cook's Warehouse.  They sell just about anything you could imagine you'd need for your kitchen and they offer cooking classes as well.  I'm a volunteer and I assist different cooking classes.  I can pick my own schedule, as long as there is availability.  I typically pick classes with a Chef or cuisine I'm interested in.  Assisting gives me points towards future classes, so sometimes I assist classes that offer more points, or sound interesting.  In each class, each student, as well as the assistants, get a tasting of whatever was prepared in the class, so on class days, that's usually my dinner.