June Menus

Welcome to June! Summer is here, and everyone’s playing hard and then coming in to ask the question that never ends…

What’s for Supper?

I’m here to help with suggestions for June Menus. My summer breakfast is a nutritious, delicious Green Smoothie. I’m still sipping them down each morning and loving the way they make me feel. You can read more about that here.

For lunch, I’m home alone and only prepare for one. If we have leftovers such as quinoa and roasted vegetables, I’ll eat those up; wasting food really bothers me. If we don’t have leftovers, I create a lovely green salad. I work at keeping the refrigerator and pantry well stocked with a variety of options, and never grow tired of this meal. Here’s a sample of yesterday’s lunch: it was delicious!

Butter lettuce, cucumbers, baby tomatoes, feta, sliced Greek olives, pepper. Served with blueberry tea and lemon…and a good book for company.

My Menu Planning Process

First, I take note of any special occasions on my calendar: birthdays, family outings, special celebrations. I quickly sketch out menu ideas for those events. I’ll ask for any special requests. If it’s a big family dinner, I might check with my mom and sister to see if they have any thoughts.

Next, I take pad and pen to inventory freezer, refrigerator, and pantry. I try to keep an eye on expiration dates so I can use up any item that is nearing an untimely end. I don’t write every single item on my list, since I shop sales and tend to keep a well-stocked pantry. However, I write down any meals I’ve big-batched and frozen, like spaghetti sauce, soup, or chili. Then I jot down the cuts of meat available for use.

Last, I sit down with my meal plan calendar and start plugging in meals. At this point, I’m usually sitting surrounded by cookbooks full of post-it notes reminding me of favorites or of recipes I’d like to try. I use a pencil to fill in my menu plan, since there’s usually some juggling around and erasing.

Once I have every day full, I’m done! I quickly make a shopping list.

Now I’m Prepared with a Flexible Plan

Focus on the word flexible! I never use this plan exactly as written, but am constantly juggling things around depending on my mood, schedule changes, or forgetting to thaw something. The important thing is that I do have a general idea and all the necessary ingredients on hand.

Without further ado…

June Menus

Friday, June 1–Tostadas (purchased shells, cooked beans, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, black olives)

Saturday, June 2–Chili 🌶 (in freezer from a big-batch cooking session)

Sunday, June 3–Cookout: Hamburgers,🍔 baked beans, salad

Monday, June 4–BLT Salad 🥓 : Greens, tomato, avocado, cheese, crispy bacon

Tuesday, June 5–Blackened Tilapia tacos 🌮

Wednesday, June 6–Paninis

Thursday, June 7–Sheet pan dinner: Chicken breasts, assorted veggies roasted

Friday, June 8–Shredded pork tacos (My sister had leftover shredded pork and brought two containers to me when I was sick. I froze one. It makes great tacos, or a shredded pork taco salad.)

Saturday, June 9–Spaghetti 🍝 (meat sauce in freezer from big-batch cooking)

Sunday, June 10–Pinto beans, cornbread, green beans, rice or potatoes

Monday, June 11–Red, white, and blue Cobb Salad (Clean Eating Magazine recipe)

Tuesday, June 12–Salmon patties, quinoa, salad

Wednesday, June 13–Breakfast for dinner! Pancakes 🥞

Thursday, June 14–Crockpot Red Pepper Chicken (Freezer cooking recipe)

Friday, June 15–Ground beef tacos 🌮

Saturday, June 16–Homemade pizza 🍕

Sunday, June 17–Father’s Day Cookout! Grill hamburgers 🍔

Monday, June 18–Taco salad 🥗

Tuesday, June 19–Baked tilapia & veggies

Wednesday, June 20–Breakfast for dinner: Grits, eggs, toast 🍳