We’ve created 5 free “real food” meal plans to help make things a little easier for those busy families who would like to cut out processed food. If you follow the instructions below to download the meal plans then this is what you’ll get:
- Five 7-day practical “real food” menu plans designed for busy families.
- Complete meals listed each day for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner with leftovers incorporated.
- Food quantities calculated for a family of four.
- Corresponding complete grocery list showing what to buy in order of the store and actual cost for each item (as opposed to the price per serving) with seasonal ingredients highlighted on Meal Plans 3 – 5 so purchases can be made from your local farmers’ market if desired.
- Budget-friendly prices that are close to what a family of four would receive on full food stamp (SNAP) benefits– $167/week – with plenty of additional cost-saving opportunities because:
- Coupons were not used
- Sales prices were not used
- Prices for organic items were used in most cases
- If you follow this plan you will end up with some leftover food (like granola, eggs, flour, butter, marsala wine, and corn meal) that can be incorporated into recipes the following week
- All underlined recipes are available on 100DaysofRealFood.com – check out the Recipe Index for a full list.
- All recipes are working mom/dad-friendly including tips on what to make in advance over the weekend.
- Almost every item listed follows our strict 10-day pledge rules, with just a few minor exceptions to keep the plan realistic for those busy working parents.
Here’s the scoop on how to get Meal Plans 1 – 4:
- Go to the “Meal Plans” link on the 100 Days of Real Food Facebook Page
(you must be logged in to your Facebook account or create one, and you must be using a computer, not a mobile device, to see the Meal Plans link).
- Click “like” if you are not already a fan.
- Click on the image of the meal plan you would like to download.
And this is how to get a hold of Meal Plan 5:
- Become an email subscriber by entering your email address in the box below and following the instructions.
- You will receive an email that contains a link to activate your subscription. Be sure to check your spam box if you don’t see it right away.
- Once you’ve confirmed your subscription, you’ll receive a welcome email that includes a link to the 5th meal plan.
As a subscriber you’ll get a notification when we update the blog (usually 2-3 times a week).
Subscribe by entering your email address here:
I think this website is amazing! Since my daughter I have been trying to eat healthier and use more organic products. It is tough and can be confusting but you site is very helpful. I hope to take your 10 day challange soon!!!
Thanks again,
Do you have a meal plan for lactose intolerant people? My son is lactose intolerant and my daughter is severely allergic to the NATURAL food coloring, annatto. I’m just not sure how to deal with food they both can eat.
Hi Barb. You can adapt any of the recipes to meet the needs of your family by omitting or substituting ingredients. It may take a bit of experimenting. My son and I both have lactose issues and I have success using almond or coconut milk as a substitute in many recipes. Good luck. ~Amy
Hello,
Love the site – love the mission. Quick question: we try in our home to eat as many whole veggies as possible. Sometimes to do this quickly, we’ll microwave in a bowl with a small amount of water and cling wrap. Is microwaving an unsafe practice?
Hello R. This is not a subject area we’ve delved into much. The Food Babe has an opinion on it, however: http://foodbabe.com/tag/microwave/. ~Amy
DO you have blank meal templates that we could “create our own” using your recipes?
Hi Vil. I am checking into that. I’ll get back with ya. ~Amy
Hi again Vil. I am sending you the templates via email. : ) ~Amy
how is mayo a natural food?
you call for mayo in your recipes, which puts me off and confuses me with your mission to only eat “natural foods”. Here is an ingredient in most mayos. It’s a chemical, definitely not natural
What is CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA?
Calcium Disodium may sound like a salt, but it is not, the proper name is the EDTA which is short for Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (we will not even try to tell you how to pronounce that). It is made from a concoction of poisons and chelation chemicals.
Where does CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA come from?
It is made from formaldehyde, sodium cayanide, and Ethylenediamine
Mayo is made from eggs, mustard, lemon juice or vinaigre, salt and pepper and oil.
Way better to make it yourself and very easy.
Hi Holly. If you read this post, you will see Lisa’s struggle to find real food condiments: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/04/17/real-food-condiments-do-they-exist/. You will also see the type of mayo Lisa typically purchases and it’s far better ingredient list is available here: http://www.spectrumorganics.com/?id=57. Hope that clarifies. ~Amy
Organic mayonnaise by Spectrum is good. Has organic soy oil in it for those who don’t mess with soy. I usually don’t.
I live in Westland, MI. Where in the world would I buy wild caught fish? What kind of shrimp is best? Raw or precooked?
Hi Vicky. Most larger grocery stores offer wild caught selections of fish in their seafood deli sections. And, freshly cooked shrimp almost always beats precooked shrimp in flavor and texture. Hope this is helpful. ~Amy
Hello, I have tried several times to download your meals plan and can only access meal plans 1 & 2. It won’t scroll past 2. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Kathi
Just printed this off and hubby is on his way to the store
Thank you so much for sharing.
I have Huntington’s Disease which there is no cure or much understanding of the disease so it is either be a test subject or find ways to try to slow it and live what time you have healthy.
Germany has done research on the foods and minerals that are needed with brain diseases and I think this is a big help…Thank YOu
Lisa
My family also has Huntington’s. do you know specifically of any foods or physical therapy that will slow the progression of the disease?
Thanks
Rebecca
I’m just starting this journey and my husband and son and I are on week ONE. What I want to know is, what is the green and red leaf lettuce to be used for, listed on the Grocery List for week one but not in the menu’s? Also, making the vegetarian fajita’s and I see a serving suggestion with avocado and corn on the cob; yet neither of these items are on the week one grocery list. Sorry if I sound picky; I so appreciate all the work you did making these menus and lists but I ask my questions for possible future versions that could be corrected. Thanks.
Sheila – Congratulations on starting your journey! Lettuce is for lunch on Thursday (with tortillas and leftover chicken). Avocado and corn are among the list of serving suggestions to accompany fajitas, and are not part of the core recipe. Not all readers will want all of the suggestions, so they are not on the grocery list.
Hi I’m really into changing my life as well as my family’s lives for the better….I’ve tried now for about 3 years doing and using more organic but still have some processed foods…I would like to take the next step forward and completely eliminate processed foods. I wish I was able to find more recipes on your site as well as your pinterest page. I just have one question how is Truvia as an all natural sweetner? Yes or no? I’ve also downloaded the Fooducate app which grades the foods from A to I believe D. It’s suppose to help grade the food for you and to avoid most processed foods. Hope that helps all. Looking forward to hearing back thank you!
Hi Loraine. We avoid all artificial sweeteners even the stevia based ones. Truvia is highly processed with an alcohol made from corn sugar. I am also familiar with the Fooducate app. My kids had great fun going through my mom’s pantry grading all of her food.
I think it is useful for those transitioning to better choices though it covers mostly processed items that don’t fit into the real food categories. It can also be helpful in identifying non-GMO items. Hope that is helpful. ~Amy
Hi there!! In reference to the Mayo question…I have completely cut out May by replacing it with classic Hummus. It is very yummy and better for you and it is gluten free!!
[...] offer free 5 weeks of “Real Food” Meal plans. You have to like their facebook page to get weeks 1-4 and sign up for their newsletter to get week [...]
I found your blog today and it is just an amazing planet of what I was looking for> healthy snacks for my 23 year old. She tends to be on the choosy side and leans towards spicy and salty snacks and I had just run out of ideas except fries, nuggets, fish crackers and croquettes.
Thanks and love for maintaining such a beautiful resource.
Hello,
Do u have a meal plan for a child that has really bad skin problems, my poor daughter can not get hot that means summers are not so fun, she is not supposed to eat an entire list of foods because it makes the eczema really bad, she is only 5 so it has been really hard to get her to eat better, please can you help, I just can not watch her in pain anymore
Hi Kristi. We do not have meal plans that are specific for food sensitivities. You are welcome to create one that will work for your needs using our template. I will email it to you!! Best of luck. ~Amy
…And also, here are a couple posts regarding various food allergies that might be helpful: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/06/28/food-allergies/ and http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/08/31/food-allergies-dairy/. Also, if you find you are needing gluten or grain free recipes go here: http://deliciouslyorganic.net/. ~Amy