Lunchbox Series - Weekly Menu/Calendar

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve found that a little planning (about 20 minutes every Sunday evening) goes a long way in keeping our weeknights and mornings relatively stress- and yell-free. Well, at least the energy saved is now redirected toward last-minute scrambles at the bus stop when we realize something has been forgotten. It never really ends.

I received a few requests to share our weekly menu calendar, so I’ll start posting them here beginning this week. I still haven’t found the perfect WordPress plugin to present this in a more polished format, so for now I’ll be sharing it in a simple post-style layout with links by day. I hope you find this as useful as I do, and please keep the comments coming here, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

While I don’t intend to overwhelm you with a daily nutrition log, I figured giving you a peek into our breakfast menu might be helpful. I’ve mentioned before that our mornings now feature juices and smoothies more often, and this shift has truly been a life-changing step toward a healthier lifestyle. This menu offers a glimpse into some of the green smoothies and juices in my kitchen, along with breakfast options that work well for both kids and adults. As always, I’ve included links to recipes available here on RKK.

On a related note, I plan to start a 30-day smoothie and green smoothie recipe series on my Tumblog and Facebook beginning Monday, September 30. Look out for weekly shopping lists, daily recipes, and photos. Let me know if this is helpful for you as well. I truly mean it when I say that green smoothies and green juices have been transformative for us, and I’ll be sharing more on that in a later post.

Weekly Menu for the Week of September 16

Day 1 – Monday

Breakfast: South Indian–style oatmeal (lovingly called Thachi Mammu Oatmeal in our home)
Green Smoothie: Kailan or kale, carrots, banana, orange, chia seeds, and coconut water
Juice: Green apple, cucumber, celery
Lunchbox: Peanut or almond butter, banana, and maple syrup sandwich on multigrain or gluten-free bread

Note: Use raw, organic peanut or almond butter if possible. I personally prefer almond butter, though it can be an acquired taste for kids, so experimentation and substitutions are perfectly fine. I’ve found it challenging to transition kids from conventional peanut butters loaded with sodium and hydrogenated fats to raw nut butters, but small steps are absolutely worth it. If you can make your own nut butter at home using a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, even better. Also, be sure to use pure 100% maple syrup rather than flavored varieties.

Snack: Sliced peaches

We only have one snack break during middle school, which works well for us. In the past, I’ve also packed vegetables such as carrot or celery sticks, or snacks like Kind bars.

Day 2 – Tuesday

Breakfast: Egg half-fry with toast
Smoothie: Spinach, mango, mint, celery, and ginger
Juice: Carrot, orange, and celery
Lunchbox: Scrambled spicy tortilla or paratha (kothu parotta)
Snack: Carrot sticks with hummus or avocado dressing

Day 3 – Wednesday

Breakfast: Toast with cream cheese (plain or savory varieties like onion chives), topped with avocado salad (sliced avocado, onions, and tomatoes with a squeeze of lemon)
Smoothie or Juice: Recipes to follow in a separate post
Lunchbox: Bombay sandwich with a green salad
Snack: Apple slices with almond butter

Day 4 – Thursday

Breakfast: Muesli or cereal with bananas
Green Smoothie or Juice
Lunchbox: Sabudana khichdi (sago stir-fry)
Snack: Orange segments

Day 5 – Friday

Breakfast: Oatmeal with maple syrup and pecans
Green Smoothie or Juice
Lunchbox: Scrambled tofu or paneer wrap or sandwich
Snack: Celery sticks with almond butter and raisins