Capsule Menu

Good morning friends!

I’m a big believer in a capsule wardrobe. Having a set amount of pieces to mix and match together to create complete outfits for a season truly simplifies my life beyond belief (here is a great article that goes into more depth about it!). I also am a big believer in creating a capsule menu as well. Following the same concept of the capsule wardrobe, a capsule menu is a list of 5-10 recipes that are quick, simple and easy to put together. I use a capsule menu for breakfast and lunches for Amelia and I, so today I thought I would share those recipes with you in hopes that you may find some new ideas to add to your own capsule menu!

Capsule Menu: Breakfast

The key to designing a capsule menu is to ensure that the recipes are quick, use basic ingredients and that you always keep those ingredients stocked up in your pantry, fridge and freezer. Ensuring that you have all the ingredients on hand each day means you have the freedom to pick and choose what you prepare each morning. When I’m preparing my weekly grocery list I check to make sure I have all the ingredients for the bellow recipes on hand and stocked up for the upcoming week.

Note: To each menu item bellow I always add:

• At least one piece of fruit. I usually buy in season and can range from strawberries, banana, orange, kiwi, grapes, mango etc.

• A dairy product such as yogurt, cheese string, baby belle.

• Amelia and I only drink water for meals.

Toddler Breakfast Menu

• Scrambled eggs and toast

• Mini souffle

• French toast: In a bowl beat together two eggs and 1/4 cup of milk. Dunk pieces of bread into mixture and fry in frying pan, flipping every couple of minutes. This recipe usually gets me two pieces of french toast. I serve with a small dish of maple syrup for dunking.

• Loaded smoothie: I combine 1/2 cup frozen mixed veggies, 1 cup of frozen fruit, 1/2 cup of water and handful of spinach into a nutribullet. I then add 2 tbsp of flax seed and about 1/3 tsp of chia. Blend and serve very cold.

• Dipping eggs with soldiers (runny egg with toast strips)

• Spinach and cheese omelette (this is a great recipe that includes ham)

My Breakfast

I basically eat the same thing every morning. My breakfast bowl is full of nutrients and vitamins that keep me going until lunch. Here is a detailed list of what goes into my breakfast bowl each morning!

In a frying pan I sauté:

• hand full of sliced baby heirloom tomatoes

• 1/4 zucchini chopped

• pinch of salt and pepper

• 1/4 tsp of mexican fiesta seasoning

When those are done I pour them into a bowl and then scramble one egg. Sometimes I also sauté about 1/2 cup black beans or refried beans at the other side of the pan from the egg.

I then pour those into the bowl and add:

• 1/4 cup microgreens

• 1 tsp chia seed

• 1 tbsp flax

• 1/4 cup salsa

That’s it! I normally have a coffee with my breakfast as well!

Capsule Menu: Lunch

Note: To each menu item bellow I always add:

• At least one piece of fruit. I usually buy in season, and can range from strawberries, banana, orange, kiwi, mango, grapes etc.

• Several pieces of vegetables. Currently Amelia will only eat raw carrot. I go with that.

Toddler Lunch Menu

• Grilled cheese

• Soup (Amelia is obsessed with Campbells princess chicken noodle soup)

• Turkey roll ups with cheese: I roll up lunch meat and cheese slices and she loves it. It’s equivalent to a homemade lunchables.

• Cheesy pasta (from Nugget markets)

• Chicken dinosaur nuggets

• Egg mayonnaise: Chopped boiled eggs, 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, pinch of salt and pepper. Sometimes I add some chopped spring onion as well.

• Chicken mayonnaise: Baked chicken shredded with 1/4 cup mayonnaise.

Here is a link to some great toddler lunch ideas to give you more inspiration!

My Lunch

In all honesty I usually have one of two things:

1. Left overs from the night before

2. A salad with whatever veggies I have in the fridge.

Simple and Teachable Meals

When I designed the capsule menus for both Amelia and I, I wanted to ensure that everything I would make was automatic and required very little concentration. I also ensured that the recipes were simple enough to prepare that Amelia could stand by my side and assist me in making them. Amelia’s a pro at cracking eggs, mixing scrambled eggs in the frying pan, chopping soft veggies and fruit (we use this kid safe knife) and spreading jam or butter on her toast. I like to use preparing meals as teachable moments to let Amelia learn hands on what it takes to make home cooked meals.

Do you use a capsule menu? What do you include in yours? Let me know in the comments I’d love to know!

x

Lauren