Meal planning: Nov. 28 - Dec. 4

"It's not the minutes spent at the dining table that put on weight, but the seconds."

Photo courtesy of flickr user free2behealthy

I'll be posting my six-month lifestyle plan later this week, complete with monthly themes to help me tackle this one step at a time, but I do know that December's theme will be eating mindfully. 

I'll have more details later, but the theme this month will simply be making sure that I am choosing the best available option for me. Between the end of the semester, final exams, a three-week trip home where I'll have little control over the menu, and holiday gatherings, I predict that December eating will be a little crazy. 

I won't be focusing on calorie counts per se, but rather opting for healthful choices, eating only when hungry, and keeping portion size in check. Portion size is one of my biggest eating weaknesses, as is stress eating.

One way I'll be tackling this is by creating weekly meal plans to keep me on-task (and on-budget!) at the grocery store and throughout the week. Here's this week's plan:

MONDAY

Breakfast: Cereal with yogurt

Lunch: Thanksgiving leftovers

Dinner: Mark Bittman's autumn millet bake

TUESDAY

Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit

Lunch: Wheat berry and red fruit salad

Dinner: Autumn millet bake leftovers

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit

Lunch: Wheat berry and red fruit salad

Dinner: Work cafeteria

THURSDAY

Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit

Lunch: Wheat berry and red fruit salad

Dinner: Baked black bean and sweet potato burritos with a roasted tomato and cranberry salsa and chipotle lime cole slaw

FRIDAY

Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit

Lunch: Wheat berry and red fruit salad

Dinner: Leftover burritos

SATURDAY

Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit

Lunch: Sourdough panini (filling TBD)

Dinner: Leftover burritos