Transitioning from Whole Foods to Real Food Meal Plans in 2016

Beginning January 1, 2016 we transitioned what was our Whole Foods Meal Plan offerings to a Real Food Meal Plan offering. We discontinued Whole Foods Meal Plans and began releasing NEW Real Food Meal Plans . For those that love the Whole Foods Meal Plans of the past – don’t worry – there are plenty to choose from.

Welcome to the Once a Month Meals Real Food Meal Plan

Our Real Food Meal Plan provides you with simple meals made from unprocessed, fresh, local and seasonal ingredients while keeping in mind your valued time. The goal of this meal plan is to help you eat your fill of wholesome foods and avoid processed and nutrient-poor foods. You will see all made from scratch recipes – 15 dinners in total. It may take a little longer to prepare than our other meal plans, but a freezer full of wholesome food is worth the effort!

Types of Food Included:

The name of this meal plan says it all, but we figured a little more explanation would be helpful. We love this definition from our blog partner Lisa at 100 Days of Real Food. Basically we are talking about food that is as close to its natural state as possible. This includes:

• Plentiful produce
• Full-fat dairy products
• Whole grains
• Meat and seafood
• Limited amounts of natural sweeteners (i.e. honey and maple syrup)

We encourage you to seek out local and organic sources as much as you are able, but we realize that availability and budget may vary, so this is certainly not a requirement.

Types of Food NOT Included:

Again, we are seeking foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. This means your great-grandmother would recognize it as food. This means minimal packages, labels, and health claims. You will not find pre-packaged ingredients such as sauces, soups, instant mixes, dough, etc. Here are a few more items you will NOT see in this meal plan:

• GMO (genetically modified organisms)
• HFCS (high fructose corn syrup)
• Artificial ingredients
• Highly processed condiments
• White rice, flours, and pastas
• Refined or white sugar
• Highly processed meats (sausages and lunch meats that contain additives)
• Refined vegetable oils

 Tips and Resources for our Real Foods Meal Plan:

• Seek out the highest quality ingredients you can afford. Shop local and organic whenever possible, especially when it comes to meats.
• Decoding the Dirty Dozen
• How to Purchase Local Grass-Fed Beef
• Shop for the best eggs with tips here and here.
• Our Get Real Series gives you a year’s worth of research and action steps to help you get started with Real Food. Purge your pantry, cut out sugars, learn to shop your local farmer’s market, bake your own bread, and learn from others on the journey.
• Save More and Spend Less on Real Food
• How to Save Money on Real Food

Pure and simple. Isn’t that what we all strive for in life? Why shouldn’t it be the same with the food you eat? It’s the fuel for your body and mind, so why complicate it? The Real Foods Once A Month Meals meal plan is here to help you achieve just that: simple meals with unprocessed, fresh, local and seasonal ingredients while still keeping your valued time in mind. Real Foods can take more time to prepare, but they are worth every minute you spend, and you will not be disappointed with the end result.

Once A Month Meals Etiquette

Please be aware that other meal plan options at Once A Month Meals DO include processed foods and/or foods that you would not find to be Real Foods friendly. However, we are one community geared around freezer cooking, so be mindful of others and that their ways may not be yours. Also, note that if you subscribe to Once A Month Meals that you will also receive recipes from the other meal plans and therefore those recipes may not be geared to Real Foods; feel free to skip past them or to adapt them to your Real Foods lifestyle.

The Whole Foods Meal Plans – Before January 2016

This meal plan will focus on simple ingredients and as little to no processed foods as possible. The meal plan will help you to look in more detail at the items you purchase from your local stores.  Simply put, we will strive for no GMO (genetically modified organisms), no HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), and no artificial ingredients in this meal plan. You can see recipes that we’ve had on past and current meal plans on our Pinterest board here. We encourage you to get organic and as local as possible produce.  Sometimes we will encourage you to buy natural/organic items instead of making your own due to time, resources, season, etc. but there will be add-on items to make yourself.  Again this meal plan will take longer than the other meal plans to achieve a month’s worth of meals.

Breakfast Recipes – 3

These breakfast ideas will help everyone start their day off right with a full belly. There will also be a recipe that you can use for those lazy mornings when you want something a little more hearty.

Lunch Recipes – 3

Lunches will be hearty yet light to get you through the peak of the day. They will be as family-friendly as possible to keep everyone happy! A majority of the time these meals are geared to be served cold or to have minimal prep on the stovetop or microwave. If they need to be heated they will be in readily available means that are quick and easy, for example, microwaved. This way, whether you are feeding the family at home or preparing a meal at work, you don’t waste the lunch hour in the kitchen for your food to be prepared.

Dinner Recipes – 6

Dinner will be a good variety for you to choose from. There will be a good blend of meat and meatless variety to keep you and your food budgets feeling good.  There will also be a mix of seasonal produce in each meal plan.