Hi Hilary. This has been my method for over 40 years now. Raised my family on it while working full time. Always had meat in the freezer which was bought on sale and packaged into 1 meal amounts. Had frozen veggies in freezer so when fresh ran out could turn to that. Potatoes, noodles and rice on hand. Stayed away from box mix potato, noodle, rice mixes. Tried to stay away from canned due to salt content. Have been an Aldi girl for past 20 years and love them. Great prices and can get in and out quickly. Thanks for sharing. I'm sure it will entice others to try. It will save grocery money and be healthier. Other thing is I always kept a couple of casseroles in the freezer in foil pans that way I could peal of the foil and puy in crock pot and would cook away in time for a meal instead of eating out. Not to mention coming home to the smell of dinner was wonderful. Have a great weekend all.
Thank you for this video. I am a colon cancer survivor (3 years) and trying to eat so much better. I find meal planning to be stressful and more costly. Keeping in simple these days. I find your videos motivating and soothing. Thank you for sharing.
I have been cooking for 50 years like you do. A protein, starch and vegetables, from scratch. I hate processed foods. I looked it up and lentils are a legume. They give us protein, carbs and fiber. Very healthy. I live on Long Island,NY and I just read that Aldi will be coming soon to a convenient location soon. I can’t wait. I too always use full fat products and real butter and lots of olive oil. Great video dear Hillary.
I have to meal plan since my husband and I are both teachers and I don’t need another decision at night. Since returning to work this year, I started cooking as much of meals as I can on the weekends. Makes the evenings much smoother with 3 kids.
This video has me quite inspired. I usually shop once a week because I buy fresh veg. But cooking with frozen and root vegetables in the second week could eliminate a couple of trips a month! I also ditched planning/choosing recipes for the week. I just got bored following those recipes. I still plan two meals that are requests that i pick up the ingredients for, but for the most part, I keep fresh veg and meats for the ready.
You've inspired me with your delicious meals for years now. I always remember you saying in a past video that you try to eat as close to the ground as possible. In a world full of keto diet trends, it's refreshing to hear someone promoting healthy complex carbs for their diet. There is nothing wrong with eating keto, but it just doesn't work for everyone. 100% agree on eating full fat dairy. I started paying attention to low fat products and they tend to add in lots of sugar to replace the fat which is a negative for me. Thank you for the positive content. ☺️
We LOVE Lentils! My husband was a missionary for our church in Spain and that country eats so many lentils. They are a superfood! So many nutrients and zero cholesterol! They also have as much protein as meat per serving…you can use them like beans in chili or in place of meat. So many options…enjoy! 💛
I am a teacher and simply cannot handle making one more decision during the week throughout the school year. I meal plan on the weekend to help ease my "What's for supper?" anxiety for weeknights. I love this idea and am very similar on weekends, breaks, and the summer. I have the luxury of not working a full time job during the summer, and I love using what is in our garden or from farmer's markets to add fresh fruits and veggies to our meals. Thanks for always sharing such great ideas and wisdom! Smiles, Abby Smith
This is definitely one thing I’ve always admired on your channel… Your commitment to feeding your family good, nutritious meals without having to resort to convenience foods. I would love for you to continue this series as it’s something that I would like to strive for after following the diet culture for so many years
Have you ever thought of doing a cook book. Your approach is so down to earth from Christmas baking to wonderful breakfasts and main meals. You could enclose your grocery list as well. Wonderful mom and homemaker😊💕
When I was raising my family, I had a meal plan for 30 days. This just meant I had the ingredients on hand for those meal suggestions, but I rarely stuck to it. I knew I could if I wanted , but just having the ingredients for many different meals made it easy. As you said, a protein, starch/carbohydrate, and veg was all I needed to think about. Keeping a well stocked pantry is always a great help. tfs 🥰❄☃☔🌞🏜✝💗
Hey Hilary! I absolutely LOVE when you incorporate videos like these along with healthy recipes!! I would love to try to change up my diet and eat more wholesome foods, so I always enjoy when you make videos like this so I get some inspiration. Thank you for an awesome video ♥️
I use this non-meal plan method too. It makes it easy and I like the flexibility on days that get thrown off by unexpected challenges/opportunities/blessings. The other day I did your “hamburgers”- big, baked and cut into squares! They were a HUGE hit!! I’ll never fry another hamburger!! I had that on my gratitude list in my journal that night!! Thank you for sharing that bit of brilliance.
Finally, someone making meals with real food (and lunches for the kids). We make almost everything from scratch and focus on healthy fruit and veg. My son is the only kid I know who has to be reminded to eat a little of his main before he can have a third serving of vegetables. He still gets a homemade sweet treat and a packaged salty treat (5 or 6 “veggie stick” chips, pretzels or Spokes) so there isn’t an issue with peer pressure at school. Balances out to 80-90% whole food, homemade and wholesome. Bravo!
Totale agree! I am moroccan, my husband is turkish, we eat a very mediterranean foods and that is basically always whole foods, we also make almost everything from scratch, drink a lot of herbal Tea’s as Well to contribute to even more healthy nutricians going into our bodies. Always meats and poultry and fish from the designated stores in stead of from the supermarket, growing a lot of OWN fruits and vegetables in our garden. I am so happy to see that you care what you serve your family and are able to provide that to them, americans are not always known to be healthy eaters here in europe. I am aware that times are harder now and unfortunately a lot of families can not always buy fresh produce but I sincerly wish more and more people Will soon be able to again. 🌹
My meal plan consists of opening up refrigerator and freezer every morning, and start cooking. We eat plant based so as long as I have lots of veggies, beans, lentils, whole grain, I’m good to go… My meals always consist of a big tray of roasted veggies….. Hilary, my favorite thing is to clean a fresh cauliflower, cut stem off, season with a rub of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika, and put in a tin foil tent in the roasting pan like your red and white one, bake 400 until tender according to the size of the cauliflower…. I slice it like a steak 😀 Also stuffed peppers filled with quinoa and beans, and tomato sauce on top
I have never meal planned in my life. This is exactly what I do every week. I buy enough meat veggies rice potatoes etc fruit to make a good home cooked meal at least 4 days a week we are a family of 5 and I make sure I cook enough each time so we have leftovers and every Sunday we eat at my mother in laws! And maybe once a week we eat out at a restaurant or so take out. Try and stay away from fast food unless something pops up once a month and we don’t have time then for me to cook or do take out. Love your videos Hilary. ❤️
Agree with you so much on meal planning. I once planned more, but eventually realized I'd prepare meals based on sales...of meat, vegetables, fruit. I basically knew the variety we enjoyed and learned to keep things on hand we all preferred. Meals were quickly figured out, prepared, and in the log run, money saved.
Hi Hilary! Just want to say first off that I love your videos and really just your whole approach to life, family and your home. You are very inspiring. I have been trying to meal plan but honestly it just stresses me out and I feel like I end up having a lot of waste in the end. I am going back to this no meal planning approach as I agree, I think it’s so much easier. Also just wanted to mention that I use to agree with you that saving homemade broth can be a pain but I found some extra large silicone freezer trays from Amazon. They are made for storing soups and broth in. Each slot is 1 cup. Now I make a big thing of broth with my left over chicken carcass and freeze it in those trays. Then I always have chicken broth on hand and I just pull out how much I need for whatever I’m making. I love them so much and now I don’t buy broth from the store anymore.
I started E2M a few weeks ago after seeing someone else do really well with it (it’s exercise, eating, group accountability… for weight loss.) They give you a list of foods you can eat each week and tell you to keep it simple!! I had many years of bad habits with eating, so it’s been a game-changer for my health. All that to say - what you are doing is very similar! I can tell my tastebuds are changing towards vegetables and I never thought that would happen. Way to get your kiddos on board from a young age. You’re setting them up for a lifetime of healthy tastes and habits. 🎉 And you’re right, I really don’t have to meal plan anymore because I’m mix and matching the different staples & don’t need recipes. I’ve loved watching your cooking/homemaking style for quite a while now. 😊
Your meal ideas look delicious. Your family is so blessed to have you caring for them in this way! I typically buy staples as well and work with them unless I have a recipe I'm specifically wanting to try. I think it saves money and it leads to less waste for us than when I meal planned. Now, I try to figure out what I can make with leftovers or small amounts of produce before they spoil.
Back in the day we had no choice but to raise and grow everything we ate. Now we still grow a garden and can it. I love fresh vegetables. When you can your own you know what you're eating. I'm going to try that rice cauliflower. Thanks for sharing. Your meals looked delicious.
Excellent video Hilary! We shop mostly at Trader Joe's since we do not have an Aldi in the Pacific Northwest, I wish we did. They have good organic produce at reasonable prices. Our local farmers market is pretty spendy for our area, not sure why. I try to shop the outer perimeter of the store and stay away from pre-packaged food as much as possible. Although my husband does like some cereals like granola. We have a lovely neighbor that supplies us with organic eggs for free! I love that you cook mostly from scratch and rarely eat it out, but when you do it's such a treat and much appreciated by your sweet family. You save so much money by cooking at home, which means those extra savings can go towards home project and even a yearly family get away. You are an incredible steward and a true Proverbs 31 woman. Be blessed today, friend!! 🥚🥗🍗🥝🥭😋
I have raised my 3 boys now in their 20s this way. Now that it is my husband and I we have turned to cooking and roasting everything in our air fryer. We don’t need to preheat or heat up our home and food especially vegetables are fabulous.
Those meals look very yummy and healthy!! I have been trying to make healthier choices, and have learned alot this past year from You Tube regarding healthier eating. I believe any change big or small in healthier food choices, can only help us. Portion control is another step in healthier eating, even if you are eating clean, how much you eat of that is also something to take into consideration for good health. I managed in 2020 to use portion control, along with eating a little more healthier (not always successful every day) to lose 92 lbs, pretty painlessly. Didn't follow any plan, just made wiser food choices and was intentionally conscious of my portions. Love your channel and content❣
Meal planning has always been hard for me, and unfortunately, I like junk food and don't care for many vegetables. But I'm trying to do better, and you have been an inspiration. Seeing what you cook gives me good ideas.
This was a fantastic video Hilary! I've always been fascinated in clean eating but I get overwhelmed to start it. I need to find some recipes to get me going.
I am placing a huge priority on simplifying my family's diet in 2023. Pretty much exactly what you're describing. I've gotten a lot of inspiration from your channel and others like Farmhouse on Boone. The simplicity calls to me! (:
Good Morning! I've been doing your no meal planning meals for several years now. It so frees up my time. Even grocery shopping, buy enough meats, several vegetables, and several carbs, several fruits, then pull from the supply to have a meal. Totally frees one from the stress of "planning". Thanks for sharing your sensible ideas with us.
Yes! This is a huge priority for myself and my family> I love your meal ideas and would appreciate even more videos along these lines. Fantastic Hilary!
Great video! I always enjoy your recipes and meals because it is hard to find others who cook as pure as we do. My husband is allergic to preservatives so all our food are fresh and not processed.
Fabulous video with tons of good info-so appreciate it! I’m a grandmother with nine grandchildren and think you are such a good mother to your sweet little family. Thanks for showing some of the dishes you make! Way off this subject, but I rewatched your video on saving your Christmas tree using old wreaths and picks that you did about two years. Was going to replace our 20 year old tree and granddaughter said, “Why? This tree is perfect🎄” And so it is! Thank you! You never know who is going to be influenced by your videos. Thank you❤️
We were staying with my parents for a few months and totally got off track with healthy dinners. I was cooking around their schedule, trying not to bother them, so we unfortunately ate out a lot. I’m so exited to get our family back to our routine, in our own space!!
Thanks, Hillary! Great ideas for less stress. I mix it up by making one new recipe a week. Today it's spicy lime cod. I ll serve with green beans and a salad. It keeps things interesting. I always grow my own herbs and this summer I'm going to try to grow a few simple vegetables like radishes and lettuces.
I love this video and how you continue to adapt and choose what works best for your family. Writing out a plan helps me have a vision for the week and not default to getting fast food or feeling overwhelmed, but there is LOTS of flexibility in it. Often times meals get switched or rolled over to the following week. And I agree- love, love Aldi! Thanks as always for sharing!
I typically order groceries but for various reasons I shopped in person the past two shopping trips and I fell in love even more! I miss a lot of the special deals when ordering online but now I’m more aware of the newer options they’re carrying.
@@OldWorldHome I’ve often said I would do the yearly Instacart subscription if I lived close enough for them to deliver, but I will say I do enjoy going in person. For me it’s enjoyable experience. Oh also- I was going once a week, but I’ve started going every two weeks and I’m loving it!
Love how you worded the beginning. I was the same way. I meal planned every meal, by the end of summer last year I was burnt out. I just keep a running stock of meats, carbs and veggies and cook this way. It's been a huge mental relief
I go thru season (years) where I rotate between this style of meal ideas and cooking and meal plans. Sometimes after a year or two I need fresh ideas or I get burned out of cooking. I also at times get off track bc I am a homeschooling Pastor’s wife so my life can be busy. So, depending on my season meal planning is a must if we are busy and then this style that you do when our season is slower. I love the balance. I also love WHOLE milks, butters, and etc.
I've tried the meal anning as well and found that it so depended on my mood, so now i have a list of a few things for the week that I'd like to make but don't narrow myself down to the day. Just to make sure I have the items I need on hand.
I do the same thing. Have snacks/meals/sandwiches/& things that need to be used up this week/month. I can choose from what we already have the meal ingredients for, depending on my mood & go from there. SOOOOO EASY, LEMON SQUEEEEEEZY!!!!
Thank you for this!!! This is the way I cook for my family every day for the past four years now even though my daughter is only a year old my husband and I adopted this way of living people make it seem so difficult to make a hot meal every day when it really just tax preparation and dedication to do it
Hi Hilary, brilliant video. Lentils are pulses. Full of protein and fibre, great for thickening stews and casseroles and make delicious soups and Indian dhal! 😊
Wonderful video. I enjoy cooking and we prefer to eat Whole Foods also. When I keep a well stocked freezer, fridge and pantry, our options are endless.
This is what I’ve been doing and I feel like I save a lot of money too. I used to make recipes every night and was always buying so many ingredients. Now I focus on getting meat on sale and seasonal produce. I fill in with carbs, starch, and frozen produce. It feels backwards to eat healthier and save money, but that’s how it’s worked out for us.
Hi Hilary. I love your channel, it’s one of my favorites. Can you do more grocery hauls and cooking? I’ve used many of your recipes and have added them to my weekly routine and Aldi is fairly new to me in NH so id like to see more grocery hauls. Thank you for considering. 😊
Thanks Hilary for reminding me to shop at Aldi, mine is just 2 minutes away. I don’t shop there a lot cos I find the freshness of produce is hit or miss. I’ll try to check out more. Love your meal ideas.
Speaking of barley, and grains. I just a recipe for the slow cooker. You combine steel cut oats, pearl barely and quinoa. Top off a bowl with various fruits or vieggies, even nut butter for a quick porridge type meal. Whole foods are definitely the way to go! Thanks for sharing !
Great video! I do a mix of both, we eat the same way as you 80/20, but I do like to have an idea of what to make at the end of the day, so I’ll plan my week with what I have on hand . My morning is set knowing the meat is taken out and when I’m done work I know what I’m making.
I have NEVER BEEN a meal planner. I've done exactly what you've done for 25 years. I find meal planning stressful. Lol I know what my family likes and I kinda just stick to it. TFS 😊
Loved this video. I don’t meal plan either but always have a well stocked freezer and refrigerator and figure it out each morning. We try to eat fresh, clean food as much as possible. Love Aldi. It’s my favorite grocery store.
Great video! I enjoy your recipes. We made your rosemary shortbread cookies over Christmas and they were delicious, everyone loved them. I’m kind of half and half on meal planning. If I don’t feel like planning I just make our favorite dishes. It’s so convenient to have fresh and frozen produce and meats on hand, ready to make a meal.
Hi Hilary, so glad you posted this video. I have tried to "meal plan" in the past but always ended up going back to the method you talked about. There is usually left over in my household. That will mess up all the meal planning (yes, we do eat leftovers, even my 5-year-old daughter). I try not to waste tons of food by finishing leftover within a day or two. Then start cooking new dishes as I go. I tend to focus on a few dishes that I know how to cook well, and make small changes here and there to spice things up :)
Those meals look delicious! Do you also have a blog where the recipes could be downloaded? I love riced cauliflower too! Ellie Krieger has a Cauliflower Pilaf recipe that calls for grating fresh cauliflower. I loved the recipe but grating the cauliflower was a pain, so now I substitute a bag of frozen riced cauliflower when I make it and just defrost it in the microwave before adding it to the pan. Lentils are a legume (bean family).
I love the way you eat! That’s how we eat too. Full fat dairy is great! Lots of veggies and legumes. Lentils are a legume. I know a lady who uses them in place of meat for tacos. I haven’t tried it. Please share your salads from the barley! And the other one you mentioned. I am not familiar with it. Great video! Thank you so much.
I "semi meal plan". I come up with a list of 3-6 meal ideas that sound good, check my freezer and pantry to see if I am missing any ingredients and put them on my list. Most of the time, if I change my mind I can use those ingredients for something else. Just have to use the shortest life-span stuff first. Because I have health and mobility issues I also do partial meal prep such as cooking up a couple of family pack sized packages of meat and packing into the freezer in one recipe size containers.
Such wonderful ideas! Yes, I too find it so much easier to have the meal components on hand and go from there rather than meal planning. You look wonderful!! For yourself, do you avoid eating carbs at dinner?
I do, when we’re home. I just feel less bloated at night and in the morning when I skip the carbs for dinner, I just try to eat them earlier in the day. If we’re out with family or friends I don’t worry about what they’re serving 💛
My young neighbors load their toddlers into the car every night and go out for dinner…somewhere. Your children are blessed to have you put so much effort into the provision of a well balanced healthy diet.
Thank you Hiliary. I love these kind of videos. Have only been to Aldi's once but I need to go more often now that grocery prices have risen so exorbitantly. My husband retired after 45 years in pharmacy last summer and we have to really watch our pennies now! We have employee owned Wincos here in north Texas and they have bulk food and excellent prices. Have a great weekend sweetheart. xoxTX
Great video, I love grocery hauls and talking about healthy eating. Aldi is by far my favorite grocery store too. I’ve never meal planned, we just buy what needs replacing. We rarely eat out, maybe once every two months. Most of the time we’re disappointed by meals out and horrified by the price. Thanks Hilary!
I essentially order the same groceries every week and cook 10-15 different meals with them. I have started making lunch for my little two when I pack lunch for my school-bound child. What a difference it makes! (My big boys are homeschooled and make their own whenever they’re hungry.) Now I just make lunch for myself and the littles can eat whenever they’re hungry (as long as it’s after 11:00 😆).
I love this video - thank you! I have been a meal planner for years and it gets to be exhausting. I end up planning for meals, then I don’t have a taste for some of them later in the week and end up winging it, anyway! I have also started to notice that I buy & use pretty much the same ingredients each week for our family meals. I think I am going to give your approach a try! I also agree with you on full fat dairy. I have always felt that when fat is removed, it is replaced with an additive/chemical to make it more palatable. I would rather just use the food in its whole state - everything in moderation. That said, I chuckled when you spoke about your family’s butter usage - I thought it was just us! I try to use EVOO mostly, but sometimes there is nothing like butter! 💕
Thank you so much for this video. I've tried meal planning so many times but it's too inflexible for our life so just stresses me out and then I feel guilty for being 'the only person in the world' not doing it! 😂 I always revert to my 'hybrid' system where I have a few meals written on a whiteboard that I know we could potentially make that week or dishes that I fancy trying, but I don't allocate days to them and I never end up making them all. My cooking style is very similar to yours in terms of the types of meals and using simple fresh ingredients but also in terms of the lack of kitchen gadgets and just using the oven and hob/stove top. It's rare to see these days!
