30-Day No Eating Out Challenge
How many times a week do you get home from work without a plan for dinner or get up in the morning and grab coffee and donuts or Smoothie King? *raises hand* We have all been there a time or two (or two thousand). The little meal purchases and eating out adds up quickly. About two weeks ago the hubs and I decided to embark on a 30-day challenge to not eat out. This includes those pesky donuts, Starbucks, fast food, etc. If it is not bought in a grocery store and prepared at home then it is considered eating out.
It takes time to menu plan and meal prep, but so far we have only eaten out twice (for unexpected reasons). Take it from me, this is loads better then how frequent we typically eat out. The intention of this challenge was to control what we are eating by making healthier choices and to also save money.
Both of us have told friends about the challenge and the response is always, “Yeahhhh I should do that too.” So I thought I would make it easier for you by putting together some weekly dinner menus. I find about half the recipes on Pinterest, through our Hello Fresh subscription, and the rest are regular staples in our house. I have linked recipes below for Week 1. Check back next week for Week 2.
Word of advice, use the weekend to menu plan, grocery shop, and meal prep. It will save you time Monday-Friday and you won’t be tempted to reach for takeout menus.
Week 1
Monday: Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes from Dinner then Dessert
Tuesday: Sausage, Sweet Potato Noodles and Broccoli Skillet from Iowa Girl Eats
Wednesday: Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup from A Spicy Perspective
Thursday: Crushed Peppercorn Steak with Creamed Kale and Potato Wedges from Hello Fresh
Friday: Pork DIY Dumplings with Quick-Pickled Slaw from Hello Fresh
Put together a breakfast casserole and use dinner leftovers for lunch or keep in simple with sandwiches and wraps.
Print this week’s grocery list and then dice, chop, and slice your way into the week. Hope everyone has a great weekend! What are your plans for the 4th? Share in the comments. Until next post…xoxo Becca
THANK YOU!!! I need to do this and am following your plan!
Hi Brittany! Thank you for visiting (and commenting). It is definitely a challenge to not eat out, but it honestly comes down planning. I hope by giving you links to recipes and a grocery list it makes life a little easier. Hope you’re doing well! -Becca