Mini Pancake Cereal is the latest Tiktok trend, so versatile you can serve them with anything you want! I made them healthier with my banana pancake recipe and topped them with tons of fresh fruit.
Pancake Cereal
Pancake cereal is the latest food trend on TikTok and Instagram. For anyone who hasn’t seen it, pancake cereal is tiny pancakes eaten like cereal in a bowl with a spoon. You can use any pancake batter you like, try them with my Whole Wheat Pancake Recipe or make them full size like these Heart-Shaped Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes.
I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy! While we are still practicing social distancing, I know many places are phasing into a “new normal”. Hopefully this means that shopping will prove to be a little easier for us all and therefore I am transitioning back to a seven day plan. Remember though, substitutions can still be made when necessary or needed, and the pantry staples are always good to check and review from time to time.
Why Should Everyone Meal Plan?
Meal planning is a great way to organize your meals for the week ahead. You also save time and money in the supermarket! And of course, planning ahead helps you stick to your goals!
About The Meal Plan
If you’re new to my meal plans, I’ve been sharing these free, 7-day flexible healthy meal plans (you can see my previous meal plans here) that are meant as a guide, with plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food, coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc or swap recipes out for meals you prefer, you can search for recipes by course in the index. You should aim for around 1500 calories* per day.
There’s also a precise, organized grocery list that will make grocery shopping so much easier and much less stressful. Save you money and time. You’ll dine out less often, waste less food and you’ll have everything you need on hand to help keep you on track.
Lastly, if you’re on Facebook join my Skinnytaste Facebook Community where everyone’s sharing photos of recipes they are making, you can join here. I’m loving all the ideas everyone’s sharing! If you wish to get on the email list, you can subscribe here so you never miss a meal plan!
Also, if you don’t have the Skinnytaste Meal Planner, now would be a great time to get one to get organized for 2020! There was a print error last year, but it’s perfect now! You can order it here!
THE DETAILS:
Breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, are designed to serve 1 while dinners and all meals on Saturday and Sunday are designed to serve a family of 4. Some recipes make enough leftovers for two nights or lunch the next day. While we truly believe there is no one size fits all meal plan, we did our best to come up with something that appeals to a wide range of individuals. Everything is Weight Watchers friendly, I included the updated WW Blue SP for your convenience, feel free to swap out any recipes you wish or just use this for inspiration!
The grocery list is comprehensive and includes everything you need to make all meals on the plan. I’ve even included brand recommendations of products I love and use often. Cross check your cabinets because many condiments you’ll notice I use often, so you may already have a lot of them.
And last, but certainly not least, this meal plan is flexible and realistic. There’s plenty of wiggle room for cocktails, healthy snacks, dessert and dinner out. And if necessary, you can move some things around to make it work with your schedule. Please let me know if you’re using these plans, this will help me decide if I should continue sharing them!
*This is just a guide, women should aim for around 1500 calories per day. Here’s a helpful calculator to estimate your calorie needs. I’ve left plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food such as coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc.
**Green salad includes 6 cups mixed greens, 2 scallions, ½ cup each: tomatoes, cucumber, and ¼ cup light vinaigrette.
# Use leftover bagels for Sunday breakfast.
A classic Turkey Club sandwich made healthy, piled high with turkey breast, bacon, lettuce, and tomato on whole grain bread, the perfect easy lunch.
Turkey Club
The other day I was craving a turkey sandwich for lunch and decided to make a turkey club. I used Boar’s Head turkey thinly sliced, my favorite turkey from the grocery store deli. It hit the spot! For some twists on the classic, try my Bento Box Turkey Club Roll Ups and Chicken Club Lettuce Wrap Sandwich.
Homemade classic tuna noodle casserole, the quintessential American dish made from scratch and under $10 to make, the kids love it!
Tuna Noodle Casserole
The ingredients are simple – canned tuna, mushrooms, peas, noodles in a homemade creamy sauce (without canned soup) finished with toasted breadcrumbs. Keeping canned tuna on hand is a great way to whip up quick lunches and dinners like the classic Tuna Melt or Tuna Macaroni Salad.
Right now I’ve been craving more yoga. And because school is out and childcare isn’t readily available here yet, I’ve found that if I want to get more yoga in my life, it’s going to need to involve my kids. Which, really, has been relatively fun to do … at least for the first few minutes. My five-year-old daughter and I both bust out our yoga mats, put on a short video, do some poses while the twins crawl around, and then, after about five minutes, my eldest asks to watch YouTube, while the twins hightail it to the bathroom…
My Liar Balls—delicious and healthy paleo energy balls—are the perfect on-the-go snack! You can make these no-cook vegan treats with your kids and customize the flavor with your favorite nuts or seeds!
Copycat Lara Bars in Energy Ball Form!
Those of you who have thumbed all the way to page 252 of our first cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food For Humans, may remember our Liar Bars. These bars are my affectionate riff on a certain addictive brand-name snack bar that starts with the letter “L” and made with dates and nuts. My boys constantly remind me that although my tropical version is delicious, it’s still a knock-off. “Yours aren’t Lara Bars, Mommy. They’re Liar Bars.”
Sigh.
Liar Bars are insanely easy to make, but over the years, I’ve gotten even lazier. These days, I don’t even bother forming the no-cook dough into bars; instead, I roll the sticky mixture into little orbs, and coat them in toasted, unsweetened shredded coconut.
Interchangeable ingredients!
I love making Liar balls with coconut flakes, salted macadamia nuts, and Medjool dates because that salty-sweet combination reminds me of my favorite tropical treats. But feel free to substitute your favorite toasted nuts and seeds in place of the macadamia or coconut flakes or add other dried fruit to customize the balls. Many Nomsters have suggested other fab Liar Ball flavor combinations in the comments section!
All of my other recommended kitchen tools are listed here.
Method
Toast the shredded coconut (if you haven’t already) in a 300°F oven (or toaster oven) on a parchment lined baking sheet. It should only take 3 to 5 minutes, but keep an eye on the coconut and make sure it doesn’t burn!
Set the shredded coconut aside to cool. Now, go toast the coconut flakes the same way as the shredded coconut. Don’t tell anyone, but sometimes, I skip this step and use Dang coconut chips (the lightly salted and unsweetened variety). I told you I’m getting lazy.
Remove the pit from each date, and roughly chop up the flesh. You should end up with about 1¼ cups of chopped dates.
Let’s pause and admire my mise en place!
Toss the macadamia nuts in a food processor, and pulse until the pieces are the size of rice grains. Don’t go too crazy, though. Remember: we’re not making nut butter today.
Transfer the chopped nuts to a large bowl and set aside.
Throw the dates into the now-empty food processor bowl, and pulse a few times to roughly chop up the pieces. Then, hold down the “On” button until the pulverized dates form a sticky ball that thwacks against the side of the work bowl.
Add the toasted coconut flakes and pulse until the coconut flakes are incorporated and still chunky.
Scrape the mixture into the bowl with the macadamia nuts, and thoroughly combine the ingredients.
The result should be a sticky, nutty mass.
Pinch off about a tablespoon of the mixture, and rub it between your palms to form a ball. Repeat until you have about 15 balls.
Roll the balls in the toasted shredded coconut.
Voilà ! Sticky, sweet, and slightly salty balls! <giggle>
Leftovers? You can store your balls in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one week, but I bet they won’t last more than a couple of days!
[Originally posted on July 6, 2016. Updated with new details and photos on May 25, 2020.]
My Liar Balls are delicious and healthy paleo energy balls that are the perfect on-the-go snack! You can make these no-cook vegan treats with your kids and customize the flavor with your favorite nuts or seeds!
Toast the shredded coconut (if you haven’t already) in a 300°F oven (or toaster oven) on a parchment lined baking sheet. It should only take 3 to 5 minutes, but keep an eye on the coconut and make sure it doesn’t burn!
Set the shredded coconut aside to cool. Now, go toast the coconut flakes the same way as the shredded coconut. Don’t tell anyone, but sometimes, I skip this step and use Dang coconut chips (the lightly salted and unsweetened variety). I told you I’m getting lazy.
Remove the pit from each date, and roughly chop up the flesh.
Toss the macadamia nuts in a food processor, and pulse until the pieces are the size of rice grains. Don’t go too crazy, though. Remember: we’re not making nut butter today.
Transfer the chopped nuts to a large bowl and set aside.
Throw the dates into the now-empty food processor bowl, and pulse a few times to roughly chop up the pieces. Then, hold down the “On” button until the pulverized dates form a sticky ball that thwacks against the side of the work bowl.
Add the toasted coconut flakes and pulse until the coconut flakes are incorporated and still chunky.
Scrape the mixture into the bowl with the macadamia nuts, and thoroughly combine the ingredients. The result should be a sticky, nutty mass.
Pinch off about a tablespoon of the mixture, and rub it between your palms to form a ball. Repeat until you have about 15 balls.
Roll the balls in the toasted shredded coconut.
Notes
You can store your balls in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one week, but I bet they won’t last more than a couple of days!
This Greek Pasta Salad is light and fresh, loaded with garden tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers tossed in a homemade Greek dressing with Kalamata olives and Feta cheese. Perfect for summer parties or potlucks!
Greek Pasta Salad
I love pasta salad, but taking my Greek Salad recipe and adding it to pasta is my favorite when I want a light pasta salad with no mayo. It’s easy to make and even tastes great the next day or two. Want to try something more traditional? This Summer Macaroni Salad is perfect!
