Tonight I’m excited to announce a new feature for the blog — Red, Round, or Green “Lunch Logic.”  I’ve realized over time that it’s not only dinner planning people need help with, and while I’ve also got plenty of lunch-packing resources available, the hard part sometimes seems to be putting the two things together.  How do you pack easy, creative lunches without buying lots of extra items at the store each week?  How do you stretch the leftovers you’ve got on hand to save time and money, without boring the family to death?

Each week, I’ll be sharing a “Lunch Logic” post with you, showing just a few options that would be possible for packed lunches if you happened to be following the meal plan I’ve posted.  Hopefully these simple ideas will help to inspire you and give you some insight into the way my mind works when I’m deciding what to pack for lunch (but not too much insight; I wouldn’t want to scare you away!).

Meal Plan Refresher, Week One (here’s the full March 2013 Meal Plan)

Friday, 3/1: Fend night
Saturday, 3/2: Jamie Oliver’s chicken tikka masala with rice and homemade samosas.  You could also serve pita or naan with this.
Make it GF: Omit the samosas and get some Ethiopian-style injera bread, which is made with teff flour and is naturally gluten-free
Sunday, 3/3: Roast leg of lamb and vegetables
Monday, 3/4: Pumpkin risotto and salad
Tuesday, 3/5: Slow cooker — Mom’s meat sauce over spaghetti, salad
Make it GF: Use gluten-free pasta — we like Jovial and Tinkyada brands — or serve the sauce over polenta.
Wednesday, 3/6: Weekend warm-up: Shepherd’s pie, using the leftover lamb
Thursday, 3/7: Buffalo-style lettuce wraps, fruit

Essential Links:
Homemade Pita Bread


Essential Links:
Open-Faced Bolognese bread pizzas
Mom’s Meat Sauce