Meal Plans

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Need help getting started cooking traditional food?
Never have enough time to do menu planning?
Have trouble sticking to your food budget?
Want to cook using more nutrient-dense foods?
Need more inspiration and ideas?

CHEESESLAVE Menus By Mail

  • Nutrient-dense traditional foods (including superfoods like organ meats & shellfish EVERY WEEK)
  • Mostly easy, with some more challenging recipes to help you build your chops in the kitchen
  • Regional menus from around the world including French, Italian, Japanese & Tex-Mex
  • Seasonal menus, with special holiday meals
  • Easy-to-follow instructions
  • Reminders of what to do ahead
  • Kid-friendly
  • Gluten-free options
  • What You Get

  • 3 full dinner menus per week (download printable PDF)
  • 1 extra breakfast, dessert, snack or beverage per week
  • Printable shopping list
  • How It Works

    1. Sign up below for CHEESESLAVE Menus By Mail.
    2. Check your email and download your first meal plan for the week.
    3. You’ll receive each subsequent meal plan every Sunday as long as you stay subscribed.

    Download a Free Sample

    Click here to download sample week menu (PDF file)

    Sign Up Now

    Only $10 per month! (Automatically recurring)

    Or pay only $85 for the annual subscription — you save $35!

    Yearly Subscription: Only $85
    Monthly Subscription: Only $10 per month!

    Refund Policy

    For the yearly program, you may email a request for a refund within thirty days of your order.

    For the month-to-monthly program, you can cancel anytime.

    Questions?

    Got questions? Email me at annmarie AT realfoodmedia dot com.

    Leave a Comment

    { 36 comments… read them below or add one }

    Susan R November 24, 2009 at 3:29 PM

    I’m interested but am on a really restricted budget. Will your food tips help out with that? And if we’re not into raw oysters (just in case…since I saw them on some of your other menus… lol) will there be alternates we can choose from?

    Thanks,
    Susan

    Reply

    cheeseslave November 26, 2009 at 8:13 AM

    Hi, Susan!

    No, you don’t have to eat raw oysters — LOL! I know they are not easy for everyone to find. I happen to live in Southern CA where we have fresh locally harvested oysters, which is why we eat them so often. I want the menu mailer to be accessible — not just based on what you can find here in LA.

    I am incorporating oysters and other mollusks into the menu plans. They are so nutrient-dense, and many people prefer them to organ meats. The first week we are doing a green salad with roasted shrimp, scallops and new potatoes. I also plan to do oyster or clam chowder, oyster or clam risotto, Thai coconut shrimp soup, and various other meals that use shellfish.

    Most people can find frozen shellfish (wild or sustainably farmed) but for those who cannot, I also always say that you can substitute fatty fish for shellfish if you can’t find a good source. Like wild salmon or tilapia. It’s not as nutrient-dense as shellfish, but it’s still a great choice.

    Although I’m not creating this menu mailer specifically for a budget, I am including tips for saving money. These are 3 meals a week that are guaranteed to be nutrient-dense and nourishing. Even if you only cooked these 3 meals per week and did beans and rice every other night for your family, you’d be way ahead of the game.

    I thought about making it specifically for a tight budget — but it is very hard to do that since some people have access to cheap raw milk and others don’t (I don’t — we pay a lot for our raw milk) and some people get cheap grass-fed meat and others can’t, some people have chickens and so eggs are abundant — and so on.

    So what I recommend is this: use the menu mailer in a way that works for you. For example, make the lentil soup but leave out the sausage and/or bacon if you need to cut corners. I think I will start a thread of money-saving tips on the Menus By Mail subscriber forum.

    Reply

    Briana November 27, 2009 at 12:34 AM

    Who has cheap raw milk?? $7 for a half gallon is killing me, especially when my 16 month old drinks it like it is going out of style :)

    Reply

    cheeseslave November 27, 2009 at 7:15 AM

    Briana, Some people do! There was a thread on my Facebook page recently. I think there was one person in Oklahoma who was buying milk for as little as $3-4 per gallon.

    Reply

    BlessedCP December 16, 2011 at 3:39 AM

    We pay $2.00 a a gallon! I know, don’t be jealous. But we have winter 9 months of the year so organic produce is expensive.

    Reply

    Renewable Ray November 28, 2009 at 9:33 AM

    Just found you on Facebook, fantastic site you have. Adding to favorites right now!

    Reply

    Carmen November 29, 2009 at 9:34 PM

    Definitely concerned about the budget thing here too (raw milk is $18 a gallon here, pastured eggs $7.50 a dozen). I’m leaning toward giving the mailers a try just because I figure even if I use more conventional ingredients, the whole foods approach will still be nutritionally superior. I’m really excited for these! I’ve liked all the recipes I’ve used from your site so far.

    Reply

    cheeseslave November 29, 2009 at 10:05 PM

    Where are you, Carmen?

    I’m working on a post about how to save on real food… hopefully it will help you some.

    And yes you are right, even if you are using conventional (non-organic, grass-fed, etc.) ingredients, you are still going to be way ahead using the menu mailer recipes.

    Thanks for the compliment. :-)

    Reply

    Carmen November 30, 2009 at 2:10 PM

    San Francisco. Claravale costs me $4.50 a quart + $1.50 glass deposit. Organic pastures comes in slightly lower mostly because you can get that in half-gallons (and no glass deposit). I usually buy Straus, which is organic, part-time grass-fed, local and non-homogenized (and delicious). So I don’t do too badly. Meat is the hardest. I only buy organic, but it isn’t always pastured. If anyone knows anywhere to get real milk cheaper in the Bay Area, I’d love to know!

    Reply

    Benina January 11, 2012 at 4:05 PM

    Carmen
    I deliver organic pastured eggs to the bay area almost every monday. we have organic grass based beef and chicken and sometimes pork if you are interested email me. :)

    Reply

    Julie D. November 30, 2009 at 11:36 PM

    Carmen

    You can get Claravale for $4 a quart through:

    http://www.realfoodbayarea.com

    It is listed at $5.50 but that includes the $1.50 bottle deposit.

    Reply

    Nettelyn December 7, 2009 at 6:56 AM

    I recently found out we need to go gluten-free. How much experience and how many recipes on your menu are g-f?
    thanks

    Reply

    cheeseslave December 7, 2009 at 3:51 PM

    Nettelyn -

    All the recipes have gluten-free options. I’m about to post a sample from the first week so you can check it out. I’ll email it to you.

    Reply

    Bekki December 9, 2009 at 7:01 AM

    I am very interested in trying your menu mailer… but I have other allergies beyond “just” gluten. How workable do you think it’d be without dairy? I can use butter just fine (thank goodness!) but other dairy products are out for me, as is the popular substitute of coconut milk.
    I personally love the fact that it’s just 3 dinners per week, because I’m already planning our menus and can easily fill in the rest with things my family is used to.

    Reply

    Sabrina Thorn December 9, 2009 at 7:20 AM

    Hi Carmen,

    Read your site often. I would really like to try the menu mailer. I’m a caterer and lately I strayed far from nutrient dense food as I am practicing and sampling my menus for different jobs. I have a small window now and I must get back to good food for my health and the health of my family. I would love for our business to be more healthy foods. At our last Job we made quite a few of Julia Child’s recipes. Sounds like some of your might be a nice added addition.

    Sabrina

    Reply

    Heather December 9, 2009 at 8:20 AM

    Great site. Thanks!

    Reply

    Amy December 9, 2009 at 8:42 AM

    i was told to come to your web site to register for the giveaway. Do I just leave a comment as my registration?

    Reply

    cheeseslave December 9, 2009 at 9:35 AM

    Amy – Leave a comment on Kelly the Kitchen Kop’s site – on the giveaway page

    Reply

    cheeseslave December 9, 2009 at 10:40 AM

    Bekki,

    I wish I could say it is workable but I use a ton of dairy products in my menus. There’s a reason I’m called CHEESESLAVE! :-P

    If you follow the GAPS diet or similar protocol, you can recover from dairy intolerance. It takes time but you can get there.

    Reply

    Bekki December 9, 2009 at 7:06 PM

    Oh, see, that’s not what I want to hear… I know too much about the GAPS diet and how hard it is… LOL

    I do believe that is in my future. For now I’m sticking with everything else I can eat (don’t seem to be making new allergens anymore, thank goodness), and will continue that until my soon-to-be-nursling is mostly-weaned. Then, when my calories are mostly my own, I think I can handle a more restricted diet in order to heal. I wish I’d been able to do it before I got pregnant this time, but… it didn’t happen.

    Reply

    Leigh Anne December 12, 2009 at 9:35 PM

    Wow, I am so sorry to hear how much some of you are paying for milk!!! I thought $6 was alot (what I used to pay until I found a closer farm)…I’m paying $4 a gallon here in South Carolina! -and $2 a dozen for pastured eggs! Although, grass-fed beef is expensive here, so I guess it evens out :)

    Reply

    Holly December 18, 2009 at 10:27 PM

    I am on a low carb diet (maintenance) as well as 2 other members of the family. Will your menus be mostly low carb since you mentioned gluten free?

    Holly

    Reply

    cheeseslave December 19, 2009 at 1:03 PM

    No, the menus are not low carb. I don’t use a lot of grains but it depends on the week. Some weeks have more rice and beans than others.

    I am juggling creating a variety of nutrient dense meals (lots of good fats, meats and dairy products) with also keeping it delicious (and kid-friendly) AND making it affordable.

    For example, here are the menus I’m working on now (this is for the week of January 3):

    MENU 1:
    WEEKNIGHT THAI FOOD
    TOM KHA GAI SOUP WITH CHICKEN
    SHRIMP PAD THAI

    MENU 2:
    EASY MEXICAN COMFORT FOOD
    BLACK BEAN, GOAT CHEESE & CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
    WITH LACTO-FERMENTED SALSA & SOUR CREAM

    MENU 3:
    DINNER IN VENICE
    FENNEL, BEET, BLOOD ORANGE & PINE NUT SALAD
    RISOTTO WITH SHRIMP & PANCETTA

    BREAKFAST ON THE GO:
    CINNAMON TOAST
    SIDE OF BACON

    Reply

    Julie February 3, 2010 at 2:47 PM

    Hello Annemarie,
    I just downloaded a sample menu week. I like that you have made the sample available, thank you. It sounds good. I was reading through some of the notes you have on ferments–I noticed that you use a reptile mat- that caught my attention! I had never heard of one used for making cultured foods. I live in NH and the warm spot in our home hovers at between 63 and 68 degrees during the day and getting down to the mid 50′s at night. This has made making cultured dairy foods a challenge, so the reptile mat sounds like it might be the ticket to consistent fermenting success! I take it that one simply sets the container of food to be cultured on top of the mat–would there be a need to also cover the whole thing with a blanket?

    Reply

    Judy December 5, 2011 at 6:00 PM

    I purchased your last menu mailer , and I’m wondering if these are new recipes, or if there are a lot of repeats.
    I’m really glad to see you doing this again!!
    Judy

    Reply

    Emily December 9, 2011 at 10:03 PM

    do you have any meal plans that fit a one women family. I need help with being a good women who knows how to do things- like cook good foods, meal plan shopping etc, i buy things and then get home and dont have all the stuff i need for a meal, its always lots of nothing when i get home. you know- anyway. Im getting married soon, and my mother doesn’t help me and i could use all the help i can get. but i dont want to buy a meal plan its for a family size. i don’t mind making large amounts because i love to eat left overs. but i want to start now so i can learn great ways to cook, and meal prepare before we get married. also his family is a huge nourishing traditions follower family and i want to continue feeding him that way. any help for me? also i dont make alot of money because i have a spine disability. would it be a little cheaper for a one(me)- two person( Mr. leftovers) menu planner?Cheeseslave thanks a bunch!! I love all you do for us all who follow you! you have helped me already in so many areas! i have the nourishing book, but i guess i bought a counterfeit cause its missing half the book, and half the size! so that didn’t go well looking and working through that for knowledge and skills. thanks-Emily!

    Reply

    cheeseslave December 11, 2011 at 7:51 AM

    Hi, Emily,

    This meal plan feeds a family of 4.

    That said, there are only 3 menus in it for 3 dinners (plus you get 1 snack OR breakfast OR beverage OR dessert). So, if you make the recipes for 4, you will have leftovers on the other nights. I love to freeze my leftovers. Then when I take them out a week or a month later, it’s like a brand new meal.

    If you don’t want leftovers, you can just cut the recipes in half. Just reduce all the ingredients by 50%.

    If you want to save money, the best thing to do is sign up NOW! I’m giving a 20% discount through Dec 31.

    Reply

    Val December 13, 2011 at 9:40 AM

    Hello! I found your website (cheeseslave) and would like to know if you have any sample menu’s available so that I can figure out if your meal plans subscription will work with my food limitations/sensitivites? Thanks.

    Reply

    cheeseslave December 16, 2011 at 6:30 AM

    I’m going to be posting one any day now.

    As far as food sensitivities go, I will be launching a new meal plan service in January for my Reversing Food Allergies class. If you want to be notified about that, please sign up for my newsletter: http://www.cheeseslave.com/subscribe

    Reply

    Cynthia Kron December 19, 2011 at 8:37 AM

    Is the sample menu posted yet?

    Reply

    cheeseslave December 19, 2011 at 10:12 AM

    I will do it right now.

    Reply

    cheeseslave December 19, 2011 at 11:06 AM

    OK it’s up!

    Reply

    Vanessa B December 20, 2011 at 5:24 PM

    If you make a cookbook, I’ll buy it !!!

    Reply

    Karen S. December 29, 2011 at 2:55 AM

    Another Christmas gift.

    Reply

    Amanda Howell January 6, 2012 at 1:48 PM

    I follow you on Twitter and re-tweeted about your contest today!

    Reply

    Gina January 28, 2012 at 6:28 AM

    Hi
    I was wondering if I join your sprounted class you are offering for $99 will that include the
    the month-to-month program for free for life time as well other things you charge
    for?
    thank you
    Gina

    Reply

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