Okay, so I wanted to share my experience trying out this thing called the ‘famu meal plan’. Heard about it from a few folks, sounded interesting, maybe a way to sort out my eating habits a bit without overthinking it. So, I figured, why not give it a shot?
Getting Started
First thing I did was try to find some solid info on it. Didn’t find a super official guide, more like bits and pieces here and there. Seemed like the core idea was straightforward meals, maybe leaning towards budget-friendly or locally sourced stuff, though that part wasn’t totally clear. Anyway, I decided to just jump in.
I sat down one afternoon and sketched out a rough plan for the week. Didn’t want to get too fancy. Thought about simple stuff I could actually make. My shopping list looked something like this:
- Chicken breasts
- Some ground turkey
- Rice, definitely rice
- Pasta
- Bag of potatoes
- Onions, garlic – the basics
- Canned tomatoes
- Frozen veggies (broccoli, peas, carrots mix)
- Eggs
- Oatmeal
- Some fruit, like apples and bananas
Went to the grocery store, picked up all that stuff. Didn’t cost too much, which was a good start.
The Actual Week
Day 1: Started simple. Oatmeal for breakfast. Lunch was some leftover rice and chicken I cooked the night before. Dinner, I made some pasta with ground turkey and tomato sauce. Nothing groundbreaking, you know? Felt okay.
Mid-Week Grind: This is where it got a little repetitive. Breakfast was usually oatmeal or eggs. Lunches were mostly leftovers from dinner. Dinners rotated between chicken and rice variations, turkey pasta, or sometimes baked potatoes with some toppings. I tried to use the frozen veggies a lot.
Cooking every night, or at least prepping, took some getting used to again. There were evenings I really just wanted to order a pizza. Had to push through that. Packing lunch for work also meant waking up a bit earlier or making sure it was ready the night before. A bit of a hassle sometimes, not gonna lie.
Taste and Feelings: The food was… fine. It wasn’t gourmet, but it was food. It filled me up. I did notice I wasn’t grabbing junk food as much, mainly because I already had my meals planned and prepped. Felt a bit better physically, maybe less sluggish after lunch? Hard to say for sure, could be placebo. The biggest challenge was the monotony. Eating similar things got boring by Thursday.
Wrapping It Up
So, I finished the week. Did I stick to it 100%? Mostly. Caved one night and got takeout because I was just too tired to cook. But overall, I followed the basic plan I set out.
What did I learn? Well, planning meals definitely helps control what you eat and probably saves some money compared to eating out all the time. It forces you to cook, which can be good or bad depending on your schedule and energy levels. The ‘famu’ part of it seemed more like a concept than a strict set of rules, which I guess gives you flexibility.
Would I do it again? Maybe parts of it. The planning aspect is useful. But I’d need to find way more variety in the recipes. Eating chicken and rice five times a week isn’t sustainable for me long-term. It was a decent experiment, though. Showed me I can plan and cook more consistently if I put my mind to it. Just need to make it less boring next time.
