Fall 2024
FOOD FOR THE SOUL- RECIPES FOR FLOURISHING
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Food for the Soul 2
By Kristine Johnson
By Kristine Johnson
What are your food goals? When thinking about food that feeds the body and soul, we need to consider the needs of both our body and soul. What are the recipes that satisfy both, and how do you incorporate them into your meal plans? People have different strategies for feeding themselves and their families. Some eat out or pick up dinner on the way home from work most nights. Others grocery shop on the way home to get what they need for dinner. Some plan ahead, and others figure it out at the last minute. For me, I plan our meals a week at a time. Here’s how that looks:
Before grocery shopping, I grab a piece of paper and divide it into two columns. In the right column, I write the upcoming days of the week with enough room for the meal(s) needed for each day. Using my calendar to determine who in the family will be home for dinner, what activities I need to work around, and if we are having company, I begin to plan our meals. The days closest to grocery shopping get the foods that spoil most quickly (fresh strawberries, breads/buns, deli items, etc.), while later in the week I plan meals from foods that stay fresh longer (pasta, ham, frozen vegetables, etc.). I also consider what food is in season and what I already have in the refrigerator and pantry that I need to use.
I have several favorite cookbooks (including one that I am writing) that I peruse when meal planning, and I am mindful of including a variety of fruits, vegetables, and proteins. I aim for balance, sustainability, and overall nutrition across the whole week.
Meal planning for me is part of flourishing. It’s a great time to reflect on my family, on how blessed we are to have access to so many fresh foods, and to think about our dietary needs. Have I eaten too much over the holidays and need to drop a few pounds? Do I need more protein or fiber in my diet? What flavors will enhance our meals without adding too many calories? What reheats well for lunches the next day? How do my nutrition choices this week impact my mental and physical abilities? Am I stewarding my health wisely? How do I balance my desire for fried onion rings with cholesterol and caloric budgets this week?
After identifying the meals for the week in the right column, I populate the left side of my list with the grocery items we need. I generally organize the list by category to make shopping efficient. When my husband retired, he took over most of the grocery shopping, requiring me to include size and detailed information for some ingredients. A sample of a recent grocery list and menu is shown above.
You don’t need to plan your meals the same way that I do, but I hope you are encouraged to feed your body and soul in a way that brings flourishing and nourishing.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Cor 10:31 (NIV)
Kristine Johnson is a Senior Advanced Systems Engineer at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies leading various systems, qualification testing, and hardware teams on several commercial aviation products. Kristine is a Fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA), President of the North Star Chapter of the ASA, and oversees the Christian Women in Science (CWiS) Facebook page. She is on the Industry Advisory Board for the University of Northwestern’s Engineering program, and she is Vice President of the Christian Engineering Society. She is a member of the Society of Women Engineers and is also a professional face painter.
Before grocery shopping, I grab a piece of paper and divide it into two columns. In the right column, I write the upcoming days of the week with enough room for the meal(s) needed for each day. Using my calendar to determine who in the family will be home for dinner, what activities I need to work around, and if we are having company, I begin to plan our meals. The days closest to grocery shopping get the foods that spoil most quickly (fresh strawberries, breads/buns, deli items, etc.), while later in the week I plan meals from foods that stay fresh longer (pasta, ham, frozen vegetables, etc.). I also consider what food is in season and what I already have in the refrigerator and pantry that I need to use.
I have several favorite cookbooks (including one that I am writing) that I peruse when meal planning, and I am mindful of including a variety of fruits, vegetables, and proteins. I aim for balance, sustainability, and overall nutrition across the whole week.
Meal planning for me is part of flourishing. It’s a great time to reflect on my family, on how blessed we are to have access to so many fresh foods, and to think about our dietary needs. Have I eaten too much over the holidays and need to drop a few pounds? Do I need more protein or fiber in my diet? What flavors will enhance our meals without adding too many calories? What reheats well for lunches the next day? How do my nutrition choices this week impact my mental and physical abilities? Am I stewarding my health wisely? How do I balance my desire for fried onion rings with cholesterol and caloric budgets this week?
After identifying the meals for the week in the right column, I populate the left side of my list with the grocery items we need. I generally organize the list by category to make shopping efficient. When my husband retired, he took over most of the grocery shopping, requiring me to include size and detailed information for some ingredients. A sample of a recent grocery list and menu is shown above.
You don’t need to plan your meals the same way that I do, but I hope you are encouraged to feed your body and soul in a way that brings flourishing and nourishing.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Cor 10:31 (NIV)
Kristine Johnson is a Senior Advanced Systems Engineer at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies leading various systems, qualification testing, and hardware teams on several commercial aviation products. Kristine is a Fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA), President of the North Star Chapter of the ASA, and oversees the Christian Women in Science (CWiS) Facebook page. She is on the Industry Advisory Board for the University of Northwestern’s Engineering program, and she is Vice President of the Christian Engineering Society. She is a member of the Society of Women Engineers and is also a professional face painter.