31-day wild game meal plan
Posted on by Leann Clarke

31-Day Wild Game Meal Plan for Hunting Families

As a hunting/gardening family, we eat a lot of self-harvested food. In order to make the most of all our garden veggies and wild game in the freezer, I try to be creative and plan ahead.This 31-day wild game meal plan is geared specifically toward hunter-gather families who want to use their hard-earned food in creative and delicious ways, while saving time and money in the process.

Weekly Schedule

In the next few paragraphs, I’m going to share what our typical week looks like and explain why I have certain kinds of meals on certain days. However, if you’d rather skip ahead to the kid-pleasing snack/breakfast ideas and recipes, scroll on down (and be sure to check out the printable 31-Day Wild Game Meal Plan PDF at the bottom)!

Mondays are somewhat busy, as we home-school in the morning and go to dance practice in the afternoon. By the time we get home from dance, it’s 7:30 p.m. and no one feels like cooking (or waiting to eat), so it’s slow cooker meals for Mondays.

Tuesdays are made for tacos! Not every Tuesday, but at least a couple Tuesdays a month anyway. We like to alternate tacos with breakfast for dinner (a.k.a., “brinner”). It’s usually a stay-at-home day for me and the kids, so I have the flexibility to prep all the fixings for tacos or brinner  whenever the kids are occupied—but I save the tortilla-making for last. They  absolutely love helping me make the dough from scratch and rolling it out.

Wednesdays are brain-building days. They include extra reading during our school time at home, a visit to our local library, and eating fish. We catch trout whenever we can (which is not nearly enough), and also buy wild salmon, halibut or mahi-mahi. While fish is not always their favorite type of protein, my kids know that fish offers brain-boosting benefits and usually eat it without complaint.

On Thursdays, I either make something out of venison leftovers or try out a new recipe!

For weekends, Fridays = comfort food, Saturdays = kid favorites (cooked by The Hunting Dad), and Sundays = food fit for company, as we often invite friends over for an early Sunday dinner.

Substitutions

In light of the fact that many families have allergies or special diets to consider, I’ve included some alternatives to some common allergens/restrictions below.

Gluten-Free Substitutions:

    • coconut aminos for soy sauce
    • brown rice spaghetti for traditional spaghetti
    • almond flour + tapioca flour (equal parts) for breadcrumbs, gluten-free bread crumbs, or homemade bread crumbs from gluten-free bread

Dairy-Free Substitutions:

    • coconut milk for cream or half & half
    • unsweetened plain almond milk for cow milk
    • almond cheese for cow’s milk cheese

Meat/Fish Substitutions:

    • chicken for grouse or pheasant
    • cod or halibut for mahi-mahi
    • salmon for trout
    • pork for bear meat
    • pork, bear, moose, beef or mountain lion sausage for venison sausage
    • beef for venison, elk, moose, or antelope steak (or burger)
    • catfish or tilapia for walleye

Paleo Substitutions:

Not all of the recipe ingredients on the monthly menu have acceptable paleo substitutions (pasties, for example), but there are many that do. These include:

    • sweet potatoes for potatoes
    • coconut aminos for soy sauce
    • coconut milk for cow’s milk
    • zoodles for noodles
    • cauliflower “rice” for brown or white rice
Snacks and Meals

Breakfast Ideas

31-Day Wild Game Meal Plan
Wild Sausage McMuffin Breakfast Kebabs

Snack Ideas

Homemade energy bars - Wild Game Meal Plan
Moose Poop Bars

Favorite Vegetable Sides

Dinner Recipes

Week 1:

Week 2:

  • Chinese Red Cooked Pork or Bear
  • Easy Crockpot BBQ Venison
  • “Brinner” (venison sausage burritos, quiche, biscuits & gravy, etc.)
  • Fried Mahi Fish Bites
  • Teriyaki Tenderloin
  • Sausage & Potato Bake
    Instructions: Cube 3 large potatoes. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Season 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning or your favorite seasoning and 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt and pepper to taste. Roast in preheated 400°oven until potatoes are almost soft (approx. 18 mins.), give them a stir, then mix in 1 lb. cooked venison sausage and 1 cup sliced zucchini. Top with grated cheese if desired. Cook until sausage is heated through and zucchini is tender. Note: Measurements are approximate as I usually just throw this together. Please adjust amounts/seasonings to taste!
  • Mexican Elk Sliders

Week 3:

Week 4:

Week 5:

I hope these ideas give you some inspiration as you meal-plan this month. Since all families have different likes/dislikes, you can use the sample menu simply as a guide and swap out suggested recipes for your own tried and true favorites. Feel free to comment and share your ideas!

31-Day Wild Game Meal Plan:

31-Day Meal Plan for Hunting Families

 

 

 

 

 

 

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