I love meal planning because it allows me to a) use up items in my pantry that may have been sitting in there too long and ditto for stuff in the freezer; b) go beyond our boring basic/fall backs; c) watch the budget and waistline closely; d) avoid the 5pm meltdown/panic of not knowing what to make.
It doesn't have to be all-consuming nor difficult. Sure, I plan for a month. But, I do that because I enjoy the process and I love being able to figure it all out in one swoop.
If you want to give it a try, here are some of my tips.
1. Pick meals that you know are going to be something your family enjoys. My kids are not huge fish eaters but I try and sneak in a fish meal here and there. Tuna is a favorite so I include that whenever possible. If I can hide fish in a stew, I do that too.
2. Keep it simple. There are months when I look at my menus and think, "what the hell AM I thinking?" Long processes and/or lots of ingredients can be frustrating. Sometimes I plan those types of meals over the weekend when I know I will have more time and energy. Otherwise, I try and keep things relatively simple and fast. Sure bets? Omelets, lemon pasta, soups, stir-fry, oven roasted chicken, pork chops in the crock pot, baked potatoes. If I'm going to make risotto, I plan it for a Sunday dinner.
3. By planning your meals it allows you to pick from a variety of food groups. Lately, I have been trying to prepare meatless meals (not turning vegetarian, although it fascinates me, but I love meat too much) and so far no one seems to be even noticing. Not only do I feel better but the budget is happy too. Vegetables are way less expensive than a porterhouse. I also like to make sure we are spreading the variety around. For instance, one week this month looked like this: Monday: Baked potatoes; Tuesday: Chicken walnut stir fry; Wednesday: Red lentil dal over basmati rice; Thursday: French onion soup with fresh french bread; Friday: steamed vegetables over rice with a peanut/soy sauce; Saturday: Creamy lemon pasta with a side of broccoli; Sunday: Groundnut stew. Otherwise, I hear, "chicken AGAIN?!?"
4. Reduce stress during the week. By planning you can figure out if there is a day when maybe your breakfast or lunch needs to be lighter because dinner consists of bread or rice. You don't have to quickly put something together that may be too high in fat and calories and you don't have to deal with a hungry family and zero ideas.
5. It doesn't have to take forever to meal plan. Sometimes it takes me the better part of a morning but that is because I work on an entire month. Take a few minutes one evening or on a weekend afternoon and plan out the week. Grab a few favorite recipes...in my case I grab a handful of my binders...and figure it out. Some weeks I like it to look like this: Sandwiches/pizza; soups/chili/stew; chicken; pasta; meatless; roast (pork or beef for a Sunday meal); simple (like omelets or baked potatoes). This also helps in not getting overwhelmed with too many ideas.
6. When I am deciding on recipes I always keep in mind what I have in my pantry and freezer that I could be using up and therefore spending LESS at the grocery store. For instance, if I have a can of mixed vegetables sitting on my shelf maybe I will plan a pot pie using up leftover meat from a previous meal. Or, if I have some leftover sauce in the freezer with sliced zucchini from my garden maybe I'll make zucchini Parmesan dish with some ground turkey.
7. Once you have your stack of recipes planned out for the week go through each of them and create a shopping list. I do this task standing up because I am always checking my pantry and freezer/fridge for ingredients. This helps you to not buy items that you already have! Also, at this point if my shopping list appears to be too long and teetering on expensive items, I revamp my menu to include meals that use less ingredients.
8. I also keep a calendar nearby when I am planning my meals. I know that Monday nights and Wednesday nights the kids go to the church for religious education and so meals need to be faster and easier. Fridays I like to maybe plan something very simple...or we have leftovers...because odds are 2/3 of the kids are going to be playing with their friends and not eating at home. If you have five things going on on Thursday nights, don't plan a time consuming meal.
9. What doesn't get made I highlight on my list and add it to the following month/week menu. Sometimes I don't make the meal I had planned for whatever reason and opt for something else...I just "saved" more for next month because it is inevitable that I will have AT LEAST a weeks worth of meals that I didn't make that I can add to the following month.
10. Preparing a meal plan will definitely save you money. Let's say you need to work with a smaller amount for one month...by planning it out allows you to stay on budget and maybe even find ways to spend even less...and feed your family well. Maybe you can fit in making pancakes for dinner one night...which is super cheap especially if you make the batter from scratch. Not only are you saving money but you are cutting out boxed foods that are full of preservatives. Why use expensive boxed mash potatoes when you can buy real potatoes for pennies and boil them and make fresh mash potatoes? You save money AND eat healthier.
The bottom line for me is that I love planning meals because I love to cook for my family. I love coming up with creative recipes and new things that we all enjoy. I love being able to shop for way less money than most people...without using coupons...(last month I spent just over $250 for all our groceries which include toiletry items, breakfast and lunch foods).
There is no denying the fact that there are memories associated with food. If I cook something my grandmother used to make or my mom used to make, it always brings me back to my childhood. Food conjures up memories and I want my kids to remember this time and hopefully the foods their mom used to make.
We rarely eat out because I prefer to make whole foods at home...saving money and putting better foods into our bodies. We also eat dinner around the table every night and that is where we talk, share, laugh, and argue.
I believe that the meals don't have to be gourmet and capable of winning Top Chef to hold memories for your family...but food equals love and it is the ONE thing that brings everyone together. Even if we are sitting around the table with scrambled eggs and toast you are making memories.
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