Have you ever been stumped about what to cook for dinner, or pulled out a recipe only to find that you didn’t have all the ingredients on hand? If so, you should try meal planning. I’ve tried variations of it over the last few years and have finally settled on a system that I like. Basically, before each grocery shopping trip (which we do about every two weeks around payday), I plan out all the dinners that I plan to cook and note any ingredients that I’ll need to buy. As you’ll see below, it’s pretty easy and very helpful.
Meal Planning Supplies:
- Blank monthly calendar
- Shopping List Template
- Recipes and cookbooks
- Family calendar
- Pen
The Meal Planning Process:
- Check the schedule. First, I note on the blank calendar anything on our schedule through the next grocery shopping trip that would affect if, or what, I cook. For example, if hubbie is traveling for work, I mark it down so that I keep dinner simple on those days. Or, if we’re planning to eat out on the weekends, I’ll note it so that I don’t cook. Other examples of things I note on the calendar are holidays, birthdays, parties at home, evening church services, etc.
- Select dinner menus. Once I’ve noted all our family activities on the calendar, I then go through my recipes and cookbooks and start plugging in dinner menus on the calendar (making sure to either note the page number for the recipe on the calendar or set aside a copy of the recipe). My go to sources for recipes are: Pattie LaBelle’s LaBelle Cuisine, a couple of family cookbooks and the Food Network. Here are my general guidelines:
- Make at least one new recipe.
- Make at least one dessert.
- Make quick meals on busy days and complicated ones on the weekends or when I’ll be off work.
- Make meals that’ll leave leftovers so I don’t have to cook everyday.
- Make meals that require fresh items (e.g. salads, raw veggies, etc.) soon after grocery shopping day so the items won’t spoil.
- Update grocery shopping list. Once I’ve scheduled all the meals, I then go through all the ingredients lists, check to see if I have the items on hand and add them to my shopping list if I don’t.
- Cook dinner. Each day, I check the calendar to see if I need to pull anything out of the freezer or prep anything for the next day’s meal. If I’m not feeling what’s on the calendar, I just switch it out with another day’s meal. Here’s my August meal calendar if you’d like to take a peek (be forewarned though, it’s a little light on veggies).
Benefits of Meal Planning
- Coordinate your dinner menus with your schedule.
- No worries about what to cook at night.
- Have more productive grocery shopping trips (i.e. spend less money).
- Avoid cooking too many similar items back-to-back.
- Have all the ingredients you need to prepare a meal.
- Remember when to take food out the freezer.
Hopefully, this gives you a good overview of meal planning. If you decide to give it a try, I’d love to hear how it works for you. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any other meal planning suggestions.
By the way I have visted Texas plenty of times and next to San Antonio, and El Paso, I just love the DFW area!!! I constantly fantasize about living in Irving! LOL
Jenny at Heavenly Blossoms recently posted..An Honor to Serve
This is really really helpful…I have this little rip out tab on all the pages of my weekly mommy planner and I get really lost when it comes to this….lol
I have always wanted to master this meal planning phenomenon…(its hard to believe I can actually make it happen)
However, you have give us some really REALLY good resources!! I downloaded the shopping list template!!! Thank you so much…this will be really helpful.
I am going to start a step by step exercise using this blog to get my meal planning on!! It will be very helpful for a mommy in my position…
okay enough blabbering now…thanks again!!!
Jenny at Heavenly Blossoms recently posted..An Honor to Serve
Hi Jenny, glad you like the schedule. I’ve found it so helpful, and it really doesn’t take that long to plan out the meals. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes.
I love the calendar! This is a great idea and something I will definitely try.
We go to the local flea market where there are quite a few fresh fruit and veggie vendors. Buying from these folks has made such a big difference in what I cook. I try to cook using the fresh veggies that I find at the market. It’s fun to see what they have and then think about what I can make. Plus, it’s CHEAPER! Significantly cheaper.
I have yet to make a trek to any flea markets in the DFW area. I’ve got that on my to do list. Fresh fruits and veggies sound really good.
Hello. I do the same thing but I do the shopping every week I love to get my produce on a weekly basis especially here in CA were we have farmers markets on a daily basis. I am a new followeer from Bloggy Moms. Would love it if you could come by and check out my blog.
Just Me recently posted..I want my damn…
Thanks for visiting the blog. Yes, keeping fresh veggies and fruits is one of the hard things about buying groceries every 2 weeks or so. I need to see if we have a farmers market nearby.
Met you through DID. Just liked your FB page.
Congratulations on your new blog.
Darlene recently posted..Collaged Postcard
Thanks. I’ll hop over to your blog as well.