The idea of meal planning has always been a bit intimidating to me. It does sounds like a lot of work, but once you get a good system going it can actually save you time, and (hopefully) money! I have dabbled with meal planning in the past, but I think I tried to make it too complicated and I could never seem to stick to it. There are a lot of really cool, really organized, really elaborate meal planning strategies out there, and although they look appealing on Pinterest, they were too busy for me to stick with! Today I want to share how I finally developed a meal planning strategy that works for me and my family.
The first thing I do before starting my weekly meal plan is decide which day will be shopping day. We live about 50 minutes out of town, so I try to combine my shopping day with other appointments and errands that may be going on that week. Once I know which day I will be shopping, I can make the commitment to sit down and plan at least one day before I go shopping. I like to make a weekly plan because that's how frequently I go shopping. I have tried monthly plans in the past but they always seem to get away from me. Planning a month in advance takes more time, and it is hard to know where you'll be and what you'll be up to for an entire month in advance.
The next thing I consider before even thinking about recipes, is how many days that week will I even be home/have time to cook a proper meal? It's much easier to know what your week will look like versus your entire month. If I know I will be home every night that week then I plan 7 meals. If I know I won't get home until late one evening then I make sure to plan 6 meals + one easy/freezer/leftover meal. Another great thing about meal planning is it helps build your freezer stockpile. I almost always cook enough so that there will be leftovers for the freezer on nights we are home late or don't feel like cooking. Creating your own meal plan means YOU are in charge and you can change it, or swap out meals as you see fit/necessary throughout the week. This happens almost every week for us. Something usually comes up and I will switch one day's meal with a different day depending on time constraints etc.
Something I always have on the go is a running grocery list. If I run out of something I consider a staple, I immediately write it on my chalkboard. Then when I sit down to make my shopping list for the week I can add those chalkboard items plus whatever I need for that week's recipes.
The next thing I do is look in my freezer to see what proteins I still have from the previous week. I buy meat when it is on sale, so I tend to always have a few meals worth of meat left each week. I also keep a deep freezer inventory which I update monthly. I keep it taped to my freezer with a pen attached so I can cross off items that I take out. This way, all I have to do is glance at my inventory to see what I have, rather than dig through my freezer each time. I organize it into categories (Meat, Breads, Leftovers, Other). By the end of each month the list is a total mess from crossing out/adding stuff, but that is when I know it is time to update!
Now for the fun part! First I plan meals that will use up the meat I already have, then the rest of the days are free game. I start my list by writing out the days of the week and meals on the left, and what I need on the right. If the meal requires me to reference a particular recipe I make a note of where to find that recipe. This is what my weekly plan looked like a couple weeks ago:
Monday March.11
Baked teriyaki chicken and roasted squash
[recipe from Quickies Chicken pg.16]
Needed:
nothing
Tuesday March.12
Stuffing topped creamy chicken w/ steamed brussels sprouts
[recipe from Quickies Chicken pg.18]
Needed:
-cream of chicken soup
-stove top stuffing
-chicken breasts
-swiss cheese slices
Wednesday March.13
Beef chop suey with rice
[recipe from Chinese Cooking pg.60]
Needed:
-sirloin steak
-bell peppers
-dry sherry
-beef broth
-mushrooms
Thursday March.14
FROZEN/LEFTOVERS
Needed:
nothing
Friday March. 15
Peppered Beef Dip [recipe from 5-ing. slow cooker pg.69]
Needed:
-boneless blade/chuck roast -beef broth
-condensed onion soup
-buns
Saturday March.16
Chicken Pesto Lasagna
[recipe from 5-ing. slow cooker pg.81]
Needed:
-chicken breasts
-lasagna noodles
-pesto
-tomato sauce
-mozzarella
Sunday March.17
Sweet 'n'sour meatballs over rice with sauteed
bell peppers
Needed:
nothing
Monday March.18
Pizza Tot Casserole
[recipe from Winning Recipes pg.190]
Needed:
-green peppers
-ground beef
-mushrooms
-tater tots
-mozzarella
Once I have my plan I can start making my grocery list. I always organize my grocery list based on the store layout for ease of shopping. This is super useful and makes things go so much faster (especially with a kid in tow).
Produce--Bakery---Deli---Meat/Seafood---Middle Aisles---Dairy---Frozen.
That is pretty much it!
A quick summary...
1.) determine your shopping day & which days you will be home/available to cook
2.) keep a running grocery list throughout the week
3.) look in freezer/ pantry. What do you already have?
4.) consider making a freezer inventory
5.) plan meals based on what you already have first
6.) make note of where you can find the recipe for later
7.) make your grocery list (consider organizing it based on store layout)
So that may sound all fine and dandy, but where do you find the ideas and inspirtation for your meals?
I use Pinterest a lot, but I also like to reference my cookbooks or family recipes. I try to keep things varied by using a different protein each night. I also try to always have a vegetable and some type of carb on the side if it isn't already in the recipe.
Having a themed meal plan may help you come up with ideas a little easier.
For example, you could assign a different theme for each day of the week: Vegetarian, Italian, Mexican, Casserole, Slow-cooker, Instant Pot, Soup&Stews etc.
Lastly, I have compiled a list of meal ideas that I have used in recent weeks, just in case you are fresh out of ideas, or want to try something new! Please don't hesitate to comment or send me a message if you would like a certain recipe or need a little guidance! I have put a star next to the ones that are favourites in my house.
Pulled Chicken Taco Rice Bowls (click here)*
Instant Pot Parmesan Chicken & Potatoes
Penne Bake*
Pizza Zucchini Boats*
Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes*
Meatball Tater Tot Casserole*
Creamy Butternut Squash & Spinach Tortellini
Quinoa Enchilada Casserole*
Instant Pot Orange Chicken
Beef Stew
Broccoli Chicken Casserole
Big Mac Bowls
Pork Chop Scalloped Potato Casserole
Mango Chickpea Curry over quinoa
Chicken Shawarma with Yogurt Sauce*
Homemade Pizza (click here for dough recipe)*
Crunchy Chicken Pitas*
Mediterranean Hot Pot
Shepherd's Pie*
Avocado BBQ Chicken Naan Pizza*
Ham Casserole with Cauliflower Rice
Chicken Bacon Ranch Penne*
Enchiladas
Pork tenderloin roast with apple onion gravy
Ground beef Doritos casserole*
Instant Pot Apple Honey Pork Tenderloin
Italian sausage with garlic parmesan orzo and broccoli
Spaghetti Squash Chicken Bacon Ranch Boats
I hope this helped you get your meal plan organized, or even better, I hope it inspired you to create one that works for you and your family!
Happy planning,
-A