How do you figure out how to meal plan? - Page 9

[Adamsmama]

me too!

[courtenay_e]

bumping for SIL :)

[springmama]

My family is still in the works with this but we have made tremendous progress in the last few months. Here are some things that have helped us along the way. I make just about everything from scratch and we stick to whole natural foods and avoid processed pre-packaged foods. I do my big grocery shopping trip once a month. The two stores where I do the majority of my shopping are 20 miles away so I stock up. When the perishables from that trip run out (i.e. bananas, lettuce, fresh veggies) I run to the local market. Things like bread, bagels, meats and tortillas freeze really well so I cram my freezer full of them. Before I embark on my crazy shopping trip I take an inventory of everything that I already have then I begin making my menu based on that, then I take that inventory list with me along to the store so I can see what I don't need. I also make a list of what I do need and bring my menu along with me. This helps deter me from impulse buys. I go alone or just take my youngest with me and it helps to stay on track. We save so much money when we stick to the menu.

You mentioned picky eaters. Money is really tight at our house so the rule is that we gratefully eat what we have but I do understand that we all have things  we simply can't stand to eat. Each of us in our household has a few things that we just cannot stomach putting in our mouths so I stay away from those things. Fortunately it is a small list. I expect the kids to try new things a few times before they say "I can't eat that" and we do what we can to make it more palatable for them. For example my kids will eat baked potatoes but not mashed potatoes so I tend to stay away from mashed. If I make Shepherd's pie they are exempt from eating the potatoes on top but they love the filling. So we base our meals around foods that everyone likes. When making your menu get input from your family so that you can have meals they will be excited about. Over time you will get a feel for which meals are a hit and which ones are not.

Sticking to what you have planned does take some discipline but once you get used to it you will probably like it. We have found that meal planning simplifies our lives, helps us maintain a healthy diet and saves us money. Good luck to you!

[chewynotcrunchy]

 for this thread!  subbing.

[Down2Earth]

I'm so glad this thread is still around!  I've been doing menu mailers for years but I have found that we don't like all the recipes for the week.  And now I'm on a very strict diet and realized I really needed to plan out my own monthly menu but I forgot how!!!

So, with DH's help I've decided our themes for each night.  Crock-pot, eggs/breakfast night, international, fish/vegetarian, chicken, beef, and leftovers.  And when my diet is less restrictive I will change up the nights to add pizza night, pasta/beans, and sandwiches.

Now I just need to sit down with my recipe box, The Best New Recipe, and The Quick Recipe.  It is going to be a long night!!

[gagirl2008]

I like your idea for themes for each night.  We're working on meal planning too.  I'm trying to add a lot of crock pot recipes though.  It helps SO MUCH to use it.

[Wolfcat]

We've been meal planning for over a year now. We use a dry-erase calendar and try to do between 3 weeks and 1 month + each time. We start out by putting in meals using the food we have in stock for the first half of the month. We plan on a big shopping trip at the halfway mark, so we kind of do a "wish list" of what we want within a budget.

We do a variation on the themes: We have poultry days, soup/salad days, veggie days (eggs and cheese, or even pepperoni or cubed ham, but not a meat-focused meal), and "open" days. This helps us keep our meat consumption under control, under budget, and with a nice variety.

We have about a dozen recipes that we are willing to go back to every two weeks or so. If we really get stumped, we look up new recipes that we can try. We usually try 2-4 recipes a month. Some stay in rotation, some get an overhaul, some are dumped like a hot potato.

Since DH works until 10 most nights, we try to do a lot of crock pot meals or things that we can pre-make and reheat (casseroles and runzas).

Occasionally, we'll forget to get the planning done on time... It sucks and we struggle until it gets done.

When we have the plan, we don't have to actually spend our little time together talking about what's for dinner. He can set the meat to defrost. I can get things prepped or started cooking during my lunch break. We don't sit there at 5 pm scratching our heads or trying to figure out what we can cook cuz no meat is thawed.

The funny thing is, I resisted meal planning for a long time. Then I got into it just before DD was born. When she was 3 mo, DH moved in and HE resisted doing meal planning. But once we got into it (less than a week), neither one of us would give it up.

Although, I do sound rather food obsessed when I finish eating supper and ask DH, "what's for supper tomorrow?" so we can make sure it gets set up...

[greenacresmama]

I am new to meal planning too. There has been a sudden huge change since around Aug 10th. I finally bought MacGourmet with  iphone app ( app not great but nice to have). I wanted it mostly because it seems like retyping and storing is too sloppy and I really wanted to change our food; vegan, gluten free and raw, but also a variety of grains and go international. I wanted food to be a celebration and to be more fun, plus play it into homeschooling. It really changed things to meal plan. The software is breezy to pull in but a wee bit more than copy paste, but more like 5-7 more little hot keys that it explains, directions shift+5, it goes fast and now I have them memorized. I love the shopping list feature, but you need to edit it. I also love that I can make it into little booklets assigning months, etc. It is wicked easy to organize... if I push a recipe off till next week or find 5 I love, it is still in the month booklet, etc. I usually push them off because I will not allow hard ones more than once a week. Fast and easy (raw or a new smoothie) is welcome all the time.

It has a meal planner and I am really just so happy I went for it.. it calms me. I can change it, but I really don't bother...it feels more like for the week of, but I know why sometimes the day is pegged for certain meals.

The thing I didn't plan for is going to the farmer's market, researching that night, going shopping at the store the next day and then

(drum roll)....cutting all the veggies and putting them in glass containers and keeping those grouped together! The veggies get eaten much much more, but some I should not like to cut again like red peppers for too long. The veggies are in hot supply, washed and ready. The other surprise was cooking with kids, I do need either the phone or computer out. I have the ingredients almost all prepped, we do spices, oils, and grains together. It makes it so much more fun. They love it! YOU MUST cut these at night with entertainment and just keep this time as fun. Break out the chopper if you have one. This is also a life saver when I am leaving in the car!!!! with everyone or even just me! Fresh snacks!!!

I also love making soup and bread combos. The dough is so fun and I let them keep a little until dinner is ready (playdough). 

I have a lot of lunch meals that are my old healthiest dinner meals, but sometimes I even make lunch new. I highly suggest learning to make smoothies***. My young ones eat b + l + d + but they are not putting any more into their little bellies than at snack time. I am so over crappy crackers, etc, etc. My kids get frozen berries, kale smoothies, carrot/apple/cinnomon juice (they also play with the pulp of carrots (modelling dough). They eat a lot of cut up veggies. I make veggie plate faces. I also make some veggies look like animals or faces, like a cucumber man..my son thinks this is awesome and eats them up. I sometimes think we could have 4-5 snack times that are as much as they eat in a meal volume. It probably is very related to how little animal we eat, all but milk and cheese.. not a ton, because we have oatmeal and fruit each morning, but it does happen, cheese sandwiches for sure once a week.

When we traveled, things came back sad and wacky. I put them in the tub with blueberries, got watermelon once too. I had a tasty special fruit as the main star of breakfast. They totally turned back into veggie eaters and I think it was because fruit kicks in that fresh, water, raw taste and easy to crave more once started. 

I have never had the same luck as a cheaper bill though. My whole family eats at home. We buy meat very once in a while, but we eat eggs and dairy. I think it is because I will not save on health.... I mean..... when I am trying to fill in the holes I pick foods (and research and add recipe to MacG later) that I know are superfoods on sale or not. I go by variety and how my body reacts to the smell. 

Food makes us!!!! Stronger, more loving, smarter! All you mamas ROCK!!!! 

[Lisoula]

OK, after failing miserably at meal planning in the past, I am going to attempt it again.  I made "categories" for each day of the week, and then listed options under them so I didn't have to use too much brain power planning.  I have a string of days off from work, so I wanted to make a bunch of meals, and freeze some, but I've never frozen entire meals before.  Would someone be willing to give me some suggestions on which of the following meals I planned for this week are freezable, and how to do it, along with any tips for each particular meal?   I listed sides in parentheses, I'm not as concerned with freezing sides.  We also have fruit of some type with each meal, but I didn't list that either.  Thanks so much!!!!

Beef Roast in crock pot with carrots & onions (Green beans & biscuits)

Roasted whole chicken with herbs (Gravy, noodles, peas & corn)

Stuffed Shells (Italian-style broccoli)

Chicken noodle soup (salad & rolls)

Lentil soup (salad)

Breakfast for dinner

Broccoli, rice & chicken casserole

[Wolfcat]

Originally Posted by Lisoula 

OK, after failing miserably at meal planning in the past, I am going to attempt it again.  I made "categories" for each day of the week, and then listed options under them so I didn't have to use too much brain power planning.  I have a string of days off from work, so I wanted to make a bunch of meals, and freeze some, but I've never frozen entire meals before.  Would someone be willing to give me some suggestions on which of the following meals I planned for this week are freezable, and how to do it, along with any tips for each particular meal?   I listed sides in parentheses, I'm not as concerned with freezing sides.  We also have fruit of some type with each meal, but I didn't list that either.  Thanks so much!!!!

Beef Roast in crock pot with carrots & onions (Green beans & biscuits) This will freeze nicely if the liquid covers the veggies.

Roasted whole chicken with herbs (Gravy, noodles, peas & corn) We cook these the day before (about 15-30 minutes short) and stick them in the fridge, then it only takes about an hour to reheat and finish cooking/crisping.

Stuffed Shells (Italian-style broccoli) I believe pasta freezes well, but I don't have mush experience with it.

Chicken noodle soup (salad & rolls) Freezes well, but you want the noodles cooked to al dente. They soften up when reheated.

Lentil soup (salad) I don't like lentils that much, so I don't cook with them often.

Breakfast for dinner Egg casseroles freeze nicely.

Broccoli, rice & chicken casserole Yum! And good for freezing.

[AnkaJones]

Hi, we just started last month, but things have been going pretty well.  We're using a different system than a lot of people are, so I figured I'd share.  Basically, we have 2-3 recipies for any given week and other days are leftover days.  My husband loves to cook more complicated stuff, but the sheer number of ingredients isn't budget friendly so we limit that to one of the meals.  A second recipe is going to be a "quick meal" (<30 minutes using mostly pantry ingredients).  The third recipe is usually a breakfast recipe or something super cheap.  We're having a lot of fun with meals now; trying out new recipies and so on.  Every other week we do a make and freeze meal so that increases the variety on our 'leftover' days.  Probably sounds more complicated than it is, but here's an example

Sunday: Make Ahead Meatloaf (freeze one loaf for later in the month, eat one loaf this week; From cook's illustrated, so a lot of ingredients) -- about 60 minutes of actual cooking time.

Monday: Spanokopita (makeahead leftover from a couple of weeks ago) -- 10 minutes to prepare

Tuesday: Adobo chicken (quick meal) -- about 30 minutes of cooking

Wed: Lemon Pasta (really cheap) -- about 30 minutes

Thurs: Leftover meatloaf, spanokopita -- ummm... 5 minutes in the microwave

Fri: Beer and pizza (DH makes the pizza from scratch... yum). -- he actually spends like 4-5 hours making his pizza.  It's a labor of love.

Sat: Leftover Adobo Chicken.  Again 5 minutes in the microwave.

[popcornpuzzler]

I recently bought a popcorn machine for myself but I rent it out to my apartment complex since they have movie nights on Saturdays for the kids. The kids in my complex just love it since its fresh kettle popped and you don't have to microwave it but still get a real movie theater taste.

[greenacresmama]

Anka, That sounds yummy! I am going to take that next week, but make it vegetarian. 

I just got this MacGourmet Software update (instant thingy that happens when you open; free) and it has this import button at the top. I clicked it typed in food type (pumpkin pie from real pumpkin and it googled it and only brought up the tons of websites it jives with and I got it imported by picking it out of the search engine (going to page) and then hitting import! It was super fast! I am still keeping up with my foodies blogs though.. Those are priceless :D

[mamadodson]

I am not sure if anyone posted this yet, because there are too many posts to go through.  But I often use www.allrecipes.com they have great recipes and lots of different categories, the best tool on there is the ingredient search you put in a couple things you have in your pantry and they will supply you with recipes that contain them.  Real easy and havent had a bad recipe yet, best of all it is free to use most of the site!

[greenacresmama]

mamadodson, my mother ***loves*** allrecipes!!! I use to use just one site and that was very simple for me (they turned into something else though). Google can find a recipe and check boxes will appear in the left column (to remove?) or find recipes with those ingredients. You need to add the word "recipe"

[annbimon]

We keep meal planning pretty simple in our house & it works well.  First I look at our weekly schedule & try & figure out which nights require quick easy meals and which nights I have more time to cook.  For instance, nights that the kids have football practice may be a burger night while a Sunday  night is perfect for eggplant parm. I have a binder full of recipes I know my family likes so I use that as my guide when planning.  Usually, I plan out 7 days in advance and write all our meals down on a dry erase meal planner called Supermarket Smarty that is also a grocery checklist.  Once I have a list of the meals, I go through and check off all the ingredients on the Smarty that I need to make them.  The list fits in my purse and I take it to the store with me. I find having this reusable planner makes the process a lot easier & more efficient.   Here is a link to their site www.supermarketsmarty.com.  

[greenacresmama]

annbimon that is sooo cool!!! 

My friends, sigh... I am having the hardest time staying within budget.. we just raised it to $300 for food and gas! This is seriously for a whole foods diet and no meat! sigh, huge sigh.. I actually looked up buying cheese online :D (no savings but flours and other dry goods are). We also have gone through most of the produce already with 3 days still left. I am not sure what to do... I even want to eat more raw and juice so feeling puzzled.