I started meal planning for several reasons, the three biggest being money, health and food waste. Went we went from two incomes to one there were some big changes, as expected, but food was one of the biggest. It helped that we moved to the middle of no where that didn't have any good restaurants to go to. But we definitely weren't planning appropriately, but I had the time so I needed to start! Then I got pregnant and that added a whole other layer of complications, but over the last three years I have gotten pretty good at planning our meals and budgeting for groceries. When I go back to work in the fall I know it will be even more important for me to stay on track with planning. The thing is I really love cooking, and I enjoy grocery shopping, and I have taught myself to like finding the deal and putting together a plan to get the most bang for my buck and making the week worry free.
I typically start planning on Wednesday for a Friday shopping trip. Thursday is trash day so Wednesday is the perfect opportunity to get rid of anything from the fridge that is past its prime. Also I like to give myself plenty of time so that i'm not stressed and annoyed, plus it take twice as long to do anything with a toddler around.
I like to start with planning dinners for the week because I feel like that takes the most brain power. Shop at home first! Check your freezer and panty for what you already have and see what meals you can come up with! I decide on proteins first, so what ever you have or whatever your family likes to eat. We have chicken at least twice a week, so I always stock up on the family packs of breasts and thighs when they are on sale. We have pasta once a week, and I have 4 or 5 recipes for ground turkey that we rotate regularly. I buy the 2lb pack of ground turkey so that I can get two dinners with one item eg: turkey burgers and turkey tacos. Then we buy bags of frozen fish at Costco and will have fish once a week/every two weeks. Mahi Mahi and Salmon are our favorites and a bag of each will last us about 3-4 months. Then I fill in with pork/steak/ground beef/specialty meals.
So a week of proteins/main dishes may be: Chicken breasts, turkey burgers, pasta, tacos, chicken, fish, pork
Once I've decided on a protein or main dish I add in sides which typically is a carb/starch and a vegetable for us. Again, I shop my pantry for potatoes, rice, stuffing, and pasta and see what I can match up. Then I decide on whatever veggies I want but leave wiggle room to see what looks good or is on sale at the store. I also always keep a bag of frozen broccoli or green beans on hand because #momlife.
Then I organize the meals so they make the most sense for the week. Making sure i'm using up the proteins at the right time and not having to defrost or freeze too many things. I also consider left overs for lunches during the week and items I can make extra of and then have again with dinner a day or two later. For example; I hate making mashed potatoes but they are Mark's favorite so we have them at least 1-2 times a week, so I make a double batch and then schedule the meals accordingly so that I don't have to make them twice. Also think about what you have going on each day, when you have time to cook bigger meals and when you need an easy night. All of this planning makes for so much less food waste!
Lastly I do a check of all our regular items, coffee, creamer, eggs, milk, etc. and I fill in for breakfasts or lunches, but that is usually covered by our staples and leftovers.
Once your list and menu are done, make sure you write it down and post it somewhere! I use a template I printed and stuck in a picture frame on my "command center" wall so I can use a dry erase marker to make changes easily. I can look ahead at the week and plan my days accordingly, its a huge help when I need to make sure to defrost something when I can see it ahead of time so I don't forget to put it in the fridge the day before. And when I'm having a crazy day its nice to know I don't have to think about dinner because its already planned out! Having several tried and true recipes for each protein or type of dinner makes it so much easier to plan the week, so that you aren't reinventing the wheel but just rotating out recipes. Then you can give yourself one or two days a week to try something new if you want! I will be posting more of our favorite recipes on the blog soon and below are some of my go to links for planning, saving money, etc. And i've included one of my meal plans as an example :)
Free printable grocery list
HERE
Ibotta referral link
HERE
Printable coupons
HERE
You can follow me on Pinterest for some great recipes
HERE or check out the recipes I have posted (more to come soon!)
These are a few of my favorites
Vegetarian Recipe
Chicken Thigh Recipe
Pork Recipe
Ground Turkey Recipe
Weekly Menu 1
Friday: Steak, mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus
Saturday: Lemon chicken with rice pilaf and green beans
Sunday: Turkey Burgers and salad
Monday: Pork with apples and onions, mashed potatoes and broccoli
Tuesday: Turkey stuffed pepper casserole
Wednesday: Salmon with sesame noodles and bok choy
Thursday: Grilled chicken with roasted potatoes and asparagus
Weekly Menu 2
Friday: Sausage and pepper sandwiches
Saturday: Sheet pan chicken with sweet potatoes, broccoli, red onion, mushrooms and peppers
Sunday: Baked ziti with ground turkey and sausage
Monday: Spicy panko crusted pork with mashed potatoes and sautéed kale with mushrooms and onions
Tuesday: Turkey tacos
Wednesday: Balsamic grilled chicken with mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts
Thursday: Individual Naan pizzas
I hope you find this helpful! And i'd love to hear any tips that keep you on track!
