One New Year’s resolution that I hear many families are making is to get back to eating around the dinner table together as a family and developing menu plans that really work for them. Meal planning happens to be one of my most favorite things to do in the world so I was excited to share my thoughts and ideas on menu planning this month with Snackpicks.
In this post, I detail five easy ways to make menu planning simpler and cost-effective for your family. One of my favorite ideas in this list is to incorporate a theme night into your routine or even for planning all seven days of the week. It definitely doesn’t need to be fancy, in fact, my favorite night is Sunday when it is a Seek-And-Ye-Shall-Find night (also known as eating the leftovers from the week’s meals).
Another fun theme night that we love to do is an Appetizer night. Who can resist a table full of fun small bite foods for a new take on the family meal? Luckily, Chef John is creating a Deviled Shrimp Bite appetizer that would be a fun new way to try a little seafood on your appetizer night or for your next get together. This spread incorporates the flavors of delicious shrimp, roasted red peppers,
anise-like-flavored tarragon and pungent paprika. You definitely don’t want to miss this fun video tutorial on how to make this simple and quick appetizer for your family! Paired with my favorite spinach dip and honey barbecue wings, you would have the makings for the perfect fun food night or get together with your friends.
How often do you meal plan for your family and what tips/tricks can you offer on streamlining the menu planning process? Please share!
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I have recently started using Microsoft Word to create my lists and meal plans. I start with 2 columns and different titles:
Store #1
Store #2
Dad’s lunch
Mom’s lunch
Toddler’s lunch
Baby’s lunch
Dinner (we all eat the same thing)
I come up with 7 dinners and 4 different lunch items for each of us (we all have different preferences and capabilities and Dad packs a lunch)
As I come up with the dinners, I simply write down the ingredients in the shopping list section. Then I check in my frig (weekly clean-up) to see what I can check off the list. I also add our frig list (ran out of mustard, coffee, flour, etc) to the list, I put it in the order that will help me as I go through the store and then we are set to go…and I don’t have to tend to small children and try to mealplan at the store. I just follow my list and I’m out of there. I don’t match my dinners to my days…unless a meal takes a hot rotisserie chicken or some other meat that needs to be eaten quickly. That way, I have some play with deciding what I want to cook. I always leave a wildcard meal open, as well. Soup from a can + an easy salad = easy meal night. We may also have ‘fend for yourself’ night which I can cash in at any time. I’ll just get the kids something from the lunch menu and make it work.
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I do a weekly meal plan though I have also create a whole months worth of meals in the past with built in leftover nights, etc. We do Pizza Night every Saturday. I’ve also done “Breakfast for Dinner” or Italian or Mexican themed nights. Mostly, I plan my menu around what I already have on hand to limit my trips to the grocery store.
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I try to meal plan weekly – and I really notice it (in a bad way!) when I don’t! Right now I’m having a mostly eat from the pantry/freezer month, and I’m finding that being really on top of my inventory means that I can actually think into the next week as well. I try to plan around our schedule, based on what we have on hand. Also, every so often I just browse through one of my cookbooks for fun, and that always sparks inspiration for “oh, I’d like to try this recipe at some point” — and if we have the ingredients, it gets worked into the menu plan.
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I also use themed nights for my weekly meal planning. I love your Seek-And-Ye-Shall-Find night idea. I hadn’t used that before, but will sure look to incorporate it into my planning. We have a grilled cheese sandwich night at our home. My husband usually is the chef this night, and he creates unique sandwiches for each of us. My son usually has a simple grilled cheese and jam, while I like mine with fry egg and spinach. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
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I participate in Meal Planning Monday with http://www.orgjunkie.com I LOVE this because it forces me to think about the week well in advance. It also allows me to see other’s menus and get great ideas. My husband is a college football coach and we find our fall seasons to be incredibly busy. Awhile back I created this list of freezer meals http://recipesdealsetc.blogspot.com/2009/07/do-you-have-recipes-that-freeze-well.html
stocked my freezer for a few months and really enjoyed the freedom it gave us. Crock pot meals allow for freedom from the kitchen as well. Being able to put together a dinner at 1pm during nap time is SUCH a stress reliever.
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