So, here at Echoes of Laughter, we are going to talk about some super fun home management stuff this week!
Hopefully, you will find some ideas that you make your life easier!
Hopefully, you will find some ideas that you make your life easier!
Today is about “Meal Planning”.
Tomorrow, I will be sharing some ideas on “Saving Money On Groceries Without Couponing.”
Wednesday’s topic will be “Revolutionize Your Laundry.”
On Thursday I will be sharing an organizational project you won’t want to miss as it it something that all families should have.
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Meal planning is so important for families.
It is the key to healthy meals, controlling the grocery budget and avoiding fast food.
Plus…it reduces the stress in your life…you will feel so much better knowing that you have a meal plan for each day!
No running to the grocery store on the way home from work to pick up something to make for dinner!
And I know lots of you out there already do meal planning, but since I had some readers ask about how I meal plan, I thought I would write a new post for 2012,
No running to the grocery store on the way home from work to pick up something to make for dinner!
And I know lots of you out there already do meal planning, but since I had some readers ask about how I meal plan, I thought I would write a new post for 2012,
I usually plan our meals for the week on Sunday….it’s the day that works best for me, but really meal planning can be done on any day that works for your schedule.
Some people plan meals for whole month at one time, but I plan a week at a time..it’s just the way I like to do it!
Do whatever works for you!
Here are the 5 easy steps I use to plan our meals.
1. Look at the Family Schedule.
Each week, before I begin meal planning, I look at our family calendar to see what’s happening for the week.
Is there a day supper should be early or a day where it should be an easy supper?
I take this into account when planning the meals for each day.
Is there a day supper should be early or a day where it should be an easy supper?
I take this into account when planning the meals for each day.
I plan the time that each meal will be served so that when the kids or hubby ask, I can say dinner will be ready at a certain time.
Because of the children’s schedule, for instance, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I serve dinner at 3 pm…as soon as they get home from school.
{You can read more about this here.}
2. Check the Fridge & Freezer.
Many people don’t think of this step when planning meals, but it makes perfect sense to plan meals around what you already have.
The first thing you should check is what fresh vegetables and fruit are in the fridge.
Plan to use those first so you are not wasting fresh stuff you already have!
For example, have some lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber? Make a salad as a part of the first meal.
Do you have potatoes, sweet potatoes, or squash? Roast them to go with a meal.
Is your freezer full of meat? Start there for making your meal plan!
In doing this, you save money on groceries by using what you already have and creating less waste.
3. Write Down the Meals.
After you have checked the inventory of the fridge and freezer, now it’s time to write down the meals you have chosen to make/serve based on what you already have.
Just write it down on paper…you don’t need anything fancy!
I use a simple meal planning pad that I found at Micheal’s for $1.50 and I leave it on the fridge.
And I only plan meals for Monday to Friday.
I leave Saturday and Sunday open so we have some flexibility, and also because my husband likes to cook on the weekends.
When planning the meals, I like to make sure that we have a variety.
I plan the protein first, and then I add the sides and vegetables.
I keep these things in the freezer all the time:
For proteins: fish, chicken breasts, ground turkey, beef, lean hamburger, and pork tenderloin.
For sides: frozen peas, frozen beans, frozen corn and frozen mixed vegetables.
I keep these things in the pantry all the time:
Canned tomatoes, canned beans {assorted}, different types of rice, potatoes, onions, carrots and sweet potatoes, assorted pastas and cartons of beef & chicken broth.
And go easy on yourself…don’t plan complicated things or try new recipes on weeknights…save that for the weekend when you have more time!
Notice that a lot of my meals are simple, kid-friendly, and can be on the table in 30-40 minutes.
And go easy on yourself…don’t plan complicated things or try new recipes on weeknights…save that for the weekend when you have more time!
Notice that a lot of my meals are simple, kid-friendly, and can be on the table in 30-40 minutes.
For weeknight meals, Below is a sample menu plan.
I rotate the protein choices each night so we have a variety of meals and flavours throughout the week.Here are examples of what we might have:Chicken Night
I rotate the protein choices each night so we have a variety of meals and flavours throughout the week.Here are examples of what we might have:Chicken Night
Greek Kabobs and Salad
Soup Night
{Shown Italian Wedding Soup}
Fish Night:
{Shown: Shrimp Creole}
Beef Night:
{Shown:Sloppy Joes}
Pork or Chicken Night:
{Shown:Mu Shu Pork}
Pasta or Vegetarian Night:
Rotating protein choices helps to relieve the boredom of similar meals served too often.
4.Plan the Grocery Shop & Prep Notes.
Plan your grocery list to pick up things you need to complete the meals or for packing lunches.
{You can read my post on ‘5 Easy Steps for Packing School Lunches’ here.}
And it’s a great time to read the weekly sales flyers!
Take advantage of the sales to make your grocery budget go far!
Also, write down on your meal plan or in your planner little reminders of when you need to take things out of the freezer to thaw in time to make the meal.
For instance, if you are having chicken on Wednesday, write down that you need to take chicken out of the freezer on Tuesday.
Also, are there things that can be done ahead of time to make the week easier? For example, if you are having rice on Tuesday, maybe the rice could be cooked on Sunday and stored in the fridge to make things easier come Tuesday.
Plan the grocery list to include lots of fresh fruits & vegetables that your family likes.
The best way to avoid junk food is to not put it in the grocery cart at all!
I grocery shop evey 2 weeks.
We used to shop every week, but I found we wasted lots of fresh fruits & vegetables this way by buying more before the previous week’s produce was eaten.
Every 2 weeks gives us time to eat everything before buying more.
5. Involve the Family.
I usually prepare the meals, but sometimes if I am out, I let my daughter know that she needs to put something in the oven for me when she gets home from school, or I let Tyler know that he is helping make the salad that night.
I think it is so important to involve the children in the meal-making as much as possible so that they feel comfortable in the kitchen and will one day cook for themselves.
And my husband cooks on the weekends, so he chooses what he feels like cooking and I am quite happy to have a break!
***
One of my very favourite sites to visit for ideas for meal planning is my friend Laura’s blog
On Mondays, Laura hosts a Menu Plan Monday link party where each week over 200 hundred woman link up their meal plans for the week.
This link party is so full of great information and inspiration….I highly recommend visiting it on Mondays!
Do you have any tips for planning meals?
What works for your family?
Here are other great meal suggestions:
Here are some other posts that might interest you:
You can also check out these boards on Pinterest:
Thank you for visiting!
xo
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1
You are so together, Angie! I wish I had done this when my kids were younger. The only thing I can remember sticking to because of football practices was a soup night. I'd either make bread in the bread machine or get a big French loaf to go with it. That was before I went gluten free, too. There are nights I'd like to have just that for dinner now!
I do something very similar to menu plan for the week. In fact, I was just shopping this morning, and my husband just asked what we were having for dinner and I had an answer!
I have been doing this for a few years now. Main reason is the money it saves on groceries! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing. This helped a lot and I like how you divide the five week nights. I could see myself doing that Sunday through Thursday as we are usually at a family member's place for Friday dinner.
I'm pretty sure we are twins who got separated at birth (: I do all of those things. I post the menus on Monday, then I get shopping with my coupons and list. I don't buy if if it's not on that list, unless I run across an extreme deal. i plan breakfast, lunches, and dinner and I do the prep on Friday for meals on Sat. and Sun. Hubby cooks on those nights. I can't imagine coming home from a hard day and wondering what to feed my peeps. How stressful!
Oh,am I looking forward to your posts this week! I've been in the mood to get a little reorganzied on the home front and your topics fit the bill. I LOVE meal planning. Actually, it's more of a love/hate… I love having it done for the exact reasons you mentioned. But I hate it because of the decision making I have to do on Sunday afternoons. Ha! But it is well worth it, girls. Well worth it.
Hi Angie,
THis is a great post! Thank you for all these tips. You are SO organized! : ) I agree that you have to prepare for the week. I am going to try some of your suggestions this week. I've already started my list. Thanks again!
PS I can't wait for Wednesday's post. Laundry is my worst nightmare!
Danielle xo
Great ideas. We can all learn new things. I am still adjusting from making meals for a big family to making meals for 2. I love my crockpot. That way I have meals for a couple of days and hubby can feed himself when hungry. Looking forward to more of your ideas.
Just found you through Barbara's blog! Perfect timing too… I need to get back on track with my meal planning. It makes the week SO much better when I have the meals sorted out ahead of time.
I'm looking forward to the posts this week! This is a great resource for meal planning and I like the idea of shopping every two weeks, I think we've been in the mindset of going every week thinking we are going to run out of food to eat!
Love this!
Natasha xx
http://www.serenityyou.blogspot.com
This is pretty much what I do! I do still plan for the weekends though. It all works for us. My kids love to help too, although they're only 4 years and 21 months! Would love to see some of your recipes someday. Would be good to have ideas from another country (I'm in the UK).
Vic 🙂
Hi Angie,
I have always meal planned and I probably do it even more now that the kids are away at school…
Our kids always enjoyed cooking and baking in the kitchen too! I think they have a better chance at eating what they have made or have helped making…
All the Best,
Christine
This is such a great idea for meal planning!! Thanks for sharing! Thanks so much for joining us on "Strut Your Stuff Saturday." We loved having you and hope to see you back next Saturday with more great ideas! -The Sisters
I LOVE your great tips! I plan to redo my "Household Bills" binder tomorrow so I can add a calendar too.
I wanted to let you know that the link provided for your friend's blog takes you to an advertisement. I searched and found the correct address at: http://orgjunkie.com/
Thank you!
Julie
A good healthy dinner with family and family help… WIN WIN! winks, jen