Meal Planning basics

Meal planning is an important part of being prepared for the week. It not only saves time on a daily basis, it saves money. When you meal plan and shop with a list, you are less likely to buy extra stuff you do not need and end up throwing away.

Here are my steps for meal planning:

1. Friday or Saturday I look through my recipes and online for meals I want to cook that week. I also ask my husband for suggestions. I select 6-7, knowing I will pare them down in the next step.

2. Schedule which meals to make which days. I try to plan meals that are quick to prepare (pasta, fajitas, grilled fish) or can be prepped the night before (crockpot meals) for the weekdays. If I find a recipe that takes a little more prep time, I plan it for Sunday night. I also consider if either of us have evening activities or plan to work late. I definitely want easy meals on those days when only one of us has to cook and entertain our toddler. I think about which meals are more likely to have leftovers and space them out through the week. I also assume that Friday or Saturday will be leftovers or pizza/takeout nights. If there are leftover recipes, I save them until the next week.
When reviewing the menu, I try to ensure that we have a protein and several servings of vegetables at each meal. I also think about what vegetables are in season, to incorporate fresh choices as much as possible. This time of year, that is difficult, unless you love beets.
Also, take a look at what you have around the house. Try to incorporate some of what you already have on the shelves.

3. Once you have your menu, it is time to make grocery lists. I have magnetic notepads on the fridge, so if we are low on something mid-week, I can record it then. I typically make a list for the grocery store, farmers market and Costco. We go to Costco every other week to stock up on staples (milk, yogurt, pasta, frozen meat, Etc). Fresh produce I try to find at the farmers market and the grocery store for everything else. I have heard of people that make their list in order of the store layout, but use whatever works for you. There are also multiple apps, including one from Safeway that allows you to create a list on your mobile device.

4. When you go shopping, stick to your list. The extras are what cause us to waste money and extra food in the house creates temptations to snack more.

5. I use post it's on a calendar to map out my weekly menu and remind me what I need to prep each night. This is also handy because I cook a lot of the same meals each week (Eg. Pasta). I try to thaw chicken two days ahead of time, so I add that task to my to do list to prep for chicken nights. After we finish dinner each night, I look at the menu and decide what needs to be prepped. Usually it is chopping vegetables or getting the appliances out (crockpot, grill) for the next days meal.

For me, the extra planning gives me peace of mind when I am driving home each day.