Menu planning is so much easier than you might think. Simply keep track of your favorite meals over the next few weeks. Mine change a bit due to the weather (for example, I don't usually do hamburgers and hot dogs in the winter), but you get the idea. Then fit them into your calendar.
Here's a typical week for me -
- Sundays - chicken wings, popcorn, and finger foods
- Mondays - pasta (this is obviously a very flexible day!)
- Tuesdays - chicken
- Wednesdays - leftovers
- Thursdays - pork or beef
- Fridays - pizza
- Saturdays - fish or whatever I feel like (Chinese, try a new recipe, etc.)
Now to the other part - pantry stocking. There are weeks that don't have any good deals at the store, so I work from the pantry and freezer. I buy pasta on sale, so that's always something to eat. Canned tomatoes, canned soups, tuna fish (I like the pouches), spaghetti sauce, salsa....things like that. I also buy meat when it's on sale - as much as I can afford, then freeze in smaller portions. Don't forget that you will eventually EAT your pantry and freezer items, so don't buy things you and your family don't like!!
Menu planning also gets rid of the "oh CRAP, what's for dinner" at 5:30 when everyone's starting to get hungry. And wouldn't that be great??
That is how I do my menus as well. Then I decide what fits those categories and put it down on a monthly calendar.
ReplyDeleteIf I buy as much chicken or beef as I can and have ingredients on hand for several of those chicken meals, I can interchange them on my menu whenever and not "blow" my menu. :) Some days you just don't feel like making or eating what you had "planned" so being able to swap it out without guilt or having to order out is wonderful.