Meal planning 101

I really don't enjoy cooking dinner. Every night I would dread my children asking me what we would be eating. With Craig working shift work and the rhythm of our home constantly changing, things were just chaos some nights.

Something needed to change. Especially my attitude, but also practically.

I liked the notion of just getting to cook whatever I felt like. Problem being: I never felt like anything, because I am just about the fussiest eater in the entire world. I total understand difficult two year olds who don't like certain foods. My kids shake their heads at me refusing to eat peas, except Lucy. She is on team 'no peas' too.

So I eventually had to just put my big girl panties on and jump into doing something to solve our evening disasters. And I am pleased (no, ecstatic!!!!) to say I think we have, thanks to one small piece of paper a week.

Now I have tried meal planning before and had success when I had fewer children, a more convenient grocery store, and no after school activities (actually I think it was before the kids were at school). Moving house, the kids at school and all the activities, left me unable to concentrate and think about how to go about meal planning. It seemed just way too hard to sit down once a week, look over the week and try to think about what I could cook. I would sit down trying to remember what we had on, when we would be home, and then what I could make, and would come up blank: what do I cook???

Finally I came to the following method, which has been a life saver, and even a money saver (although that was not the plan at the beginning). My sanity has been restored and I never have to hear the words "what's for dinner?" again. YAY!!!!!!

The first time you do this it will take a good half hour or more. After that, perhaps 5 or 10 minutes at most, including your grocery list.

Meal planning 101:

1) Buy or make a simple meal plan sheet, with a space for each day.

I bought this one from Kikki K. It has a detachable shopping list which I LOVE, because as the week progresses I can add incidental items I will need to pick up when next grocery shopping. At the planning stage I add the meal related items we need. As the list is attached, I don't lose it. Next week's list is attached to this week's plan, if that makes sense.


2) Look at your weekly calendar and decide how much time you have to cook each evening.

Be realistic, not generous with allowing time. Note these times down quickly. Also add the words "very tired" to days you KNOW you will not be cooking anything too flash.




3) Decide on a theme that fits the time allowed for each night.

Based on the amount of time for prep during the day, and evening, choose something that can be cooked. For example, if there is time during the day to cup up salads, but only 15 minutes to cook in the evenings, this would be a great night to have wraps. Then on a weekly basis you only have to choose what type of wrap/meat/salads.

These are our current categories:

Monday: Wrap night.

Tuesday: Pasta ~ Favourites (that Craig can cook/start)

Wednesday: Eggs for the kids, take out (usually Thai) for us

Thursday: Rice & quinoa ~ Favourites or something new! New ideas can be tried, especially ones that can be prepared during the day.

Friday: Soup or salads, with home made sour dough bread.

Saturday: Bacon included meal.

Sunday: Something frozen, with vegetables.








4) Choose something quickly for each category.

Write this down on your plan.

5) Write down any items needed from the grocery store.

Shop for these items. OR note down to grab them from your garden. I'm loving having a vegetable garden again. But that is another story altogether. We have reduced our weekly purchases significantly through our term Costco shopping, where I buy many of the pantry staples, paper/plastic products and toiletries.

You will notice that in an ongoing way, each week you will only need to do steps 4 and 5, which is why it is so easy from then on. If I do decide to change my mind about what I am cooking, I at least know with a quick glance what ingredients I will have set aside for that day.

This has turned out to be a big money saver because we are wasting a great deal less food, and having less take away. The time I have gained by no longer having to think about dinner during the day has been the greatest benefit though. Meal planning has created much needed head space to focus on other important things.


How do you organise what you are having for dinner each week? What are some other options for nightly categories?

Jen.x