Dear readers,
I have a question for you.
How do you meal plan?
If there’s one thing I’m learning these days, it’s that I always have a lot to learn! And when it comes to meal planning, I think we could all learn a lot from each other.
So I’d like to know: What are your meal planning tips and tricks? Do you have any suggestions on how to simplify meal planning? What are your best tips for meal planning on a budget?
I am always trying to improve in this area, so I’d love to hear from you!
And while we’re all weighing in on the topic, I’ll share how I meal plan:
As for me, if you’ve been around here for long, you know that I’m a faithful eMeals subscriber. I’ve tried a variety of their plans, but I always seem to come back to the ALDI Classic Meal Plan since I do most of grocery shopping at ALDI. (By the way, you can enter to win a $25 ALDI gift certificate here!) I like the simplicity of the meals and so do my kids, so it’s a win-win!
But I also have a number of simple meals that I try to always be prepared to make. They include:
-Beans & Rice
-Macaroni & Cheese
-Taco Salad
-Chicken Turnovers
-Spaghetti
-Breakfast
-Meatloaf
-Sweet and Sour Meatballs
-And in the summer, we are all about the GRILL, all the time!
I’m also loving my new trick with my KitchenAid Mixer that helps me cut my meal prep time in half!
I find that by incorporating some quick and easy meals into my regular meal plan schedule, I can be prepared when I don’t have the time or energy to make a new and different meal. It also helps me to stretch my grocery shopping to two weeks between trips.
That’s it. Nothing fancy. Just how I like it!
So now it’s your turn! Let’s help each other out by sharing our best meal planning tips and tricks in the comments below. (If you are reading this in an email, click here to do so.)
I have a day that I plan menus for the next week, that is my chore for that day. Friday is menu day since I shop on Sat. I look at the Aldi flyer to see what they have on special & pick a few meals from that. Then I head to pinterest & my What’s for dinner board where I pin meals I want to try throughout the week pick a few. At this point I usually only have a few more days to fill. I look at what I have & then if I don’t have a pasta or a mexican ect. I pick a go to meal of these or a meat I havent used yet that week.
I used to do a hybrid style of menu planning where I would have a plan for a few days a week with recipes I wanted to try and then the rest of the week I just cook out of the pantry. I find that by just cooking I have increased my creativity and enjoyment and that I spend much less time menu planning and save more money at the grocery store because I can buy the best deals instead of what is on my list. I have a canvas system -like tortillas: a great canvas because from them I can make quesadillas, burritos, taco salad, nachos, tamale pie… I work off of this canvas system and I make sure that I stock my pantry with good basics and I will always have something to cook. I’m passionate about this system and love sharing it with others. It really does help!
Hi, My desk calendar has a space for meal planning and grocery list. I go thru Pintrest or different web sites and figure out what is for dinner. I then can go back and and see what we have eaten when I’m out of ideas. Works most of the time for me.
Pinterest has become my new favorite cookbook too, Jane. 🙂
I know that weekly meal planning is essential! I need all the help I can get. The results are better for budgets and healthy eating!
You might want to give eMeals a try, Karen, if you haven’t yet. They offer a 2 week free trial so you can try it before you commit.
With a family of five we eat most of our meals at home. I jot down a meal for each day of a week, using several sources and cookbooks for new meals as well as relying on our favorites. I then write down whatever ingredients needed for our meals, look at my local grocery circulars for sales and/or coupons on things on my list. I reserve the option of changing my meal plans around to better fit schedules if necessary, and any meal I don’t make gets carried forward into the next week or two. Some of my favorite resources for meal ideas: Food Network/Pioneer Woman; Eat What You Want cookbooks (three healthier cookbooks with great recipes); Iowa Girl Eats is another blog with great recipes.I’ve had coworkers/friends chuckle at my notebook with my weekly plans, but chuckle all they want because it saves me time, money and I always have what I need on time. The process usually takes me 30-45 minutes each week and then I’m set for a week and sometimes longer!
Great tips, Vickie! Thank you for sharing.
Hey there, my husband and we separated all of our recipes by meat – beef, chicken , turkey, fish and a pasta dish etc. Then we opted to select our menu for the next three months. Rotating between pasta, meat,, fish and poultry. This way each week when we go to the grocery store we do not need to make a list our figure out daily what we are eating. We just simple jot down the ingredients for our recipes we pulled for the month/week. As for other items we need we keep a magnetized notepad on the side of the fridge and any item that gets thrown in the trash gets written on the list. This has been working wondrously for us. Maybe once isn awhile we eat a meal we were not hungry for but that saves us from going what do you want to eat? That also prevent sue from eating out.
I love that your husband and you are a meal planning team, Bonnie. That is awesome!
So meal planning is one of the ‘chores’ that I abhor! I told my husband if he loved me, he would hire someone to change our sheets, clean the bathrooms, and grocery shop for me! 🙂 I, too, keep a list of our go-to meals and then include some new recipes to keep my hubby happy. He loves variety … which is why I would LOVE a couple of your shredded chicken recipes. I have a kitchen aid so I would love to shred some chicken and have it on hand.
I hear ya, Tracey. Sounds like you have a nice system though! And don’t worry – I totally plan to post some of my shredded chicken recipes – SOON!