Meal Planning 101

I had a request to do a blog entry on meal planning. I know there are some meal planners out there, but there are also a good handful of people that do not. My mom was always a meal planner so I grew up doing this, but have chosen to continue to do this in my adult life, because I truly believe it is beneficial. I plan my meals for the week, but also know there are people out there that are able to plan meals for a month. That is amazing, but I haven’t gotten there yet!

Today I will share some of the tips I use when planning meals and hopefully they will help you, if this is something you struggle with.

I plan my meals on a Thursday or Friday, with hopes of getting to the grocery store on Saturday and Sunday to buy food for the following week. When I am ready to sit down and plan my meals, I have a few tools that assist me: my computer, zip drive, a notebook and a piece of paper for a grocery list. 

There are a couple of additional items I feel are imperative to successful meal planning:

• A good catalog of recipes
• Well stocked pantry, fridge and freezer

First, lets talk about the recipe catalog. I have both electronic recipes and actual cookbooks, but tend to prefer the electronic versions because I can organize them easier. There are many online recipe storage sites, but I like to keep mine on a zip drive because there are no storage limits and I can organize them the way I desire. Any recipes I have obtained from the internet, I store on a zip drive in a word document format and save them into pre-established folders. The folder names I use to organize the recipes are the main ingredient or type of food, for example chicken, beef, soup, salad, etc. I also have one folder that is titled To Try, which I add to anytime I find a new recipe.  Lastly, since I like to cook without recipes, anytime I see a technique, idea or eat something that I want to try to re-create, I jot that down as well on an ongoing list. 

Even though I prefer electronic recipes, I do own quite a few cookbooks. Anytime I buy or receive a cookbook as a gift, I go through it and either write down different items I know I would like to try out of it or simply flag them. Yes, I love organization and am a bit type A, but these steps really do help. When I am ready to start planning my meals for the week, I can reference these items. I am not going to pretend this won't be time consuming the first time you sit down to do this, so if you would prefer, gradually start your recipe catalog. Do what works for you, if you don't want to do it electronically, get a folder or binder and organize them that way - the key is finding something you can and will maintain, because it really will save you time in the long run!

A well stocked pantry, refrigerator and freezer are also vital and should consist of items you always have and can use in meals. A well stocked pantry should consist of various grains, pastas and rice; beans - all varieties; stocks - chicken, beef, vegetable; and various condiments, sauces, oils, vinegars, etc. You should find eggs, dairy products like cheese, milk and butter in a well stocked refrigerator. A well stocked freezer should consist of a variety of proteins, which I buy in bulk and freeze. Buying in bulk not only drives the cost down, but will help ensure you always have some proteins on hand. I also make sure I always have a variety of frozen veggies.

Better Bonus Tip: I love my Seal a Meal food storage kitchen appliance. It allows me to freeze food in quantities that can be thawed appropriately for Zach and I, in twos or fours. When freezing the food, air and oxygen are removed, which prevents oxidation and freezer burn keeping the nutritional value of food high. Plus, if you are freezing your meat and also planning your meals, you will know the night before what meat needs to be thawed for the next day's meal.

So now that we have talked about the tools that can assist with successful meal planning, lets move onto some tips to keep in mind when sitting down to actually plan the meals. Keep reading for my top ten tips for Meal Planning 101.

Tip #1 - Think about how many days you want to plan meals for. I think most people will automatically think everyday. I do not do that because things can come up and we do like to eat out. I typically plan dinners for Sunday thru Thursday, that way if we don’t feel like eating what we had planned one night, we still have Friday and Saturday to eat that dinner and won’t end up wasting the ingredients. Whatever the number days you want to plan meals for, use a notebook and write out the days and the specific meal you need to cook for. We don't ever include breakfast, but do so if you would like.

For example:
 
Sunday
    Lunch
    Dinner
 
Monday
    Lunch
    Dinner                                                              and so on....

Tip #2 - Think about what is going on during that week. Are there nights you need meals that don’t take as long to get ready because you have a sporting event to get to? Are there nights you are going to be eating later, so you want a lighter meal? Is lunch provided at work one day? Are there certain days you definitely want left overs for lunch - what meals would allow for that?

Tip #3 - Look at what is on sale that week or any coupons you have and try to plan meals using those ingredients.

Tip #4 - Plan meals using the same ingredients so you will have less waste. For example, if you need romaine lettuce and tomatoes for a taco salad, make sure you have bacon and bread so you can make a BLT for lunch one day to use up the rest of the romaine and tomatoes.

Tip #5 - Alternate protein each day for variety. Do a beef entree one night, vegetarian one night, chicken one night, seafood and salad the remaining two nights.

Tip #6 - Always have enough items in your pantry to make at least one easy unplanned meal. This can be accomplished by always making sure you have a well stocked pantry (and refrigerator and freezer). I think one of the biggest questions I get is, “What if we don’t feel like eating what we have planned?”  If you have enough items in your pantry to put together a few meals, you now have options. If you don't want to make the planned meal, make one of your pantry meals.  

Tip #7 - Plan a meal that includes mostly pantry items, with maybe one or two additional fresh ingredients. If something comes up and you want to go eat BBQ at the local restaurant instead, there will only be a couple of ingredients that will need to be used later in the week to avoid going bad and being wasted, instead of all of the ingredients for the entire meal. Pasta is usually this for us - add a protein, some fresh ingredients and top it with some cheese and either an oil/vinegar or tomato sauce.

Tip #8 -  Keep in mind meals that take the same time to make 2 or 10 servings. I always make a lot and freeze what is left so it allows for a quick meal later on in the month - soup, hamburgers, ground meat for pasta/mexican, cooked chicken breasts, etc.

Tip #9 - Plan your grocery list and items needed, in the flow of the store. This is a huge time saver when you are actually shopping.

Tip #10 - Anything that can be done ahead of time, when time allows, do that. When you get home from the grocery store on Saturday or Sunday afternoon, go ahead and wash and chop up your veggies for the week.

There are many benefits in my opinion to planning meals. At the end of a work day, the last thing I want to do is think about what I need to make for dinner and go to the grocery store to pick up any last minute ingredients. If you plan your meals in advance, you only have to do it once a week instead of every single day. You also are more proactive and efficient at the grocery store because you know what you need for that week. My favorite benefits are saving money and less waste - you won't need to eat out as much, and will probably end up not over buying (and eventually wasting).

For the meal planners out there already - do you have any other tips that work for you and your family?

For those of you who want to give it a try - let me know how it goes. I don't think you will regret it.

 

~Ashley

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