It took me a long time to get comfortable with menu planning. I didn’t like the idea of having to eat certain foods on certain days. I felt menu planning was very inflexible. But once I adapted menu planning to fit me and my needs, it became easy.
Here are my tips for menu planning:
-I check to see how many days we'll be home for dinner and what other activities are going on that week.
-I check to see how many days we'll be home for dinner and what other activities are going on that week.
-I choose 3-5 recipes for the week and get the ingredients for those meals. I like meals that use the same ingredients so I can buy in bulk. I try to substitute less frequently used items for ingredients I have on hand.
-There are certain recipes we like and will eat frequently. I keep the ingredients for those items on hand all time. I buy bags of shrimp and chicken thighs at Costco. I know several meals to make with both.
-I rely on low stress recipes (crock pot, salads, quick meals) for days when I know I’ll be tired. Monday is always something easy. Monday is not the time to try out a new recipe for me.
-I give myself outs. I don’t always have to cook. We can get take out if cooking isn’t going to happen.
-I think about possible dinner ideas all the time. I read a lot of food blogs and save meal ideas to Pinterest.
-I designate 1 hour a weekend to coming up with my recipes for the week. Ideally I do this before I go grocery shopping so I only have to go once in the week.
-I designate 1 hour a weekend to coming up with my recipes for the week. Ideally I do this before I go grocery shopping so I only have to go once in the week.
-I discuss menu ideas with Tai and my dad. What they've liked, what they didn't like, any cravings they have. I encourage them to pass dinner ideas to me all the time. Dad likes to watch cooking shows and he frequently prints out recipes for me.
-Find time or make time to try new recipes or make more complicated dishes if that's your thing. I find I waste a lot more food if I buy 20 lbs of peaches to freeze on a busy Tuesday night when I have no time to actually freeze them. I prefer meals that will take less than an hour on a weekday. I have longer, complicated recipes for the weekend especially weekends when I'll have the time.
Do you menu plan? Share your tips too!
-Find time or make time to try new recipes or make more complicated dishes if that's your thing. I find I waste a lot more food if I buy 20 lbs of peaches to freeze on a busy Tuesday night when I have no time to actually freeze them. I prefer meals that will take less than an hour on a weekday. I have longer, complicated recipes for the weekend especially weekends when I'll have the time.
Do you menu plan? Share your tips too!
