Last Updated on April 14, 2022
Should you plan a menu? I say YES!!
As a teenager, I remember my mom planning her menus. And to tell you the truth, I never really paid much attention to how or why she planned menus.
For years I always thought this was a huge waste of my time. But, after I developed allergies to almost everything, things had to change.
I realized that planning a menu would help keep the cost of groceries down, control my allergies, and keep everyone on track for the week.
Here is why planning a menu can help you..
- It is easier to keep on a budget.
- Keep allergies in check.
- Time not wasted on extra prep.
- It can be a family event, not just one person will do all the work, the whole family can be involved in every way, such as planning, prepping, and cooking.
Examples to help plan your menu….
Here are examples of how I do my planning for our menu.
- I do a weekly menu.
- I check on everyone’s schedule for the week. Keeping track of who will be able to have a sit down meal and who is there to help. We do what we can to have a sit down meal as often as possible with all the different schedules.
- My menu week is Monday to Sunday, I plan for that week only. I write out my menu and plan for my shopping on Sunday. I do my grocery shopping on Monday and my prep for the week on Tuesday.
- Our menu is pretty much the same every week. In my example below, you will notice that I only have one meal listed and it is supper. Supper is the only meal that we can try to all sit as a family.
Remember to rotate your meals to accommodate for the time of year….
- Summer – Avoid making too many meals in the oven. We like more light meals that don’t take up to much time to prep or cook. Example’s are cold salads and Sandwiches, the easy meals.
- Winter – We make more meals in the oven. Our winter meals tend to be heavier meals. Requiring a little more prep and cook time than our summer meals. Great examples are stews, roasted potatoes, chili’s, hotdish, and meatless loafs.
Examples of other great menu planning days that can be added…
- A left over day or a clean out the fridge day. What a great way to be creative, reduce waste and keep the fridge cleaned out.
- A feed yourself day. This one is where each person finds what is in the kitchen fridge or pantry and makes there own meal.
- One day, in each week, each person in the family would do all the cooking and clean up for that meal. Example: There are 4 people in your family. One person, on let’s say Wednesday, plans, cooks and cleans up that meal. Followed by the next person in the next week. A great way to enjoy someone else’s cooking and a break for everyone in the home.
- This last one is my favorite! On one day that everyone is home. The whole family is involved with the prep, cooking and clean up of that meal.
If you are having problems coming up with meal ideas. There is another option out there to help with planning a meal.
There are kit’s you can order online.
They deliver the food already prepped and measured. All you do is follow the recipe and cook or bake!
