Meal planning- how do you go about it?

[Helzapoppin]

I'm a lapsed meal planner. Used to be fantastic at it and then the disruption of a move to a new town and three months inability to comtemplate food due to morning sickness got me out of the habit.

I'm trying to resume my good habits and wondered how you go about it...

Do you go through out recipe books for ideas first? Do you check out special offers? Do you look at what it in season? Or do you do a Nigel Slater and pass some beautiful bream in the fishmonger's which would be perfect with those fragrantly ripe loganberries you found at borough market this morning (?!) ?

I'm not the most methodical person at the best of times so any tips would be great!

I tend to use the same meals pretty much. then i tend to make sure we have red meat at least once a week, veggie for a couple of meals, chicken, oily fish and white fish across the week.

but i do also make a note if i see a tasty recipe and use that.

also i tend to look in my cupboards and freezer and see what is there too.

I am dreadfully disorganised, so I have to work hard at meal planning. I have a scour of cookbooks and recipes to see if there's anything new or an old fave I'd forgotten about that I want in the next week. I check the calendar for others coming for dinner/tea etc, then I plan a week's meals as sheep says, some veggie, some fish, some meat etc, taking into account what days have after school activities and making make ahead stuff or quick pasta stuff on those days.

Then once I've planned what we're eating each day I check the storecupboard and fridge and order accordingly - online, from fruit and veg van and some meat incl sausages from the local butcher.

sorry if thats TMI

In the Spring and Summer I am insufferable as we grow a fair bit of fruit/veg/herbs so I try to shoehorn all of thise into the meal plan

The dcs take turns, week and week about on Sunday. They have to consider who's going to be in, friends to tea, likes and dislikes and whether we're having a 'rich" or a "poor" week.

Takes loner than the homework sometimes!

It's taken me a while, and clearly makes me an anal freak, but I've got a spreadsheet now of all the meals I cook, split into main ingredient and I have a look through that to see what I fancy making or what we haven't had for a while. Have a look through mags and books now and again for a bit of inspiration or a new recipe and if they work and we all like them, it goes on the list. I must have a good 35-40 on there so none one gets bored (me cooking or them eating). Works for me, but aware that I'm a sadsack!

am i so wrong to want too see that spread sheet coukdtryharder?

If I had any clue how to show it to you I would. Does this mean I'm not the only tradgic cook around?

I tried to get into meal planning, but when I asked dh, on Saturday morning while making my list, what he would like for supper on Wednesday I rapidly realised I was onto a loser.

10 years later I felt I scored a major victory this morning when I managed to get him to think about what he'd like for Sunday lunch!!

im very tragic

we have a set menu for 3 weeks

Jux, don't ask him wat he wants, tell him what he's getting! I have to put a list up for the week for my husband so he doesn't ask me three times a day!
Only, loving the sisterhood of tragic!

I used to do a 5 week plan )then back to week one after week 5) but just do week by week now. Just think what we'd like, and buy for it! Could do with some inspiration though.

I quite like Good Food magazine (althought any of the other food mags probably do the same) as their recipes are often linked to the seasons.

I have an index card box of recipes (mostly from mags, but some from books/friends etc), which I have to hand along with a couple of favourite recipe books and just make a quick note of evening meals. Tbh, we always have a stir in sauce on pasta one night, quite often pizza with anything left in the fridge on it on a Sunday night, then I often have something that takes a bit longer to cook at the weekend, something new and a couple of old favourites.

I havea whiteboard in my kitchen and I write up the meals for the week to remind me, but so it's not set in stone

I go through the freezer and cupboards and see which meals I have some of the ingredients for, and go from there. I work shifts and we have different evening activities, so I also consider how much time there will be for cooking, and whether we will want stodge or light etc, and if anyone else is coming.

I am also always looking at recipes etc and try and plan things in if I like the look of them.

Honestly - get the children to do it.

couldtryharder, I seem to remember trying that somet ime in the dim and distant past. He won't eat it unless he's been in on the decision and properly consulted. Not only that, but he will complain, sulk and then spend money we haven't got on the most expensive takeaway he can think of (Chinese generally) and tempt dd to have that instead.

Better to consult and get something we'll all eat, then there's no waste. These days we buy what we need each day, so it's not too much of a problem.

Am thinking of making a spreadsheet like this then getting the kids to choose meals so that I don't get the usual groans when I produce something healthy and nutritious that they don't like

I have a think about what I 'fancy' for the week, if we've got guests, if it's a special occasion (b'day/valentine's etc), then look through a few books to see if there's any inspiration. I also have an A4 ring binder with recipes in it that I've torn out of mags or friends have sent me, so will have a look through that aswell. Then I have a look through cupboards, fridge and freezer, checking if there anything that needs to be used up. SO after all that I plan the next week or fortnight's meals.

I nearly always make double of any recipes that can be frozen and also allow for a few baby sized portions aswell. Plus I always make a big batch of soup so there's something nice there for lunchtimes.

Jux -my DH thinks you're a fab wife, unfortunately he just gets whatever is put infront of him!

Whichever meat/fish is on offer and work around that