Meal Planner?

[TheLadyEvenstar]

Ideas for meals for a week needed please?

I am trying to get my monthly shopping bill down from £168

[coansha]

carbonara, fettucine, garlic, cream, bacon....
stir fired rice & veg with soy & honey chicken wings
beef stroganoff
fish pie

Seasons will effect some meals , as am sure you'll not want Irish stew in summer, although my dad would...
Cheaper cuts of meat are great in slow cooker

[Mumelie]

Trying the same thing myself and have just written a monthly meal planner for evening meals (excluding Sat eve - eat out or takeaway, or Sunday which is what ever we fancy to be bought on the weekend).
Think of 20 meals you can cook and your family enjoy. Try to include maybe 1 veggie meal, 1 fish, 1 chicken, 1 quick and easy, 1 red meat meal a week. If you can make 1 meal stretch with the leftovers then do eg roast chicken makes chicken risotto/pie/casserole the next day or a large Spaghetti Bolognase - sauce makes lasagne/shepherd pie/chilli the next day.
Put the easy quick things to cook on the nights you most busy, the longer cook things like a roast on nights you have more time. Then you just shop for that weeks food - preferably online so you are not tempted by other things!
Change the meal planner every 2-3 months to reflect seasonal produce.

[TheLadyEvenstar]

ATM I have meals such as

Spaghetti Bolognaise
Lasagne
Salmon baked in lemon juice and mixed herbs
Budget Meal
Roast
Casserole - slow cooker
One pot Chicken


The problem is DS1 is a very fussy eater, DS2 eats anything, So I am trying to find meals to cater for both. Neither will eat veg but will in soups./stews.

I have started buying 2 different minces 1 very cheap 1 dearer and mixing them together when cooking bolognaise.

[SenoritaViva]

Less meat? Don't want to suggest lots of stuff that your DS doesn't like.

Maccoroni (sp) cheese (I notice there isn't any cheese in there, might be something he doesn't like)
Pasta with tomato sauce (tinned tomatoes, chopped onions, garlic, optional stuff depending on taste: cumin, or basil/oregano etc.) topped with some mozzarella
Tuna Mayo with sweetcorn
Chicken gourjons

Bet your DS hates all these!

[EdwardorEricCantDecide]

i made a massive pot of chilli last week and froze 4 portions of it i used half mince and half red lentils to pad it out it was really cheap and delicious, you could use the same lentils/mince methos for bolognaise cottage pie etc as well i'm sure.

i second a roast chicken and using breasts for meal on 1st night and curry or risotto or pasta dish with leftovers the next.

[TheLadyEvenstar]

Senor, the budget meal has cheese on

Budget Meal

8 sausages
4/6 large potatoes
2 tins of beans
Grated Cheese


cook and chop sausages
cook and mash Potatoes

Put chopped sausages in pyrex dish
Pour the beans over
Add the mash on top
Grated Cheese on top

Put in the oven until cheese starts to turn brown and crispy.

Serve with lashings of tomato ketchup

[Mumelie]

This is a really good book with lots of budget ideas and meal plans, plus stuff kids might just eat!
Also this is great with lots of ideas on how to get veg into kids!
I have both books and use them a lot.

[TheLadyEvenstar]

Thanks Mumelie

[SenoritaViva]

Soup is super cheap (excuse the pun!) and entirely adaptable to what your DS may or may not like. (unless of course he screams at the sight of soup!)

[TheLadyEvenstar]

This is my list from yesterdays shop.

x Charles Worthington Frizz Free Shampoo 250ml - Total Price GBP 3.32
1 x Adidas Anti Perspirant Deodorant Pure Energy 200ml - Total Price GBP 1.00
1 x Colgate Advanced Whitening Pump 100ml - Total Price GBP 1.40
1 x Sainsbury's Cucumber Portion - Total Price GBP 0.40
1 x Sainsbury's Tomatoes, Basics 450g - Total Price GBP 0.70
1 x Sainsbury's Iceberg Lettuce - Total Price GBP 1.00
1 x Sainsbury's Washing Up Liquid Apple 500ml - Total Price GBP 0.75
1 x Sainsbury's Complete Cat Food Fish 2kg - Total Price GBP 2.14
2 x Bakers Puppy Food 1kg - Total Price GBP 5.30
1 x Sainsbury's Non Bio Liquid Gel 1.5L (20 Washes) - Total Price GBP 3.00
1 x Nouvelle Soft Recycled White 4x225 - Total Price GBP 1.58
1 x Imperial Leather Hawaiin Spa Shower Cream 250ml - Total Price GBP 1.53
1 x Imperial Leather For Men Shower Gel 250ml - Total Price GBP 0.00
2 x Kingsmill Great Everyday Wholemeal, Medium 800g - Total Price GBP 2.00
2 x Sainsbury's Pitta Bread, White x6 - Total Price GBP 0.80
3 x Sainsbury's British Fresh Milk, Semi Skimmed 2.27L (4pint) - Total Price GBP 3.00
2 x Dolmio Bolognese Sauce With Extra Mushroom 500g - Total Price GBP 3.00
2 x Sainsbury's Whole Chicken, Basics (approx. 2.3kg) - Total Price GBP 10.53
2 x Sainsbury's British Mature Cheddar 400g - Total Price GBP 5.00
1 x Branston Baked Beans 4x410g - Total Price GBP 0.99
2 x Sainsbury's Beans & Sausages, Basics 420g - Total Price GBP 0.60
2 x Sainsbury's Thick Sausages, Basics x8 454g - Total Price GBP 0.96
1 x Sainsbury's Basmati Rice 1kg - Total Price GBP 1.46
2 x Sainsbury's Salmon Fillets 450g - Total Price GBP 7.00
2 x Sainsbury's Baking Potatoes x4 - Total Price GBP 1.40
1 x Sainsbury's Potatoes, Basics 2.5kg - Total Price GBP 0.97
2 x Sainsbury's Traditional Beef Mince, Taste the Difference 500g - Total Price GBP 5.00
2 x Sainsbury's Beef Mince, Basics 400g - Total Price GBP 1.92

[Mumelie]

I did my shop at ASDA (usually Sainsburys/Tesco) yesterday after compiling my list from the meal plan - only spent about half of what I normally do!!! All fruit and veg seemed to be £1 a pack. Great deals on hair products (John Frieda 3 for £10). But ASDA is a 20 min drive away whereas others on my doorstep. Plus there is other temptaton of clothes
Gonna try and shop online for the next 3 weeks, using MySupermarket, see if I can get it down anymore.

[TheLadyEvenstar]

Tonight is Salmon in lemon Juice n herbs with salad in Pitta bread.......