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Meal plans

4 replies

Ilikecheeseontoast · 16/05/2021 21:38

Inspired by another thread...
How do you meal plan? Where do you record this? Would you be kind enough to share one of your meal plans? I love cooking for my family but I'm in need of some inspiration!

OP posts:
maxelly · 17/05/2021 11:03

If you scroll back through this board you'll find loads of meal planning threads and inspiration, it's a popular topic on here Smile

Personally I meal plan once a week around the weekly delivery of my veg box. I am a bit list-obsessive and keep records of what we already have in the store-cupboards and freezer using the app AnyList, plus right before the veg box arrives I have a quick clear out/review of the fridge, and make a note of anything in there needing used up. Then my meal plan will usually look something like:

  • 1-2 meals to use up things which are about to go out of date or off (priority)
  • 2-3 meals specifically based around things from the veg box
-1-2 meals that are 'easy' on nights I know we are busy with other activity, usually things from the freezer (I keep a good stock of ready portioned batch cooked meals, or we aren't averse to the odd beige freezer food meals Blush ) -Remainder specifically requested or 'special' meals e.g. a roast on sunday

Lunches can be planned in as meals but are often things like soup made up from any veg about to go past it's best, leftovers/additional portions of dinners or things like frittata or roast veg salad that are again good for using up additional items.

As I make the meal plan, I cross-reference with my lists of what I already have in stock and the veg box, and make a grocery list on my phone of any additional ingredients we need to purchase on the weekly shop - we try and avoid too many mini 'top-ups' as I find this is a flash point for junk and/or short shelf life items being purchased wasting both money and food! The meal plan itself is just written down on my phone but I have seen cute blackboard/whiteboards for your kitchen where you can write down the week's menu if you'd like to give your family advance warning of what's coming (I often find minimizing opportunities to whinge/negotiate in advance better but that may just be my family Blush )...

This week's meal plan for dinners as an e.g. (bear in mind we are a mixed veggie/non veggie household which complicates things, thats a whole other thread!). Lunches as above will be a mix of homemade carrot and coriander soup made with a glut of veg-box carrots, eggs (omelettes/scrambled eggs etc), sandwiches based off things we already .

Monday: Chicken Kievs/Veggie bakes (from freezer), potato wedges, salad

Tuesday: Spicy Chickpea Stew, some leftover roast chicken from Sunday's roast for meat-eaters if they want it, rice, green veg

Wednesday: Stir-fry with veg, noodles (again leftover chicken if there's any left by then, otherwise can defrost some meat from freezer)

Thursday: Mash, sausages (meat/veggie), frozen peas

Friday: Homemade burgers (meat/veggie), coleslaw, potato wedges or chips

Saturday: Nachos, chilli (will probably batch cook a big batch of meat chilli on saturday, already have several portions of 3 bean veggie chilli in freezer), toppings etc.

Sunday: roast

SummaLuvin · 17/05/2021 19:46

This is how I meal plan, a simple numbers (apples version of excel) document. It's a shared document so DH can contribute, give his ideas, know what we have in, and also can 'raise it' in advance if he doesn't like what I have planned.

I keep a freezer inventory to ensure I know what's in there, and use it up in decent time, and there is rotation. If I plan to use something in the plan I highlight this item to indicate it will be coming out.

I meal plan on the righthand side, I fill in with what I intend to cook sometimes with links to online recipes, sometimes just the name if it's an old favourite I don't need a recipe for. I use goustos website for the recipes a lot, it's a really good resource. I work normally two-three weeks in advance for tentative plans, but it's more of a space to jot ideas down if I see something I think looks really good, or if I'm on a mission to reduce the freezer! I solidify my plans the prior Wednesday which is when I do the online shop for the following Monday. I am quite good at getting the right amount of fresh stuff in, so can usually work from (close to) scratch each week, but I of course review what is left in the fridge and incorporate using up these ingredients if needed. I actively try to plan to avoid waste, e.g. lettuce, I will plan salad twice as we never finish this in one dinner.

An example meal plan below
Mon - www.gousto.co.uk/cookbook/recipes/crispy-chicken-minted-pea-lambs-lettuce-salad
Tues - kedgeree
Wed - www.gousto.co.uk/cookbook/pork-recipes/chorizo-sweet-potato-quesadillas-with-salsa
Thurs - www.gousto.co.uk/cookbook/recipes/crispy-chicken-minted-pea-lambs-lettuce-salad
Friday - www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/beefy-melanzane-parmigiana
Saturday - Going out!!!!
Sunday - burgers

Meal plans
MirandaMarple · 17/05/2021 20:00

My meal plans are on a meal plan thread below. I refer to it weekly for inspiration.

I tend to make a quick note in my phone of things I might fancy then by a Thursday evening have put together a menu/shopping list.

I like to check what's still in the freezer/fridge and what might yield leftovers. So a lot of time my shopping list will be 5 meals instead of 7, for example.

I try and have 2 fish, 3 meat and a couple of meat/fish free per week.

Ilikecheeseontoast · 19/05/2021 20:43

Gosh you're all so organised!! Hats off you you. I can only dream!

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