Meal Planning... please explain how you do it??

[bounty007]

I cannot seem to get my head around the supposedly simple concept of meal planning...how do you do it?? What am I missing??

Bo - I always tick no substitutes. I cottoned onto this when they sent parsley instead of tarragon. WTF?

Generally, no subs works very well, often 1 -3 items per week and if they are desperate DH can get them in town on his way back from work.

Fried onion, pineapple, cooked sausages (I cut them up cos I have under 5's) & baked beans

Try my blog's menu planning section here

Ooh, Katy - I do cowboy Hotpot sometimes! (just seen your post - cowboy hotpot is totally different from cowboy casserole )

Bounty - do you have a slowcooker?

By the way, the corresponding shopping lists to the weekly menu plans can be found in the shopping list section

MartyrStewart

yes martyr I have a slow cooker sitting on top of my cupboard and use once every 2 months ...more inspirational slow cooker ideas would be great...
i have had a few problems with my tongue this year, which has made eating sometimes difficult and there are lots of things I cant eat anymore so I have kind of lost the love of food....hopefully this thread should get me back on track and organised too!

In that case get it out bounty! You can bung a load of ingredients in while the kettle boils in the morning and come home to a fragrant house, dinner has cooked itself and the meat falls apart.

Katy - how did DD do in her play?

I do meal planning but then build an element of flexibility into it, e.g. by having a few vegetables that could be used in either: stir fry (with cashew nutes / frozen prawns), pasta with cheese/tomato sauce, risotto, thai curry, etc etc. This works well for us. I alternate between quick meals (above) and longer to cook meals that I do when I get home from work early enough.

Key rules for me -

Don't overbuy perishables (better to top up in the week if necessary)

In contrast, also have in the longlife basics for things you cook a lot (e.g. tinned tomatoes, garlic, onion and tomato puree to make a tomato sauce)

Learn a few basic sauces/recipes so you don't need to buy packets/prepared food

Vary the meals you cook a lot (e.g. Thai chicken curry works well with spinach / green beans /sweet potato - vary it every time) so it doesn't feel too repetitive

Anything that is an effort/timeconsuming to make should be for a second meal as well (not necessarily consecutive days - most meals are fine after 2 days and we don't mind that)

Don't know if that helps but it works for me!

I should mention I am pg with first baby, so no idea how this will pan out with a little one!

I got a cheap whiteboard and attached it to the fridge with blue tack. I tend to only plan the evening meals during the week, and both lunch and dinner on the weekends. Sun-Thurs each meal has to be able to be the following day's lunch for varying numbers of people. (e.g. Tuesdays DS and I are out with playgroup so we don't need leftovers, Wednesdays DS is at childminder's).

My basic process is:

1. Evaluate what I've already got in tins/freezer/fridge and what needs to be used up.

1. Decide main ingredients--most weeks we'll have beef once, chicken/turkey 2-3 times, fish 2-3 times, and vegetarian 1-2 times.

1. Going from that, try to think of something I'd like to have this week, and ask DH if there's anything he particularly wants.

1. Write down meals on the whiteboard, then evaluate whether I've got them on the right days.

a) save recipes that involve mostly cupboard/freezer ingredients till end of week so fresh stuff doesn't sit around b) think about how long it will take/how involved it is (e.g. something quick and light when we need to be out in the evening) c) Try not to have same protein/starch/vegetables two days in a row.

1. Rethink,erase and rearrange a bit.
2. Go down the days mentally checking what ingredients I need for each meal and make grocery list.

I have a lot of things I make frequently, but never twice in the same week.

Cottage pie
Chicken taco bake
Tuna pasta bake
Salmon & spinach rice bake
Smoked haddock risotto
Fishcakes and green bean casserole
Pasta with meat/veg sauce
Chicken stir fry with noodles
Sausages, mash & veg
Vegetable curry & rice
Jacket potatoes with beans/cheese and salad
Cajun chicken thighs, sweet potato mash & mixed veg

Breakfast we normally have some kind of protein, so bacon, sausage or egg, and cereal with fruit and fromage frais. We're still kind of following Slimming World so the bread is kept in the freezer as we hardly use it.

I find planning makes everything less stressful. I know what I'm going to make each night of the week, and there's a reminder right there on the fridge if I need to defrost anything for the following day.

YanknCock I like the sound of salmon and spinach rice bake. Could you post the recipe please

I am watching this thread with interest! I also need to learn how to meal plan.(haven't had chance to read through all the posts yet) I hopefully will return later.

Salmon & Spinach Rice Bake

Ingredients
2 tins salmon
1 tin reduced fat Batchelors Cream of Mushroom soup
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 200g bag of washed baby spinach, torn up
garlic to taste
salt, pepper, mixed herbs to taste
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups easy cook rice (not brown, it doesn't work)

Dump everything in rectangular baking dish, stir thoroughly, cover with foil
Pop in 200C oven for about 50-60 minutes. You might want to check midway through and give it a good stir.

If you like, at the end, top with grated cheddar or parmesan and leave uncovered in oven to melt for a few minutes.

Sorry if the proportions aren't exactly right, I think I make it differently every time!

eek, sorry, the soup should have been the condensed version!

I don't do it every week but it's a lot easier when I do!

My approach is slightly different, I tend to think of one meal that I really want, list the ingredients and then think of other meals I can do to use up those ingredients.

So for example I'm fancying a chicken and pistachio tagine next week, so will buy a whole chicken, have it roast one day, use some of it in the tagine and the remaining scraps in wraps with black beans, red pepper, sweetcorn and cheese (I'm not being smug about getting 3meals out of a chicken, it's just me and two small people who don't eat much so things tend to go a long way!)

Then I fancy african spinach with the roast chicken so will have another meal that uses up the rest of the spinach...not sure what yet.

Another meal will be something quick either pasta or something precooked from the freezer.

DC have a party involving a nuggets/chips type meal one day after school so won't need feeding.

Then they're at their dads for the weekend (one eve meal) and I don't cook then

My children do it - taking it in turns. They are 10 and 15. There arebroad guidelinesto follow, and I do have the right of veto if I really need to, but I hardly ever do.

We have no imagination and so rely on the Sainsburys 5 meals for £20 meal plans.

DH and I usually like four of them and there is usually one manky one that we just give to the kids while we have pizza

They are def worth a look here

Have to confess i have not read entire thread so apologies for repetition if there is any. We have a list of about 30ish meals that we like to eat and every Sun eve DH will choose which 7 meals we will have that week. Then I make a shopping list according to what we need for each meal compared with what i have in cupboards and shop on Monday for whole week. The 'menu' list is our key and although DH chooses the meals (as he is fussier!!) its my choice what we have on each day. Eg if Im late home one day I wont choose something fiddly for that day. I find this way works really well for us and I also dont wander around the supermarket thinking about what we will eat each day. Also no less impulse buying so in theory shopping is cheaper too.

YankNCock Thank you.