Meal Planning

[Edel2019]

Does anybody have advice on meal planning?

I am USELESS at it.

I have two kids (aged 4 and 2), and DH.

I like to cook. I have lots of recipe books (including the MN one!). I have made about 20 meal plans. I NEVER FOLLOW THEM.

I need advice on meal planning. Advice on saving recipes. Every day I have no idea what to cook for the dinner and it drives me mad!!!

Meal planning is apparently such a basic thing that I'm incapable of

I sit down to do it the day I do the food shop. I draw up a menu for the week and make my shopping list accordingly and then only buy what's on the list.

A lot of what I buy can be used in a variety of ways i.e. sausage and bean stew might become bangers and mash and chilli instead which gives me a feeling of freedom of choice but otherwise we just follow a menu!

Yes as @Tattoosandmemories said, sit down day before food shop and write a menu for the week.

First check fridge for anything that needs using up and plan that for meal 1. Then check freezer for meat and plan couple of meals to use up some of that. Then usually add in a couple of vegetarian/fish meals to fill up the week.

As we both work full time, I often cook one big meal to last two nights (traybake, mince etc) maybe with different veg sides so we don't get bored.

Write a shopping list based on the plan and add things for breakfast, lunch, snacks and household items.

Do the shop, sticking to list (helps that I shop at Aldi so have fewer distractions in the shop).

If plans change during the week, I either freeze extra portions of things that are cooked but won't get used or adapt recipes to use up what's in the fridge.

Why do you feel you're not sticking to the plan?

I love meal planning!

I check what we already have I and plan around that and my dc have activities most evenings during the week so I try to plan for that with simple meals in the week.
I tend to stick to a couple of pasta meals, a type of curry, something simple like omelettes, a freezer dinner(pizza:fish fingers etc), usually a Mexican night and a Sunday meal that takes longer to make like a roast/lasagne/cottage pie.