Drumroll please……Here are the survey results!
If you don’t meal plan, you are in the majority. I didn’t for years either.
When I lived in the country and could only get out to shop once a month, I planned by the month. Now that I’m back in the city, planning for the week is much easier. Most of the comments said it was too overwhelming to think about more than one week at a time. I hear that!
The majority of readers struggle with ideas and then actually following a plan. I’m no different! I spend a lot of hours each week searching for new, cost effective, and family friendly ideas–because that’s my job. It’s still hard to find the time to put a meal together at the end of a busy work day. I’m always searching and testing to find new ways to simplify this without sacrificing health or budget.
This was the most skipped question. I think that means the majority of readers are looking for traditional foods with a healthy edge. Most readers are concerned with fitness and weight management and look for lower carb, higher protein options. We are no different at our house, yet with 6 growing kids and a skinny husband it’s a challenge to juggle my needs with theirs.
STEP ONE to a meal plan you will actually follow:
Get a blank calendar and make note of the days that you are CRAZY. If this is the day you need a crock pot meal put a yellow highlighter over the square and if you need something as easy as pancakes (Yes, for dinner) then highlight it pink (too busy in the mornings to do crock pot.) Leave normal days plain.
I use the calendar program from Microsoft Publisher to meal plan, but you can use a Dollar Tree printed calendar (with puppies or cupcakes) if you prefer.
Then search Pinterest or Yummly (or the recipe section of this site) for the types of recipes you need for your special days and write the titles on your calendar in pencil.
Even though I plan one week at a time, I still record my plans in a month calendar. That way I can easily see what we had recently and flip back for ideas.
Later this week, I’ll show you how to take the organization a step further so you can easily see what can be prepped ahead in a couple of hours on the weekend.
AND several of you left comments on the survey that will be fun to look at more closely too.
P.S. Here’s a short video if you want to see details about how I do it.
Good thoughts!
I missed the survey page, but I often will (attempt) to meal plan in 2-week chunks. Our primary salary comes bi-monthly, so doing two weeks at a time helps me stay on track with my budget. I can do a bigger trip (sometimes at Costco) right on/after payday, and set aside a smaller amount for the following week’s milk/produce/perishables. That helps make sure I use up leftover ingredients, too. For example, I always buy Spinach at Costco – much more reasonably priced – but using up a 1lb box doesn’t always come easy, so I make sure to plan at least 2 meals within a few days of each other that will use it, and remember to make smoothies or omelets with the rest so it doesn’t go bad.
I usually include 1-2 days of the 14 where I plan to eat leftovers (when really ambitious, I don’t include them, and then my 14-day plan can last 16-17 days!). While I assign certain meals to certain days, it’s handy to know that I have all the ingredients for something else if the day goes totally sideways and I don’t have time for the original plan. I hang the plan on the fridge, and cross off items as I make them. I also make sure to make a note under the meal of any portion that needs to be pre-made (the night before or morning of) and of anything that needs to be thawed, so I’m not caught off guard trying to make tacos with frozen ground beef 🙂
It takes some getting used to at first, and it still takes some time every few weeks to set up, but I agree that meal planning is crucial to my budget and our healthy eating. Great series 🙂
Great tips, Justine! I like that you are able to plan and use the bulk items from Costco while still keeping a flexible plan.
I’ve been meal planning now for about the last two months. I plan it weekly based off of what our local ads have on sale. I shop on Saturday mornings and hit up to 4 different stores. They are close together so I’m not driving out of my way to get a good deal. The hardest part is finding new meals to try but each week I try to make at least one new “Pinterest” recipe. I am finding that with meal planning I spend much less money then when I would roam the stores and grab whatever looked good or what I thought I might want during the week. At first I thought oh what if we don’t want a particular meal on a particular day but that has not happened. I try to stager dinners so we are not eating chicken three days in a row. Everyone can see what we are eating because it is posted on the fridge. It has saved me time and money!
Excellent, Melissa!
I need to follow this series! I want to start meal planning consistently (that’s the key word here) this Fall. Thanks for breaking it down in such small chunks – it helps people like me who need to instill changes in small chunks! Visiting from This is How We Roll.
Welcome, Angela! I’m so glad you stopped by.