I should also mention we live in an apartment, so buying in bulk is tricky. We have quite a small pantry so have to be quite frugal with what we can stock up on.
The other advantage to meal planning (while I think of it) is that it keeps food interesting. We often make different things that we haven't made before and stops us getting into a food rut, which means more take away, which means less $$ and likely weight gain. So there are other advantages to food planning which I like to focus on, as it helps me keep on track with it.
I do an informal meal plan. I think of how many dinners I need to cook for the week and I pick a few dishes.
So this week we have had schnitzel on Monday night, apricot chicken last night and tonight and we are having lasange tomorrow night and probably friday night too. So I just buy the ingredients I need for those dishes.
It doesn't need to be any more difficult than that
Thanks all. That's what I was wondering, Holly.
How far ahead do people plan- say 5 or 7 days?
And just plan dinners and buy that stuff along with a set weekly list of lunch/breaky/snack food?
I may have a peek at Super Food Ideas. I subscribe to delicious and I love the mag but most of the food isn't practical for dinners for us either in terms of ingredients, cost, availability and personal likes.
I am jealous of Kim's list of 60ish regular meals!
I shop only once a week so plan for 7 dinners and the weekend lunches. Weekday lunches are just leftovers for DH and sandwiches or something for DS & I. Breakfasts are always the same, cereal or toast or pancakes or eggs so we always have those staples on hand.
BellyBelly Life Member - Love all your MCN friends
Jun 2004
The Festival State
3,008
i like the IDEA of meal planning, cooking bulk batches, shopping to suit the meal plan etc.
but i have no idea how to put any of it into practice.
the logistics overwhelm me.
just the maths of working out how much you need for all those meals!
i realise going to the supermarket less times, is more economical, i just don't know how to get from where i am now (shopping chaotically, no meal plan, freezing fish/meat in portions e.g enough for one meal for two adults, and i am lucky enough to have a pantry, so do stock up on dry goods when at a good price e.g tinned fruit)
to
being a person who plans meals, goes to supermarket once a fortnight ONLY, cooks up bulklots, freezes lots of meals, etc.
how did you make the change?
what is the first step?
i am so lost every time i start thinking about this topic.
I've never been one to be organised enough to do a shopping list! DH and I do the grocery shopping together and have a 30min drive to get there, so we discuss what we want for dinners on the way there and buy what we need for those. If regular things we use are on special we also buy those regardless of whether we actually need it that week. We plan for 6 meals for the week because we know one night we will either have take away/go out or just make do with whatever we find in the house.
I would like to be a bit more organised, but it never happens! DH also usually ends up back at the supermarket a day or two later to get a few things we forgot!
Gigi- I am trying to get from where you are to somewhere a bit more manageable. I think this is my plan:
a. Make a list of all regular meals that I can/want to cook and organize under main ingredient ie chicken, mince, vegetarian, fish etc (nice table in Word would be good)
b. Do another chart (ie procrastinate a bit longer) of Monday to Sunday down one side and blank the other so each week I can write in meals in pencil then rub out
c. Then write a shopping list from there for the meals.
d. Add in regular items and non food groceries ie detergent etc
e. Shop once in the week off the list only.
I think if I can get started on that and even if I stuff up and have to go a couple of times to the shop in the week it will be a start. This way I don't have to freeze portions (beyond me) or cook in bulk (beyond me too).
Any other suggestions are welcome in managing planning and shopping!
KatieRabbit - I plan for 5 meals, depending on how many nights we are home. We tend to go out on weekends either to friends, family or just have quick meals like omlettes or toasted sandwiches. As for lunches it's either leftovers, we buy our lunch (one luxury) or we just leave bread, cheese and a few other staples at work to make something up. We then also buy the normal snacks we like (fruit, crackers, dip, yoghurt etc) that we use to munch on. We don't have a snacks list as such, just what we normally buy each fortnight.
Then as I said earlier we do a big shop each fortnight and a little shop in between for fresh vegies and anything else that is in the meal planner for the upcoming week that we don't have. It's normally not much.
Gigi - It's all about the list. When I started it could take me ages to work it out. But once you do the list then stick to the list. Also, ziplock freezer bags are my secret. Irrespective of what meat we buy it always goes into the freezer in portions for two. Then I know how many 'meals' I have by how many meat portions I have. Portion controlling stuff can also work for other foods at first to get the hang of it.
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