What's For Dinner?
The Ultimate Daily Question.
I have found that as a Mother of three organization is key. If I don't plan ahead, it becomes a scramble to get dinner on the table right before my hubby gets home...and then all heck breaks loose! The kiddos are whining and tired of waiting for food, dinner gets on the table later than planned, which then pushes bedtime back and we all know that is NEVER a good thing! :) However, if I take the time to menu plan, grocery shop for specific meals and snacks, and stick to the plan...our household runs much smoother. Not to mention our meals and snacks tend to be healthier/more balanced, I am less stressed, and our finances are in tact because I stuck to the budget while shopping. All in all, menu planning relieves stress and chaos in so many ways.
7 Steps to My Menu Plan:
1. Create a Grocery Budget
2. Shop the adds (before the store)
3. Shop in Your Pantry
4. Create a Weekly & Monthly Plan
5. Create a Grocery List by Aisle
6. Write Down The Actuals
7. Stick to the Plan
1. Create a Grocery Budget:
I took a survey and asked a group of (random) Moms what their budget was for anything you could find at Wal-Mart. (This is food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, make-up, diapers, etc...NOT just food). And after averaging out all of their total amounts, I found that each Mom spent an average of $600 for groceries each month.
2. Shop the Adds (before the store):
Shopping the adds before shopping at the store is like sketching a blue print before you build a house. Its a crucial step to menu planning if you want to stay in budget. I shop adds by circling what's on sale first, and use recipes that have those ingredients in them.
3. Shop in Your Pantry:
After Shopping the adds, and finding recipes you want to make...now its time to shop in your pantry, fridge and freezer. What do you need to make that Dinner Recipe? Do you already have pasta or canned tomatoes on hand? Do you have chicken in the freezer, or better yet do you have a freezer meal that needs to be used soon? That way you only have to plan 6 meals instead of 7! Also, look through your pantry, fridge and freezer with the sales add (list you made) in mind, to see what you can make from your food at home and the foods on sale. By using food you have first, then purchasing foods on sale next, you can cut costs to save money for more important things.
4. Create a Weekly & Monthly Plan:
Start out with a list of meals and snacks for each day of the week. (This includes using leftovers, take out, freezer meals, going to a friends for dinner, going out to lunch, etc.) Plan out what your family will eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and desserts. We are an active family so I have to plan for a lot of "on the go" snacks, some of which I like to make at home - granola bars being one of them. After planning out your weekly menu, work on your monthly menu. I like to use free monthly calendar print-ables online to fill in my monthly menu ideas. If its easier for you, you can write down each day what made for dinner, and do it consecutively for a month. After that month is filled out completely, you can do the same for the following months until you have built up a reservoir of meal ideas to choose from every time you plan your weekly menu. This tactic works especially well when you are fresh out of ideas, or can't remember what meals you have made in the past that your family enjoyed. Once you have your 30-day Menu plan, you can also stock up on ingredients for the coming months to add to your pantry supplies. For example, if you notice you cook a lot with rice or pasta, make sure you stock up on them when they are on sale. That way you always have some on hand when you need it, plus you have planned ahead and saved money. Once I have my planned my weekly menu, I update my menu board with my handy dandy dry erase marker - if someone asks the question, "what's for dinner?", all I have to do is point to the board :). As for my monthly menu, I save them in plastic sleeves in my home organization binder and keep them on hand for future menu planning and use them as shopping lists for future pantry supplies to have on hand.
5. Create a Grocery List by Aisle:
Some Moms shop weekly, some every two weeks and some once a month. I like to shop once a week because we eat a lot of fresh produce and I like to buy them in small amounts so we have less waste. However often you shop, shop the edges of the store. Think about it, all of the healthier options are on the outer aisles of the store...produce, the deli, milk and eggs, etc. If you notice most of the aisles in the middle of the store are where you will find the chips, candy, soda pop, ready meals, hostess cupcakes, the works! Keep that tip in mind next time you do your grocery shopping.
The grocery store is split up into sections, this is how your grocery list should be set up as well, it saves you time and keeps you from retracing your steps too. Make a list under refrigerator or dairy, bakery, deli, produce, cleaning supplies, toiletries, hair and beauty, outdoor supplies, etc. Figure out what sections of the store you shop at and create a list for each section to make your shopping trip easier for you and your kiddos :). I don't know about you but I have to take all of my kiddos with me every time I run an errand, so I try to make it as painless as possible for all of us by planning ahead and making good use of my time.
6. Write Down the Actuals:
After I get home from the store, I jot down every thing I purchased as I am putting the items away. This may sound monotonous (especially since you just wrote down your menu plan and shopping list), but I promise you will be grateful you did...let me explain why. Sometimes when your at the store they don't have an exact item thats on your list and you have to find a substitute or do without. Sometimes you find zucchini is much cheaper than the asparagus you were going to use for a certain recipe. So yes, your shopping list and menu are technically tentative until you arrive back home with the "actuals" as I like to call them. Once you have written down your list of "actuals" that you purchased during your shopping trip, then you can tweak your menu plan accordingly as well as your list of snacks for the week. This way you wont start making a meal and find out you forgot to purchase an item because it wasn't on sale like you thought, etc. etc. It also reminds you of what you have in your fridge and need to use before it goes bad. There are so many reasons why you should always write down your "actuals".
7. Stick to the Plan:
Once you have the "actuals" written down and have tweaked your menu plan, stick to it! Don't be tempted to go to the store before its time, because you found out ice cream is on sale! We all know we have those moments...just remember, stick to the plan! Its better for your budget and your health! :)
Start out with a list of meals and snacks for each day of the week. (This includes using leftovers, take out, freezer meals, going to a friends for dinner, going out to lunch, etc.) Plan out what your family will eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and desserts. We are an active family so I have to plan for a lot of "on the go" snacks, some of which I like to make at home - granola bars being one of them. After planning out your weekly menu, work on your monthly menu. I like to use free monthly calendar print-ables online to fill in my monthly menu ideas. If its easier for you, you can write down each day what made for dinner, and do it consecutively for a month. After that month is filled out completely, you can do the same for the following months until you have built up a reservoir of meal ideas to choose from every time you plan your weekly menu. This tactic works especially well when you are fresh out of ideas, or can't remember what meals you have made in the past that your family enjoyed. Once you have your 30-day Menu plan, you can also stock up on ingredients for the coming months to add to your pantry supplies. For example, if you notice you cook a lot with rice or pasta, make sure you stock up on them when they are on sale. That way you always have some on hand when you need it, plus you have planned ahead and saved money. Once I have my planned my weekly menu, I update my menu board with my handy dandy dry erase marker - if someone asks the question, "what's for dinner?", all I have to do is point to the board :). As for my monthly menu, I save them in plastic sleeves in my home organization binder and keep them on hand for future menu planning and use them as shopping lists for future pantry supplies to have on hand.
5. Create a Grocery List by Aisle:
Some Moms shop weekly, some every two weeks and some once a month. I like to shop once a week because we eat a lot of fresh produce and I like to buy them in small amounts so we have less waste. However often you shop, shop the edges of the store. Think about it, all of the healthier options are on the outer aisles of the store...produce, the deli, milk and eggs, etc. If you notice most of the aisles in the middle of the store are where you will find the chips, candy, soda pop, ready meals, hostess cupcakes, the works! Keep that tip in mind next time you do your grocery shopping.
The grocery store is split up into sections, this is how your grocery list should be set up as well, it saves you time and keeps you from retracing your steps too. Make a list under refrigerator or dairy, bakery, deli, produce, cleaning supplies, toiletries, hair and beauty, outdoor supplies, etc. Figure out what sections of the store you shop at and create a list for each section to make your shopping trip easier for you and your kiddos :). I don't know about you but I have to take all of my kiddos with me every time I run an errand, so I try to make it as painless as possible for all of us by planning ahead and making good use of my time.
6. Write Down the Actuals:
After I get home from the store, I jot down every thing I purchased as I am putting the items away. This may sound monotonous (especially since you just wrote down your menu plan and shopping list), but I promise you will be grateful you did...let me explain why. Sometimes when your at the store they don't have an exact item thats on your list and you have to find a substitute or do without. Sometimes you find zucchini is much cheaper than the asparagus you were going to use for a certain recipe. So yes, your shopping list and menu are technically tentative until you arrive back home with the "actuals" as I like to call them. Once you have written down your list of "actuals" that you purchased during your shopping trip, then you can tweak your menu plan accordingly as well as your list of snacks for the week. This way you wont start making a meal and find out you forgot to purchase an item because it wasn't on sale like you thought, etc. etc. It also reminds you of what you have in your fridge and need to use before it goes bad. There are so many reasons why you should always write down your "actuals".
7. Stick to the Plan:
Once you have the "actuals" written down and have tweaked your menu plan, stick to it! Don't be tempted to go to the store before its time, because you found out ice cream is on sale! We all know we have those moments...just remember, stick to the plan! Its better for your budget and your health! :)
My Tips and Tricks of Menu Planning
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Just a few Menu Planning Ideas:
homemade crescent rolls
chicken tenders, rosemary roasted potatoes, sauteed zucchini & squash, cantaloupe & Strawberries.
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles
Pumpkin Chicken Popovers
Need a night off? Try Hard Rock Cafe's California Cobb Salad
Panko Breaded Cod fish or Tilapia with a Lemon Dill Sauce
Brazillian Black Beans & Rice & Sweet Peas
Chicken Piccata with Capers,
Garlic Bread, Carrots and Grapes
Homemade Taco Soup or Chili
1 hour Dinner Rolls
Sauteed Green Beans
