Menu Planning

Menu Planning - Some people love it, some people find it intimidating. As with most things in my life, I found a fast, easy and flexible way of doing menu plans.

Some people find making charts, and graphs and adhering strictly to their meal plan is very useful. For people like me, it is too restricting and it would be setting myself up to fail. That being said, I have tried making no menu plan at all and proved that this will end in a train wreck too.

So here it is... Stacie's fun and flexible way to menu plan!

1) My first step is get a pen and two pieces of paper and my laptop. At the top of one paper, I write: Wish List. On the other, I write: Grocery List.

2)  I open up Pinterest on my computer. On my Pinterest page, I have two THM boards. One is called "THM Recipes I've Tried" and the other is called "THM Recipes To Try". These boards are like being at a THM restaurant with a menu that has all the things that look drool worthy to me! Click here to see my boards.

3) I start making a "Wish List" on my note pad. I write down 7 dinners that I would look forward to eating that week. I click on each link and write down the ingredients I would need on my grocery list.  I know what I have on hand already, so I just write down those items that I don't have. I try to make a nice balance between S and E dinners. I try to include some easy meals or crockpot meals for the days that are crazy busy. I also include recipes that take more preparation and time for the days that I am feeling relaxed and adventurous in the kitchen.

4) I do the same thing with Lunches. I will often eat the same lunch 2-3 times a week, so I usually pick only 3-4 recipes but buy enough ingredients to make it a few times.

5) For S breakfasts, I love my bacon, eggs (scrambled, hard boiled, omelet), tea and berries. So I make sure that I have enough of those ingredients. For E breakfasts, I usually have baked oatmeal, plain yogurt, berries and tea. I add the ingredients I need to my grocery list.

6) I know this is an extra step, and if you have a great memory you can leave your list as is. For me, I like to re-write the list in order of how I would walk around the grocery store. Fresh Produce, Deli, Bread, Dairy, Meat, Breakfast Aisle, Baking Aisle, etc. It only takes moments to do, but it saves me from back tracking, forgetting items or feeling like my head is about to spin off my shoulders while I am shopping!

4) I stick my "Wish List" of Dinners and Lunches on my fridge, and I tuck my grocery list into my purse.

5) Once my fridge, cupboards and pantry are filled back up again, it's easy to stay on plan! Just before meal time, go to your Wish List and decide what you feel like having from your dream menu. The whole list is made up of foods you can't wait to eat! Try to have at least one meal per day in an E setting.

6) If you know you have a busy day coming up, pop something in the crock pot mid-morning or early afternoon. Nothing feels better than knowing your family is fed properly and with little effort from worn out Momma that evening!

Click here to see a Week sample Wish List and Grocery List.