Weekly Menu Planning
Just looking at this blank page with the words “Menu Planning”, makes me groan. I dread doing the weekly menu planning. I’m not sure why...maybe because I am not very creative with menus, maybe it’s the anxiety I feel anticipating my family’s reactions to the meal. Probably all of this. I didn’t menu plan for a long time...I just got by. But with the birth of the second child, an effort to eat more variety and desire to involve all family members, planning for the week gradually happened.
My husband was The Cook in the house for a while. He’s English and loves ye olde Sunday Roast. Perfectly roasted chicken or beef, roasted carrots and potatoes and addicting Yorkshire Pudding...decadent. I love it too! However, I started to notice that the Sunday Roast was happening more than once a week, and then of course we would be eating the leftovers too. Needless to say, my jeans were getting tighter and tighter with all of the rich, meat and potato heavy menus.
I wish I could say that we agreed to work on the menus as a team - but the truth is that he was a bit offended that I didn’t want to eat like an EnglishMAN every day. I probably said something very polite like, “I can’t eat this heavy food every day” and his response was along the lines of, “well you bloody do it”. I didn’t want to be The Cook every day, so over time we agreed on planning together but taking turns cooking. In the beginning I got some input from the kids, but by now I know their favorites and I try to include some of them each week.
Eventually, after much trial and error, we developed the attached menu planner/grocery list. It makes meal planning a bit more bearable...I hope it helps your family too!
Here’s how I use it:
Seems old fashioned, but I print a bunch of these (double sided) and keep them in the kitchen desk drawer.
On Sunday, I sit down (hubby paces around while I ramble on) and look at the week ahead. You’ll notice that each day it says “who’s at dinner?” This is because sometimes hubby’s traveling for work, or the kids have activities. Sometimes I make a note like - "dinner at 7:30 (BB Practice)”. This part usually takes about 15 minutes. I like that it’s two conversations in one: “looking at the week ahead” and “thinking about dinner”.
I use it for dinners, but you can use it for other meals too - especially on weekends. If there is a special brunch you want to make, or whatever.
Then I look at our favorite cookbooks and recent recipe clippings. Currently I am enjoying Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair. Young families might like this one to - for each recipe it gives a toddler/baby version. The Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book is also an old standby.
“Theme Nights” have saved us! For example:
Monday is usually pasta night - our favorite jarred pasta sauce, whole wheat pasta (if I can sneak it in) a ground meat (turkey, beef or pork sausage), and a veggie on the side (steamed broccoli, a salad, throw in some spinach into the sauce, whatever). EASY.
TACO TUESDAY! - everyone loves make-your-own tacos. I include a side of beans to round it out. Our kids like soft flour taco shells.
We usually have one take-out night due to schedules.
One night can be a new recipe to try.
Crock pot meals are handy also - veggie chili, beef stew, chicken soup, etc.
We also like “Panini Night” - which can be as simple as grilled cheese or more elaborate like turkey, bacon, avocado or tomato, mozzarella, pesto.
Another favorite is grilled cheese and tomato soup - I try to use whole wheat bread when I do this.
Another favorite is fried rice - you can use leftover rice from take out (throw it in the freezer). Then fry it up with a little egg, veggies, chicken, etc.
In the summer we will do grill nights
Sunday night is always PIZZA MOVIE NIGHT! We order delivery from our favorite pizza joint and eat in front of the tv. We all look forward to that.
Once the left side is complete, I fill out the right side based on the dinner menus, but also looking through the cupboards and making sure I have breakfast and lunch food too (I’ll do a separate post on this topic). I typically shop on Mondays but many families shop on Saturday or Sundays - it helps to have a designated day of the week, if possible.
Have fun! And I'd love to hear other ideas from readers...it takes a village!
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