Meal Planning - how do you do it?

becky170

lainz wrote: »

This thread is to encourage us to use all the recipes we got off here, magazines, cook books etc... and of course gives you ideas to try!

I haven't noticed that thread, so thanks for the link! I've got into a rut with what I cook as well, so I've started making one new recipe a week to try and spice things up. This weeks new recipe was spanish chicken and it was quite nice for a change I like the BBC goodfood website for finding new recipes.

Frith

Hmmm, some of mine aren't really recipes!

I do:

Jacket potatoes with all sorts of fillings.

Sausages chopped up in baked beans with sliced boiled potato on top warmed through in the oven. (Nice sausages, not the baked beans that come with the sausages already in).

Pasta and tomato sauce.

Pasta and cheese sauce.

Chicken casserole and dumplings.

Pizzas.

Roast chicken etc.

Cottage pie.

Grilled white fish, potatoes and veg.

Rice with whatever's about. (e.g prawns, omelette bits, peas).

Chicken curry.

Stir fries.

Kebabs (cubes of pork and (again) whatever is in the fridge such as tomatoes, pineapple chunks, courgette and mushroom).

That's about it.

freakyogre

Right then! Once again I have checked my freezer and made a list, so here is the plan for April. New recipes are in bold - two were listed last month but I didn't make them as was out.

Thursday 1st – stuffed pepper with potato wedges
Friday 2nd – [STRIKE]fish fingers/scampi, chips and peas[/STRIKE] oh dear, stayed at my sisters and we had a takeaway
Saturday 3rd – chicken with creamy pesto and broad beans
Sunday 4th – gammon with new potatoes, cabbage, carrots and parsley sauce

Monday 5th – mini chicken kievs with roasted vegetables and maybe even mini roast potatoes!
Tuesday 6th – chicken korma with rice
Wednesday 7th – pasta with gammon in a creamy sauce
Thursday 8th – red pepper, mozzarella and spinach melt (using a bagel)
Friday 9th – cat/house sitting for my sister – I will probably raid my sisters kitchen as going there straight from work - I had a 'childs' dinner of turkey burgers, smiles and peas!!
Saturday 10th – cat/house sitting for my sister – I may raid it again, depends what I do during the day - I made chicken stuffed with mozzarella with potatoes baked with the rest of the cheese and some sour cream dip and roasted vegetables
Sunday 11th – not sure what time I’ll be back so will need to plan this nearer the time – if home, I’ll grab something quick from the freezer - my sister treated me to fish and chips

Monday 12th – spicy vegetable meatballs with pasta (kinda new, had the meatballs as burgers before, but this will be in a sauce)
Tuesday 13th – [STRIKE]corned beef crispbake with chips and vegetables[/STRIKE] – something easy as I’m giving blood for the first time after work, so don’t know how long I’ll be/how I’ll feel afterwards! - I had chicken fajitas instead
Wednesday 14th – pea pakora pocket with salad
Thursday 15th – sausage pasta bake with garlic bread
Friday 16th – spiced chicken with rice and crisp red onions
Saturday 17th – sausage casserole with [STRIKE]cous cous[/STRIKE] crusty bread
Sunday 18th – [STRIKE]roast chicken breast with roast potatoes, mashed swede and carrot and homemade stuffing balls[/STRIKE] i'm changing this to cod with lemon and parsley crust as bought some cod and want to try it!

Monday 19th – [STRIKE]stuffing and lentil burger with salad[/STRIKE] we're going out on a work do, so no idea
Tuesday 20th – prawn stir fry with noodles – kinda new, don’t think I’ve actually had prawns in a stir fry before!
Wednesday 21st – [STRIKE]pasta bake (not sure what yet)[/STRIKE] made cauliflower cheese instead
Thursday 22nd – [STRIKE]broccoli and red pepper quiche with wedges and corn on the cob[/STRIKE] have been having quiche for lunch all week, so will have some more cauliflower cheese with something
Friday 23rd – macaroni cheese with bacon
Saturday 24th – southern fried chicken with wedges and mini corn on the cob
Sunday 25th – fragrant pork and rice one pot

Monday 26th – chilli with rice
Tuesday 27th – [STRIKE]falafel in pitta breads with salad[/STRIKE] it's not going to happen! My freezer is still too full I think i'll have a stuffing and lentil burger instead with salad
Wednesday 28th – chilli wrap with salad
Thursday 29th – sausage pasta bake with garlic bread
Friday 30th – corn and shrimp cakes with rice?

[STRIKE]
As with last month, some days may change depending on what I’m doing. The falafel should happen as I bought a 2.5kg tin of chickpeas to make loads of it and should have room in the freezer by then! Other recipes may also contain chick peas
[/STRIKE]

jordylass

I am living in temporary accommodation in London at the moment.
The kitchen is an OK size and has most most mod cons (no slow cooker, but I'm trying for one on freecycle).
I have looked at loads of threads but struggling with my shopping and meal planning. I don't want to buy too much in the way of longer lasting items, spices etc because I know I'm going to have to move again soon. Any help with grocery shopping and meal planning for me and 3 grown children would be most appreciated.
Due to this board over the last few years I've become a fairly accomplished cook, but having difficulty in this new situation.

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

Hi all,

I came on today to find some thrifty meal plans but not sure where to look. I am most successful when I plan my meals and stick to a list when I shop however I seem to have lost my inspriation when it comes to meal ideas and can't even sit down to start a list at the moment.

I'm happy cooking from scratch and we like to be fairly healthy.

If there is anything on here I can look at for ideas and inspiration, I'd be grateful if you could direct me there...

Thanks in advance.

kazmeister

Hi

I have weeks like that too.

I posted something like this a while back so hope it helps

"For whatever reasons I had cupboardfuls and freezers full of food but still didnt know what to do for tea each night and invariably went and bought more. OH didnt help either as when he picked DD up from school they used to go to Mr T's and he would come home with carrier bags of yellow stickered stuff.

I however realised it was ridiculous and started by making a list of everything in the freezer which I now keep in a folder in the kitchen which I have been using for over a year now. I date it when I put it in so I can rotate the older stuff as I used to find stuff that had been in there 2 - 3 years!

I now meal plan as follows
1 x Roast day
1 x Pasta day
1 x Rice day
1 x Meat day
1 x Fish day
1 x Snack day
1 x Other day

This gives us a variety and you will soon build up loads of different things to do (I have just recently checked my old lists and found that the max amount we have had 1 dish is 6 times in 15 weeks)

I start with the roast (using what I have from the freezer) as usually I can get another meal for the 4 of us (2 kids 8 and 15). So roast pork on Sunday becomes sweet n sour pork eg on Tuesday (which would become Rice day) so thats 2 days done and to the shopping list I have added veg, a jar of sweet n sour sauce ( i use Sharwoods small jar with no bits in) and maybe a pineapple (as hate tinned). Then I find something from the freezer to fill in one of the other days and then only add things to the shopping list that we havent got. To me its a really easy plan to follow and it seems to work and I dont do anything too complicated. Snack day is usually planned around when we have to rush out to sports clubs etc and need something quick.

Heres some ideas
Roast - Chicken, Pork, Beef. Lamb, Turkey
Pasta - Spag bol, Macaroni cheese, Sausage pasta, Pasta Carbonara,
Meat - Cold roast, chips n beans, Pork chops, Lamb chops, Sausage and Mash. Sausage casserole, Shepherds or Cottage pie (made by mincing leftover roast), Toad in the hole, Beef casserole (with dumplings) Liver & Bacon, Spanish Stew, Steak Pie n veg.
Fish - Fish fingers, Tuna/Tomato stew, Grilled Rainbow Trout (both kids love it), Fish cakes, Pan fried cod with HM chips or mash, Fish casserole.
Rice - Chicken Curry, Sweet n Sour, Chilli con Carne (mild for kids) Kebabs with a rice salad, Kedgeree or anything served with rice
Snacks - Sausage Pasta, Hot Dogs, Pizza, Tortilla wraps, Fish n Chips, Omelette, Chicken and Ham rolls, Burgers, Quiche, Jacket Potatoes, Salad
Other - Can be a duplication of any other day, a takeaway, Meal out, or leftovers from the fridge/freezer.

By using this plan I have really reduced the contents of my freezer (but not emptied it yet) and if I see a special offer at least now I have the room to put it in. It also means that I can check what I need for the next day and get it out of the freezer in advance so that when I get in from work at 5 we can have tea on the table by 6 instead of 8!

In addition to the above I love Easycook magazine which comes out every couple of months which I get loads of ideas from."

Cheers
Kaz

Butterfly_Brain

I would do a meal plan that will last a month and then just buy the ingredients that you need... work it round using a certain few spices and that way everything will be used within that month. HTH x

zippychick

Hi D2BDF

A few threads which should help you

Meal planning - how do you do it?

Meal planning - where do i start?

Meal planning website

Also interesting - Save money by not meal planning

I'll add your thread to the first link later, to keep the suggestions together

thanks
Zip

tessie_bear

kaz....that is a very useful post...food for thought...thanks

tessie_bear

i dont know how much time u have but u could perhaps do a meal plan and them pop out and buy daily...such as 4 carrots 6 pots 4 pork chops and use them iyswim...if u have a trip to a cafe u could bring home the salt sachet u didnt use and use it at home...if u go to cafes....id start off with a list of meals and take it from therehth