Meal Planning - how do you do it?

MKS

Have you looked at this weekly thread?http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2378797

The people here come up with brilliant ideas. HTH

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

Thanks Kaz. I love the idea of having a rice day, pasta day etc. I've never thought of that before. I have pretty much run down the freezer and stock cupboard now after a couple of weeks of 'cupboard surprises' so I'm wiping the slate clean and ready to start all over.

Going to start with categorising and see how I get on.

Thanks!

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

Thanks to everyone else for the links, going to have a look at them now :-)

[Deleted User]

I don't think that you will need much in the way of staples to put into store - pasta, rice, bag of plain flour (I used plain with baking powder when I lived in shared flat). A few spices curry and chilli powder, salt and pepper will not take up much room and are not to expensive to add some variety. Then with daily shopping for veg, meat and the odd tin of tomatoes you will have the basics for most meals.

As previous post said with some meal planning the staples are going to be use in a few weeks as there are four to feed and then you can buy them again if you need. As you said that you are quite a good cook you will be able to ring the changes on pasta dishes, stews with dumplings, curry and chilli, etc etc using the veg and meat as you buy.

Don't know if you eat puddings but if you add sugar and custard to the staples you can have fruit and custard. Yoghurts don't need much storage space and can be bought as required. If you want to bake you can make scones and biscuits without eggs or if you add eggs in to your shopping list you can make cakes and sponge puddings.

As the other posters said with a weekly or monthly meal plan you will be able to purchase and use things without keeping a large storecupboard.

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

Not sure if this will come out properly but I've done a table with all of the things we like to eat. The aim is to be able to select something from each category (went for 8 categories). Some things are more thifty than others but I can do leftovers with some options and I hope to grow some salad this year too. We can also take some of the options for next day lunch as well and going to have a go at batch cooking as the freezer is almost empty.

The next step is to type out all of the ingredients and recipes, laminate them, stick them in a folder and pull out and make a list each week. I'm hoping to add a cost to each one as I go along as well but that's a bit further down the line.

Just wanted to say thanks for the inspiration!

Roast/Meat Day

Fish Day

Rice Day

Pasta Day

Traditional Day

Worldwide

Healthy Day

Store Cupboard Day/Quick/Snack

Beef

Fish Pie (SW version)
Egg Fried Vegetable Rice with Prawns (or leftover meat)
Prawn Spaghetti
Beef Casserole
Quesadillas (Parma ham, spring onion, cheese, chillis)
Salad (Greek, Caesar, Italian, Tuna Nicoise)
Tuna Fish Pie
Chicken

Salmon and Vegetables
Risotto (Mushroom, Chicken, Prawn & spring onion, Pea & Ham)
Spaghetti Bolognese
Shepherd’s Pie
Calzones (Parma ham, mozzarella, tomato and basil)
Roasted vegetable, Sweet Potato and Halloumi Bake
Egg, Beans and Baked Chips
Pork

Baked Cod with Avocado, Prawns, Cream and Cheese

Lentil curry and rice
Spaghetti or Penne Carbonara
Toad in the Hole and Onion Gravy
Nachos (Sour cream, guacamole, salsa)
Quorn Fajitas
Jacket Potatoes and various
Lamb

Roasted Cod with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Mozzarella
Vegetable curry and rice
Pesto Pasta with Ham and Mushrooms
Sausage, Mash & Peas
Homemade burgers

Tuna and Flageolet Salad
Tuna Pasta
Turkey

Fish, Chips and Peas (Homemade)
Chilli and Rice
Macaroni Cheese
Chicken Pie with Potatoes and vegetables
Burritos
Warm Chilli Chicken Salad (SW)
Tomatoes and Feta on Toast (with Basil & Oregano)
Chicken wrapped in Parma ham

Tuna Fish Cakes
Chicken Tikka Masala and Rice
Tomato Pasta
All Day Breakfast


Enchiladas
Poulet a la Nicoise (SW)
Poached Eggs on Toast

Roast/Meat Day

Fish Day

Rice Day

Pasta Day

Traditional Day

Worldwide

Healthy Day

Store Cupboard Day/Quick/Snack

Steak and Baked Chips

Fish Goujons
Chick Pea Curry and Rice
Spinach and Ricotta Pasta
Steak and Guiness Pie
Tacos
Crispy Quorn Fajitas with Salad
Green Eggs & Ham

Everyday crispy Chicken with Tomatoes (JO)

Salmon Fish Cakes
Chicken Curry and Rice
Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni (JO)
Lasagne
Chicken and Vegetable Curry Pasties

Goujon Salad (Fish or Chicken)
Tomato, Chilli and Basil Soup
Coq au Vin / Chicken Chasseur



Rigatoni with Sweet Tomatoes, Aubergine and Mozzarella
Cornish Pasty

Stir Fry
Pitta Pizzas
Beef Bourguignon


Pasta with Sweet Tomato Sauce and Baked Ricotta


Chicken and Vegetable Kebab, Pitta Bread and Salad
Chicken and Pesto Pasties
Balsamic Chicken with Rosemary Potatoes


Meatballs, Tomato Sauce and Pasta



Spicy Meatballs, Pitta Bread and Cucumber and Mint Dip
Chicken Kiev






Pesto, Feta, Chicken and Pinenut Tart (Puff Pastry)
Baked ham, Egg and Baked Chips






Sweet Tomato Tart

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

Edit: Didn't copy properly (was in a table) but you get the general gist... Where it just says 'chicken' or 'turkey' etc, that will be a roast dinner.

jordylass

Thanks for that, my first trip to the shops we went into Wetherspoons for lunch and stocked up on some condiments, then bought bread, eggs, cereal, butter (could use it to fry as well) frozen quorn (Iceland is near but no regular supermarket) 3 onions, 2 tins of tomatoes, pack of rice and a tub of salt.
It has become further complicated by my sons morals, for a very long time he has only eaten free range meat, so mostly eats vegetarian, but now he also refuses to eat palm products (rain forest, orangutans) and tells me that any items which have vegetable oil listed are going to be palm oil. I thought the majority of oil used here was rapeseed, good job I can cook from scratch cos almost all ready made items have vegetable oil in them.

I think your suggestions are spot on and the only way to do it is with a strict meal plan.
I'm OK for time, and where the kitchen has the major items, fridge freezer, cooker and microwave. I miss my kenwood already, and there is no grater or whisk, pans I can manage with, but hardly any oven wear, and I don't want to buy anything unnecessary. I'm almost at the end off my first week, and only going to buy those things that I think on a daily basis, how am i going to manage without this, so far that has only been a washing line and a decent knife.

tessie_bear

hows it going ?? happy easter

jordylass

Thanks for asking Tessie, I decided I can manage with the knives that are here, but bought a cheap line and pegs, I do love to get my washing out.
The kids are away for the weekend so I'll be living off a variety of lentil dishes until Tuesday, and lots of walks to get to know the area a little.

tessie_bear

u sound very positive...good....did u find anything good on your reccies ?