Meal Planning - how do you do it?

ajmoney

I'm glad someone else asked this

Kaz I have copied your list into word and am using it at the mo. I have made a list of all the foods we normally eat under each heading, things I have had that I would like to try and make and some new recipe ideas. In 2 weeks time I have some time off and am going to try this to see how we do. We have become borig with our food rotating 5 meals (ish) max so this should make a nice change.

zippychick

as this has dropped down the board, ive merged it with an older meal planning thread

Also meal planning where to start? may also interest you

Zip

debs2327

i do a weekly menu for our tea`s for each day and put it on our fridge weve done this for 2 months and its brilliant our kids are eating better , we all get a range of different foods , we are trying new recipies , and our kids are not picking during meals , its saving us money too not seeing a massive difference in amount of shopping we buy as much as the amount of food we were throwing out and we were runing to corner shop to buy stuff we didnt need ,

bravobeastie

Just found this really good planner on the Iceland website of all places

You can choose for as many people as you like:

http://www.iceland.co.uk/page/view/weekly_planner

This one is for 4 people:

http://www.iceland.co.uk/uploads/File/Family_Wall_Planner_4_people.pdf

Thought it may help people who like to meal plan (much easier for me lol)

Pink.

Hi bravobeastie,

As your post has dropped down the Old Style board I've added it to the main thread on meal planning so that others will be able to find the link easily.

Pink

Ches

I have posted this before so my apologies if you have read this. My OH and I made a list of meals he would actually eat as he is very picky. Together with the occasional take out, scratch buffet style/eat up the leftovers meals we made a months worth of main meals. I make sure we always have the ingredients in stock by adding anything we have used to the next shopping list (either weekly or monthly depending on the mood at the moment). We don't necessarily eat any of the meals in order but each month I print off the list of meals and as we eat them I cross them off.

silly_moo

I do my meal plan for two weeks as I've discovered that we spend less on bi-weekly shops than on weekly!

There are only two of us so I tend to make large portions which do us two-three days (for example a large casserole of pasta bake or a whole bowl of chicken fricassee). This way I can use a whole packet of meat/fish in one go saving freezer space. I only need to plan 6-7 meals every two weeks so shopping is easier. It also means I don't need to cook every day

I know some people like fresh meals every day but we don't mind eating the same thing for a few days. Saves money and hassle.

SparciaM

I've been lurking on here a while and I do try and get value for money on my food bill, I do struggle coming up with ideas to eat (especially lunches).

Do you meal plan a few weeks and just rotate them, or do you meal plan with what you have in your cupboards until they're empty and then start again.

I did a meal plan for a week of 7 different meals and it did work, but I felt that I wasn't using my store cupboard ingredients to potential and then ended up going back to tried and tested recipes.

I like cutting out recipes from books/magazines etc, but when you want to make them the cost of getting all the ingredients in really does add up.

Any suggestions/ideas would be greatly appreciated.

tiddly_widdly

I meal plan for a fortnight at a time (I hate shopping):(

first I go through my cupboards, freezer and fridge, make a list of what Ive got then I decide what meals I will make with them first.

I then fill in the gaps on my menu with other meals.

I make a list of all the ingredients needed just for the meals and I go shopping and dont buy anything thats not on the list.

That way I work my way through cupboards etc with very little waste and save a hell of a lot of money at the same time.

Hope that helps.

tiddly_widdly

I forgot to say that also doing a menu for a fortnight you will be able to repeat some meals or meals with similar ingredients so less waste and cost again.