Meal Planning - how do you do it?

Flat_Eric

ianbar0 wrote: »

i find meal planning pretty easy, however the main problem is the variety. that said now the weather is changed, the slow cooker is back out and at least there is a pretty easy 2-3 nights a week there. i have had a period freezing meals well in advance....need a bigger freezer!

I don't have a slow cooker - its something I'm tempted to invest in although I'm not sure I would feel happy leaving it on all day while out at work....

Flat_Eric

chickywiggle wrote: »

i have to say big thanks for this idea too was the basics of mine.
first i drew up a list under the heading (meat, fish etc) of what we eat.
Then i worked out (from the list) which days they would best suit (i.e. a meaty meal on my day off so i can cook them, pizza on his day off).
i then picked something appropriate for each day from the list, trying to make sure no meals were too similar (i.e. chips, chips chips)
then i saw things i hadn't used and replaced one or two meals.

i tried not to have the same meal more then twice in the 6 weeks planned.
if I'd only put something in once (i.e. plaice in week 1, scampi in week 4) then i took one out and replaced with the other (so i had no scampi and 2 plaice --> therefore needing to buy 1 box (4 portions) and not 2 different products.

hope that makes sense.

I've got a name for it .... FOOD BINGO !!!!!

At the moment I shop (home delivery) usually once a month when I buy far too much then top up with almost daily shops buying forgotten bits/lunch items because I'm too lazy to prepare anything and offers that I don't need but jump into my basket. This approach is costing me a fortune. and I still forget stuff....

I have been thinking of working out what I would eat in a typical week both for lunch and dinner - breakfast doesn't need too much planning - usually fruit then planning a week's shop accordingly. Hopefully it will be a cheaper way to eat. The plan would include for example fish one night. something easy on Friday when can't be bothered. Something to eat spend bit over on sunday with leftover for the freezer etc. I liken it to writing out a list of meals I like / have the stocks for and filling in all the squares.... making do where possible.

chickywiggle

Flat_Eric wrote: »

I don't have a slow cooker - its something I'm tempted to invest in although I'm not sure I would feel happy leaving it on all day while out at work....

thats my problem don't trust it.

plus today i did my spag bol in it and it tasted worse then done on the hob in less then an hour (and i can't wholly blame the mince)


tbh i've only ever had 1 meal out of it that tasted nicer then using an oven.

Flat_Eric wrote: »

I've got a name for it .... FOOD BINGO !!!!!

yeaaa foood bingo!!! :j:j
you could write 28 cards with food on back.
write number 1-28 in squares on grid
write 1-28 on back of cards (randomly)
pick one and put in right section.

are we having too much fun with this??

Microwave_Dinner

I have a wipe board with pen and every week I look in freezer and cupboards and base at least 3-4 meals around stuff I've already got. Then I restrict myself to 2-3 new meat/fish items unless there's stuff reduced I can bungn in freezer. Having said that I do seem to have a life time supply of rice and pulses that never go down.

Flat_Eric

chickywiggle wrote: »

thats my problem don't trust it.

plus today i did my spag bol in it and it tasted worse then done on the hob in less then an hour (and i can't wholly blame the mince)


tbh i've only ever had 1 meal out of it that tasted nicer then using an oven.




yeaaa foood bingo!!! :j:j
you could write 28 cards with food on back.
write number 1-28 in squares on grid
write 1-28 on back of cards (randomly)
pick one and put in right section.

are we having too much fun with this??

I have prepped my weekly planner sheets (with the dates) up until the end of January. :rotfl: Now i just need to plan the meals

Helpfully the love food hate waste website has a really useful shopping list template with appropriate headings and I intend to have one shopping list to go with each planner and shop accordingly !!!

chickywiggle

ohhhh i LIKE that shopping list - we use a similar one at work for the oldies lists never thought to arrange mine that way.
(quick link for anyone)

Kleopatra

Flat_Eric wrote: »

I tried both in the end and agree landscape is much better. I have a box for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack along the side of the page and then along the top, have the days of the week with a shopping column at the end.

At the bottom of the page, I even have space for notes :j

I have already tried filling in the squares - now I just need to stop changing my mind !

If you use mini post-it notes for the meals you can move them round as much as you like.

I use mini post-its with meal and ingredients needed which I tick if have them already, last date had it etc

Flat_Eric

Kleopatra wrote: »

If you use mini post-it notes for the meals you can move them round as much as you like.

I use mini post-its with meal and ingredients needed which I tick if have them already, last date had it etc

ooohhh I LIKE that idea !!

NicChanna

Hey ...

Me and my OH have only been meal planning for about 6 weeks ... what a saving we've made and we rarely throw out food any more.

We found a small piece of an onion at the back of the fridge yesterday that wasn't worth eating anymore and we practically had a service for it cos it had to go in the bin. Before now, we were heaving unopened packs of meat, unopened packs of rolls, bagels, practically full jars of jam etc out every week. Shameful.

We always go shopping on the same day every week, Saturday, and as much as possible we go straight after going out for breakfast (our little Saturday treat) so that we're really full up while shopping. Before we head out we get an old envelope and we look in the cupboards and the freezer and note down what we have got.

Then while we're at breakfast when I'm finished and he's not (I wolf everything I eat) we start thinking of how we can use up what we've already got. This has spawned lots of interesting creations, but all of them nice enough!

We think of 6 dinners and write them down with everything extra we need for them then add in things that we might need that aren't food. We each get to pick a treat (me usually smartprice choc digestives him usually smartprice scones) and we're good.

We end up spending much much less than before and we're in and out of the shop in about 25 minutes when we're on form.

Job done.

Flat_Eric

have fine tuned my meal plan sheet, just need to fill it in now.

Have now included a box to write in what me/my OH might be up to on any particular day so that I can plan meals accordingly.

Trying to avoid the supermarket until Saturday when I intend to have home delivery. will try to meal plan for next two weeks.

Have firm ideas for some days (eg its going to be chilli on Sunday) but other days, I am having a complete mental blank.

To overcome this, I'm going to write down meals I like so I can have a list of choices to pick from