Could we start a meal plan thread again, so it's not lost in the GC?

Bluegreen143

Does anyone do a meal plan framework? I saw it recommended years ago in a parenting book as a simpler way to mealplan and one that many children really like (because many children thrive on a good solid routine).

I’ve always done it on and off since, not every day is in the framework at the moment - I change it every so often. 

At the moment:

M - soup & pudding night 
T - pasta night
W - 
Th - wrap night
F - BBQ
Sa -
Su -

At the moment Wednesdays and the weekends are free for making different meals: stir fries, curries, pizza, roast dinners etc. I have done it before that more of the nights were set eg we had a roast dinner each Sunday, 

Although it looks boring that some meals are set, in reality there are lots of different ways to vary it - it can be any kind of soup, for example. 

The kids really look forward to the different theme nights and it seems to help them understand where we are in the week. 

It really does make mealplanning quicker, too.

joedenise

joedenise said:

Only a few days for us this week as we're off on holiday mid week.

Sat - cheese and tomato pasta bake - should be enough to freeze at least 2 portion and hopefully 4!
Sun - roast pork dinner
Mon - LO pork, chips & beans
Tues - goat curry, red lentil Dahl, rice (curry and dhal from freezer)
Wed - holiday - we'll have HM pasties which I'll make on Tuesday

Change of plan for Tuesday night's dinner!  Can't see the goat curry in the freezer but came across a butter chicken curry so we'll have that instead.  I bring in anything needed for this week's meals in from the outside freezer either on Saturday or Sunday so I don't need to go out to the outside freezer unless I need a new loaf of bread out!

I used to use a similar system @Bluegreen143 but it was more something with mince, something with fish, something with pasta etc.  It made life a bit easier when the children were small and we only had the icebox in the fridge (back in the early 70s) which was only big enough for a bag of peas and something else!

Nowadays my meal plan is done around using HM ready meals from the freezer as much as possible.

I made the cheese and tomato pasta bake (half recipe as the original was for 12!) and have enough over to freezer another 6 portions!  We obviously don't eat quite as much as some people!

Prudent

I feel a bit guilty coming on to this thread as I have long given up meal planning. I have a long term fluctuating illness so sometimes I feel too unwell to cook. I have to be cautious about batch cooking too as a busy day can wipe me out for days. I don’t have much food in the fridge just now so I need so kind of plan to maximise fresh healthy options.

I have some edamame beans in the freezer which could do with using. I will need to find some recipes. I have have four courgettes, a red pepper, some lettuce and salad leaves, carrots, a cucumber, broccoli and some celery. I will update when I find some ideas. 

leftatthetrafficlights

Bluegreen143 said:

Does anyone do a meal plan framework? I saw it recommended years ago in a parenting book as a simpler way to mealplan and one that many children really like (because many children thrive on a good solid routine).

I’ve always done it on and off since, not every day is in the framework at the moment - I change it every so often. 

At the moment:

M - soup & pudding night 
T - pasta night
W - 
Th - wrap night
F - BBQ
Sa -
Su -

At the moment Wednesdays and the weekends are free for making different meals: stir fries, curries, pizza, roast dinners etc. I have done it before that more of the nights were set eg we had a roast dinner each Sunday, 

Although it looks boring that some meals are set, in reality there are lots of different ways to vary it - it can be any kind of soup, for example. 

The kids really look forward to the different theme nights and it seems to help them understand where we are in the week. 

It really does make mealplanning quicker, too.

I used to use the following system: Monday – Grain, Tuesday – Pasta, Wednesday – Raw/Salads, Thursday – Potato, Friday – Rice, Saturday – Soup, Sunday – One Pot/Roast 

These days I rarely follow it (as I'm concentrating more on just using up what I've got in) but it was really helpful when I did it!  😁

SausageDogSandwich

Hi all, hope everyone has had a good week. 

We should of had takeaway last night but no one fancied it so just had a sandwich. Tonight should still be cottage pie as long as the mash I made at the start of the week is alright, if not I don’t know what we shall have. The plan for next week isn’t the most inspirational but I am trying not to spend a lot this week (again)   

Monday- Takeaway has moved to today from lasts Saturday. (Already accounted for)
Tuesday- home made pizzzas and salad
Wednesday- Spaghetti & quorn meatballs
Thursday- Bean chilli and rice
Friday- Afternoon tea … kids will make scones and a tray cake to have with cheese or tuna sandwich with crisps and veg sticks.
Saturday- beef or chicken burger, chips and peas/carrots
Sunday- Undecided yet, will have to see what we have left by Sunday.

breakfast will be cereals, lunches as the kids are on half term will be egg bagels, cheese on toast, soup etc. 

C_J

Prudent said:

I have some edamame beans in the freezer which could do with using. I will need to find some recipes. I have have four courgettes, a red pepper, some lettuce and salad leaves, carrots, a cucumber, broccoli and some celery. I will update when I find some ideas. 

The edamame beans, courgette, red pepper, broccoli and celery would make a lovely stir fry. The carrot, red pepper and celery could turn into some healthy soup. The courgette and carrot can be grated together and turned into tasty fritters to have with the salad leaves and cucumber.

mrs_motivated

Just caught up on here, love reading what others are having it’s a great thread for ideas.

So a little late as I did my plan from Friday, but here goes,

Fri - steak, salad and jersey royals
Sat - fish in a cheese and herb sauce, mash, broccoli and sweetcorn
Sun - Slow cooked roast chicken, veg, stuffing and roast potatoes 
Mon - Sunday leftovers, only cooking for two so tend to double up and have on Monday.
Tues - Tandoori chicken, rice, poppadoms, raita / chutney 
Wed - lemon and herb chicken schnitzel, salad and either a few chips or a jacket spud

Off away for a long weekend, so will be eating out Thursday to Sunday,  going to Italy for a few days so will have pasta one day and calves liver another, the other two days will depend on what I fancy on the day.

pamsdish

My meal plan starts today, this was Friday,  didn't upload,  so again 

Prudent

C_J said:

Prudent said:

I have some edamame beans in the freezer which could do with using. I will need to find some recipes. I have have four courgettes, a red pepper, some lettuce and salad leaves, carrots, a cucumber, broccoli and some celery. I will update when I find some ideas. 

The edamame beans, courgette, red pepper, broccoli and celery would make a lovely stir fry. The carrot, red pepper and celery could turn into some healthy soup. The courgette and carrot can be grated together and turned into tasty fritters to have with the salad leaves and cucumber.

Thank you so much. I am sorry for not replying yesterday. I needed a gift unexpectedly so dug out my sewing machine and made a journal cover. 

I also had a butternut squash which I forgot in the list. As I was sewing I didn’t get much meal planning done. However lunch and dinner were made and there are some left overs too. For lunch I made a spicy butternut, lentil and tomato soup using tinned tomatoes. I also found a withered lime and lemon. The lime still tasted good squeezed into the soup. Dinner was an edamame risotto using the beans, an onion, some mint from the garden, the lemon, some salad leaves and some foraged wild garlic and netttle leaves. 

Lunch today will be left overs from yesterday and dinner is going to be a veggie chilli. I have half a small bag of Quran mince , some kidney beans and some passata. Can I put celery in the chilli or would it just taste odd? I am going to see if I can forage any dandelion leaves to bulk out the salad leaves a wee bit to go with it. 

bouicca21

Veg box arrived today with masses of  stuff so I’ve made a 2 week plan to ensure  I use it all
sea bass with Mediterranean veg and spinach x 2
chicken stir fry x 2
mushroom and asparagus risotto 
smoked haddock, poached egg and asparagus
Roast chicken thighs, broad beans, spinach or asparagus depending on what’s left x 2
Fish stir fry x 2
Slow cooker game casserole, carrots, whatever other veg still left  x2
Pasta puttanesca 
tuna anchovy and olive linguine

desserts will mainly be fresh fruit and kefir, but I’ll put a rice pudding in with the chicken thighs to make best use of my oven