It is always a good feeling starting the week with a meal plan. I try to keep the process as simple as possible and have come up with a system that is fast and efficient and works for me and my family! :)
I always start by checking what I have in the fridge and freezer, taking into consideration what I want to use up first.
Then I sit down with my menu note pad, grocery note pad, my cookbooks, and maybe the iPad if there are some online recipes I have been wanting to try.
I found this grocery list note pad show below at Dollarama. I keep it on top of my fridge where it is easily accessible. I actually use it more as a fridge, freezer, pantry inventory checklist as well as grocery list. The way I use it as an inventory checklist is as soon as I notice an item is running low I will mark it down on this note pad. Then when I am making my final grocery list I know what I need to buy! For example, one afternoon I was baking and realized I was low on vanilla extract so I simply took down the note pad and quickly wrote vanilla extract in the appropriate category on the list. The same would go for when I am low on chicken in the freezer, or eggs in the fridge!
When I use my menu note pad from Anthroplogie I always write in pencil so I can reuse a menu a few more times by simply erasing it .
After a few weeks the menu does start to look worn and I replace it. I have also considered laminating it and using a dry erase marker -- maybe when I am down to the last few pages of the note pad I will do this :)
Then I try to be mindful of variety for the week, for example, limit having chicken or beef two nights in a row, or two rice dishes back to back. Sometimes, however, despite my best efforts there may be, for example, a pasta meal back to back or a chicken meal back to back. This usually happens if something comes up randomly during the week and I have to move some meals around to make it work. For the most part, however, I try my best to have a good variety for the week.
Also, I am not super strict about Mondays always being meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, or fish Friday, but I will use that as a guide when I can. I also take into consideration what we ate on the weekend in order to mix it up :)
Once I have decided what meals I want to make when, I fill in my menu accordingly. I keep it posted in my kitchen so I can see what is coming up and what meat I need to take out of the freezer, etc.
Once my menu is filled in I look at the ingredients I will need for each recipe and make my final grocery list -- adding anything from my inventory list as well. I do try and keep a pretty stocked pantry and many of my go-to recipes have similar ingredients so I always try to have those staples on hand.
Sample meal plan:
Monday: Creamy Mushroom Pasta
Tuesday: Chicken Stirfry with Rice
Wednesday: Orzo Stuffed Peppers
Thursday: Meatballs over Qunioa
Friday: Breaded Fish & Potatoes
Saturday: BBQ Chicken Pizza
Sunday: BBQ Steak & French Fries
** Many of the days meals I will also make a simple salad but I don't always add that on the menu. I do this especially on pasta or pizza nights! :)
So basically to recap I:
1. Check fridge and freezer first for items I need to use up!
2. Then I sit at the table with my "menu planning supplies" -- grocery list note pad, menu note pad, cookbooks, & iPad
3. Have a look through my cookbooks and on the iPad for recipes to use up my ingredients as well as look for new recipes to try -- sometimes I won't even need to look through cookbooks if I see what ingredients need to be used up I think of go-to recipes I have made many times and add it to menu skipping the cookbook step. :)
4. After deciding on the menu I want for week, I fill in my menu notepad accordingly, making sure to have as much variety throughout the week as possible
5. I then fill out my grocery list adding in ingredients I will need to make my recipes
Buono Apppetito!!
xo