Meal Planning Made Easy

It’s 6:00 pm. Do you know what you are feeding your family for supper tonight? If not, you are probably feeling stressed right about now. Whether you are a homeschooling mom like me and must feed your crew three meals a day at home, or simply a wife and mother, meal planning is something we all have to think about.

In our house, I have at least 6 people (if not 7 – 15) to feed three times a day. On those days when I am caught without a plan, it can be exhausting just trying to figure out what to cook. We have very little food in our house that provides instant gratification. Most of our food must be prepared ahead of time.

The first step in being prepared for meal time is to set aside a time each week when you can sit down and plan your menu for the week. Some women prepare for an entire month! I just plan for the week ahead. I like to cook a variety of foods – comfort foods (family favorites) and I like to try out new recipes on a regular basis.

I was reading an article on Keeper of the Home about being good to our husbands with the food we prepare. I started thinking about my own cooking style. The last few years I have been cooking more and more ethnic meals which I love. In fact everyone in the family seems to enjoy them. But as I thought about it, I realized that those meals that get the most praise from my husband and children are the good old fashioned “meat and potatoes” kind of meals. That may sound a little funny considering we are a vegetarian family. However, they love for me to make my version of “meatloaf,” oatmeal patties with gravy, and mashed potatoes are always a hit. Casseroles are also a favorite. Tonight I made my vegetarian “chicken” and dumplings and tomorrow sweet potato casserole (with marshmallows) is on the menu.

These are the kinds of food I grew up eating! I struggle with desire to serve really healthy food and serving food we really love to eat. After reading Stephanie’s article on the subject, I decided I needed to find a healthy balance between the two.

I began to make a list of our favorite meals. I can now refer to this list when I am planning my menu. My list is really long (several pages).  I still want to try new recipes. You never know when you will come across a new family favorite!

You might want to make a list of your family’s favorite foods. You could even get really organized and make the list according to main dish, side dish, salad, soups, etc. like I did; or make the list according to main ingredient – broccoli, eggplant, pasta, etc.

On menu planning day, sit down with your list, your blank menu chart, and a few cookbooks or other recipe sources. Choose mostly from your tried and true favorites and then select a few new ones to try out.

Some other ideas for menu planning and some links to enjoy:

- Menu Plan Monday
- Dine Without Whine
- Menus 4 Moms
- $45 Emergency Menu
- All Recipes