Tips for Meal Plan Bliss

A revolutionized system is not a revolution unless it works and sticks. I am famous for devising new systems, only to have them dissolve over a few weeks. It is not the system that fizzles, but usually me.

Why? What works for someone else, may not work for you. My new meal planned system may not work for YOU. Though for a lot of you, it may be your ticket to sanity.

Here are a few other tips to guide you in this process into meal planning bliss:

Do not skip using notecards or post its. Why? Because it allows you to move meals around easily.

Schedule in “eating out” cards. What is your goal for eating out? Is it once a week or once a month? You will be more likely to stick to your goal if you plan it in the weeks you want it.

For advanced planners, schedule in cook once, eat twice meals. For example, in week 4, I planned a chicken roast followed by chicken noodle soup. Another example is barbeque chicken, followed by barbeque chicken pizza.

If you utilize left overs for dinners and lunches, be sure that each week has at least 2 or 3 meals with left overs.

Plan economically wise. I made sure that the week we were eating baked salmon we were not also eating a beef roast. These 2 meals are not really “frugal” for our family. However, having rice and bean enchiladas the same week offsets the cost.

Don’t forget pizza night! My kids adore homemade pizza nights. I made sure to plan for pizza night three out of five weeks.

When you are all planned, consider using Excel or a similar program to create a store list. I have created a store list for each menu week. What does this mean? I listed every ingredient for the meals I have planned for that corresponding week. I simply hit print before running to the store. How fun and easy is that?

Consider adding in breakfasts and lunches. Our goal should be to eliminate using as much brain power as possible on a daily basis when it comes to feeding our family.

If you decide to take the one meal plan plunge, be sure to set aside a block of time. It did take me an hour or 2 to create the plan and enter it in Excel. It was worth it. I never have to meal plan again if I don’t want to!

Recognize that you can still try new recipes with this system. It is completely adaptable. A meal plan is a guide. It is there for you to fall back on. If you have more time and energy during grocery planning or meal prep, than go for something unique. However, if you are short on time or energy, your meal plan has you covered. Can I hear an Amen?

So, tell me. Are you going to try something like this for your family?