My meal menu is never completely set in stone. From time to time I feel the need to adjust and revamp it. Perhaps to add seasonal vegetables to it or to add a new recipe that was a hit with our family. For whatever the reason, when I change the menu I almost always start in the same way. I grab a piece of paper, make a list of all the foods that we like to eat. I make sure that I have 36 things that we like. That's right, 36! As much as I love tacos, I don't want to eat them week after week.
You will be surprised how easy it is to come up with 36 things that you like to eat. Tacos, pizza, hamburgers, soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, and spaghetti. The list is endless.
I like to have a big meal on Sunday. That particular meal is the most expensive meal of the week. Sunday is the day I will make a roast, or chicken, or make sure to bake rolls. The rest of the week I am a little more budget conscious. I want to eat well and satisfy my family, but I am not busting the bank to put on a big spread every night.
My meals are about food we like to eat, with a reasonable amount of prep time. I don't claim to be a dietician. I am not a proponent of any particular diet. I just like what I like and I like to organize it so that our family can eat homemade, comfort food each evening.
Preparing food at home is a wallet friendly way to nourish my family and keep our budget in check. By creating our list of 36 things that we like to eat we have done all of the hard work right at the beginning.
Once you have your 36 favorite foods listed, use another piece of paper to create a grid that is 6 rows long and 6 columns wide. This gives you a grid with 42 squares on it. Can you see where I am going? Take your grid and put one of the food items in each of the squares. Add the days of the week to the top of each column and you will have 6 weeks of meals already planned. If you notice that there are only 6 columns, this allows for going out to eat once a week or having a "left over" night. I have my "left over" night on Wednesday. It seems like a good night to clean out the fridge as well.
If you follow these two steps you will have your meals organized in no time with no repetitions or boring meals.
Happy Meal Planning,
Jill
No comments:
Post a Comment