Okay, meal planning. Let's talk.
When I was single & living alone, I had some strange eating habits. For instance, for dinner I would have either a bowl of steamed rice, an apple + peanut butter, or chips and salsa. Well, when I started dating Danny I knew this sort of lifestyle wouldn't work. Danny is a tall thin guy with a rockin metabolism (lucky.) and he needs food and lots of it!
Enter meal planning.
Obviously, I am no pro. But I am learning. And it's fun. So you should learn, too...even if some of these points are totally obvious, they're sort of key to this whole thing.
So here we go.
1. I was the girl in 2nd grade who asked the teacher everyday to write the day's schedule on the white board (I realize now how annoying that probably was...). I'm still that girl, except I'm the teacher and the white board is this lovely little notepad on the left. Make your meal plan visible for the week- it will help you, especially with making your grocery list. It also helps to know what's coming at the end of the night. For instance, I eat differently during the day on a salad night than I do on a chili or fettuccine night.
2.Buy a list like the one on the right. It will help you stay organized and keep you from running back to the store 3-4 times a week.
3.Waste as little as possible. Take a look at your ingredients...if you're buying something special for one meal and will have leftovers, come up with another place to use it. For example, we love black beans but can never finish a can. So we will eat them one night with our enchiladas, and use the leftovers in tortilla soup. (Can I just stop here and give a little shout out to soup? Just throw in what you've got and...ta-da!) Or If you're buying buns for burgers, use them again for pulled pork or chicken sandwiches. You get the idea.
4. Always have certain staples on hand. Keep pasta & a jar of sauce for those "We have nothing to eat" nights. Stock up on staples when you have coupons on hand. (like $10 off $50 spent at Fresh & Easy- booya!)
5. Have multiple "genres" of food each week. No one wants to eat Mexican food every night. Okay, maybe I do, but my husband doesn't! Think of something with a Mexican, Italian, Chinese flare. The more variety, the better.
6. Don't be afraid to try something new! I try a new recipe at least twice a month. You never know what you'll try that will make the regular routine (lettuce wraps!). If it's a fail (chicken parm in the crockpot...ugh!), well, you always have #4.
7. Try to use a crockpot at least every other week. There's nothing like coming home to a finished meal that has made your entire home smell wonderfully. Also, when you know you'll be busy the next night make a meal (like quiche or a caserrole) the night before. This will make it less tempting to eat out.
8. Speaking of eating out, do you know how much money you can save by cutting back? We have a $30 "eating out" line in our monthly budget. & we stick to it. It keeps us on track, even if we do wish we could go out for sushi every single weekend.
9. Don't forget about BFD- Breakfast For Dinner. I somehow forget about BFD from time to time, but it's a fun way to break up the typical dinner menu!
10. Ask for help! I'll plan 3-4 of the week's meals and then ask Danny waht he likes. We have different preferences so it helps even out the score.
Okay, that is all. I'm off my soapbox for the day.
Go plan your meals!
Do you have meal planning tips! Do share!!!
