Let's Talk Menu-Planning

[Nada.Leona]

Tell me your menu-planning strategy. Is it the week before, the month before, the day before, the hour before? Does it involve just the main, or do you also include sides and dessert? Do you figure out how many fruits/veggies/breads/meats/etc. you are including for each individual in your family? Do you plan around flyers/coupons/what's already on hand?

I need some inspiration so I can stop being a perfectionist and just put a couple dishes together in a list!!!

[annymoll]

I had been planning menus for the month, but I am finding it easier to plan for the week. We have our meats already purchased( just need chicken). I watch flyers for the deals on my fruits and veggies. Most of our meals are very simple- nothing that requires alot of preparation. I try not to alter the food much(baked potato over mashed, chicken breast over chicken salad, etc.)Makes for easy cleanup too. I plan for all meals , plus any snacks .

[pip]

I'm very casual about the whole thing, I could probably be more organized, but it works for me. The most I plan for is for a week at a time. I look over what I have in the freezer and pantry and lately am trying to use what I already have. I like to cook simply, main dishes that are maybe 3-5 ingredients. No fancy ingredients, either, if I can help it. I will try to think of a couple items on the side, a potato/rice/pasta and veggie. I don't ever plan a dessert. We end up eating enough sweets without planning for them!
I like things like soups, chili, roasts in the crockpot and I'm into comfort foods like casseroles. I take into consideration how busy the afternoon/evening will be and what my family enjoys. And, that's it!

[mommy4ever]

I try to do 2 weeks at a time, as that's how I shop. It does save alot. A few days before payday, I will go through my freezer and pantry and start there. Then look at the sales. From there I come up with the menus.

I rarely plan desserts, but I do plan for lunches and snacks. As I'm home all day and feed at least 4 of us. So have to plan it

By doing this I've been on track with my food budget. I've $140 left to use and the month is 1/2 over. Used 1/2 the budget Hope to come in under and bank the balance..lol. I'm such a zealot..lol

[monkeywrangler71]

I plan for a week at a time, the same day that the flyers come out. I basically have a list of main dishes and I just pick 7 that use whatever is on sale or on hand. I typically arrange them so ones that generate a lot of leftovers are early in the week. Because of my husband's work schedule, everything on a weeknight needs to be something that either cooks quickly or isn't ruined by sitting for long periods, so fish and roasts are always on weekends.

I only plan supper; breakfast, lunch and snacks are just whatever we feel like having; packed lunches are usually leftovers.

I don't plan vegetables ahead, we eat frozen most of the time, so I pretty much just pull out a bag at random and throw it on. If I buy fresh produce (mostly in the summer) then I have to plan. Side dishes are determined by the main dish, we pretty much always have the same combinations.

I don't plan dessert, but I'm thinking of starting in order to cut down on the number of DQ runs in the evening.

[McD]

I don't base my meals off the circulars. I base my menu off of what is tickling my tastebuds.

For example, my last round of meals was: kung pao chicken with rice, chicken quesadillas, tacos, grilled pork chops with greenbeans/corn mix, tbones with pasta salad, and I think that is it.

For some things I plan sides, like when we are grilling or whatever, but chix quesadillas fill us up, so we don't need sides.

If you notice, my meals kind of flow from one another. I bought 2 chix breasts, but only used 1 to make the kung pao chicken, used the other for chix quesadillas, and used the leftover tortillas for tacos.

[Marie78]

I plan my menu up to two weeks in advance, but I plan for at least a week's worth of meals. I make sure before I go grocery shopping I have a list of things that will help us complete at least 1 week's worth of meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). I have a list of dinner ideas that we really enjoy and then I go through the cupboards/fridge/freezer to see what we have on hand for these meals. Then I shop around what I have on hand usually, if I am low on ingredients than it gives me a chance to buy ingredients for meals that haven't cycled through as often. I clip coupons for things I know we buy, mostly pet food and toiletries. I buy generic for everything else and generic is usually cheaper than name brand with a coupon here.

[AmyMCGS]

I menu plan every Sunday night based on what's in the freezer/pantry and what sounds good to me. I do a big grocery trip about once a month and buy meat based on what's on sale, then I just menu plan the weeks around what I have bought & frozen.

I plan suppers- main dish and sides- for each week.

On my cooking blog, I post my weekly menu as a part of "Menu Plan Monday". That's a fun meme I found a while back. Since I already did my plan on Sunday anyways, it's easy for me to post it and participate. A lot of other bloggers link up, too-- it's fun to read what others are planning for the week and get ideas that way. You can click on my cooking blog (link below in my siggy) to see all my recent menus.

[FrugalMomof3]

I usually menu plan for the week, most often this is quite easy for me since leftovers usually lasts us 2-3 days and the next time I cook that lasts for the rest of the week. If it does not that's fine I always have a backup plan

[emily_hope]

I used to didn't plan at all. I would just stand in the kitchen and wonder what was for supper. Then I started planning for the week. Then I started planning for the month. I put down everything. The main dish, the sides and if we are having a dessert. If I do the monthly plan, I buy all the nonperishables and things I can freeze at the first of the month and pick up produce weekly.
I had a light bulb moment not too long ago. I was planning weekly menus and then not keeping them. Once I planned them I should keep them and then eventually I would have like a whole years worth of menus and grocery lists. DUH! I wouldn't have to plan every week. So I am saving the ones that the family gives the thumbs up to. Hopefully, I'll eventually have enough so that I can stop planning unless I want to throw in a new recipe I find.

[Ceashels]

I plan 2 weeks at a time. I made a chart that lists what I have in ther freezer, what I have that is fresh, and what my grocery list is for the menu I have planned. I take it with me when I go shopping and if there is a good sale I can always modify what I have.

I'm not that great at the coupon thing... I don't buy many prepackaged items. I would love to find coupons that list $.25 off one pound of bananas or coupons for milk. LOL

[Grayce]

I plan the menu for a week. I sit down with my calendar and look at what I have planned for the week. I plan more complicated meals for days I am off. When I am working, I plan crockpot meals or quick meals. I keep a pretty full pantry and freezer so I can plan whatever I feel like eating. I do look at the flyers and try and incorporate some sales into my meals. I only plan my suppers, I plan eveything, the main course and the sides. I try and make sure I incorporate vegetables into each meal.

[Cbusmom2g]

I am a completely anal when it comes to my food. I plan a menu every week with what I have, what is going on that week and what is on sale. I will not cook the same thing week after week but we do have leftover night, at least once a week. I love to cook and my husband will take the kids so I get "that" much time as a break. I try to mix up the menu - no two chicken recipes two days in a row. Leftovers when there are enough to not duplicate last nights dinner (in case someone hates it) etc.... I also love to grocery shop so leave maybe one - two- nights open for the sales that are too good to pass up. We eat everything and I think all family meals need to be "special." I refuse to serve crappy or subpar meals. Eating to me is one of your basic life functions and I can do with out a vacation to Mexico but I will not do with (or without) bad/cheap meals, decent housing, and enough clothing to make it to any social occasion. Vacation, new cars, and eating out are extras that I would rather not waste my money on. Enough of my soap box... a few favorite meals at my house....
Meat loaf (cold meat loaf sandwiches for the week)
Asian BBQ chicken
Greek Style shrimp scampi
Spaghetti with Turkey Italian Sauage
Creamy Dijon and Spinach Chicken
Maple Soy Salmon
Turkey Burgers with Special Sauce (cookinglight - highly recommend)
Maple Mustard Pork tenderloin
Homemade Turkey Pot Pie
Hamburger Soup (I make a pot of soup every sunday in the winter to eat thru out the week)

I also am always on the look out with healthy meal options. Love cooking light.


Kinda random - but I think we do not miss eating out as much.

[frugalwanttobe]

This is what has worked for us:
Monday...hamburgers or hotdogs
Tuesday...crockpot meal
Wednesday...Italian meal
Thursday...leftover night or Mexican night
Friday...Pizza night
Saturday...Breakfast for supper

Sundays???? We usually eat at my mother's house but if we do not go there I make a chicken.

I do stray from the above but it gives me a foundation. I was lost before this.

[justpeachy92]

I buy meat every other month at Sams club. I plan my meals by the week, meals are planned on what meat I have, what sides I have, what is on sale and what we have going on(tonight my ds has a ball game at 6pm, we need to be ready to leave by 5....meaning an easy dinner and homework done as soon as the kids get home at 4). I do keep on hand simple things like hot dogs and kraft mac and cheese for when I get sick or something comes up that I need to drop what was planned but still feed the kids.