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Meal Planning Basics
What is Meal Planning?
Meal planning is nothing more than working out exactly what meals we are going to make in the near future. I try and sit down on a Sunday and do this. It can be as detailed as you want, though the more information you include in your meal scheduling, the better off you will be.
Meal planning is the first step to being more organised because we then know what and how to better meal prep. It saves me a massive amount of time because, although I still go to the shops way often then I should, I am not running to the supermarket every day trying to figure out what to get for dinner that night.
We already know the meals for at least a week beforehand because I plan more than a week ahead to be honest and stick it on our wipe board but here is a rundown of how meal planning works. Keep in mind there is a lot of room for variation you can plan as little or as much as you want! Every little helps!
How Many Weeks to Plan For
The first thing you should decide is exactly how much meal planning you want to do, in regards to how many days or weeks to plan ahead of time. As I’ve already touched on I find planning the whole month at the start works really well because when I head to the supermarket I will ensure I get everything I need for the month. Not so much vegetables or fruit or anything that is going to go off but any tins I need; baked beans, corned beef, tomatoes, pasta, bread and savouries that I know I can freeze for packed lunches. It helps with the budget too!
You should also think about how much time you have for meal planning and prepping the meals too. For example I know we have to be out the house by a certain time on a certain day.. so I am not going to plan a full Sunday lunch style meal on that evening. Look at how often your family likes to switch up recipes, what you have on their list of favourites and realistically too; what budget do you have to spend at the supermarket for planning these meals.
You should also consider how much room you have in your fridge and freezer. I am a real bugger for this… it’s not so much my fridge that is full because I still buy fresh produce every week but my cupboard is packed with tins and the link and my freezer with frozen food prep!
Meal planning for the week
When you are just starting out, try to plan for just one full week and see how it goes. Don’t forget to include all meals and snacks your family will eat for that entire week, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and desserts.
How to start meal planning?
The first thing you need to do to before planning your meals is to take note of everything in your cupboards, freezer, pantry (love a pantry!) and fridge. Write EVERYTHING down, and see what meals you can make from just those ingredients alone.
Once you’ve done that it’s likely you can see that all you might need are some ‘filler ingredients’ or fresh produce to go with it. You may have almost all of the ingredients you need for meals over the next few days which gives you a bit of time to get into a routine.
Once you’re aware of everything you already have in your cupboards, start considering what the different meals are that your family like. Give everyone a piece of paper and give them 15 minutes to write down their favourite meals and hand it back.
How to Be Detailed in Your Meal Plans
Once you have your list of favourites and you’ve worked out the days on which you have to meal prep start writing your schedule.
If you know you will have leftovers from a chicken dinner in order to have lunch for 2-3 days, note it down!
Although during school days the kids stay school dinners or pack up; this could help you massively to reduce how many lunches you need to prepare too. After listing the meals, make another list with all the groceries you need to purchase, minus what you already have in your cupboards.
Leaving Room For Flexibility Throughout the Week
While planning every meal is a great way to save time during the week, there are going to be some situations where it doesn’t go quite as you planned out. Maybe the kids are late home from school or an activity runs late.. be sure you leave some room for flexibility in your meals and meal planning.
Planning for the month allows us to regularly move things around because we know that anything we have on the list we have in to make (nine times out of ten!)
For example, you might have a day where you want to go out to dinner because you just fancy it or you have an unexpected celebration. Don’t not go out just because you planned to make spaghetti that night! Just move things around and make it another night! Meal planning is meant to simplify the process, not restrict yourself too much.
Include Leftovers in Your Plan
Always try to think about leftovers or using certain ingredients in your meal planning that can be used for multiple meals. Can you make a bigger lasagne for example and freeze half for next week? If you know you want to make a meal that includes chicken and are going to buy a pack of chicken breasts anyway, buy more than you need and freeze them. This lets you have enough chicken for that meal, but also for chicken soup, salads, sandwiches, or other dinner ideas. You are going to save money and time by having the extra chicken on hand!
So, I hope that has given you enough information to at least get your on your way to meal planning (if you aren’t already!) but if you have already meade a start, I hope it has perhaps given you a few more ideas to make it even easier!
If you got value from this post let me know and feel free to share with your friends or Pin to read again later!
If you are looking for other ways to save on your grocery shopping then check out some of my previous posts below:
10 freezable foods to save time and money
How I’m Planning on Saving Money on My Food Shop
Some of my Favourite Supermarket Dupes
Meal Planning For Beginners
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