I'm thinking I'd like to do 2 vegetarian meals/week, 1 fish meal/week (even as I type that out, I know that one's NOT gonna happen), and 1 meal big enough for another night a leftovers. Sounds easy enough, yeah? That's only four dinners! Only I'm horribly unorganized. My grocery lists are usually scribbled on the back of a receipt. And I usually run to the store 2 more times than I ought. You see, it's a vicious cycle.
{I hate grocery shopping, I hate list making, and I feel guilty when I eat too much processed food}
{I end up eating processed food, because I hate grocery shopping, because I hate making lists}
Anyway, I pinned this and I'm hoping to make a legit effort to bring it to fruition for my meal planning. I like because you can use your tried & recipes an it's all typed up and ready to go when ya need it.
BASICALLY: just make a list of the top 30 or so recipes you use most often; create a spreadsheet with the recipes along the side and the ingredients along the top; plan a week ahead for the recipes you want to make; circle ingredients on the spreadsheet, and you've got your shopping planned! Boom. That just happened.
What do you think? A go? I'm curious if you're a meal planner, and if so what works for you?? I need help!
quit the talking, lets do!
ReplyDeletewas your post happily inspired by my pity processed party?
the spreadsheet could be genius.
is dave happy eating so little meat? that's what i struggle with. i don't need it (don't get me wrong, i love a juicy steak), but jer wants it every night!
ReplyDeleteLike you said I have a list of about 20 meals that we like. I usually plan out 3 big dinners, expecting leftovers for the other nights of the week. Then we end up having "breakfast" for dinner at least once a week, mostly scrambled eggs :) I go on and off doing this but I certainly eat healthier and save money by making meal plan and corresponding grocery list:)
ReplyDeleteRachie--yep, inspired by you cuz I remembered I pinned this sucker and realllllly want to use it. Let's start combining our recipes.
ReplyDeleteAndie--Dave is pretty much happy when he comes home and there is some type of left over for him to heat up and eat. Meat or no-meat...
April--sweet! Glad this system works. I always forget the breakfast for dinner idea and need to remember!
I am not a meal planner at all, but my meals end up pretty good, I must say, on all fronts. I need to make a habit of sitting down and planning each week out, but summer is hard because I feel so free in planning my meal around what the season offers. I work really hard to cook seasonally and locally, so you won't find me eating strawberries in February, even if it is Valentine's Day, unless the strawberries are frozen from fresh. I just sort of aim for a couple of legume-for-protein meals a week (or tofu, or edamame, or avocado, etc.) and then a few meat meals, because they fill up my man more. I actually lean much more toward vegetarian meals these days because honestly, I cannot get this little girl to eat meat for my life. So non-heme protein sources are savers. I also always have plenty of fresh vegetables that inspire me toward different dishes. I used to make more complicated meals, but now they're simpler and don't take too much time. I do frequently make frittattas; they're glue for all kinds of vegetables, and they're sort of a meal-in-a-dish option.
ReplyDeletep.s. I always strive for leftovers, but they get sent with my man for work meals; it's a rare day when he has to pack a sandwich for lunch. I need to make even larger portions. (Oh, and when I make soup, I make TONS, portion into containers, label, and freeze. I always have a few soups-as-meal options in the freezer...there are always days when those are savers.)
ReplyDelete