https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:34:42 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1531871 Sat, 29 Mar 2014 21:07:31 +0000 snowjewelz 1531871@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes... Bc I don't cook lol and I can never imagine DH meal planning! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1531419 Sat, 29 Mar 2014 12:49:53 +0000 AmandaB8 1531419@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It took me a while to get really good at it. I pick out 4 meals a week. We usually end up going out once, eating a frozen pizza once, and either eating a quick meal (like hot dogs or something) or leftovers for another. I don't set a date for each one, so we can move them around however we feel.</p> <p>It forces me to go grocery shopping once a week, but it works out really well for us. And food rarely goes bad anymore! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1531413 Sat, 29 Mar 2014 12:44:01 +0000 sarac 1531413@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Totally cut my grocery budget in half, and now we have way less waste. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1530924 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 21:30:43 +0000 mrs. 64 1530924@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am the worst at meal planning. Even if I somehow manage to do it, by the time dinner comes I never want what I've planned. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1530906 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 21:18:37 +0000 808love 1530906@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is what works well for me. I check the pantry before I go shopping, think of a few meals I could make if I bought 1-2 ingredients, then buy mainly sale stuff and come home and write up my meal plan as I'm unpacking the groceries. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1530078 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 14:35:10 +0000 blackbird 1530078@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used to, but then I realized how much time it saved me during the week (and money) so i just do it. I don't put too much focus on what we eat/how delicious it is/what we feel like. Food is food, sometimes. I usually only plan maybe 5 nights and we eat leftovers/wing it the other nights/eat out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1530029 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 14:18:31 +0000 PurplePeony 1530029@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a hard time with it for a lot of reasons already mentioned. Mainly, I have a hard time coming up with a week's worth of meals...but whenever I look at websites that do tjis for you, at least half of the meals sound really unappealing. Also, we don't really eat pork and for some reason I feel like most premade meal plans are pretty pork-heavy! I really need to come up with four week's worth of meals and build a template so we have each of them once per month or something like that. But we also don't always stick to the plan if something comes up or we don't feel like eating that night's dinner or whatever, so we need to be better about that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529610 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 12:12:26 +0000 deerylou 1529610@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've gotten pretty good at it, but I fall into slumps, at times. I try to make expensive ingredients cross over into more than one meal, so we can keep our grocery bill down. That can get tricky, at times. I have a rotation of food blogs I frequent for new ideas, and have a word doc of favorites we keep in rotation. I only plan for a week, at a time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529608 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 12:12:10 +0000 Smurfette 1529608@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep! I have no idea what I am going to want to eat 5 days from now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529585 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 12:01:39 +0000 Mrs. M 1529585@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am good at the planning part, but not the execution. Having a toddler is the biggest issue. Unless I make meals during her afternoon nap it doesn't work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529479 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:31:25 +0000 honeybear 1529479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes! I like the idea in theory, but my plans often crumble in the supermarket. They won't have something I need or an ingredient will look terrible and I'll have to scratch an entire meal or go to another store. I often try to plan for a week, but I find it's easier to plan for a few days. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529442 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:20:28 +0000 lovehoneybee 1529442@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I try, but I don't usually do so well. I stress myself out trying to think of interesting meals (especially vegetarian meals) and always end up making the same things.</p> <p>I do okay making a loose weekly plan. 5-6 meals, not set for a particular day, that I have all of the ingredients to make. I try to select a meal off of there to make, and most of the time I do, but it also gives me a little bit of wiggle room to deviate. </p> <p>@looch: I'm all about frozen veggies. Half of my freezer is frozen veggies. Pre-cut and super quick to cook, and they don't go bad the way my produce sometimes does. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529441 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:20:20 +0000 JessKas 1529441@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I like meal planning. I use Pinterest to organize my recipes and have it down. I found the key for me is to be flexible with the plan and switch it up sometimes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529413 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:14:28 +0000 Mommy Finger 1529413@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I like cooking and I actually like meal planning. And I"ll be really good at it for a few weeks. But then I don't make it a priority and life gets in the way so I forget. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529403 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:12:21 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1529403@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I think it's just so hard to get quality produce in the winter months - we buy a lot of frozen vegetables to cut costs in the winter. Any vegetable is better than no vegetable - and I think they still retain many health properties, even if not all! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529393 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:09:10 +0000 spaniellove 1529393@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It took me a long time to learn how to do it, and it wasn't until DH tried to do it that I realized that I had certain rules about it. But it definitely saves money and once you find that you're making the same meals in rotation with similar ingredients you can just buy fewer things in bulk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529331 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:55:31 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 1529331@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It doesn't work for us. We buy whatever produce is on sale/ looks good and then go off of that. The kids will only eat fresh food and I don't let anything go to waste so I constantly just have to make things up depending on what we have. It's exhausting but planning never works because I don't feel like making something, or have a busy day and don't have time. I dunno. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529330 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:55:31 +0000 mrsjyw 1529330@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>yep. i've tried and failed.</p> <p>various reasons. we cook on the fly and it's what works for us. i do have a mental list of all our groceries, so i semi-meal plan in my head (esp during lent) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529253 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:42:00 +0000 cmomma17 1529253@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have tried a few times to get into meal planning and have failed for various reasons.</p> <p>One of my big challenges is DH not really loving leftovers (which he is actually getting much better about) and then the two of us having very different tastes and diets (he's big into weightlifting and eating tons of chicken breast, where I am a vegetarian for example).</p> <p>I think it's worth another shot! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529194 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:31:11 +0000 plantains 1529194@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I hate meal planning. I really do need to get into it though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529161 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:24:38 +0000 Mae 1529161@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a hard time with it. The main issue is that we're just so bored of everything. I am a really picky eater, and my husband claims not to be but in all honesty IS a picky eater in that he doesn't like a lot of the (few) things I like. We just have really different food preferences and there isn't a ton of crossover, so there aren't too many dishes we can make we both like which means meal planning feels painful because its like ummmmmmm tacos again? I guess? Meh. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529154 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:24:13 +0000 TemperanceBrennan 1529154@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a really hard time planning my own meals so we bit the bullet and subscribe to an online meal planner. It's all fresh/whole foods and provides 5 dinner plans which allows us enough flexibility for eating out or if plans change. We end up saving money because don't throw out as much food. </p> <p>The meals are always different, so I like the variety and the exposure to different kinds of foods, but it probably wouldn't be great for picky little ones. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529148 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:23:22 +0000 LuLu Mom 1529148@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I actually have found it usually works well for me, however nothing annoys me more than a change in plans and I have bought stuff for a meal and it goes bad before I get a chance to make it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529137 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:20:27 +0000 2PeasinaPod 1529137@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I always run out of time. I have these grand plans, and then suddenly, it's way to late to even think about making whatever I planned. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529136 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:20:22 +0000 swurlygurl 1529136@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: That plum chicken sounds really amazing!! Frozen veggies have also become a new staple for us. The frozen corn I buy is actually really good, it tastes sooo fresh! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529133 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:19:14 +0000 regberadaisy 1529133@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I found it hard to meal plan when I was pregnant because I never knew what I would feel like eating that day.</p> <p>Maybe in your case instead of meal planning the whole week it can be just 4-5 days. Then that way you give yourself 2-3 days of flying by the seat of your pants if you don't feel like something one night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529124 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:16:40 +0000 looch 1529124@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, that's the problem I have...if I know what I am cooking, no problem. But if I have to figure it out while I am standing in the kitchen, it's a problem.</p> <p>Tonight I am planning on making a plum chicken stirfry with rice. The veggies are all frozen and chopped, so no prep there. I don't mind taking help where I can. Just because I don't wash and chop the brocolli myself doesn't mean it's not healthy. I really feel frozen veggies get a bad rap! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529116 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:14:46 +0000 swurlygurl 1529116@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh - I don't know why I can't do it.</p> <p>I LOVE leftovers (well, you know, the convenience of them, obviously food tastes better fresh), so that's not my problem.</p> <p>Something always comes up (ILs invite us over for dinner on a random night, DH has a spur-of-the-moment out of town trip, we need to run errands on a week night and don't get home til 8) and my plan gets messed up and I can't get back on it and then food spoils. I hate waste more than almost anything, so it kills me to toss food.</p> <p>It's SO hard to cook a meal every night with a toddler though - especially if I have no idea what I'm cooking... :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529104 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:12:00 +0000 looch 1529104@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The planning is not the hard part, for me it's the execution. I am okay with prepping in advance, but I don't like a lot of leftovers.</p> <p>I have come to realize that what works for me is to select simple proteins, package them in meal sized portions, prep and freeze. The night before, I just have to move from the freezer to fridge and prep a side dish the night of. My oven is my best friend. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-have-trouble-meal-planning#post-1529053 Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:58:08 +0000 matador84 1529053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a hard time finding things a. DS will eat b. easy to cook with a 1 month old and 19 month old in tow<br /> It takes me forever to meal plan and DH always gives me hard time aboutt it </p>