https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 12 Apr 2026 18:12:17 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-86730 Sun, 04 Mar 2012 21:59:18 +0000 PitBulLover 86730@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I haven't before, but I've always wanted to. Just this past week I started a google doc for all of my Pinterest recipes. I've categorized them by type of meal (like fish, pasta, salad, etc) and then listed out the main ingredients next to each one so I can easily choose a few recipes for a week that share similar ingredients. I'm excited to try it </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-86039 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:40:03 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 86039@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I plan for five days and leave two open for leftovers or dining out. I don't plan what meal to cook on what day though because sometimes I just want to make the easy meal instead of the more complicated one. So I have more of a flexible plan. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85960 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:59:55 +0000 heartonastring 85960@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, I do. Usually I menu plan on Sunday and either do my shopping for the week on Sunday afternoon or after work on Monday depending on what I have going on.</p> <p>I started menu planning as a way to save money and have more time available after work (I used to run to the grocery store on an almost daily basis) to work out. It has helped me accomplish both those things!</p> <p>I eat a pretty strict diet, so it's important for me to plan out everything. I now plan not just dinners, but also breakfasts, lunches and snacks so that I know I have everything I need for the entire week on hand. Usually I spend Sunday afternoons prepping my breakfasts and lunches for the entire week.</p> <p>I really feel like menu planning has saved me a lot of money and time, so I've come to absolutely love it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85959 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:59:32 +0000 mediagirl 85959@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I grocery shop every week with a plan in mind for our weekly meals. DH is allergic to everything (okay, not everything, just tomatoes, nuts and dairy) so it really cuts down what I can make. I find if I want to make fresh meals and stuff he can eat, I have to pick stuff up groceries weekly.</p> <p>We re-use meals all the time because we are so limited. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85952 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:52:31 +0000 babyz 85952@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not for an entire week, but when I go grocery shopping; I try to plan 3 solid dinners for the week.... the rest we either take out or eat leftovers.. or even cereal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85875 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:31:22 +0000 venice4504 85875@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I usually go to the store on a Monday and buy at least enough protein for 3 dinners. And other stuff. After that with our schedules it's hit and miss so one night it might be pizza/mac &amp; cheese or the like. I'll head back to the store to buy fresh produce and such through out the week though.</p> <p>I've really gotten into looking on Pinterest for different meal options and planning on at least trying one new thing a week. It's worked out really well so far. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85776 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:19:10 +0000 Alivoo01 85776@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I menu plan for the month, but go grocery shopping on Sunday for that week's meals. Hubby and I can never decide on dinner and I get frustrated when I ask him what would he like to have tonight. His response is always, "What ever you wanna cook."</p> <p>Monthly menu planning has worked out great for us! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85762 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:05:45 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 85762@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Bee: @looch: Ooooo yes please. I never know what to make and getting ideas from others is awesome!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85750 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 09:56:13 +0000 mrsjyw 85750@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When we grocery we kind of plan for the week and weekend... especially now that we're in Lent and not eating out... </p> <p>We try to buy diverse veggies that we can just swap out the protein each night and in a pasta, bun, or rice :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85737 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 09:33:57 +0000 mrs. wagon 85737@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I try to keep the ingredients for 2 or 3 regular meals on hand. Right now they are: pasta with turkey meatballs, shake n bake pork chops with mashed potatoes and a veggie side, and some sort of slow cooker meal. Lately I have been so exhausted with the pregnancy that we've been eating out a lot. We usually make RJ the same things for dinner, things we know he'll eat: fishsticks (we get these great ones from costco that are actual pieces of fish filet, yum), mac and cheese with ham and veggies mixed in, plain pasta with ham and cheese (his daycare lunch). About once a week we'll order a pizza, and thankfully he's been eating that lately. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85721 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:23:26 +0000 mamabolt 85721@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yup, on Sundays we brainstorm what things we feel like eating that week Sunday-Thursday and make a meal plan on the whiteboard in our kitchen, and then make a grocery list from that. We have a list of 20 or so simple weekday meals that we use for most of them, and on Sunday we cook something that requires more effort/is a new recipe we want to try. Friday and Saturday are either leftovers, takeout, or a restaurant. </p> <p>I've also heard of making a month-long meal plan and then using it every month. I've considered doing that for the future, seems like it would simplify things even more! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85711 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:05:44 +0000 looch 85711@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: @Mrs. Bee: Done! I also did my menu for the next week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85708 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:59:03 +0000 littlebug 85708@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do weekly planning. I make up the menu on Sunday and go do my shopping. I write the menu on a board in our kitchen. I love it. I get home from work and don't have to think about what I'm making. The meal is planned and I know I have the necessary ingredients. I would love a planning thread! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85703 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:00:15 +0000 Mrs. Bee 85703@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: yes let's share our weekly menus every week! every busy mom needs help with dinner ideas! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85702 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 06:41:03 +0000 Andrea 85702@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: that would be a great idea! i love how HB can be a source of food inspiration! </p> <p>i like to go to grocery store twice a week so i plan my meals twice a week. i try new dishes regularly. i like that i am always introducing new things to the LO. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85688 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 03:48:39 +0000 looch 85688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Should we do a weekly menus thread? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85687 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 03:42:05 +0000 SugarplumsMom 85687@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Almost never, unless a we're having guests over and need to buy the essentials the weekend before. </p> <p>I usually cook what I'm craving and especially enjoy it when we don't have the ingredients and forced to reinvent a dish. If I have my heart set on a dish, then I'd usually call DH and he'd pick up whatever I need on the way home. We usually pick up a few things like eggs, butter, bread, milk, fruit, and veggies at the neighborhood store - at most, we're there 3x a week. When we're absolutely out of ingredients (like now), I find it the most fun because it's like a challenge to put something together.</p> <p>As for really grocery shopping, we go every 3 weeks or so. We're sale shoppers so there's a little variety here and there but not much. This is when I usually have a few dishes in mind that I'd like to cook for the following week. Sometimes I cook them all, sometimes I change my mind and end up cooking something completely different (this is when there's a high potential of things going bad, because if I don't cook a butternut squash for "the pasta dish" I had in mind, then I forget about it). </p> <p>I normally don't repeat dishes every week. If there's a particular dish we both like, at most I'd cook it maybe every 2 weeks. The invention part makes it easier to have something new =) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85678 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 02:40:45 +0000 looch 85678@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do, it took a while to stick to the plan. We were throwing a lot away, and with the price of food being what it is, I was feeling guilty. I have a little notebook that has the menu on the left page and the shopping list on the right page. If I don't write it down, chances are I'll forget to buy it.</p> <p>I plan the menu on Friday, we grocery shop on Saturday and I usually need to supplement with another 2 small trips during the week for fresh veggies and milk. I try to take advantage of things that keep in the freezer, like spinach instead of trying to wrangle with fresh. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85669 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 01:08:44 +0000 Red 85669@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been meaning to but can never follow through on what I plan. Now I grocery shop only for the next 2-3 meals so I don't have fresh veggies wilting in the fridge. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85668 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:40:35 +0000 Boogs 85668@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't, but need to do it because it's so much more work dragging LO to the store a couple times a week. As for repeats, I always wait at least 2 weeks before making something again. I wish I knew how to make Korean food, so you have any recipes you could share? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85661 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:10:58 +0000 BoogieBea 85661@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I try to for a few meals. It's usually dishes i make regularly so I know exactly what I need at the grocery store without having to make lists. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85660 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 23:57:38 +0000 Grace 85660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I try planning 1 or 2 meals. That way I usually make it and I don't get overwhelmed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85612 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:38:43 +0000 cupcakemama 85612@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We plan for the week, otherwise we wouldn't know what to get at the supermarket! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85609 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:34:45 +0000 Meridian 85609@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've tried planning in the past, but always just lasted a few weeks and then never followed through :P It works well when I actually DO it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85599 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:29:19 +0000 MamaCate 85599@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do meal plan for the week, choosing easier things for during the week and bigger things for the weekend that also make leftovers for lunches. I love coming home and not having to spend energy figuring out what to do for dinner--we just look at the list and get cooking. We do try to build in one easy meal or takeout and can move it around if we are too tired or busy to cook. I hope you like it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85572 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:01:53 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 85572@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did for 1 month and it was awesome. I need to start it up again. I even designed a weekly meal planner too! ;) (can be found on my blog) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85559 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:51:35 +0000 yoursilverlining 85559@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We sort of do - we try to loosely menu plan for the week, but the exact order of meals is subject to change and subject to things like avocados being ripe, getting salad greens from the farmers market, how we feel, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85556 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:46:48 +0000 skibobrown 85556@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We try to buy supplies for 3-4 dinners each week. Usually one of those is a more complex cooking project that we do on Sunday night, and the others are quick to prepare during the week. For the extra nights of the week we fill in with leftovers, whatever we have in the cabinets, or takeout. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85528 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:20:43 +0000 heffalump 85528@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've tried planning, but then things always come up and then I have food that will go to waste. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-menu-plan-for-the-whole-week#post-85527 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:19:57 +0000 BSB 85527@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm going to plan for the entire month by following the Once-a-month mom website. First time I'm going to try it. Wish me luck! </p>