https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 05 Jun 2026 03:26:07 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-meal-planning#post-2404739 Wed, 30 Dec 2015 15:55:20 +0000 gingerbebe 2404739@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have fallen out of the habit lately, but our most successful meal plans were (1) done monthly, (2) shopped for weekly, and (3) based on a weekly theme night.</p> <p>So for instance, during the winter, our template might be:</p> <p>Mondays: Pizza night<br /> Tuesdays: Curry night<br /> Wednesdays: Mexican<br /> Thursdays: Crockpot<br /> Fridays: Takeout<br /> Saturdays: Leftovers<br /> Sunday: Roasted/baked something night</p> <p>So for each week that month I would plug in something that met the template. Templates are a huge time saver and it also helps you buy or cook a little extra in bulk if there's a sale. If I'm making pizza dough, its no big deal to make a double batch and freeze a few balls. By looking at the menu on a monthly basis, I could see what meats and veg I was rotating through. Once that's in the Google calendar, I can move recipes around based on what might be on sale that week. For example, I might have planned chicken tacos next week, but chicken is on sale THIS week. So I swap it out with whatever Mexican dish was on the schedule for next week and move on. Alternatively, if I know that chicken is at a great price this week, I may buy enough for the freezer and make chicken curry and BBQ chicken pizza later in the month on my menu.</p> <p>When it comes to shopping, I check my pantry and freezer to see if I have anything that can plug into my dinner menu and then make a shopping list for that week. The veggies or sides may be determined by sales or whatever I have in the freezer. I generally try to pick one breakfast to have on the weekdays (oatmeal with fixins, yogurt, muffins, etc) and add those to the list, and take leftovers for lunch. I also always make sure we have sandwich fixings, fresh fruit, milk, eggs, and some snacks on hand. Any good sales on pasta, rice, or pantry staples might get thrown in too.</p> <p>Every few months I try to do a pantry clearing month and work hard on using down anything in the freezer and pantry when menu planning. That might mean the menu gets more creative and there's less template stuff. Grocery bills are great those months and gives me a chance to stock up on pricier things like meat or olive oil. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-meal-planning#post-2404698 Wed, 30 Dec 2015 15:23:29 +0000 AB810 2404698@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We buy most of our meat at Costco and keep it in a deep freezer. At the beginning of the week I pick which meat I'm going to use/have and then pick recipes based on that. I have a Pinterest account just for recipes which I use to organize everything and pick mostly from there. Then I type up a weekly menu for the fridge and go on one weekly shopping trip for the ingredients. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-meal-planning#post-2404697 Wed, 30 Dec 2015 15:23:02 +0000 Silva 2404697@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In cold months, it's usually:<br /> Sunday: roast or other meal that takes awhile, like chili<br /> Monday: fish<br /> Tuesday: soup<br /> Wednesday: tacos/Tex-mex<br /> Thursday: pasta or other quick meal<br /> Friday: usually nachos with leftovers from Wednesday<br /> Saturday: burgers, pizza, something like that</p> <p>I have some go to recipes online and in cookbooks, but also search Pinterest and online for ideas. It's easier when I have categories.<br /> I only work Thursday's and Friday's, so those are my quick nights. I also use the categories loosely which helps me from getting bored. Like soup night could be a big warm salad or polenta with eggs.<br /> I change up the categories a little in the summer. We have an outdoor clay pizza oven, so we cook pizza often in the summer. And grilling, obviously. And usually we do a big salad night instead of soup night.</p> <p>Eta: right now I'm in the throws of nausea and absolutely no interest in most food/food aversions, so my meal planning consists of searing for "good food for dinner" on Pinterest until I get a craving. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-meal-planning#post-2404688 Wed, 30 Dec 2015 15:14:09 +0000 brownepiano 2404688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I look at what is on sale and then browse Pinterest for recipes that look good. I also keep a list of recipes that we like and look through to see if there is anything I feel like making again. I don't plan specific meals for specific night but a list of meals we have ingredients for and then make what I feel like for that night.</p> <p> I always buy some premade food for Sundays so I'm not tempted to eat out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-meal-planning#post-2404660 Wed, 30 Dec 2015 14:50:18 +0000 DenverMom 2404660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're similar to @Lulumom. Come up with a schedule for the week and then do all the grocery shopping for the week on Sunday. Choice of meals are based on cravings, something we haven't had in a while, or what type of meat we have in the freezer. We end up cooking about 3-4 meals/week and the rest are leftovers or going out. I used to go to the grocery store almost daily, but I found this resulted in lots of unnecessary extras and wasted food, plus obviously a higher food bill.</p> <p>ETA: I get most of my dinner ideas from the Pioneer Woman, both her website and cookbooks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-meal-planning#post-2404636 Wed, 30 Dec 2015 14:35:28 +0000 LuLu Mom 2404636@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Friday night/Saturday morning I come up with a meal plan. I ask for ideas, look what meat we have in our freezer, and go from there. We stock up on meat during sales, so i usually have ground beef/turkey, bacon, and chicken breasts on hand. Sometimes pork chops but usually I buy those on an as needed basis. I shop the sale price at the store for the remaining ingredients and will adjust my menu on an as needed basis depending on sale. (swap out tacos for porkchops if they are too pricey, ect.) </p> <p>I always do a weekly grocery trip and get everything we need for the week so there is no impulse buying. We found when we "get what we needed nightly" that it would add up with extra throw ins/junk food costing us way more money than a weekly trip. WE do allow for extra throw ins but because it is usually a bigger trip we know the amount is higher it prevents us from picking up unnecessary things. </p> <p>I also try to go to plan the meal and go to the store with my DH because he keeps me in check from getting extras (USUALLY sometimes he's a liability ha!) One thing for our family is we eat meat at every meal, my DH insist on it, so I try to watch prices because that alone adds up! My goal is to keep our grocery bill for 3 1/2 people (9 month old just starting table food + baby food and snacks) to $125/week. Some weeks is way less if i use the frozen meat some is more when I stock up on a good sale. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-meal-planning#post-2404483 Wed, 30 Dec 2015 12:52:59 +0000 lamariniere 2404483@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I need to get better at this. A few months ago, I started writing down every dinner we had and as time went on, I had a nice list and I would just look at it and cook what sounded good. I go to the grocery store practically every day, so I only buy for one or two dinners at a time. But there are definitely days when that doesn't work or nothing sounds good and I'm left scrambling for ideas at the end of the day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-meal-planning#post-2404474 Wed, 30 Dec 2015 12:45:58 +0000 Bao 2404474@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you plan meals based off what's on sale? Do you do a monthly rotation of certain meals? Ask your DH/kids for idea? Or do you not plan at all and just wing it?</p> <p>I was doing really well with meal planning a few months ago, and then the holidays hit and I stopped planning and started winging and that meant a lot of random items and not many meals. Or ingredients would get wasted. I usually start by browsing the ads first to see what is on sale and build meals around that. If there is something I'm craving and some of the ingredients are not sale I will usually still make it, otherwise I'll be tempted to go out and get that meal elsewhere or waste the other meal ingredients I bought because it doesn't sound good! </p>