Looking to hear from others who have a good meal planning/prepping routine - what do you do?
1) How often do you grocery shop?
2) How much do you prep at once?
3) Which meals do you plan/prep?
4) Whats working and whats not working?
Hoping to gather some ideas from others - I have a love/hate relationship with meal prep/planning. Realizing lately how important it is with two working parents, a 22 month old and TTC for #2.
Thanks!
grapefruit / 4545 posts
I'll go first!
1) How often do you grocery shop? I shop usually Sunday mornings. Although now that we are in farmers market season I'll try to get veggies/fruit Saturdays as well.
2) How much do you prep at once? I buy for 3-4 dinners, all my breakfasts (DH doesnt eat breakfast and DD eats at Daycare) and all my lunches (DH refuses to take a lunch and DD again is at DC). This week I prepped all of those meals to some extent on Sunday.
3) Which meals do you plan/prep? See above. For me, I eat B,L & D plus 2 snacks. Plus 3-4 meals a week - not all require prep.
4) Whats working and whats not working? Ugh...variety - I need more of it! Plus - I am trying to limit sodium which makes processed foods almost impossible to eat. I need to start incorporating warehouse shopping into my cycle.
pear / 1614 posts
I would love to hear other perspectives on this. We make our meal plan for the week on Saturday or Sunday (depending on my work schedule, I work a lot of weekends).
1) How often do you grocery shop? One big trip weekly (roughly) but occasional supplemental trips for forgotten items throughout the week
2) How much do you prep at once? My DH is a SAHD and he usually does it in the afternoon for that evening's meal - we haven't gotten to the point where we can consistently prep ahead of time, of course there are always slow cooker meals etc that we start the night before or in the morning.
3) Which meals do you plan/prep? Dinner only.
4) Whats working and whats not working? I honestly don't know how DH manages to get dinner together at all with our 3yo and 18 mo around. They don't nap at the same time. I think that having the foresight to do what we can ahead of time, like prep once weekly for an entire week or even getting some things together the night before, would be much easier on him. Right now we are barely treading water because we are getting ready to sell our house so we are keeping things super simple and ordering in more than usual too. But hoping to get into a better routine once we're in the new house later this summer.
As for what is working well, I think just having a meal plan in place has been amazing for us. We used to be more laid back about it and tried to keep a list of things we wanted to make and had ingredients for - but having a concrete plan has worked out so much better. Another thing that works well is having the time to sit and put some effort into the plan, whether it is one of us or both together. If we just try to come up with a couple meals off the top of our heads it is kind of stressful but when we can sit down and peruse pinterest etc, the menu seems to write itself!
cantaloupe / 6131 posts
1) How often do you grocery shop?
Once a week. Sometimes twice.
2) How much do you prep at once?
Usually one meal a day (dinner), leftovers or sandwiches for lunch, and a set breakfast for the week I prep on Sundays. Some days I also throw something in the crockpot before bed and slip into the fridge in the morning to reheat for dinner.
3) Which meals do you plan/prep?
I plan mostly for dinners 5 nights a week. We eat out once a week and have a Bible study potluck on Fridays. I plan for one kind of breakfast all week long and make enough dinner for lunches or have basic sandwich goods. We keep carrots and basic snacks around to round out our days.
4) Whats working and whats not working?
I try to meal plan for an entire month. That way I can see in a glance what the repeats are and move meals around at will depending on sales and what not. It takes longer to come up with the meals but it saves time in the long run, esp. If you save the menu calendars and refer to them later. We fell into a routine of theme nights like curry night, homemade pizza night, a crockpot meal, Mexican night, and pasta. Things might change seasonally like a grilled meat and salad night or soup and bread night but generally it gives a rhythm to the week without having to eat the same thing all the time. I try to stick to predictable sides - like I pick two veggies and those are the veggies we eat on the side all week for the most part. Or I try to plan meals that can use the same starch twice, like rice or pasta. In the summer when produce is abundant I usually chop up peppers and onions and squash and use those in everything all week - omelets, side dish, in stir fry, grilled, roasted, etc. Fresh fruit is a major snack and dessert.
When we are in a busy season I lean on the crockpot harder and make meats I can use in several applications, like shredded beef or pork or chicken in tacos, sandwiches, soups, and enchiladas. I also will bulk grill a few different kinds of meats and then bake potatoes or sweet potatoes on the coals. Throw a salad in there and you have a quick meal or you can chop up the meats and throw in stirfry or pasta.
Sunday's are a major prep day. Shopping and chopping and washing greens gets done. Breakfasts get done (make pancakes in bulk or have enough yogurt cups in the fridge or make a big pot of oatmeal). Starches and veggies are cooked or prepped. Snacks are packed into baggies. Meats are cut up if needed. This could be a good day for eating a freshly grilled dinner or getting takeout since you're tired from prep. The goal is to prep enough that breakfast and lunch and snacks are on autopilot and dinner takes no more than 30 minutes.
pear / 1614 posts
@Mrs D: Having a pinterest recipe board has been awesome for variety. So many appetizing options, and when I have a spare few minutes at work or while waiting around, I can find a few great sounding recipes and pin them so I know just where to find them later!
grapefruit / 4545 posts
@shellio: I too feel like we are treading water some times and on the verge of just saying to hell with it and ordering in! I try pinterest but in reality I just dont make stuff I pin on there much. I need to - I should try a pinterest recipe every week or something.
@gingerbebe: I did the same thing with veggies/starches this week. I roasted some cut up potatos, green beans and asparagus so I always have sides. It also helps with lunches.
I like the idea of meal planning monthly. 1) It allows for warehouse sized meat purchasing. 2) My DH is weird about repeat meats/flavors - this would help us see that.
I also love the idea of theme nights - we do tacos bi-weekly...now with summer we could easily have some BBQ themes.
We tend to do pizza 1 night every two weeks and eat out once a week. I also push DH to eat leftovers once - though it is a battle.
I have also started making a casserole/staple meal that I can supplement DD with if she hates what DH and I are eating.
GOLD / wonderful olive / 19030 posts
1) How often do you grocery shop? We shop every Sunday afternoon.
2) How much do you prep at once? I prep all our veggies on Sunday afternoon when we get home. I also make up my salads for lunches and bake off chicken breasts for lunch.
3) Which meals do you plan/prep? I meal plan for lunches (for me, DH takes leftovers or a sandwich) and all nightly dinners. breakfast is usually toast or cereal at work. (DD eats at DC, and DH doesn't eat breakfast)
4) Whats working and whats not working? I have to make out my list on Saturday evenings/Sunday morning. I make out my meals and then the groceries I need. I try to pick meals that will use similar produce/ect. so nothing gets thrown out from going bad. Friday's are always an "easy" meal that's either thrown in the crockpot or something like homemade pizza or pasta with the leftover veggies since I'm usually burned out! Saturday lunches are always cold - sandwiches/wraps/fruit/ect. to make it easy on me. I try to incorporate one new meal a week/every other week for some mix up and I check pinterest for new ideas to mix it up so we don't get burned out.
pomelo / 5093 posts
1) How often do you grocery shop?
One big trip a week, then I'll usually pop into a smaller store another time or two for specialty things or things we've run out of.
2) How much do you prep at once?
Usually Sunday night I'll sit my family down and ask what sounds good for the week. I plan three or four meals each week, and the other nights we eat leftovers, or we eat out, or we just make something simple like quesadillas and fruit.
3) Which meals do you plan/prep?
Just dinner. Breakfast and lunch are always the same few things, or leftovers for lunch.
4) Whats working and whats not working?
My husband recently started exercising waaaay more than he used to, so he's been on a big protein kick. For a few weeks he wanted meat and nothing else, but now he's over that and back to lighter food, though still protein heavy. Last week I had a few meals planned that he just didn't feel like eating when the day came, so I mostly froze the meat I'd bought.
I always have a lot of food in the freezer or the pantry for nights like that - if we don't feel like eating what we've planned. Canned tomatoes and such for an easy sauce, sausages and frozen fish in the freezer, always stuff for simple mexican. That way we're not bound by whatever we've planned if we don't feel like it that night.
grapefruit / 4988 posts
1) How often do you grocery shop?
Once per week, either Sat or Sun morning.
2) How much do you prep at once?
We do Sunday + Monday/Tues dinner on Sunday afternoon, then Wed/Thurs dinner on Tues night.
3) Which meals do you plan/prep?
Lunch/dinner for Sunday, dinner for Mon/Tues (cook enough for two nights), dinner for Wed/Thurs (again two nights). We usually eat out or with family on Fri/Sat. We eat green shakes for breakfast and I pack pretty much the same lunch every day, so no real thought goes into that. DH brings leftovers or eats out for lunch. We usually plan out our dinners on Sat so we can buy what we need on Sunday.
4) Whats working and whats not working?
The schedule works for us. We need to have dinner ready ahead of time every weeknight because LO is always famished as soon as we come home from work/daycare. We choose things like casseroles, chili, or stew that are easy to reheat, or else cold stuff like pasta salad, so I admit it gets boring at times. The planning ahead helps us so we don't have to think about it during the week. We also do a good job of only buying exactly what we need and eating it all. The main drawbacks are that we are never eating truly fresh food (almost always reheated) and if we make something we don't like, we end up eating it two nights in a row.
pear / 1696 posts
I SAH so I prob have a lot more time to plan and prep meals, but I really think the most important thing is to shop and plan dinners weekly. I usually plan the upcoming week on Friday night or Sat morning. Then we grocery shop on Sat or Sun. Just having the meals planned and all the ingredients in your house is half the battle. Since you both work full time you will need to develop a list of easy go-to meals. Make the slow cooker your friend! Also double recipes you like and freeze half so you have back up meals stocked up.
pear / 1693 posts
1) How often do you grocery shop?
Costco for meat and bulk things (like rice, etc) about twice a month, grocery store once a week
2) How much do you prep at once?
I make big batches of granola, muffins, etc 1-2 a month for quick breakfasts, and try to cook up some veggies for the week on the weekend. In my weekly meal plan I look at the schedule for the week and if some nights are short on time I prep some things for those dinners and write in my plan to prep others the night before.
3) Which meals do you plan/prep?
Sometimes I plan one meal for breakfast and one for lunch to buy something special for and prep, but I always plan dinners. I have a dedicated pinterest with multiple recipe categories which I use each week to plan.
https://www.pinterest.com/jessicakasimati/
4) Whats working and whats not working?
I'm a student and just switched from twice weekly classes (the rest of the week home with LO) to interning four days a week plus class one day, and have been struggling with the change in time availability and getting dinner ready quick on the nights I get home at 6 and LO is ready for dinner pretty much immediately. Having dinners planned in advance helps a lot in terms of stress and budget though.
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
I grocery shop once a week usually, but I go twice while I'm on leave because I don't plan a week out
I plan 5 dinners (enough for lunch leftovers, too), and two nights are leftovers or "scrounge" nights.
I prep everything I can. Use the food processor to shred and chop everything I need to, trim all the meats, etc. it's easier to do them all at once. I'll put them in bags or pans or whatever and wrap them and put them in the fridge for the night we need them. I spend a couple hours on the weekend but man, I can go to work, work out, and have dinner on the table in 15-30 minutes. I also prep a breakfast like egg muffins more often than not. And sometimes I'll make two of an item (like Hawaiian meatballs or sometbjng) and freeze one portion. Taco meat, pizza dough, etc all freezes beautifully.
persimmon / 1281 posts
1) How often do you grocery shop?
Once a week unless we forgot something or run out. We usually shop on Sunday mornings but I imagine that will change to a week day once I am at home with baby.
We stopped shopping at big box stores when we got pantry moths from some rice we bought at Winco. Every since then, I will only shop at our local store. It grossed me out so bad!!!
2) How much do you prep at once?
We usually get meals that don't require much 'prepping'. And if they do, I just do it day of. I get off work early enough to deal with it.
I was doing mini egg quiches for breakfast & I would make those on Sundays but I got sick of them. Now I usually try to bake 'healthy' muffins or something to snack on.
3) Which meals do you plan/prep?
Right now we meal plan for 5 dinners, my breakfasts and snacks. I eat leftover dinners for lunch and DH eats out for lunch (I try to break him of this habit to no avail)
4) Whats working and whats not working?
We've been meal planning like this for years and both DH and I get annoyed with making the menu come Saturday. I wish someone else would do it for us!
I try to pin only what we are going to eat that week on my pinterest board. If a meal doesn't work out or someone hates it, I delete the pin. We also have a great vegetarian cookbook we pull from every so often. We will add meat to those recipes if we feel like it.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
Most of what I do has already been mentioned. Every Friday we order pizza.
Sunday night I make a double recipe, that's also Monday night's dinner. We eat dinner out Tues/Thurs and I cook on Wednesday. I base the meal off of a protein that we have in serving sizes in the freezer and one pan that I can pop in the oven.
I tried crockpotting, but it's not what i thought it would be in terms of saving time and money for us.
pomegranate / 3032 posts
1) How often do you grocery shop? Usually once per week on sat/sun or monday after work if the weekend was crazy
2) How much do you prep at once? I only cook things that dont need much prep during the week, weekends I might do more time consuming meals
3) Which meals do you plan/prep? I keep a lot of staples in the house esp for breakfast/lunch, emergency dinners (in case i forget to defrost the meat for dinner) We cook M-T occasionally friday, Go out Sat and eat with our parents/family parties on Sun.
4) Whats working and whats not working? I have a love/hate relationship with the crock pot, because I'm alone in the morning with LO and its sometimes hard to prep in the AM. I typically follow protein/starch/veggie combo for dinner.
Breakfast - M-F both Hubs and I eat cereal at work so i buy milk and cereal, daycare provide breakfast so LO needs milk and pouches, breakfast biscuits, bananas in the AM on the way to school. Weekends - I keep Eggs and pancake mix and bread on hand to do something fancier.
Lunch - M-F its either Leftovers, PB&J, Soup, Salad bags, or frozen meals, Daycare give LO lunch. Weekend I try to have american cheese for grilled cheese, hot dogs, tuna fish on hand
Dinner - I keep all my recipes in Pepperplate so when I cant think of what to put on the list i look through that. We grill a lot, do pasta based dishes, Fish, etc. protien/carb/veggie is my formula. I try to keep easy meals on hand - Frozen Pizza, Ham slices, pasta sauce, and theres always breakfast for dinner. Occasionally I'll do more time consuming meals the night before - chili, meatloaf, crock pot prep, soups, etc
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