breakfast, lunch, and supper, and snacks?
do you just plan supper?
im just starting out. and so far I am just planning supper but I pretty much can only plan for meals for myself (and ds... but he is 10 months) since dh eats what he wants when he wants (from what he buys)
I plan my meals out from what sounds good. from what I have, and what I have to buy. then I make my grocery list for what I need for the meals. plus healthy snacks. ( and possibilities for lunch/breakfast)
(coupons for food, are not worth much where I live. other wise I would coupon more)
so what do you ladies do?
I do because if I don't DD would have a melt down on me , and I look at school to make sure it is nothing she is having that day or packed for that day. Then her days off I do lunch. You have to start somewhere and starting with Dinner is fine. I do not shop with coupons unless it is for so much off of a entire order ... simply because I cook and shop whole foods when I go to the grocery store and there are not coupons for that to often.
I plan for every meal. We are following a nutrient dense diet plan, and planning every meal allows me to see if we're running a deficit in any nutrients, plus I don't have to think twice during the week about what to have for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Planning all three meals also allows me to maybe cook ahead, such as making soups in the crockpot or baking a breakfast casserole the night before to be reheated in the morning.
It doesn't take long to plan all three meals, then I create my grocery list in even less time.
When I actually write down my plan, I do all 3 meals. I start with a basic framework-like chicken on Monday, soup on Tuesday, beef on Weds, fish/seafood on Thurs, ethnic on Friday, roast or pizza on Saturday and leftovers on Sunday. Then it's easier to plug in specific meals. I do a similar thing for breakfast and lunch too. Like Rhonda said, having it planned out can help avoid last minute "uh-ohs" However, to be totally fair here, I'll do good for a month and then 2-3 go by before I actually write down a plan again. Do what's slightly beyond your comfort zone, to stretch and grow and then when that gets comfortable, do more.
When my first born was 10 mos old, I would fix an adult version of his breakfast for me & dh. If he was having oatmeal & applesauce, I would make us some apple cinnamon muffins. For me - that was a good meal planning start.
I don't really shop with coupons either, since 1/3 of my grocery list is usually composed of produce, but I've noticed a huge decrease in my bill since I started planning our meals.
I make a list of the dinners that I have bought ingredients for and my husband can pick whichever one he feels like having that day.
May Randomness!
- Mama_Dolly
on Nov. 19, 2012 at 7:51 PM