Something that I’ve done for years now (thanks to the idea from my mother in-law who did this for years!) is weekly (and sometimes monthly) meal planning. My planning usually goes something like this…sitting down at my kitchen island Sunday mornings with a cup of coffee, a printed out calendar for the month (see the photo), my previous months of plans, my actual calendar (so I know which nights we need “quick” meals) and any new recipes/cook books/old favorites that I want to peruse or ensure are added to the plan.
On the printed calendar I write out a dinner menu for each night. For example, tonight we are having garlic sautéed shrimp, rice and roasted brussels sprouts. Then, once I have my week planned I draft out a grocery list from those recipes to ensure I’m picking up everything I will need for the week and go grocery shopping. DONE. As the week begins, I know what I’m making daily…I know we are eating healthy well balanced meals that I have pre-planned…I know that I have everything in the house I need…and there is no more thinking about meals!
My Sunday sit-down takes a minimal amount of time (usually the time for me to enjoy my cup of coffee) and I’m literally set for the week (including the busy days where we are running to activities after school or evening events).
The photo above is an example of previous calendar menus that hang on the side of my fridge. It’s nothing fancy, it is hand written, and yes, sometimes I switch up dinners last minute when things come up!
All it takes is plugging in your family favorite recipes or new ones you are planning to try.