Well, that’s not actually true. I understand and can meal plan just fine – they’re just the SAME meals over and over again.
Gasp!
While that’s fine for me, I could eat spaghetti and clam sauce five days a week, the other people who live with me aren’t exactly thrilled with the lack of variety.
Yesterday, Husband discovered my stash of cookbooks filled with enticing recipes ready to be thrown into rotation.
Busted.
As he pulled out book after book I realize that I have been sitting on an arsenal of ideas with them and the internet at my finger tips – there’s so many wonderful food blogs out there.
So, here’s my start to mastering meal planning:
Map out the WEEK on Sunday. Great changes come with a plan. It takes the stress and confusion away and will streamline shopping. That’s worth everything right there.
Add TWO new recipes per week. I figure I need to go harder than just one but two is not overwhelming. I’m more likely to stick with it if I keep things simple and pressure free.
Have HUSBAND pick a meal. He found the books, he should use them. Seriously. Getting his input eliminates the guessing game of what he wants; and will help keep me accountable, too.
How about you? Am I the only one needing a little variety in the kitchen? What are your tips for mastering meal planning?
Winks & Smiles,
17 comments:
What is this "variety" you speak of? I make a giant bowl of something on Sunday and eat it the rest of the week or until it's gone.
yum, clam sauce!
often I say on a Sunday before I go to the store on Monday, "what do you guys want for dinner this week?"
My mom used to say she didn't mind making it as long as someone told her what to make, now I get it!
This is something that I have always struggled with. It seems like I can meal plan great one week but the next one I dont want to do it. I have found some success in doing 2 weeks at a time but it really takes a lot of effort. It is always very rewarding being so organized when I do it though. I am going to try to start it again.
Wifey,
How does that work with your kids? If I try too many "new" recipes my kids won't even touch them. My son is 8 and my daughter is 6.
Teri
I organized my cookbooks and cooking magazines last weekends and discovered some great new recipes. My problem comes with kids who don't want to try anything new. Nothing worse than working hard preparing a meal your kids pick over. Continued success.
Thanks for the comments, folks!
Jamoosh, I need you to call Husband, STAT!
Monique and Teri - the kids are a whole other post! LOL. They are a challenge. I'm trying to pick things that everyone will eat or possibly modified versions of the same meal. Like I don't put sauce on the chicken for my daughter. ;)
I have recently taken to meal planning this fall. I plan meals for the month and then on Sunday I plan that week's shopping list. This has made our meals healthier and more varied and I don't have the dreaded feeling of "what am I going to cook tonight."
I;m not much of a meal planner. Hubs and I eat very differently during the week AND at different times b/c of our work and training schedules.... I tend to constantly eat the same things just because it's easy. I should foillow your lead!
I kind of rock the bells of meal planning. Friday's I plan out what I want for the week and Sunday I do my grocery shopping. I give myself between Fri-Sun to make any tweaks. I get what I need and make what's on my list, sometimes I go off my plan but at least I have the ingredients to make them :)
I like to plan a whole month's worth of meals at once...so I don't have to do it often. And, I actually do sort of "seasonal" menus, so I do most things once a month, then I can repeat the whole month of meals every month for about 3 months. No body gets really tired of anything, since they only have had it once that month...and I only have to meal plan 4 times per year. I did this for the first time for fall, and I have to say, it was awesome. And, I tried a new recipe about once a week. I reviewed the plan each month and made some tweaks, but overall stuck to the main plan from the month prior. :)
I had a goal for 2010 to learn to cook some new things, I sorta failed. I should not be allowed in the kitchen. What I did learn to make very well is a spinach quiche, YUMMY!!
Good luck doll!
I love to cook, love variety, pour over cookbooks, but my family does not appreciate all this. My husband would rather us have the same thing every single night. I tend to pout a lot because I try something new and he looks at it suspiciously, like a two year old. What I really need to work on is planning ahead. Life works out so much better when I plan the whole week out for meals!
I used to be SO good with meal planning, but I have been awful lately! I need to start planning things better again too! That is a great idea having your hubs pick out a meal!
Oh man...I just need to learn how to cook, period, before adding variety!!! Thank goodness Rich is a chef, LOL!
I just found your blog and I love it... What a surprise when I recognized your face from the Wedding Story!! I was planning my wedding during that time and was OBSESSED with the show!!! Its sooo wonderful to see you are still happily married!!! Good luck with your run! Its on my bucket list to do the same thing!!!
When I started project what's for dinner last year, trying new things 3 times a week, my husband acted like I was trying to poison him. How dare I start cooking new things!
Trying to get him to pick a meal is like pulling teeth from a shark! He says he just wants food. Duh!
I keep planning to do meal plans...
Since Rick and I started eating more vegetarian meals it's forced me to be more creative. I buy/subscribe to a couple of cooking mags, plus the fitness mags have great recipes sometimes. I rip out recipes or print them from the web then put them in sheet protectors in a binder. It's my homemade cookbook!
Whenever I ask Rick to pick out recipes they all resemble something italian! He is not impressed with my Moroccan surprise. :-\
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