To begin with just ask all of your family what are their favourite meals for dinner. Just write down what they say - only catch they have to be home made meals not takeaways.
Then ask the same of them for breakfast, lunches & snacks.
Compile the answers. And you are well on the way to menu plan.
Begin menu planning slowly - just work on evening meal, from families suggestions allocate meals - I usually work in a 5 week cycle so we don't end up eating similar meals.
Work out what nights of the week you need quick meals due to being home late or evening activities. If you have kids, allocate one night a week they will be cooking with you or being your helper.
What vegetables or bread will you serve with the meal?
Have some fun! - Join others around the world who menu plan & share on your blog. A good place to visit is http://orgjunkie.com/menu-plan-monday
Sample of this weeks menu for our family. (NB I don't plan until Tuesday as wait to see what is in our organic fruit & vegetable delivery is first)
Sunday Lasagna with bread
Monday pumpkin soup & bread (we had a real cold snap & have lots of pumpkin)
Tuesday beef casserole with mashed potatoes, carrots & parsnips, broad beans from garden (YUM)
Wednesday Roast chicken with roasted potato, parsnip, pumpkin & kumera. Broad beans from garden (Yum) cabbage & spinach from garden
Thursday Rump steak ( saved from Tuesday's casserole making the meat go further) green salad & hassle back potatoes.
Friday Pork stir fry with rice - lots of vegetables, make the pork go further.
Saturday Spaghetti meatballs with green salad.
You will notice we do not have desert - if still hungry they help themselves to fruit. We have food allergies so puddings aren't really suitable. But if you haven't you can make a meal stretch by serving a pudding. They did this a lot in the 1940's - small amount of meat quite a good serving of vegetables & filled the tummies with pudding. There are lots of inexpensive puddings eg apple crumble.
What is really wonderful about menu planning is you do not have to think what is for dinner each night any more - you know because you have planned. Stops takeaways!
You shop for your weeks menu - no more wasted food at the end of each week - this saves you money!!
If you are having a tight financial week - it is amazing what you can plan with just a few ingredients -
I usually plan by what I have on hand in pantry & freezer. This way each week when I grocery shop I am buying only items on special for my stockpile & will use them in another weeks menu. I very rarely pay full price any more for any items from the grocery or butcher because I menu plan, stockpile & price book shop. This has enabled our family to continue to eat well even with the prices of food sky rocketing.
Shopping this way didn't happen over night - lots of changes slowly. But I would recommend begin with menu planning & plan in a few cheap meals 0f even meatless meals like macaroni cheese. pancakes & soups served with bread. You can get your food budget down with this method & with money saved you can begin stockpiling.
3 comments:
What a great blog!! Im looking forward to reading for my daily inspiration. Im not a fan of cooking.Its not that I dont enjoy so much as I m just unmotivated and find a lot of recipes to be hard work. SO jamies programme SO motivated me. I did his stew the other night and other than adding too much liquid it tasted goood and we have had regular servings of his pancakes Very filling at the end of a meal and keeps everyone happy. Although my crowd know its pancakes for now and tomorrow and tomorrow but it will dry up and then become just amemory.!!
Im especially keen to read about stockpiling as this is something I want to get into SOON.
Love Cherry
Hi, look forward to reading what you have to say. Have found myself nodding my head along with your posts so far.
Hi
I enjoy cooking - so lucky there.
I am soo pleased I learnt about stockpiling & want to sing from roof tops how it has changed our food bill. We are able to still eat well & beat the supermarkets at their game.
I will share my families recipes here & at the same time get a recipe record that I can print out & give to kids when they leave home. I did start this on old blog.
Let me know if too basic or need more directions as I am a pretty much go with the flow bit of this, bit of that cook than a recipe follower.
Love Leanne
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