s/o monthly meal planning

[Shannon in TN]

I was looking at the thread about the website Plan to Eat and I was wondering if people really stick with the monthly meal plan? What about cravings you may have for something specific that hits you half-way through your second week? I know you can swap things around and not be rigid with what you eat, but is it really easy to maintain the schedule? What if you're wanting something that you haven't gone to the store to get yet?

 

I'm pretty laid back about what I like to eat - my cravings tend towards the "take out" side, but dh will often have them and not stop talking about them until he eats whatever it is he's craving for. It's just a little thing, but since I like to make him happy, I try and accommodate him when it's possible.

 

Those of you who do monthly planning, does it really work and do you stick to it?

[Audrey]

I was looking at the thread about the website Plan to Eat and I was wondering if people really stick with the monthly meal plan? What about cravings you may have for something specific that hits you half-way through your second week? I know you can swap things around and not be rigid with what you eat, but is it really easy to maintain the schedule? What if you're wanting something that you haven't gone to the store to get yet?

 

I'm pretty laid back about what I like to eat - my cravings tend towards the "take out" side, but dh will often have them and not stop talking about them until he eats whatever it is he's craving for. It's just a little thing, but since I like to make him happy, I try and accommodate him when it's possible.

 

Those of you who do monthly planning, does it really work and do you stick to it?

 

 

I don't do a monthly plan. As far as I can see, you don't have to do it by the month at Plan to Eat. You could plan just a week or day if you wanted. I need a menu plan in order to shop efficiently. I usually shop every 2 weeks, so I will make a plan for that length of time. However, once I get to the store, if there is good produce, I will buy it and adjust my menu later. I'm not a stickler for recipes and will happily substitute ingredients to use what I have on hand, or will pull once recipe to substitute another that suits what I've bought better. Once my shopping is done, though, I don't have a problem sticking to the planned menus. If something comes up unexpectedly, I can be flexible enough to move a meal to another nearby night.

 

I think the key to sticking with a plan is to make a plan that is flexible and won't fall apart just because you changed a few things here and there.

[meggie]

You don't have to do a monthly meal plan, you can do as many or as few days as you want.

 

I am terrible at sticking with the actual plan, ie eating what I have planned specifically for the day. I generally use my PTE account mostly as the best place to store my recipes and the quickest way to get an accurate grocery list. Even though meals are planned for specific days, I generally just pick the one that I most want to make that day.

[Pretty in Pink]

I meal plan by the week. If someone wants a specific meal then it goes on next week's menu. Our menu changes all the time, we don't get bored, and we do stick to our weekly meal plan.

[Delighted3]

I am terrible at sticking with the actual plan, ie eating what I have planned specifically for the day. I generally use my PTE account mostly as the best place to store my recipes and the quickest way to get an accurate grocery list. Even though meals are planned for specific days, I generally just pick the one that I most want to make that day.

 

This is exactly what I do. I use the meal list that comes with the shopping list and post it on my refrigerator and we pick meals off the list and cross off the meals as we go. That way I can eat what I feel like on whatever day, but not have to go to the store every day.

Joy