Meal Planning

[Slache]

I used to do once a month cooking and that was very handy, but my husband hated doing it so we have stopped. I got a plan to eat membership on Black Friday and :wub: but I find myself throwing more food away. I've been planning on a biweekly basis. I think I'm going to start planning on a weekly basis and do a loop planning concept. Something like steak, chicken, fish, vegetarian. How do you handle meal planning?

[matrips]

I plan on the weekends, I made up a list of all the meals and sides we eat and look through that to vary things. However, we also have several standard nights which I find a huge help! Especially in the spring with so many kid activities. Tuesday's are pasta. Wed burgers, and Friday pizza. Somehow grilled hot dogs got added in for Saturday night. Love nights I don't have to think about what to cook :)

[Annie G]

We have a routine for a couple of nights a week. Wednesday is always Mexican food, and we have veggie night once a week and chicken once a week.   Sunday is my prep day. I make soup for dh's lunches and portion it into mason jars so he just has to grab one every day and toss it into his lunch box. I also make 'something' for me and dd to have for lunch most of the week- today I made chicken noodle soup.  That left enough chicken and broth for white chicken enchiladas for Wednesday. 

 

I also cut fruit for at least the first half of the week- so today I cut a cantaloupe.  I made hard boiled eggs to have for the week- they make a decent grab and go snack when someone needs to take something to work or if we need a quick snack before heading to the gym. And they can be made into deviled eggs or egg salad later this week if nobody eats them. 

 

Every week is different but I have to spend some time planning and doing prep if we're going to stay on track. I base it all on what our week's  plans are- when the kids are working and who will be home for dinner on which nights.    

 

I had to REALLY work to avoid food waste- and for us that meant  planning around who was going to be home for dinner.  I try to cook only what we'll eat for dinner but when we have leftovers I have to work them into the next dinner or two to make sure things don't go to waste. I don't ask family members if they want leftovers because they usually would prefer not to eat them. Too bad. 

[KungFuPanda]

If I cook every night, we end up with too many choices and wasted food. I find I can get through the week when I plan 4 cooked dinners. That leaves us two nights for leftovers and one for take-out. If I plan for one of those meals to have leftovers that can be included in a different dish or can be doubled and frozen, I can pretty much stay ahead of the curve. Four cooked meals isn't that daunting. I can do a Chicken, Fish, Pork, and Beef with that plan. For nice weather, my go-to is grilled meat/veg and something in the rice cooker as a side.

 

Also, ALWAYS keeping at least one cop-out meal on hand is a life saver when you're not feeling it. For me it's what I call "Big Cheater Bolognaise" I brown meat loaf mix (pork/veil/beef ground together and sold in a 1lb package) or Hot Italian sausage with onion and garlic and freeze it. Then, on a lazy night I reheat it in a red sauce and serve it over whatever pasta I have with garlic bread.

 

Honestly, I'm more afraid of big grocery shopping than big cooking. I can't get out of the store fast enough, so I'd rather do more trips. I think I pulled out OAMC ONCE, but I do like those recipes for doubling/freezing and on the weeks I use those freezer meal I only have to plan three cooked meals. I used to make smaller amounts and cook more meals per week, but I've embraced the planned leftovers lately and it has made everything easier. I've also moved my large meal/cooking to lunchtime and everything is easier now.

[anmom]

I quit and go back to emeals on a regular basis. It really is a huge help for me.

[Catalytic]

Been intending to make this thread myself.  DH travels for extended periods of time, and the kids and I fall into the "fast" food trap (ie microwave/freezer meals/pizza).  When he's home, we cook every night but get in lots of ruts.  I'm looking forward to all the fabulous ideas I hope will show up in this thread!

[LucyStoner]

I plan 5 meals a week M to F. This gives me a slip night- if we don't use our Thursday plan on Thursday we can use it Saturday. I factor leftovers into the plan so something that was on the menu on Monday may be incorporated into the plan for Tuesday or Wednesday.

 

We have a loose structure to the week. Right now that is:

 

MONDAY- fish or chicken with lots of veggies

TUESDAY- tacos or some sort of Mexican food usually vegetarian

WEDNESDAY- loosely Asian foods (most usually Indian, Thai, Japanese or Chinese.) May or may not be vegetarian

THURSDAY- soup or pasta with sauce. Usually with meat.

FRIDAY- homemade pizza and salad.

 

If we skip a night and eat something else/go out/or eat "popcorn dinner", it ends up rearranged and something gets bumped to Saturday. Sunday is usually the day I do a bigger meal or try new recipes.

 

I have a shelf in the kitchen with a bin for each night and shelf stable ingredients for that night go in there. I have corresponding small bins in the fridge for the stuff that needs to be refrigerated. As the days pass, the empty bins froM the fridge get nestled inside of the empty shelf bins for that day. On Saturday or Sunday I refill for the coming week. I premeasure spice mixes and put them in tiny jars so that dinner is really grab the bins and go. I try to work it so there are no leftovers or the leftovers show up in a later meal or that all the leftovers get eaten for lunch.

[SanDiegoMom]

I subscribed to Once a Month Meals for a few months. I customized the menus to eventually cook 4-5 meals twice a month. It sized the meals for me and created the shopping list, prep sheet and cooking instructions. After a few months j had saved enough menus that I unsubscribed (it was very expensive!) and I just used my saved menus. I love that it makes my shopping and prep work so easy.

[cjzimmer1]

My grocery shopping list and meal planning list have very little in common.  My grocery shopping is stocking up on whatever loss leader sales I find on thing we are low on as replenishing fresh veggies and milk (I make all our bread products so I don't ever buy those).  I have two upright freezers (one is large and one is smallish.  I keep anywhere from 3-5 kinds of meat on hand (we buy half a beef once a year and I'm only counting that as one type).  I also keep multiple kinds of frozen veggies and a variety of shelf stable grain products.  On my weekly shopping trips I also buy all the ingredients needed for multiple meals of salads. 

 

So when I'm meal planning, I first think about what days will I need something quicker, what days I may needs something to eat on the go.  Then I think about what I have on hand that needs to get used up (for instance I have some sweet potatoes left from last fall and then needs to get used up before the weather gets too warm and makes them sprout).  Then basically pick things using things I have on hand.  Since I have the basics covered for our most eaten meals on hand at all times this isn't really a problem.  If I'm wanting something special that requires ingredients I don't normally have stocked, then I will add it to the grocery list for future weeks.  My keeping lots of choices on hand, when I have the inevitable nights where things don't go according to plan, I still have quick to fix options on hand.  With our family size (and the quantities of food they all eat, I have serious eaters, even my 3 year old can out eat some adults we know), going out to eat or even getting take out simply isn't an option.  I envy families who can just grab something out when the meal plan fails because our getting any food not prepared at home happens less than once a month and even then it's only for DH and I, the kids get to out even less than that.

[KungFuPanda]

I plan 5 meals a week M to F. This gives me a slip night- if we don't use our Thursday plan on Thursday we can use it Saturday. I factor leftovers into the plan so something that was on the menu on Monday may be incorporated into the plan for Tuesday or Wednesday.

 

We have a loose structure to the week. Right now that is:

 

MONDAY- fish or chicken with lots of veggies

TUESDAY- tacos or some sort of Mexican food usually vegetarian

WEDNESDAY- loosely Asian foods (most usually Indian, Thai, Japanese or Chinese.) May or may not be vegetarian

THURSDAY- soup or pasta with sauce. Usually with meat.

FRIDAY- homemade pizza and salad.

 

If we skip a night and eat something else/go out/or eat "popcorn dinner", it ends up rearranged and something gets bumped to Saturday. Sunday is usually the day I do a bigger meal or try new recipes.

 

I have a shelf in the kitchen with a bin for each night and shelf stable ingredients for that night go in there. I have corresponding small bins in the fridge for the stuff that needs to be refrigerated. As the days pass, the empty bins froM the fridge get nestled inside of the empty shelf bins for that day. On Saturday or Sunday I refill for the coming week. I premeasure spice mixes and put them in tiny jars so that dinner is really grab the bins and go. I try to work it so there are no leftovers or the leftovers show up in a later meal or that all the leftovers get eaten for lunch.

Pre-measuring the spices is GENIUS!

[mamiof5]

I usually plan per week, just make a m-F list. We eat plenty of leftovers, so I account for those as well. When I can I put together crockpot frozen meals (those were a sanity saver this spring), or make double or triple batches of meals that freeze well (chicken pot pies- I make 4 at a time, chilli etc). Would love to do once a month cooking, but haven't been able to get there yet

[Deb in NZ]

I've fallen to meal planning after I shop as I look for discounted meats, etc. & plan my menu around those.  Three dinners a week are big salad plates that are good for using up many left-overs.  One night is soup (usually aimed to clean up all those little bits in the fridge that are not big enough for another meal.)  One night is a roast dinner, big enough to provide left-over meat for our salads & lunches.  I freeze the drippings to use as a base for the weekly soup.  

 

This week's menu looks like this:

M --- pulled pork (cooked in the slow-cooker overnight & half is frozen for another week)

          roast veg (potatoes, kumera, onions)

          salad

 

T --- Teriyaki Pork balls

         Rice

         Stir-fry veg

 

W --- Chicken Enchiladas

         salad

 

TH --- Beef Pot Roast (in crockpot)

 

F --- beef pie (made using left-over pot roast)

        salad

 

Sat --- soup & fresh bread

 

Sun --- Shopping day (frozen fish & chips + veggie platter)

 

Lunches are left-overs (unless they are earmarked for future meals) or sandwiches.

Breakfasts are get-your-own during the week (usually porridge or weetbix).  On the weekend we have cooked breakfasts (eggs, pancakes, etc.)

 

 

 

[nd293]

I'm increasingly shopping on Sunday as I like to start the week organised. I look through the fridge, freezer and cupboard on Saturday and write down recipes/meals that a) use the remaining vegetables purchased last week and b) use ingredients already in the freezer or cupboards. Then I make a shopping list of additional ingredients that I need to buy. Recipes using last week's vegetables are scheduled for the first few days of the week, the rest depend on time and how I feel on a particular day. Sometimes I replace a meal on the list with a meal from staple items I have on hand.

[Carrie12345]

I used to do once a month cooking and that was very handy, but my husband hated doing it so we have stopped. I got a plan to eat membership on Black Friday and :wub: but I find myself throwing more food away. I've been planning on a biweekly basis. I think I'm going to start planning on a weekly basis and do a loop planning concept. Something like steak, chicken, fish, vegetarian. How do you handle meal planning?

 

When you say you find you're throwing away more food, what are we talking here?  Leftovers?  Unprepared ingredients you don't get to?  Things that didn't go over well?  I can't help much with a solution without knowing the actual problem. :-)

[HomeAgain]

It's not the most elegant way, but we plan based on what's cheap.  :)  Bountiful Baskets sign ups are Mon/Tues.  Store adverts come out on Weds.  I can figure out our main proteins and starches, pick them up on Friday, and then pick up the veggies/fruits on Saturday.  The only regulars on our menu are Taco Tuesday and usually a pasta night.  Off weeks I hit up Sam's Club for bulk meats and loaves of french bread.  The bag of loaves are thrown in the freezer, the meat is prepped and tagged and thrown in as well.  When we meal plan, we can look at what is fresh first, then frozen, and make sure we use up the expiring ingredients.

Edited May 9, 2016 by HomeAgain

[Ottakee]

I do a Hodge podge. I generally shop aldi and Walmart so no real sales to follow. I just find it too time consuming in our area to shop other stores and play their clip electronic coupons, have this card, enter this code, buy this exact combo, etc games.

 

I try to sit down with the calendar for a week and figure out which days I can cook more, which are eat and run days, crock pot days,etc. Then I look at my page of meal ideas and see which ones I have everything in the house for already. Then I fill in.

[regentrude]

I don't meal plan. I don't see the necessity.

I mentally keep a tally what main protein I will be serving for cooked meals throughout the week (depending on what I see in the store, what happens to be on sale, what's in the freezer). Veggies+fruit: I buy what looks good or is on sale.

Potatoes, pasta, rice etc ate pantry staples and get restocked when they run low.

I decide what exactly to make from the available ingredients in the morning or when I get home from work for lunch and have to start cooking. And I ask DS what he prefers (for example, if I have chicken, I ask whether he'd prefer me to make chicken in white sauce with pasta, or Thai curry?)

 

If we have leftovers, DS will eat them at the next meal.

 

 

Edited May 9, 2016 by regentrude

[scbusf]

I use plantoeat.com and I plan on a weekly basis.  I look at the grocery store ads and choose meat that is on sale. Or I stock up on meat and freeze it.  I also look at our calendar so I can choose for example, a crock pot meal on nights the kids have karate 5:30-6:30.  

 

I typically do not pre-cook anything.  I just plan a meal for each night, grocery shop on Sunday, and then cook that meal. 

[HeWillSoar]

I use the Cozi app (on the computer because I don't think the menu works on the phone) and if I'm really good, on Fridays I will make a new menu.  What I like is that it saves all the stuff I have made in the past so I can just go through that if I need ideas.  And whatever I ended up not making that week just gets bumped down.  Then I put the ingredients into my shopping list on that same app.

[Emba]

I sit down and write up a plan weekly before i do my grocery shopping.  I try to take into account things we have on hand that need used up, and leftovers I expect to have, to reduce food waste.  Usually Wednesdays are pizza, and breakfasts are very rote - Sunday pancakes, Monday eggs and toast, Tuesday oatmeal, Wednesday eggs and toast, Thursday yogurt and cereal, Friday eggs and toast.  I do better with breakfast when I don't have to think about it. :)

 

ETA: But really the menu is a rough guide.  I often change my mind depending on what I feel like a particular day and switch days or go off the menu entirely, though I try to at least use the same perishables around the same day.

Edited May 9, 2016 by emba56

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I tend to plan the main menu item, then buy whatever veggies look good.  So my meal plan looks like:

 

Meatloaf

Pizza w/olives or pineapple

Pesto Pasta w/shirmp

Salmon Cakes

Corn Chowder w/leftover chicken

Potatoes Gratin

Roast Chicken

 

I can't count on leftovers.  Too many mouths to feed, and leftovers get incorporated into lunch.  If I wanted one meal to last two days, I'd have to cook 2 meal's worth of food at once! (Which I do, from time to time)

 

Then, it's a matter of choosing what to make and defrosting the meat that goes with it.  Veggies are used in order of freshness, with most perishable going first, and frozen veggies often by the end of the week.

 

I'm trying to get to meatless every other night, but not quite there yet.  

[Sarah CB]

I don't do this all the time, but what has worked the most consistently over the years is a 3 week rotating menu based on whatever season we're in.  I plan out three weeks worth of meals, post the meal plan on the fridge, and then I'm all set.  Some of the meals lend themselves well to freezing, so I'll double those ones as I make them, which makes it easier for me the next time that meal comes around.  

[SparklyUnicorn]

When you say you find you're throwing away more food, what are we talking here?  Leftovers?  Unprepared ingredients you don't get to?  Things that didn't go over well?  I can't help much with a solution without knowing the actual problem. :-)

 

I wondered the same thing.  I plan one week at a time, but I find I have to either plan to use the fresh produce towards the beginning of the week or buy it on the day I need it.  Depends on the time of year.  I can't shop on Saturday and then have a tossed salad on Friday.  The stuff just does not last that long.

 

I cook extra to have leftovers.  That's what DH takes to work for lunch.

[regentrude]

 but I find I have to either plan to use the fresh produce towards the beginning of the week or buy it on the day I need it.  Depends on the time of year.  I can't shop on Saturday and then have a tossed salad on Friday.  The stuff just does not last that long.

 

How do you store them? I find that lettuce heads, in a plastic bag, last in the crisper in the fridge easily a week. Ditto for cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers. Of course cut up veggies don't keep well.

Carrots, cauliflower and other hard veggies last even longer.

[Slache]

When you say you find you're throwing away more food, what are we talking here?  Leftovers?  Unprepared ingredients you don't get to?  Things that didn't go over well?  I can't help much with a solution without knowing the actual problem. :-)

Leftovers and ingredients that I did not get to. I keep a menu list in my Wunderlist app and I think I'm going to make a leftovers list and move things from the menu list the leftover list as they get cooked. I think I'm going to shop on a weekly basis instead of a biweekly basis as well.

[callapidder]

When I'm on top of things, I plan and shop once/week. I organize and store my recipes in plantoeat.com

 

I usually sit down over the weekend and plan what we'll eat that week depending on my high-schooler's schedule, my husband's travel schedule, and any other issues that week. I generally plan about 5 nights per week of cooking. Other nights we end up eating leftovers, scrounging, or ordering pizza or take-out. Or it might just be two of us home and we have a grilled cheese and soup, or some other simple options.

 

My guys like to eat meat, so I try to make sure they get a variety -- chicken, fish, beef, and then usually a meatless meal as well. I often use the crockpot once or more per week, too.

 

Lately, I have NOT been on top of things, and I end up running to the store a couple times during the week, grabbing enough for a couple days and then repeating as needed. I end up spending more this way, but it just happens when I'm in chaos / survival mode.

[regentrude]

Leftovers and ingredients that I did not get to. I keep a menu list in my Wunderlist app and I think I'm going to make a leftovers list and move things from the menu list the leftover list as they get cooked. I think I'm going to shop on a weekly basis instead of a biweekly basis as well.

 

that seems very complicated. Why not shortly before you go shopping inspect your fridge and use up the perishable ingredients that had not been used, before buying new ones?

As for leftovers: if there is no clear mechanism how they always get used up (like my DS who eats the lunch leftovers for his dinner), freeze them immediately after the meal.

No list keeping, no food waste.

[Slache]

that seems very complicated. Why not shortly before you go shopping inspect your fridge and use up the perishable ingredients that had not been used, before buying new ones?

As for leftovers: if there is no clear mechanism how they always get used up (like my DS who eats the lunch leftovers for his dinner), freeze them immediately after the meal.

No list keeping, no food waste.

I have a vision (mental?) problem that prevents me from comprehending what's in the fridge. I have to take everything out of the fridge to understand the contents. I do that about once a month but I don't want to do it weekly.

[regentrude]

I have a vision (mental?) problem that prevents me from comprehending what's in the fridge. I have to take everything out of the fridge to understand the contents. I do that about once a month but I don't want to do it weekly.

 

I see; that must make it difficult.

Does that also mean you do not remember what you have bought but not eaten? I know for example that I bought broccoli last week and have not used it, so make a mental note to design a meal for today or tomorrow that uses the broccoli.

 

I marvel how people fit a month's worth of food into their fridge. We are only three people now, but I could not fit the food for more than a week into our fairly large fridge.

[Slache]

Does that also mean you do not remember what you have bought but not eaten?

You ask so much of me! :lol:

 

My husband takes leftovers for lunch. I don't think this would help. I think planning and shopping weekly will though. Planning involves me at the table with the computer and my husband in the fridge so it's easy.

[SparklyUnicorn]

How do you store them? I find that lettuce heads, in a plastic bag, last in the crisper in the fridge easily a week. Ditto for cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers. Of course cut up veggies don't keep well.

Carrots, cauliflower and other hard veggies last even longer.

 

In the fridge (not cut up). 

 

Carrots and cauliflower do last a long time.  This really depends on the time of year, but yes I cannot tell you how many times I've had to throw stuff out.  So I started trying to plan more carefully.

[Carrie12345]

Leftovers and ingredients that I did not get to. I keep a menu list in my Wunderlist app and I think I'm going to make a leftovers list and move things from the menu list the leftover list as they get cooked. I think I'm going to shop on a weekly basis instead of a biweekly basis as well.

 

 

I have a vision (mental?) problem that prevents me from comprehending what's in the fridge. I have to take everything out of the fridge to understand the contents. I do that about once a month but I don't want to do it weekly.

 

I do think weekly shopping will help.  When my kids were smaller, I tried to keep it to every other week, but always wound up trying to juggle too much of this and too little of that (and usually less healthy) by the middle of the second week.

 

Weekly shopping also makes the fridge more manageable with less stuff to cram in there and get lost.  I usually clean the shelves on shopping day to get rid of questionable stuff, bring the things that need to be eaten soon to the forefront, and remind me if I have a drawer full of broccoli so I don't buy more!

[monstermama]

I have a vision (mental?) problem that prevents me from comprehending what's in the fridge. I have to take everything out of the fridge to understand the contents. I do that about once a month but I don't want to do it weekly.

 

Plantoeat has a pantry feature.  I wonder if you could use that to keep track of what's in there.  Or, probably easier and much less low tech, what about a whiteboard on the fridge or next to it?  You could write down the perishables/leftovers as you put them away after getting home from the grocery store, and then erase them as you use them.

[Slache]

Plantoeat has a pantry feature. I wonder if you could use that to keep track of what's in there. Or, probably easier and much less low tech, what about a whiteboard on the fridge or next to it? You could write down the perishables/leftovers as you put them away after getting home from the grocery store, and then erase them as you use them.

My husband always messes this up. He's not organized, but he'll work with me if I ask him to sit down and sort. Maybe if I make him do too much he'll be willing to do once a month cooking again! :leaving:

[LoveMyBeautifulGift]

I do once a month dinner planning combined with weekly shopping. So once a month I make a menu and shop and prep (as much as possible) all the freezer/pantry items for dinners. Each week, I look over the menu to see if adjustments need to be made and what fresh items are needed, add whatever breakfast/lunch/snack stuff is needed and then go shopping. I usually deep clean the kitchen/make the list 1 day and shop the next. Clean, organized space to bring it all home to and I know what we're running low on, etc.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I always forget what is in the chest freezer in the basement.  I love and hate that thing at the same time.  My fridge is very tiny though so I really need to have it.  But stuff tends to get buried and forgotten.  I think I need to keep a list of what is in there and add/cross out as I go along.

 

 

 

 

[LucyStoner]

I don't meal plan. I don't see the necessity.

I mentally keep a tally what main protein I will be serving for cooked meals throughout the week (depending on what I see in the store, what happens to be on sale, what's in the freezer). Veggies+fruit: I buy what looks good or is on sale.

Potatoes, pasta, rice etc ate pantry staples and get restocked when they run low.

I decide what exactly to make from the available ingredients in the morning or when I get home from work for lunch and have to start cooking. And I ask DS what he prefers (for example, if I have chicken, I ask whether he'd prefer me to make chicken in white sauce with pasta, or Thai curry?)

 

If we have leftovers, DS will eat them at the next meal.

For me, I have limited energy at my disposal by the time I need to start cooking. I like making most all the decisions at once and making sure I am stocked for my plan. Fewer last minute dashes to the store for the missing ingredient etc. My sons help me make the plan. There's another factor for us and that's because the boys (both on the spectrum) do better with a visual plan available to them. Tracking expenses also makes it clear that for me, meal planning saves money. Not just on dinner but also on lunch. If my kids were older, and we had fewer outside of the home commitments, I don't think it would be as necessary as it is at this season of our lives.

[LucyStoner]

Can I ask Slache- what did your husband hate about once a month cooking?

[Slache]

Can I ask Slache- what did your husband hate about once a month cooking?

 

Spending hours shopping and hours prepping. We didn't actually *cook* anything so it was only like a 4 hour kitchen ordeal after shopping the previous day. I believe our finances and eating habits have suffered since we've stopped and we're both tired of cooking all of the time. I'm going to bring it up with him. I would like to go back to it.

[Slache]

Here's on old blog post of mine. The methodology is outdated. Now I plan on day one, shop on day two, and prep on day three. 

 

How I Do Once A Month Cooking

Posted on May 25, 2015

 

It’s actually more like once a month prep work. I like my meals fresh. Our menu plan is based on the purchase of meat because it is the most expensive and we purchase it in bulk at discount pricing, usually from New Seasons and Costco.

DAY ONE

1. Decide on meat purchase.

2. Find recipes, usually a combination of old favorites and new ones I found on Pinterest.

3. Decide on menu plan. We plan 4 meals a week that I cook, one of which is vegetarian, and live on leftovers the rest of the week. We always have taco soup and burgers on standby. We do not eat this on Monday, this on Tuesday, and this on Wednesday, we eat this, then this, then this. The food runs out when it runs out.

4. Create the shopping list. Buy EVERYTHING except for fresh fruits and veggies. We go to Costco once a month and get apples, oranges, salad stuff, carrots, etc. To make the shopping list I have 2 pieces of paper, one for Winco and one for Costco, divided by a giant cross. The 4 areas represent the 4 areas of the store. Add things by recipe so you buy as much in bulk as possible.

DAY TWO

5. Go shopping.

6. Prepare food. I do not cook anything except for casseroles I plan to freeze, and meat for certain soups. All of my meat, veggies, soup etc. goes in freezer bags or Pyrex dishes uncooked so that it is as freshly made as possible. Everything that is reserved for a recipe, but was not opened gets a sticker on it to show that it’s off limits. If we bought an 8 pack of cream of mushroom soup but only need six then only six get stickers and the other two are available for days when my husband wants to do something creative. This way we always have what we need and never need to run to the store.

It’s easier than most people make it. You don’t have to cook everything twice, you don’t have to go to 7 different stores and you don’t have to have it all down to a science. We’ve made mistakes and had chicken for 2 weeks. Matt’s had to stop at the store for a can of tomato paste. It’s OK. It’s still a much better lifestyle than cooking everyday, unless you love cooking. We eat better and cheaper than most, with less effort.

 

Edited May 9, 2016 by Slache

[regentrude]

For me, I have limited energy at my disposal by the time I need to start cooking. I like making most all the decisions at once and making sure I am stocked for my plan. Fewer last minute dashes to the store for the missing ingredient etc.

 

Oh, I totally hear you. I cook our main warm meal in my lunch break: come home from work and have 25 minutes from prep start to cooked meal on table. There are no last minute store runs - I cook with whatever is in the fridge/pantry. But as long as I have *a* protein, I can always make up veggie sides and a starch.

Elaborate fancy cooking with special ingredients is for weekends.

[regentrude]

 

 

4. Create the shopping list. Buy EVERYTHING except for fresh fruits and veggies. We go to Costco once a month and get apples, oranges, salad stuff, carrots, etc.

 

 

Where do you store produce for a month? I can barely fit produce for a week into my fridge - and that does not include the 6-10 lbs of apples.

[LucyStoner]

Spending hours shopping and hours prepping. We didn't actually *cook* anything so it was only like a 4 hour kitchen ordeal after shopping the previous day. I believe our finances and eating habits have suffered since we've stopped and we're both tired of cooking all of the time. I'm going to bring it up with him. I would like to go back to it.

What if instead of doing it with him you teamed up with a friend and each did it at the same time? I assume he was involved because you don't drive. So maybe find a friend who does drive and have a work party you both benefit from. Just a thought.

[Slache]

Where do you store produce for a month? I can barely fit produce for a week into my fridge - and that does not include the 6-10 lbs of apples.

 

Our fridge was about 1/2 produce. Since most of our food was frozen the only things in the fridge were produce, eggs, almond milk, and leftovers. There were never many leftovers though because I would only make a new meal with one set of leftovers in the fridge.

[Slache]

What if instead of doing it with him you teamed up with a friend and each did it at the same time? I assume he was involved because you don't drive. So maybe find a friend who does drive and have a work party you both benefit from. Just a thought.

 

None of my friends want to do it. All of my friends are poor and it's scary to spend that much money at one time. We always made like 3 months worth. Sometimes I would cook while he went out with the kids. He might be more inclined to do it that way. Hmmm. I might just put my foot down and tell him to suck it up.

[LucyStoner]

None of my friends want to do it. All of my friends are poor and it's scary to spend that much money at one time. We always made like 3 months worth. Sometimes I would cook while he went out with the kids. He might be more inclined to do it that way. Hmmm. I might just put my foot down and tell him to suck it up.

I have a friend who has parties to do it via our homeschooling group. I haven't joined in because we like our meal system. I think they get the cost down even cheaper because she can buy in massive bulk amounts.

[HS Mom in NC]

Step 1 Clean out the fridge if it needs it. Note what needs to be used up.

Step 2 Straighten up the pantry. Note what needs to be used up.

Step 3 Check what's in the freezer that needs using up.

Step 4 Meal plan for a week with a matching grocery list with steps 1-3 in mind.  I keep old meal plans and their matching grocery lists somewhere easily accessible if I'm not trying anything new. I try lots of new things.

Step 5 "Shop" in my freezer, fridge and pantry and mark off my list anything I already have on hand.

Step 6 Go shopping.
Step 7 Cook and eat.

Step 8 Save leftovers for lunch the next day.
Step 9 Any leftovers not consumed at lunch the next day are put in a freezer safe container and labeled. Labels are cheap.  You can use masking tape and write on it if you like.
Step 10 Anytime dinner doesn't produce leftovers or I don't feel like cooking dinner, we eat eat frozen leftovers.

[mom2samlibby]

Spending hours shopping and hours prepping. We didn't actually *cook* anything so it was only like a 4 hour kitchen ordeal after shopping the previous day. I believe our finances and eating habits have suffered since we've stopped and we're both tired of cooking all of the time. I'm going to bring it up with him. I would like to go back to it.

 

You should look at the book Fix, Freeze, Feast.  It has a lot of easy to prep freezer meals.  I did 35 of them last Sunday.  

[plansrme]

I always forget what is in the chest freezer in the basement. I love and hate that thing at the same time. My fridge is very tiny though so I really need to have it. But stuff tends to get buried and forgotten. I think I need to keep a list of what is in there and add/cross out as I go along.

I keep a list right on the door of my freezer. I literally write on the freezer with a dry erase or Vis a Vis marker. I cross out and erase as I pull stuff out. It isn't pretty after a while, but occasionally I take a pic of the messy list with my phone, clean the door thoroughly and neatly rewrite the list.

[againstthegrain]

We're a vegetarian household, if that matters. I plan weekly - we go through too many veggies that 1) my big fridge wouldn't hold 2 weeks and 2) we'd have produce go bad if we only shopped every 2 weeks.

 

We have a few rice dishes a week, a couple noodle dishes, a soup and a casserole. 

Every other week we get a coop basket of veggies - so I plan the week's menu after I pick it up and decide what I'm using it all for. 

The other weeks I tend to just stock up on seasonal veggies. I use up random veggies in a bean soup once a week. It usually goes over relatively well.

 

Then I chop/freeze everything left over at the end of the week.... or dig through the freezer for chopped up veggies that were leftovers if I am low at the end of the week.