Meal Planning

[Deb in NZ]

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 have a whiteboard on the side of the fridge that I list what I have on hand.  It has 2 columns (fridge & freezer).  After I shop I list what I put into the fridge / freezer.  As I use things, I erase the item, thus have a running inventory of sorts.  I don't list condiments & staples, but instead target meats, veg, etc. that would go bad quickly if not used.  The fridge list also includes left-overs to be used for snacks & lunches.  Meats & other items that are targeted for certain meals are marked with that day's name.  Others like the beef mince / ground beef I bought this week on sale I've marked to brown & freeze for quick meals in the future.  When I put the beef into the freezer, it will be added to the freezer list.

Edited May 9, 2016 by Deb in NZ

[Deb in NZ]

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.

 

Our chest freezer is in the garage.  To get to it is a hassle as the garage is full of stored gear, etc. due to our on-going renovation.  Hopefully in the next few weeks the new laundry room will be finished & we can move the chest freezer there where I'll be able to have easily access to it.  I know it's stuffed full, but have no idea with what.  Most likely I'll need to ditch at least 75% of the contents & start over.   :-(  I'll plan to have a small whiteboard for chest freezer inventory as well after the move/clean-out.

[Spryte]

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.

Be still my heart. This is genius. Thank you!

 

This post is as far as I've read on the thread. Whoa. This just made my brain explode. Thank you for sharing it.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Our chest freezer is in the garage.  To get to it is a hassle as the garage is full of stored gear, etc. due to our on-going renovation.  Hopefully in the next few weeks the new laundry room will be finished & we can move the chest freezer there where I'll be able to have easily access to it.  I know it's stuffed full, but have no idea with what.  Most likely I'll need to ditch at least 75% of the contents & start over.   :-(  I'll plan to have a small whiteboard for chest freezer inventory as well after the move/clean-out.

 

Yeah I wish I could put it elsewhere, but that really is the best spot for it.

[KungFuPanda]

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.

I don't care how annoying he is during meal planning. You should never put your husband in the fridge. It just isn't safe. Maybe try the garage or basement next time.

[Slache]

I don't care how annoying he is during meal planning. You should never put your husband in the fridge. It just isn't safe. Maybe try the garage or basement next time.

I don't have a garage or a basement and I'm 8 months pregnant. Don't tell me what to do!

[abacus2]

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.

 

If it isn't the food he dislikes, I think figuring out a way for him to tolerate your preferred method is the best approach. This is extra true for your nesting time.

[Slache]

If it isn't the food he dislikes, I think figuring out a way for him to tolerate your preferred method is the best approach. This is extra true for your nesting time.

This thread really brought me to that conclusion. We talked about it earlier and he agrees. It works better for us.

[wendyroo]

Two months ago I decided I was taking a break from meal planning and that we were going to eat the exact same thing each week at least through the end of the summer.

 

My life is currently very full and very stressful and I just don't have any extra physical or mental energy to devote to feeding the family.  We also have limited food options because I have one child who is allergic to corn, another who is allergic to wheat and soy and another who reacts strongly to food dyes.  DH and I need to be very careful about what we eat because we endlessly struggle with our weight, so planning a menu that meets everyone's needs and keeps the budget under control is very difficult.

 

My weekly shopping is all done at Sams and it takes me about 20 minutes total.  I've planned the meals such that fresh produce is used during the first half of the week and then we use frozen veggies until shopping day comes around again.  We waste very little food, DH always has left overs to take for lunches and Peter, who has autism, is thriving on knowing exactly what will be served for every meal all week...he doesn't like every food that is served, but he can cope better because the system is so predictable.

 

I'm liking this set-up so much for this stage of life that I think I will continue it in the fall and beyond with just quarterly adjustments to sub in seasonally appropriate foods and meals.

 

Wendy

[SparklyUnicorn]

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.

 

Aw I'd love to try this.

 

FWIW, when I was very pregnant we ate turkey burgers almost every day.  DH never complained.  That's all I could manage.  So all rules are out the door IMO!

[LucyStoner]

This thread really brought me to that conclusion. We talked about it earlier and he agrees. It works better for us.

I'm glad. Especially when pregnant, it comes down to whatever the primary cook needs.

[plansrme]

Peter, who has autism, is thriving on knowing exactly what will be served for every meal all week...he doesn't like every food that is served, but he can cope better because the system is so predictable.

 

 

 

Have you read The Rosie Project?  This reminds me of the main character's "standardized meal system."  The main character is somewhere on the spectrum, but he doesn't actually know it.  Lovely book, by the way.