Meal planning? Yay or nay?

[Ann.without.an.e]

I go back and forth on this idea of meal planning.  I bring this up because I am attempting to come up with a summer meal plan as I type.  Will I stick to it?  Probably not.  I like the IDEA of a meal plan, I really do, but then I find it limiting sometimes.  What if the meal I planned doesn't fit around sales or clearance items or what if it turns out we don't want enchiladas that night after all.  or what if ... you get my point.  

 

So what about you?  Do you meal plan?  Why or why not?  

[retiredHSmom]

I am a flexible meal planner.  I plan 16 dinners for a 14 day period paying attention to special events and weekly commitments on the calendar. Then each morning I decide what we will have that night. Obviously we eat out once or twice in 2 weeks so it gives me some wiggle room when real-life hits.

[Ann.without.an.e]

I am a flexible meal planner.  I plan 16 dinners for a 14 day period paying attention to special events and weekly commitments on the calendar. Then each morning I decide what we will have that night. Obviously we eat out once or twice in 2 weeks so it gives me some wiggle room when real-life hits.

 

 

A flexible planner.  I love it.  The problem is that I am "all or nothing" and therefore I usually choose nothing  :lol:  I need to learn this flexible-but-planned thing you have going on.  I like it.  

[SparklyUnicorn]

I do, but I don't plan it down to the day.  Meaning I don't say Monday I will make XYZ.  I pick out a number of meals I plan to make for the week and make them when and if I want to.  Sometimes I end up changing it as I go along.

 

 

[8circles]

In theory I'm all for it.  In practice, not so much.  I've so far proven incapable.

[Ann.without.an.e]

I do, but I don't plan it down to the day.  Meaning I don't say Monday I will make XYZ.  I pick out a number of meals I plan to make for the week and make them when and if I want to.  Sometimes I end up changing it as I go along.

 

 

Ok so you and Tania are on the same page with this flexible-but-planned idea.  I guess I need to try it.  Honestly, I make a to-the-day-meal plan and then end up ditching it because of inconvenience.  

[eternalsummer]

What I do is cook things that don't require many ingredients (steamed vegetables, simple starch, roasted fish or meat item, beans with salt, the same salad every time), so then when I grocery shop I am always essentially meal planning, because any of the ingredients can be used for multiple meals.

[Annie G]

I write down the days and the meals I plan, but I often change things up. So just because it says meatloaf in the Monday column it doesn't mean we're having that. I might feel more like making grilled chicken and asparagus on Monday and not cooking meatloaf until the weekend.  

 

But yeah, I do plan the meals.  I usually grocery shop on Friday and our ads start on Wednesday so that gives me plenty of time to look at the ads and decide what I want to buy. 

 

We have a large freezer and plenty of pantry space so when I buy stuff on sale it often isn't eaten for quite a while.  

[scholastica]

I'm in the flexible planner camp. I plan 10 meals for 10 days usually, and then figure out the night before which one is for the next night. I shop sales for groceries I know I will use and incorporate those into the meal plan.

[Prairie~Phlox]

yes, it saves me time and money, I don't always stick to it 100%, but I do plan out weekly meals and write them a picture frame in the kitchen.

[Ausmumof3]

Some weeks I do some I don't. It is handy to have a master list and know you have all the ingredients but it does cost more than when I shop the sales and make it up as I go. it definitely reduces stress at 4pm. Decision fatigue is kicking in and it's nice to just look at a list and go "oh good I'm making xyz"

[SparklyUnicorn]

I also subscribe to 2 meal planning services.  I like having new ideas.  It's kind of fun.  They are e-meals and Relish!.

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Some weeks I do some I don't. It is handy to have a master list and know you have all the ingredients but it does cost more than when I shop the sales and make it up as I go. it definitely reduces stress at 4pm. Decision fatigue is kicking in and it's nice to just look at a list and go "oh good I'm making xyz"

 

This is opposite for me.  I save more money the more carefully I plan.  Basically what happens is if I don't have a plan I buy a bunch of stuff and I may or may not use it.  I forget what I have.  Etc...

[Ali in OR]

I have a custom grocery list that at the bottom has space to write in what I will be making for dinner for the next week. Before I go to the grocery store, I figure out what meals we'll be having. I look at our calendar to see what the crazy nights will be, and during peak sports/activity seasons there may be a night or two that will be fast food or pick up a pizza. But otherwise, I fill in a meal for each night. As I do that, I check off ingredients I need to buy on my custom list (it has commonly-used items I can just check off, like cilantro, and space to write in rarer purchases, like pad thai noodles). This guarantees that I have the right ingredients in the house for a week's worth of meals and I'm free to switch them around if I like. I usually plan "harder" meals for the weekends when I have more time (grilling), and easier, quicker meals for the week. I can go off-plan whenver--tonight the soccer club is having a fundraiser at a pizza place so we'll do that and the pulled-pork from the freezer dinner that was planned will be rescheduled for the coming week. I would never try to plan a whole summer, but a week at a time before grocery shopping just makes sense to me.

[EmilyGF]

I plan two weeks worth of meals at a time (lunch and dinner). I rarely end up making more than the first few meals, but I have found that when I don't plan I don't end up getting the right ingredients to make up meals on the fly. I usually don't schedule vegetables because I never can predict (given where i shop) what will be cheap.

 

I think it works because I plan meals that sound good to me at the time, so I generally make some variation. For example, I may have bought rice noodles so I could make Pad Thai, but that is really labor intensive to make right, so I might end up with a simpler Thai soup based on the same ingredients. Or I may have planned fajitas but end up making burritos because I ended the day before with extra rice.

Anyways, my meals have been much better since I've been working off a list (I have five weeks' worth of meals in a spreadsheet complete with bi-weekly shopping lists) even though I don't make myself stick with them.

 

Emily

[SparklyUnicorn]

I almost want to go out and buy one of those computerized fridges and a smart phone so I can use the features.  LOL.  That looks very cool.

 

 

[TammyinTN]

I'm also a flexible meal planner.  I usually shop big once a month and fill in with fresh produce/bread/dairy weekly.   That means I know what I need to buy for 25 dinners when I go for the big shop ( we will eat out at least 5 dinners).  Breakfast is easy and I just make sure to buy lots of eggs, bacon, sausage, yogurt and frozen berries.   Lunches are usually leftovers from dinner or sammies which I always have on hand.    I never set the meals to a day on the calendar I just like having everything I need in the house for when the mood strikes me...  :D

Edited June 1, 2016 by TammyinVA

[regentrude]

I do not meal plan. I find it not necessary.

I always have staples in the house and the ingredients for breakfast and sandwiches (which is traditionally dinner).

I buy those fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season/on sale/looking great, plus whatever meat is available/looks good/is on sale -and then I decide what to make from those. We do not waste food, because I can use up ingredients in another dish. I decide what to make based on what is in the fridge. We rarely have leftovers; those are eaten at the next meal.

I live in town and can quickly stop by the store on the way from work.

So, I see no reason to meal plan. I like being able to be spontaneous; for example, I picked up some lovely beets at the farmers market yesterday, so we have beets incorporated in our meals for the next few days - it's not something I could have anticipated or planned. I also like to be able for DS to say "I'd really like to eat xyz" and cook it and not have to tell him it is not on the "plan". I like to decide that it suddenly turned hot and I only want to make a cold salad, or be able to just cook a soup if I feel chilly.

 

I am not quite sure how meal planning saves money, unless you also limit the amount of food each family member is allowed to eat. I am grateful to be in a financial situation that does not require rationing.

Beyond that, and with generally frugal shopping, how does it matter whether I plan the meal beforehand or improvise after I have shopped?

 

Edited June 1, 2016 by regentrude

[Ausmumof3]

This is opposite for me. I save more money the more carefully I plan. Basically what happens is if I don't have a plan I buy a bunch of stuff and I may or may not use it. I forget what I have. Etc...

I do end up with leftovers but mostly aim to cook something up with them and even with leftovers it's still cheaper than buying full price straight from the list with no waste. It probably depends on how big the gap between sales and normal prices are where you are and whether you have the time to cook up an extra batch of soup for the freezer I guess.

[Rebel Yell]

I do plan out meals. For us, this is necessary due to our crazy afternoon and evening activity schedule. I know in advance which nights must be grab and go, which days I have time to chop and sauté and simmer, which nights a child or DH will be in charge of dinner, etc.

 

I also plan for nights a child will not be home for dinner so I don't serve their favorite, also so I don't serve the one thing they hate on the only night they're home.

 

We get grocery sale flyers in Thursday's mail, so I can plan on Friday and shop on Saturday. If we have roast chicken planned for a day and we have a ton of leftovers we will eat those instead and save the chicken for next week. Or if we're in the mood for pizza instead of an planned meal we might do that.

 

But one thing is certain: if I do not have a plan then dinner is unlikely to happen.

[lllll]

Roughly.  I choose a few recipes from my folders for the week.  Then I make a trip to the store with my list of ingredients to see what looks good.  If I find all my ingredients, I make those meals.  If not, I see what does look good and go with an simple, familiar recipe.  This is for the big meal of the day. 

 

For breakfasts and lunches, I have regular staples that I keep around.  When they get low, I add them to my list.

 

Lately I've been using up the stuff I have in the house more often.  For example, I had a little bit of frozen shrimp last week and we were getting ready to travel and I didn't want to buy anything else to leave in the house.  So I melted a little butter in a frying pan, put the shrimp in and cooked until almost done, then poured a little Tiger Sauce over them (plus spices and herbs).  When they were barely done, I sprinkled the last of the cheese we had in the house over them (grated Muenster) and let it melt.  Then, served it over rice with some zapped, frozen veggies.  Dh loved it. 

Edited June 1, 2016 by _ ?^..

[dirty ethel rackham]

We meal plan.  We look at our week and decide which nights everyone will be home, which nights are busier than others, etc.  We try to employ the cook once, eat twice philosophy.  So, if we are making chicken, we make enough to use in another meal that calls for cooked chicken.  If I make a meatloaf, I make enough for another meal and freeze it.  When I make spaghetti sauce, I make enough for several meals and freeze them.  I try to recycle menu plans and try to add something new every once in a while.  So, I tend to have a bunch of seasonal menu plans that take advantage of what is in season and is appropriate for the weather. 

 

I find that having a plan means that the ingredients we need are in the house.  Also, we tend to get healthier meals on the table on days we really don't feel like it because it is planned.  This doesn't meant that everything is written in stone.  We often switch things around to fit our needs for the day.  That said, we don't shop sales that much.  We just don't have the time or energy to go to different stores just to get what is on sale.  Also, we don't do a lot of prepared foods so the food we want doesn't often go on sale.  The exception is meat.  If it is on sale, we buy several weeks worth.  If you did want to shop sales, I would look at the flyers and then prepare my menu for the week and then go shopping.

 

I started doing this when my oldest was starting solid foods because we learned that he had food allergies and I had to re-learn how to cook from scratch so that we could keep our child safe.  Menu planning saved my rear.  I planned meals and snacks to make sure we covered all our bases.  I also found it useful when I was pregnant to make sure I was getting enough of the right foods.  Our plans are much looser these days. 

 

ETA:  and having a chronic illness with lots of fatigue issues meant that I was just too tired to think about  making dinner by the time we needed it.  Knowing what needed to be defrosted ahead of time, how much lead time I had, etc made the difference between eating a healthy meal and calling for carryout.  I was able to make better use of my Instant Pot (or crock pot in the old days).  I was also able to call out instructions to my kids on the really bad days where I was on the couch from 3 - 5. 

Edited June 1, 2016 by dirty ethel rackham

[mamiof5]

Another flexible meal planner here. I used to be an all or nothing, and it was pointless...never worked. A friend introduced me to the "flexible" idea and it helps tremendously. I try to plan once a week, and mainly M-Fri meals. I just come up with 5 meals (dinners) and cook them as it's convenient in the week. More often than not we have at least one night of leftovers. I don't plan breakfast or lunch, just make sure we have makings for it. Lunch is also leftovers sometimes. Dh cooks mist weekends so I don't plan that at all.

[umsami]

I do my best when I have general guidelines like Tuesday is Taco Tuesday (or Tex-Mex inspired)..... Wednesday is Middle Eastern.... Thursday is breakfast for dinner.

 

Had a lot of upheaval in the past few months and I got away from that, but I'm slowly going back.   Now, to tweak for summer meals. :)

[Amira]

Depends on where we live. The last time we lived in the US for more than a year, I had a list of 40 meals we'd cycle through. I could do fairly large shopping trips and I could plan ahead.

 

For the last five years I've planned a day ahead at most and shopped for groceries nearly every day. I still have a list of over 50 meals but I usually make something that makes sense with the ingredients I found that day. Yesterday chrysanthemum greens were on sale so that's what we ate. It's always sad to move away from different ingredients.

[Guest]

I make a menu idea list so I'm not tied to cook this on this day. I only do 4-a week at a time. My kids help plan so they have to eat it!

I don't do sales and stuff because it's usually stuff we won't or can't eat anyway.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited June 1, 2016 by Paradox5

[cjzimmer1]

Mostly I don't meal plan.  I have a standard list of milk, eggs and salad ingredients that I buy each week and after that it's whatever I find in the discount bins or great sales.  I buy beef, grains and fruit in bulk and preserve/store as necessary. Beef and fruit are replenished yearly and grains about quarterly.  (When I say fruits are replenished yearly, things like peaches and blueberries that are bought in season and then frozen, canned, and dried for use during the year, we have fresh fruit on hand but only what is in season and affordable)Then we make meals based on what we have in the house. 

 

I often run into the "I don't feel like making X" when I try to plan meals so I tend to think more in terms of protein.  I will get out chicken to thaw.  Then closer to meal time, I will pick a dish that uses chicken based on the time and energy I have available. But since I will have the ingredients to make at least 6 different chicken dishes (and probably more), than it's no big deal if I change the actual dish I am making.

[HS Mom in NC]

The first step in meal planning is getting together all your tried and true recipes. Think about how you use recipes and feel free to organize accordingly. I've done different variations on meal planning.  When I had less time and a tight schedule, I meal planned for 2 weeks at a time.  That was a less effective way of using grocery store sales fliers, but it was a huge time saver in the long run. 

When I want to maximize using sales, I plan for the week. Keeping recipes organized by ingredient that goes on sale is helpful in this situation.  That can mean categorizing a recipe by more than one category, so I make as many copies of the recipe as I need for flexibility. For example all my recipes are categorized by main ingredient (meat type, pasta, legumes, greens) some of which often goe on sale, but there's also a basil section because basil doesn't last long, it's cheaper per serving in the larger package and it's my husband's favorite.  So that section includes:

 

Thai Basil Chicken with Rice

Chicken Gremolata with Corn Basil Salsa
Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops with Basil Rice Pilaf

Homemade Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce
Homemade Focaccia (sp?) Bread pizza
Vietnamese Pork with Cucumber Basil Salad
 

Little things like creating more categories for different situations can make it easier to plan. Since I try lots of new things, I tend to do a mix of sales and things that aren't on sale, so I need more flexibility.  I also prepare for the week and prepare the meals with the most perishable ingredients first.  That way, if the in-laws call us in the afternoon and invite us out to dinner, I can usually get away with bumping what I planned for that night to the next night. 

I tend to make enough at dinner for leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.  For example, it's basil week here, so we had the Chicken Gremolata with Corn Basil Salsa for dinner last night. The chicken is fried with a panko, grated lemon peel, Parmesan cheese batter.  The leftovers make a perfect Chicken Parmesan by simply adding pasta, bottled sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. Tomorrow we'll have the last of the basil in the Vietnamese Pork with Cucumber Basil Salad.

[gypsymama]

I'm coming back to read responses later but I'm a flexible planner also. My local ads are released on Tuesday. I spend Tuesday night going over the ads to see what is on sale. Then I search online for any new recipes I want to try or recipes to use something that is having a great sale this week. I make a list of all the meals I am going to make for the week/month. I make a grocery list of what's needed and how much. Once I do the shopping the list of the meals I'm making is stuck on the fridge. Each night I just pick something from the list to make for the next day so I can set out whatever I might need (thaw meat, soak beans, etc). It's planned and I have everything I need but I'm not stuck with a detailed menu. I won't stick to a detailed menu as much as I like the idea :( 

[Ann.without.an.e]

I am out of likes  :cursing:  but I do love reading all of the responses.  Ya'll are quite inspiring  :thumbup:

[Ann.without.an.e]

I am out of likes  :cursing:  but I do love reading all of the responses.  Ya'll are quite inspiring  :thumbup:

[retiredHSmom]

Can I get all of these recipes, please? BTW, my daughter wants you to adopt her

 

The first step in meal planning is getting together all your tried and true recipes. Think about how you use recipes and feel free to organize accordingly. I've done different variations on meal planning.  When I had less time and a tight schedule, I meal planned for 2 weeks at a time.  That was a less effective way of using grocery store sales fliers, but it was a huge time saver in the long run. 

When I want to maximize using sales, I plan for the week. Keeping recipes organized by ingredient that goes on sale is helpful in this situation.  That can mean categorizing a recipe by more than one category, so I make as many copies of the recipe as I need for flexibility. For example all my recipes are categorized by main ingredient (meat type, pasta, legumes, greens) some of which often goe on sale, but there's also a basil section because basil doesn't last long, it's cheaper per serving in the larger package and it's my husband's favorite.  So that section includes:

 

Thai Basil Chicken with Rice

Chicken Gremolata with Corn Basil Salsa
Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops with Basil Rice Pilaf

Homemade Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce
Homemade Focaccia (sp?) Bread pizza
Vietnamese Pork with Cucumber Basil Salad
 

Little things like creating more categories for different situations can make it easier to plan. Since I try lots of new things, I tend to do a mix of sales and things that aren't on sale, so I need more flexibility.  I also prepare for the week and prepare the meals with the most perishable ingredients first.  That way, if the in-laws call us in the afternoon and invite us out to dinner, I can usually get away with bumping what I planned for that night to the next night. 

I tend to make enough at dinner for leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.  For example, it's basil week here, so we had the Chicken Gremolata with Corn Basil Salsa for dinner last night. The chicken is fried with a panko, grated lemon peel, Parmesan cheese batter.  The leftovers make a perfect Chicken Parmesan by simply adding pasta, bottled sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. Tomorrow we'll have the last of the basil in the Vietnamese Pork with Cucumber Basil Salad.

 

[J-rap]

I wish I were a better meal planner.  I'm always happier when I have meals planned.  :)

 

When I'm in a habit of doing so, I usually go to the grocery store with about 5 meals in mind.  I don't have set days, and I might have to substitute an ingredient, and we might end up making something very different at the last minute for one of the meals.  But when I know that I roughly have ingredients for 5 meals, then I don't have to think about it much after that.

 

In the summer though, I am more spontaneous depending on which vegetables are at the farmers market and how hot it is!  Also, I don't like working through the same 10 meals every two weeks.  I like a little more variety.

 

[Bluegoat]

I am also in the flexible planning cvatagory I'd say.

 

There are times when I am more inflexible.  Lat week was a very low-budget week, so my plan was relatively set in stone.  I still did not have each meal assigned to a day, necessarily, but I did not have much room to change things up.  If I am planning to go away it's similar.

 

I'm also somewhat less flexible now because I am caring for a 14 month old, so I have less dependable time for cooking.  I can't pop into the market on any given day to do a daily food shop, either, without taking all five kids which I prefer not to do.  So - I need to be ready at home most of the time to make things, and I need them to be somewhat efficient.

 

Normally what I do is I look over the next week and pick out any days that have special requirements.  Usually during school we have two days a week where we have to have supper before six, and on one I have limited cooking time so that is often a crock-pot meal.  Or if there is a birthday, or we'll have guests, whatever. 

 

If the weather looks good I'll think about bbq, and I consider what should be in season (right now I am planning things with a lot of spring greens, beet greens, fiddleheads.  Nettles are out so I can do nettle soup, and I have sorrel which will not be any good much longer.  Rhubarb is out, so I need to think about freezing and fresh desserts and other things I might do with it.)

 

I might or might not look at what is on sale, but either way I like to make a list of meals over the week based on all these things. 

 

And then when I sop, it can all be modified based on what is fresh or looks nice or is on sale.  The butcher and fishmonger in particular can have really good sales that it pays to take advantage of - I do however have a deep freeze so I can take advantage of that to some extent without having to totally change my plan.  But - even when shopping, I tend to think in terms of meals not just random ingredients.

 

I actually find it more useful to some extent to plan very closely for lunch and breakfast, or I can easily run out of things without noticing.  And I am not a morning person so it helps to be able to, say, know that I need to make muffins without thinking about it much.

[KungFuPanda]

I go back and forth on this idea of meal planning. I bring this up because I am attempting to come up with a summer meal plan as I type. Will I stick to it? Probably not. I like the IDEA of a meal plan, I really do, but then I find it limiting sometimes. What if the meal I planned doesn't fit around sales or clearance items or what if it turns out we don't want enchiladas that night after all. or what if ... you get my point.

 

So what about you? Do you meal plan? Why or why not?

You plan the meals with the sales flyers in hand. If you see something marked down while shopping, buy it and put it on next week's menu. Also, if you have an easy, fast meal in the holster that you can make if you get busy or aren't feeling the enchiladas that should be enough to keep you away from take-out. I find if I know what I'm making for dinner, and begin prep early in he day, I'm emotionally prepared for that meal by evening time.

 

ETA: Shop your pantry and freezer first and plan meals around those items before you buy new stuff to bury it.

Edited June 2, 2016 by KungFuPanda

[redsquirrel]

I am a meal planner. I love it. I love how it frees me from having to think about dinner. I don't have to spend any time at all wondering what I am going to feed the kids for dinner. It takes me about 15 mins and I am good for the week.  I only ever plan a week at at a time. Life is just to hectic to do more than that.  I check the weather during the warmer months. I don't want a pasta dinner if it's going to be 85 degrees that day, right? 

 

My kids have ballet and rehearsals all year long, so meal planning helps with their schedule. There is routine in their classes, but things do change a bit from week to week, so I need to stay flexible. During tech weeks I have a roster of super fast and portable dinners. They get out of class at 5:30 and are expected at the theater at 6, so it's dinner on the go those nights.  We rarely eat together as a family due to ballet, so I need food that can sit for a bit and still taste good. DS1 is rarely home from class before 7pm, but ds2 is home at 6:15 and needs to eat right away. Even better if its something I can easily double for lunches.

 

So, I figure out what dinners will be and I make a list with all the ingredients and then I shop. I don't ever have to run to the store for things because we don't have diced tomato or I ran out of flour.  I also have plenty in the pantry to tide us over in case shopping gets delayed. Usually by shopping day there isn't much food in the house...which is good. that means I did a good job shopping. 

 

I don't plan much for breakfasts or lunches, we run through a roster of things, but nothing special..sandwiches, hummus, leftovers etc.

 

But, menu planning really gives me so much freedom to think about other things during the day. I know exactly what I have to do and when. Plus, if I have to be out of the house it's easy peasy to tell DH what dinner is. He can step right in and make whatever and he knows the ingredients are in the house.

 

I don't know how people don't meal plan.  Don't you have to scramble to figure out what dinner will be? Such a chore! I'd rather get it all over with once a week and not think about it for the rest. It would be like having to do my laundry every single night to have something to wear tomorrow. I'd rather do it all at once  and have clean clothes in my drawers the rest of the week.

 

[theelfqueen]

I plan a list of available meals not "on Tuesday we will eat chicken tacos" but a list of meals I can make from what I have on hand.

[cjzimmer1]

 

 

I don't know how people don't meal plan.  Don't you have to scramble to figure out what dinner will be? Such a chore! I'd rather get it all over with once a week and not think about it for the rest. It would be like having to do my laundry every single night to have something to wear tomorrow. I'd rather do it all at once  and have clean clothes in my drawers the rest of the week.

 

Try looking at it this way.  You have to do laundry once a week but every day you still have to decide what to put on.  You've got your whole wardrobe to pick from but you still have to decide to wear warm clothes or lightweight clothes, Do I need to dress up today, do I have to be presentable enough to go in public and run errands or can I wear my favorite holey, paint stained shirt because no will see me all day? 

 

For me cooking is so the same thing.  I have all the choices at hand in my house.  Do I want to make a fancy meal today, do I want to make a casual meal or do I want a meal that just feeds the masses as quickly as possible?  All those choices are available to me at any time because I have all the ingredients on hand for any of the choices. In a way meal planning actually limits those choices because if I only have the food on hand for the "plan"  if something happens later in the week and the meal planned for the day isn't going to work, I'd have a lot fewer options of what to make because I only bought the ingredients for the planned meals.

 

I can't tell you how many times, I've decided in the morning we are having something specific for supper and by the afternoon, realized that is no longer an option because someone got sick, had an expected errand, I'm too tired etc.  But all I have to do is look at a specific protein and know I have a choice of at minimum 3-5 dishes I could get up and make right now so I don't find it time consuming at all to figure out a meal on the fly.

[Amira]

 

 

I don't know how people don't meal plan.  Don't you have to scramble to figure out what dinner will be? Such a chore! I'd rather get it all over with once a week and not think about it for the rest. It would be like having to do my laundry every single night to have something to wear tomorrow. I'd rather do it all at once  and have clean clothes in my drawers the rest of the week.

 

Well, in addition to going grocery shopping  for dinner almost every day, I also do one load of laundry almost every day. :)   

 

It's more practical in my world, although I don't meet too many people living in the US who feel that way.

[regentrude]

I don't know how people don't meal plan.  Don't you have to scramble to figure out what dinner will be?

 

No. I shop and then I have several choices of protein, starch, vegetables in the house. Then I can decide what combination of those I want to make. Easy.

Just like I don't plan my outfits - I know I have several choices of tops, bottoms, and underwear, and I put it together depending on mood, weather and occasion.

Edited June 2, 2016 by regentrude

[wendy not in HI]

Well, in addition to going grocery shopping  for dinner almost every day, I also do one load of laundry almost every day. :)   

 

It's more practical in my world, although I don't meet too many people living in the US who feel that way.

 

I like to shop a little each day, too.  And I also do 1-2 loads of laundry a day.  

 

We live really close to 3 different grocery stores.  I can walk to two of them.  I go almost every day to the grocery store to just get a few things.  I haven't found that it makes my grocery budget any higher, as long as I'm not buying junk food.  When we have lived further from a grocery store, I still tend to go a couple times a week.

 

I can plan ahead a day or two, but planning for the whole week is stressful for me.  I don't like a huge full shopping cart, and I really hate putting away a ton of groceries, and then worrying about eating everything before it goes bad.  I do make a list of possible meals for the week on Sundays, but I never make a huge shopping list for the whole week.  I just go every day or every other day and get the few things that I need.  

 

I keep a full pantry and meat in the freezer, so I don't have to go to the store if I don't want to. And when i do go to the store, I often just need to carry the basket and rarely fill a whole cart unless we are having company come in.  My biggest grocery trip is often on Friday, to get things for Saturday and Sunday and for Monday's lunches.  I don't shop on Sunday, so if I don't plan ahead, the kids' lunches on Monday can be pretty sad...  

[VaKim]

Ha! I actually do try to do a load of laundry about every day. But I definitely have to meal plan. I do it once a week, before getting groceries. The main reason is because if I don't have it planned out, when it gets to be afternoon, I just get super lazy and do not feel like thinking up anything to fix, let alone actually fixing it. If it is written down, I already have whatever thawing and just do it when the time comes (I only plan evening meals). The other reason is because we have a tiny house and not much room to store food. 

 

I envy those who have a grocery store close enough to walk to.

Edited June 2, 2016 by VaKim

[dirty ethel rackham]

Try looking at it this way.  You have to do laundry once a week but every day you still have to decide what to put on.  You've got your whole wardrobe to pick from but you still have to decide to wear warm clothes or lightweight clothes, Do I need to dress up today, do I have to be presentable enough to go in public and run errands or can I wear my favorite holey, paint stained shirt because no will see me all day? 

 

But, in my household, the clothes that were appropriate for the day would invariably be in the laundry because I wore them early in the week, or they needed mending, or didn't get pulled out in the summer/winter swap.  Still just as unprepared.  If I need something other than yoga pants, I have to plan ahead.  Just like if I need something other than frozen pizza, I need to plan ahead. 

 

For me cooking is so the same thing.  I have all the choices at hand in my house.  Do I want to make a fancy meal today, do I want to make a casual meal or do I want a meal that just feeds the masses as quickly as possible?  All those choices are available to me at any time because I have all the ingredients on hand for any of the choices. In a way meal planning actually limits those choices because if I only have the food on hand for the "plan"  if something happens later in the week and the meal planned for the day isn't going to work, I'd have a lot fewer options of what to make because I only bought the ingredients for the planned meals.

 

I can't tell you how many times, I've decided in the morning we are having something specific for supper and by the afternoon, realized that is no longer an option because someone got sick, had an expected errand, I'm too tired etc.  But all I have to do is look at a specific protein and know I have a choice of at minimum 3-5 dishes I could get up and make right now so I don't find it time consuming at all to figure out a meal on the fly.

 

Like, I said above, For me, I plan it because, if it were left up to what I feel like making at that moment, it would be frozen pizza ... every day.  Just like, left up to my own devices, I would wear yoga pants and a baggy shirt every day  - it's easy, comfy and no-fuss.  I need the structure because I never feel like making dinner.  It is a chore.  But it is a much more cheerfully done chore if I don't have to make the decisions and I can plan ahead.  See, today, we are supposed to be grilling out burgers.  If i didn't have that on the plan for today, the meat would still be in the freezer and then I wouldn't get dinner on the table on time.  (Organic ground beef was on sale so we stocked up.)  There are days when I need to have a full dinner done by the middle of the day since I have to take dd to training and don't get home until 9.  Neither of us can handle eating a full meal that late so we plan our best meal earlier.  But, that takes more forethought than I am capable of.

 

This doesn't mean that everything is set in stone. In our house, it is rare that the plan is implemented exactly as written. Stuff comes up.  Plans change.   We had actually planned the burgers for Monday, but saw that the forecast included rain and also realized that we weren't actually going to have everyone home for dinner (who love dh's special burgers).  So, we looked at the menu plan and switched things around.  We often switch things around.  But the ingredients wouldn't be in the house if it wasn't on the plan.  Nor would the desire to make anything be there either. 

 

Different strokes for different folks.

[Tanaqui]

I plan for about two weeks at a time, and use my meal plan to buy groceries. If I decide one day "Nah, I'll make something else" then that's fine so long as it doesn't use extra groceries we don't have. And it usually doesn't, because I walk to the store and thus end up there twice a week anyway.

[Ann.without.an.e]

Ok so I wanted to play around with numbers on my new macbook anyway so I created 4 weeks of meals, not assigning days, created shopping lists for those weeks and had it sync to my iPhone.  This could actually work and relieve stress.  I am willing to try to be planned-but-flexible anyway ;)

[KungFuPanda]

I think the stress is all relative. Trying to figure out whats for dinner in the evening when people are getting hungry is more annoying to me than meal planning.

[Audrey]

I go back and forth on this idea of meal planning.  I bring this up because I am attempting to come up with a summer meal plan as I type.  Will I stick to it?  Probably not.  I like the IDEA of a meal plan, I really do, but then I find it limiting sometimes.  What if the meal I planned doesn't fit around sales or clearance items or what if it turns out we don't want enchiladas that night after all.  or what if ... you get my point.  

 

So what about you?  Do you meal plan?  Why or why not?  

 

I plan week to week and it helps us a lot.  I also enjoy it.  I consider cooking (including planning and shopping for cooking) one of the few creative things I can do well, so the whole process is enjoyable for me.  What I do, is draft a general idea of a plan first -- recipes/meals I want to try to have that week -- and then I shop with a list.  If the sales don't work with my idea, then I substitute and will change menus if I find something special that works better for the budget that week.  Once I get my shop home, I go through and organize an order to menus so that there is variety from day to day, but also so that I am using the items most perishable first in the upcoming week. 

 

I dislike the notion of planning a month at a time or more.  It works fine if you use a lot of processed and frozen foods over fresh, but if you are a family who prefers fresh foods, then it's very limited and, frankly, boring, IMO. 

[Arcadia]

I don't meal plan. My kids can raid the fridge and pantry to cook their own meals. My nearest 24/7 supermarket is a 10mins walk down the road. We just see what food is going to spoil soon and eat it up. For example, if we have too much tofu in the fridge, we can just cook more dishes with tofu.

 

Whatever is on sale and something we don't mind eating, we'll just make a dish out of it. We don't follow recipes either.

 

For summer, it just means looking out for sales on watermelon and coconuts because kids love those on hot days.

[Mergath]

 

I am not quite sure how meal planning saves money, unless you also limit the amount of food each family member is allowed to eat. I am grateful to be in a financial situation that does not require rationing.

Beyond that, and with generally frugal shopping, how does it matter whether I plan the meal beforehand or improvise after I have shopped?

 

I save a ton of money meal planning because it helps me plan how long leftovers will last, and that way I don't overshop. It helps that there's only three of us. ;) I know roughly how long something will last, so I can say, "Okay, a big pot of homemade soup will last two days, so I won't need to buy something for dinner that second day." Before I planned, leftovers got shoved to the back of the fridge and thrown out a week later.

 

Also, when I bought whatever looked good without planning ahead, I ended up with a lot of partial meals and would have to run back to the store every day to get the rest of the ingredients for dinner. If I plan ahead, I only buy exactly what I need.

 

We don't eat much meat anymore, either. I can't say, "Okay, I have steaks, so I'll steam some green beans with them and call it good." My veg recipes tend to have more ingredients and prep work.

[Tanaqui]

I am not quite sure how meal planning saves money, unless you also limit the amount of food each family member is allowed to eat. I am grateful to be in a financial situation that does not require rationing.

 

Beyond that, and with generally frugal shopping, how does it matter whether I plan the meal beforehand or improvise after I have shopped?

 

Sometimes I like to make new things for fun, so I look up recipes on the internet. And when I do, there are inevitably comments like "Well, it cost a lot because I had to buy fresh thyme, and I could only get that in a big bunch, and lots of it was left over. So wasteful!"

 

When I plan meals, if I'm going to use something like thyme or dill or basil, I make a plan to use that in several recipes so that nothing is wasted. So let's say I buy ham - I plan all my meals for the week around using up what's left of that ham after the first day, so I don't have to throw out a chunk of ham a week later when it goes bad, or a month later when it's all dried out in the freezer.  Or if I plan a recipe that uses half a red pepper, the other half gets used within two days in a different recipe. If I had to wing it, I might end up with half a pepper going moldy in my fridge until I get around to it!

 

Sometimes this means I do ration food - "Guys, when you're done eating I want half that chicken to be still on the platter, because the day after tomorrow I'm making honey chicken for dinner!" - but I'm only rationing specific dishes, not actual food. They can still eat all the vegetables, or have some fruit if they're still hungry. (Of course, you "ration food" as well. Your family, no matter how hungry, can't eat more green beans after they've already eaten every green bean in the house! Well, unless you're living on the Enterprise and have access to a replicator!)