Chef in Residence
Meal Planning Made Easy
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
MEAL PLANNING
Planning a weekly food menu for your family is not an easy task. It requires advanced planning and if you have a weekly food budget then you must keep that total in the back of your mind when you are grocery shopping. Those are the cons. Now let me tell you about the pros. If you decide to stick to it, meal planning will actually reduce the stress you may feel about making meals. Also, you will be able to keep a log of your families nutrition just by reviewing the plan at the end of the week. But the best perk is that you will stay on budget with your spending and reduce the waste of throwing away impulse buys that you had all the best intentions of using before the expiration date. With a few tricks and a real life strategy, meal planning can even be fun, but it will take dedication. So let's begin:
If you have a place in your home where you can display a chalk-board, dry-erase board or even a letter size piece of paper which can be put in a plastic magnetic frame for your fridge or regular picture frame that can be displayed on the counter, then that is what we'll call the weekly meal planner display. It should be displayed for all to see and you will never get the question "what's for dinner" again. On the display, you will need the days of the week and the meal title. Here's an example:
There should be enough room in the appropriate boxes to write what the meals are. You don't need to write out the entire meal you will be preparing, just simply write in the main part of the meal, such as steak on Monday, or fish on Tuesday. If you have the room, then leave a space to write any notes or what items need to be prepped or marinated in advance.
Now you have your planner and a place for all to see it. Think about your day to day eating habits. Do you have time for a leisurely breakfast every morning or are you a just-grab-something-to-go family? Base your plan on reality. If it's grab and go, then prep the night before so that all the ingredients for a healthy smoothie are in the front of the fridge for you to just throw into a blender and a stainless steel to go cup. Have the fresh fruit on the counter so you can take a banana or apple with your coffee or tea. You get the idea. Next, lunch. Is lunch eaten at home or at the office or school? Ask for the menu in advance if it is school lunch and plug that into your plan. If you pack the lunch, then all the more reason to plan it out. It's not a crime to write into a space "dine out" but do try to keep it to a minimum. Snacks and desserts are optional, but dinner planning is a must. Dinner is probably the only time when the family is assembled in one place at one time, so make it an event that can be savored. For 45 minutes to one hour, dinner is served at the table.
If you know what your family is most likely to eat, then it should not be too hard to plan a menu. I think the hardest obstacle most people have is getting out of the old routine of eating the same foods over and over again. A good menu plan will prevent that from happening. One idea is to decide how many nights a week you enjoy chicken, beef, vegetarian, fish or pasta. Let's say your family enjoys chicken more than any other meat. Plan for two chicken dishes and a turkey dish, then add in a vegetarian meal and a beef/lamb or veal meal. Decide what the family favorite cuisines are. American? Mexican? Italian, Thai, Chinese or Latin? This will help when you are searching for your recipes. Keep all your recipes for the week in a folder that is easily accessible and make out your shopping list from your recipes. Indicate what you need to purchase vs what you already have in your kitchen. You can also ask your family for help. See if they will take on the responsibility of choosing the meal one night a week. You can go a step further and have them not only choose the dish, but be responsible for gathering the groceries and, if old enough, prepare the dish as well.
Now let's discuss real life. You have your meal plan, but what happens when you're stuck in traffic or your business meeting ran long, or you get an unexpected invitation out? My suggestion is that you plan two to three days in advance. This may mean grocery shopping three times a week, but it will ultimately give you more freedom for those unexpected moments and set yourself up for success. Another solution is, if you have more time on the weekends, to cook recipes in large batches and freeze them in portion sizes of your choice to enjoy the rest of the week. This will help with the crazy evenings when everyone is coming and going.
Try to keep a plan each and every week. Some weeks will be easier than others or you may choose to scrap the plan on really crazy weeks, but do try to get back to planning when possible. With diligence and determination, It will pay off in the long run.
Happy Planning,
Chef Lisa
Planning a weekly food menu for your family is not an easy task. It requires advanced planning and if you have a weekly food budget then you must keep that total in the back of your mind when you are grocery shopping. Those are the cons. Now let me tell you about the pros. If you decide to stick to it, meal planning will actually reduce the stress you may feel about making meals. Also, you will be able to keep a log of your families nutrition just by reviewing the plan at the end of the week. But the best perk is that you will stay on budget with your spending and reduce the waste of throwing away impulse buys that you had all the best intentions of using before the expiration date. With a few tricks and a real life strategy, meal planning can even be fun, but it will take dedication. So let's begin:
If you have a place in your home where you can display a chalk-board, dry-erase board or even a letter size piece of paper which can be put in a plastic magnetic frame for your fridge or regular picture frame that can be displayed on the counter, then that is what we'll call the weekly meal planner display. It should be displayed for all to see and you will never get the question "what's for dinner" again. On the display, you will need the days of the week and the meal title. Here's an example:
There should be enough room in the appropriate boxes to write what the meals are. You don't need to write out the entire meal you will be preparing, just simply write in the main part of the meal, such as steak on Monday, or fish on Tuesday. If you have the room, then leave a space to write any notes or what items need to be prepped or marinated in advance.
Now you have your planner and a place for all to see it. Think about your day to day eating habits. Do you have time for a leisurely breakfast every morning or are you a just-grab-something-to-go family? Base your plan on reality. If it's grab and go, then prep the night before so that all the ingredients for a healthy smoothie are in the front of the fridge for you to just throw into a blender and a stainless steel to go cup. Have the fresh fruit on the counter so you can take a banana or apple with your coffee or tea. You get the idea. Next, lunch. Is lunch eaten at home or at the office or school? Ask for the menu in advance if it is school lunch and plug that into your plan. If you pack the lunch, then all the more reason to plan it out. It's not a crime to write into a space "dine out" but do try to keep it to a minimum. Snacks and desserts are optional, but dinner planning is a must. Dinner is probably the only time when the family is assembled in one place at one time, so make it an event that can be savored. For 45 minutes to one hour, dinner is served at the table.
If you know what your family is most likely to eat, then it should not be too hard to plan a menu. I think the hardest obstacle most people have is getting out of the old routine of eating the same foods over and over again. A good menu plan will prevent that from happening. One idea is to decide how many nights a week you enjoy chicken, beef, vegetarian, fish or pasta. Let's say your family enjoys chicken more than any other meat. Plan for two chicken dishes and a turkey dish, then add in a vegetarian meal and a beef/lamb or veal meal. Decide what the family favorite cuisines are. American? Mexican? Italian, Thai, Chinese or Latin? This will help when you are searching for your recipes. Keep all your recipes for the week in a folder that is easily accessible and make out your shopping list from your recipes. Indicate what you need to purchase vs what you already have in your kitchen. You can also ask your family for help. See if they will take on the responsibility of choosing the meal one night a week. You can go a step further and have them not only choose the dish, but be responsible for gathering the groceries and, if old enough, prepare the dish as well.
Now let's discuss real life. You have your meal plan, but what happens when you're stuck in traffic or your business meeting ran long, or you get an unexpected invitation out? My suggestion is that you plan two to three days in advance. This may mean grocery shopping three times a week, but it will ultimately give you more freedom for those unexpected moments and set yourself up for success. Another solution is, if you have more time on the weekends, to cook recipes in large batches and freeze them in portion sizes of your choice to enjoy the rest of the week. This will help with the crazy evenings when everyone is coming and going.
Try to keep a plan each and every week. Some weeks will be easier than others or you may choose to scrap the plan on really crazy weeks, but do try to get back to planning when possible. With diligence and determination, It will pay off in the long run.
Happy Planning,
Chef Lisa
