Welcome to the "Let's Eat Workshop" where I plan to show you simple ways to feed your family by discussing the following topics:
Week One: What and Why? Week Two: Making a Menu Display
Week Three: Easy Menu Planning with Themes
Week Five: A Giveaway!
Let's get started, shall we?
•••••
Week One: What and Why?
“What’s for dinner?” A question that comes up in every household almost every day. Whether you’re single, married, with kids or without, this question will pop in your mind, or ring in your ears at about 5pm every.single.day… UNLESS you have a plan.
What is menu planning?
Menu planning simply means to plan ahead of time what meals you’ll cook. There are no rules on what you have to eat, when you have to eat it and how far in advance you have to plan for it. That is completely up to you.
Why should I plan a menu?
Menu planning is healthier, it saves time, it saves money, and it saves your sanity!
Menu planning will…
- cut down on unhealthy drive-thru runs
- give your meals variety
- allow more time to prepare healthy side dishes, increasing your family’s consumption of fruits and veggies.
Knowing exactly what you need at the grocery store before you go means that…
- the chance of you forgetting things is less likely and you shouldn’t have to waste time returning to the store to get the items you forgot.
- there will be no more wasting time standing in front of the fridge or freezer or pantry wondering what to cook!
Your wallet will smile if you…
- reduce the number of trips to the grocery store and give yourself less opportunities for impulse buying!
- skip the takeout that costs a whole lot more than cooking at home.
- efficiently use the ingredients you buy and minimize the waste of food.
Be prepared and…
- say goodbye to the dreaded question “What’s for dinner”
- make your evening run a bit smoother by getting rid of the dinner-time crazies!
- enjoy cooking a bit more
YOUR ASSIGNMENT FOR THE WEEK:
Commit yourself to start planning a menu!
NEXT WEEK'S DISCUSSION:
Making a menu display. (This is a fun one!)
38 comments:
I love menu planning! It helps me keep my family's food budget under $145 for 2 weeks of groceries! :) We make a lot from scratch but we also have quick & easy meals and know exactly what we have & what's available to eat!
Thanks for the great post! I haven't been menu planning for the past month and things have been c-r-a-z-y. This served as a reminder to get control of my kitchen again. I'm also using coupons more so menu planning will be the perfect pair... a plan with savings, that's a great combo!
God's blessings,
Sarah :)
I plan our meals a week at a time and it is such a life (and sanity) saver. One time I was sick for several days and didn't the menu planed or bought and it was a nightmare. I can also attest to the fact that it can save you so much money.
I try to meal plan around the week's grocery store sales. That has saved a lot of $$!
I haven't been meal planning lately but I need to get back to it-thanks for the reminder. It's so nice to know everyday what you are having and not be going crazy at 5:00.
I have been planning my menus for years now and it definitely is a timesaver for my family. We live in a small beach resort area and both of my children play alot of sports,and the temptation to eat out everyday after football, baseball or soccer is always there. It can be extremely expensive to eat out daily in a resort area, so by planning my menus the temptation is a bit less, and my friends are seeing the benefits of planning...they often ask me for my "weekly menus."
I did a monthly planner last month . . . this month I think I am going to do a weekly or biweekly menu!
I do weekly meal plans for my family of 6 and find that it helps cut down on our grocery bill because we buy specific instead of just random items.
I have started planning out a menu while I make my grocery list recently and it really does help!
My mom was a meal planner (always 2 weeks at a time) so she taught me to be a meal planner...LOVE it and helps me not go crazy...also helps me make the shopping list and I have learned to ONLY buy what is on my list:) Can't wait for next week...as I have been wanting to make a meal display, but haven't taken the time...now I can do it along with you:)
I really need to get back into meal planning! I spend less money that way!
{Rebekah}
menu planning has saved my sanity! :) looking forward to the rest of the posts
I really need to get more on the ball in this area! Thanks!
Love menu planning, but not always the best about following through with it!
I always plan on planning. And sometimes I do. And when I do....I'm so much happier. And all your wonderful promises come true.
And yet, I forget.
Or I get lazy.
Or life happens.
And then Mc-ee-Dees happens.
And then bigger pants happen.
Thanks for a reminder to plan to plan yet again. I even made really cute printouts to write our menus on. I'm going to go get those right now!
Thanks!
I soooo need this. I walk in the door after work, and the LAST thing I have energy to do is think about what to make for dinner.
I sort of do a hybrid. On Sun. I decide what our primary entree and sides of the week will be. It generally makes enough for 3 or 4 nights. If need be, I come up with a 2nd one- sometimes that's just steaks, burgers or something on the grill that's cheap that week and easy to fix. By Thur, we're generally tired of that main dish so we'll go out to dinner one night for a change of food, scenery and pace. The weekends we typically wing and pull odds and ends out of the freezer.
I'm really glad you're doing this feature. I haven't been very good about planning weekly meals ahead, and I'm paying the price - in frustrtion AND money. I'm going to be interested to know what meals the other moms plan. I need fresh, quick ideas.
I truly believe in that menu display- take it or leave it! My mom had that rule and we ate most things. My husband grew up in a "restuarant" style home and all the kids are SOOOO picky! I love to cook, and will be the chef, but I will NOT make multiple meals each night!
I NEED to menu plan - I never know what to make and at the last minute we eat frozen chix nuggets
=( ugh!!!!
Great idea...maybe this workshop will get me motivated to do what I should be doing! :)
I need to be menu planning! I need to brainstorm my recipe bank for quick & delicious meals.
Thanks for the post! I go through spurts of being really good about planning meals. I was doing really good at planning a week's worth of meals based on what was on sale that week, then I got pregnant, crazy sick, and couldn't cook or even go to the grocery store (Too many smells)! Now, that I'm feeling better, I need to get back into the habit!
I grabbed a button for my blog.
I'm getting excited for the blog.
I agree with the importance of meal planning... I love it!
What an exciting first workshop! Menu planning has saved my life! I can't wait to learn some new tips!
I go in and out of the whole meal planning thing. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I loathe it. Like when I'm pregnant I loathe it because I never know what I'm in the mood for. Right now I love it, but I am too lazy to always implement it. Thanks for the reminder though of why it is important. So much saving in time and money! I really need to get back on track.
I like the planning. I like the preparing of the food. But, I don't like going to the grocery store. Any tricks on that would be appreciated. :) Looking forward to more.
What great idea...planning a menu. First, there is no debating "what's for dinner?" Second, you can plan healthy meals. Third, perishable food will not go to waste as much because you purchase what you need and use it. I love Crazy Domestic!
My meal planning and grocery shopping revolves around what is on sale for that week. I usually shop 2 different store, 1 store I like the produce better, the other store I like the meat selection better. Sometimes I have to switch the meals around, but I always know what I have on hand.
New blog! Love it! All those prizes look yummy!
menu planning save so much time and money..in the long run. It seems harder, but realy isn't.
I sure do need help in this area! Thanks!
I go back and forth on this...sometimes I'm really good about it and other times we fly by the seat of our pants. I think that it works best for me to have a few available meals for the week and decide on the day which one I want to do rather than plan the whole week and be so tightly committed to it.
Great post - loving your new site already! You are absolutely right about menu planning. I began this task several months ago, and it has saved me so much time, energy, and $$. Looking forward to seeing the menu display post.
wow I just love all these ideas! thanks
I am looking forward to reading more about menu planning.
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