Since most everyone here is probably spending more time hunched over the toilet rather than the stove, I thought this week it would be cool to share some meal planning tips rather than recipes or dinner ideas.
How do you plan your meals? Do you have an organized system? Do you just wing it? Do you buy what's on sale and make it work? Are you a daily, weekly, or monthly shopper? Do you prefer traditional or experimental recipes? Do you enjoy the process or loathe it? Do you or your partner do most of the cooking, or is it 50/50? Does just thinking about all this give you hives? Let's hear it...
Me & DH: 34 - Married 2011
DS: 10-9-14
MC: 9-4-16
Re: Meal Plan Monday
Before I go to the store on the weekend, I think about what we have in the freezer (usually we have some sort of frozen raw protein) and ask DH what he wants to eat. My grocery store has pretty low prices and not a lot of sales so I just stick with my plan. I usually make at least 1 crockpot meal per week and we eat a lot of leftovers. Luckily DH really doesn't care about leftovers. I'm not a very experimental cook because I don't like to spend a lot of time or money cooking. I do have a $40 off Blue Apron coupon that I think I'll use soon. I mostly prefer to bake, so I keep the cooking fairly simple.
Favorite recipe around here is Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili from Skinnytaste (a great blog for good lightened up recipes).
DD #2: May 2020
Baby #3: EDD May 2023; MC October 2022
I try to hit sale items if they work, but I'm much more concerned about the quality of my food, and organic/non-GMO options are rarely on sale. So, I do a farmers market run for my fruits and veg, and get everything else at super target (take advantage of their 5% Red Card and Cartwheel App).
If it gets bad and I can't cook, we are going to do Sun Basket (they're like Blue Apron, but all organic and you can do vegan/paleo/GF.
@missbriarbee I love hitting up the farmer's market too when I can, but that is limited to the summer months here. Do you have a winter's farmers market where you live?
DS: 10-9-14
MC: 9-4-16
I haven't used blue apron, but I used something similar. It doesn't make financial sense for us to use it regularly but if you give them your email address and don't sign up they'll start sending you coupons. The similar service made pretty good food, but the portions were too small for DH (who is normal sized but eats about twice as much as I do).
DD #2: May 2020
Baby #3: EDD May 2023; MC October 2022
-- DS 3.8.14
-- MC 9.22.16 at 8 wks
@gardenmama17 Ooh, I love the idea of a CSA. I'm hoping to join one next summer or at least do a small veggie garden.
@Breesy14. Leftover nights are my favorite. And you're right, dinner time became a lot more of a juggling act after a little one.
DS: 10-9-14
MC: 9-4-16
DS: 10-9-14
MC: 9-4-16
DH: 30 year old pneumatic electrical engineer
BFP: June 25, 2016 and MC: July 3, 2016
DD2: April 16, 2017
BFP: November 30, 2018 EDD: August 14, 2019
DD #2: May 2020
Baby #3: EDD May 2023; MC October 2022
DS: 10-9-14
MC: 9-4-16
Right now, I can't stand the smell of anything cooking so DH has been grilling outside. My last pregnancy we didn't have a grill and lived in a condo without a balcony so we ate a lot of sandwiches. This time around, I'm imagining DH will be outside in a winter coat grilling in the snow because the smell of cooking food makes me vom.
DS: 10-9-14
MC: 9-4-16
DH: 30 year old pneumatic electrical engineer
BFP: June 25, 2016 and MC: July 3, 2016
DD2: April 16, 2017
BFP: November 30, 2018 EDD: August 14, 2019
When I'm organized enough to plan, I'll plan 4 dinners for the week & make sure to buy all the necessary ingredients during our weekly trip to the grocery on Sunday or Monday. Usually we eat out and/or visit family 1-2 nights/week and have leftovers 1-2 nights, so 4 "planned" meals seems like our magic number. Ideally I'll write the "Here's what we can make for dinner this week" list on the fridge.
When I'm not organized...we toss together a couple random meals, my husband complains there's *nothing* in the house, and we order a lot of pizza.
Yesterday: pork chops with apples, mashed potatoes
Tonight: tomatoes three ways (tomato pie, salsa, and caprese salad), caesar salad, corn on the cob (our garden is going crazy)
Tomorrow: lemon chicken, corn on the cob
Thursday: Swedish meatballs and egg noodles
Friday: Fish tacos
My husband does most of the cooking. These were the things that sounded good on Sunday when we planned the week, and so far they're all still sounding good. But we have several boxes of kraft mac n cheese in case things go south.
DD #2: May 2020
Baby #3: EDD May 2023; MC October 2022
However, since becoming pregnant I feel like crap and can barely cook. I think I've cooked twice. We've been eating a lot of grilled cheese, soup, pizza, and ordering in. It's bad. My meal plan has gone out the window the last 2 weeks.
@STM2017 I try to suck it up and keep dinners going (even though I don't feel it...) for the rest of the family. I just eat smaller portions and definitely have a snack of what sounds better once the toddler is in bed (brownies, chips..eek). I've officially given up on trying to pack my lunch though. Whatever sounded good in the morning definitely doesn't by lunchtime.
@Omie_Wise I'm with you- all I want is a glass of wine.