How I Meal Plan

I've talked a lot about how I plan our meals out a week at a time, and I thought I'd share how I do it in case it would help anyone else. I started meal planning last summer and never really had a system until recently. It's been a huge help for us because when we get home, we don't have a lot of time to stand around and figure out what to eat. It's also helped us reduce our grocery bill and stop picking up pizza or go out to eat. I usually have one free day on it (typically a Saturday or Sunday) since we sometimes like to go out as a family. 

I have a magentic week calendar on the side of the fridge that I update each week.

I have a few main things that make this easy. Below are most of the pieces, and then I'll go into more detail on each. The book in the front is a multi-pocket folder with a clear pocket on the front. I keep my recipes for the week in the pocket so that I can reference them while I cook without them getting nasty. The pocket is currently holding the recipe for my favorite new meal - the marinated carne tacos with corn salsa I blogged about here. 

This is a meals template I found online. On the left you can write out the meals for the week and then on the right you can record the groceries you'll need to purchase. I only use this when there's grocery shopping required for my meal planning. I try to use what we have on hand but I also plan around what's on sale.

This is my Meal Ideas sheet. I made this one because I never saw something comparable online. It's where I've gone through my Pinterest pins, recipe printouts, magazine clippings, etc. and made notes of different things we like or want to try. This is a huge help when planning because I'm not trying to come up with ideas.  I also cross out things that weren't as good as I had hoped so I don't forget and accidentally try them again. 

Inside my folder I keep blank template forms and all the recipes on my idea sheet (above). This way when I go through and plan, everything is in one place.

One other key thing - my freezer inventory. This hangs on the freezer so we can easily mark off what we've used. This is a huge help in using what you already have on hand versus always having to shop. 

Meal planning doesn't have to be about cooking from scratch every night. It's about making the things you enjoy that work with your budget and your schedule. For example, the dinner below is from last night. It's a great go-to for us, and it's very easy. I use breaded chicken patties from Costco, fresh mozzarella, canned sauce and frozen veggies. But it makes great chicken parmesan. 

Side note: If you're not buying the Foster Farms chicken patties, you need to be. They are so great for sandwiches, dinners, salads and more. They have great flavor and you can bake them in the oven. This is what they look like (found the pic on google).

Hope that helps! If anyone wants copies of the downloadable sheets I use, just let me know!