I digress. Let's get down to business and talk meal planning.
Since I'm officially branded as a stay-at-home-mom now, I have so much time to do all those domestic things SAHMs do (that was TOTAL sarcasm if you didn't catch on). One of the things that helps me remain sane, is meal planning. Meal planning saves money, time and improves nutrition.
1. Shop your pantry and refrigerator first. See what you can work with. Do you have an abundant supply of dry pasta? Add several pasta dishes to your menu.
2. Shop sales and browse grocery store ads/circulars. I'm not afraid to venture out to 5 different stores to get sales items. Wednesdays are the start of grocery store sales; be sure to check out their online ads then or if you receive the paper. I use these ads to get a feel for the week's sales and bargains. They're the basis for my dinner selections. To get the best bang for my buck, I mostly shop at Aldi, Sam's Club and Sprouts. Aldi for my pantry items, Sam's for meat, milk and frozen fruit and Sprouts for produce and bulk bin items. If you haven't shopped at Aldi or Sprouts , you're missing out on some amazing finds. Aldi has been expanding it's organic line over the last few years and it's very reasonably priced. My absolute favorite Adli stock up is their organic chicken and beef stock. I get a couple of cartons every time.
The picture above is my Aldi trip last week. I spent $53.32. Honestly, now that I look at it, it doesn't look like I purchased over $50 worth of food. I had a few things that I normally wouldn't buy on a bi-weekly basis (organic raspberry preserves and large bottle of honey - not pictured).
This picture is my Sprouts trip last week. I spent $33.27 and the majority is organic. A little Sprouts tip, if they don't have a sales item in stock, you can request a rain check during checkout and it never expires. Their bulk bins are a favorite of mine but the last few times I've been, items I specifically went there for were out of stock. I got my rain check for shelled pistachios though (pistachios are so expensive around here)!
3. Find what works for you. Different things work for different people. Some people plan a weekly or bi-monthly menu; it's easier for me to get the whole month out of the way. Meal planning makes grocery shopping so much easier. You have a defined list of items you need; in the end you spend less. Depending on the week, I may need to run to the store to get a few staples such as milk, bread or fresh produce. Also, if I notice something is a great stock up price, I'll go to the grocery store during my off weeks and score those deals. Meat tends to be the most expensive grocery item. When it goes on sale, I stock up and keep it in our deep freezer for future meals.
4. Set aside a few days to plan. It takes me quite a long time since I don't like cooking the same meals more than once or twice a month. I plan over the weekend so I can focus a bit more and my husband can watch our girls. Here is my meal plan for this month: March Menu 2015. I found a template through another blogger but you can easily create on in Word. The template I used can be found at Frugal Family Favorites.
5. Having a non-picky family helps with my recipe cooking addiction. My preschooler and toddler both love edamame, broccoli, tomatoes, and onions to name a few. They typically eat what we eat with a few tailored alterations here and there. Start them young people and remember it can take up to 15 times of introducing a new food before they'll eat it.
6. Befriend Pinterest. I love trying new recipes and get tired of cooking the same meals over and over. You can also find a large selection of recipes at allrecipes.com. At allrecipes.com you can search for meals by the ingredients you have on hand (pretty cool feature).
7. Once you settle on the meals you want to serve, check your pantry, fridge and freezer to see what ingredients you already have on hand. Keep track of what you need to buy on a grocery list that's easily accessible (e.g.dry erase board in the kitchen).
8. Don't worry if you get off track. Things happen. People get sick. You forget to thaw out meat the night before. You just don't feel like making that designated meal.
Good Luck!
7. Once you settle on the meals you want to serve, check your pantry, fridge and freezer to see what ingredients you already have on hand. Keep track of what you need to buy on a grocery list that's easily accessible (e.g.dry erase board in the kitchen).
8. Don't worry if you get off track. Things happen. People get sick. You forget to thaw out meat the night before. You just don't feel like making that designated meal.
Good Luck!
