Any tips on meal planning for the week?

I think this is where I struggle. Do you just go through your recipe books and make a shopping list? Or are there staples that you always buy when you go shopping?

I'm honestly losing it with this stuff...I find it so frustrating.

Any tips for a clueless person? Thanks!

Re: Any tips on meal planning for the week?

i hear ya! its so ovewhelming at first, but it really works out good when you get into it

for us, we have a bunch of "go to" recipes that we rotate around- so basically every sunday we talk about what we haven't had for awhile, what we feel like having that week... we usually try to do at least one big meal that we get 2 dinners out of, so thats one less night we have to actually cook. ( like we might make a big thing of pasta or chili, and get 2 nights of dinners out of it).

i also signed up for the free magazine from kraft food and family. it comes every other month or so, and gives us some good, easy new recipes to try out. i also get rachael rays magazine and that has some good stuff in there, too.

we buy big packs of meat from Sams club and freeze it, so we always have meat on hand... then at the grocery store we just buy veggies or whatever we need to make the meals for that week. we have a couple staples we buy every week for lunches- usually bread and apples, and we always get a thing of milk.
also- don't stress about making an all out meal every night... sometimes we'll just throw some italian spices on chicken breast, cook them on the george foreman grill and then heat up a bag of those "steamfresh" vegetables in the microwave. take a couple pork chops, throw a can of cream of mushroom soup on them and bake them for about 30 minutes. easy and good
hope this helps a little bit!

Re: Any tips on meal planning for the week?

I am always well stocked and can generally make a meal out of whatever I have on hand. I am a little bit of a freak with regard to HOW well stocked I am in my fridge freezer and pantry. I have condiments from vinegar and ketchup to hoisin sauce and coconut milk. I like canned goods that keep forever - evap milk, condensed milk, tomatoes, broths, etc.. I also keep a plentiful supply of spices ranging from kosher salt to coriander to crushed lavender. I buy meats on sale and in bulk and freeze them in smaller packages. I generally some reggiano and gruyere in my fridge and plenty of frozen veggies on hand. And pasta.. egg noodles, angel hair, rotini, etc.. My fridge always has boullion paste/stock starter in beef and chicken. Lemons, garlic and onions are rarely low in supply. Plus I now have a great little herb garden outside the door!

I plan my menus usually on Saturday or Sunday morning and shop for whatever I might need to supplement the recipes PLUS my usual weekly stuff (produce and dairy).

Re: Any tips on meal planning for the week?

We have staple dishes and I usually go like that...
Monday- cook a big meal
Tuesday-something easy and fast
Wednesday- eat the leftover from Monday
Thrusday-something easy and fast
Friday-eat out
Saturday-cook a big meal and freeze the left overs (that we usually use on the days we're doing something easy and fast)
Sunday-something easy and fast

This way I usually cook big meals 2x a week.

Re: Any tips on meal planning for the week?

I plan meals based on what is 1) in season and 2) on sale.

I usually start by looking at the weekly sales flyer for my local grocery store. (You can find them online for most grocery stores.) Then I look through recipes for something new and different to make with the on-sale items.

I also go to the farmers' market every week and base dishes around whatever veggies are fresh and in season.

Re: Any tips on meal planning for the week?

good questions? i always wanted to try the try the Robin Miller method..has anyone tried her method?

Re: Any tips on meal planning for the week?

Re: Any tips on meal planning for the week?

Re: Any tips on meal planning for the week?

I have the Robin Miller book...quite a method she has going but was never inspired to try it...probably because I just didn't love her recipes. I tried one in her book and gave up.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Re: Any tips on meal planning for the week?

For me, I keep staples on hand such as broth, canned tomatoes, frozen veggies, etc.

I also stock up on meat when it's on sale, so I have several chicken breasts, pork cutlets, fish, etc. in separate bags in the freezer - make sure to label so you eat the oldest ones first.

Then, I check the sale flyers and pick up things on sale (stocking up on basics) and buy all my fresh fruits and veggies, milk, bread, eggs, etc.

I plan my meals on Sunday and usually cook at least 1 or 2 meals to make it easier during the week. Thursday is almost always leftovers and we usually go out Fri and Sat.

Re: Any tips on meal planning for the week?

We jsut decided one 2 or 3 meals - we look in cookbooks or the internet. DH has a few he likes too. We buy based on that. Sometimes we'll have something we need to use up so I'll find a recipe around that. We have pasta one night as well. And leftovers!