My menu plans have changed a lot over the years; primarily to meet the needs of my family and our changing schedules.
Meal Plan Techniques I have used:
1. Once a month planning and cooking.
2. A bimonthly rotation of our family’s 14 favorite recipes. I used this method when the kids were young and picky eaters.
3. A detailed weekly plan that included breakfast and lunch. Now I meal prep breakfasts and lunches on the weekend and everyone fends for themselves.
4. A very loose plan where we had certain themed nights (i.e. Italian, Mexican, Pizza, salad, etc.), but I winged the meals at the last minute.
I now plan my menus based on what I have in my pantry, freezer, garden, and what was on sale the last time I went shopping. On some nights I cook, so that I won’t have leftovers: When I make the Ahi Tuna, I will cook a one-pound filet and there will not be any remaining at the end of the meal. Other nights I intentionally make extra, so that I can use the leftovers as a base for another meal.
How to Create Meal Plans that Save Money, Time, and Use Up Leftovers:
1. Look at your schedule and determine how many people will be home and decide how many meals you will need to prepare. I usually plan to cook dinner from scratch 4 days a week, use leftovers as the base of a meal 2 days a week, and take one day off from cooking altogether (YOYO Dinner = You’re On Your Own). Here are free printable meal plans and shopping lists that you can use if you wish.
2. Take a look in the freezer, refrigerator, and pantry to see what is available.
3. Decide what meals can be made from the ingredients you have on hand.
4. Decide what meals you have most of the ingredients for and start a shopping list for the ingredients you will need.
5. Check grocery store circulars to see if there are some great deals that you may want to use as a foundation for a meal.
6. Once you have your meals chosen decide what meals go at the beginning of the week based on how many of the ingredients you already have on hand, how fresh the items are, and if you need the leftovers to create another meal.
Make a Plan for Leftovers
When I am making my plans, I look for easy ways to create “Premeditated Leftovers” by cooking extra of a dish so I can use the leftovers for a future meal. For example, if I am making tacos on Monday I will cook a large batch of taco meat and shred extra cheese so I can use the leftover taco fixings in a taco salad or enchiladas on Wednesday. If I am making chicken and rice, I can use the leftovers in chicken and rice soup.
YOYO Dinner Night
YOYO dinners are Leftover Buffets and are usually scheduled on Thursdays because I usually do our grocery shopping on Fridays. Often, I heat all the various leftovers and put them on the buffet. When I am tired, I just call out what is in the fridge as I put it on the counter and let everyone make their own plates and heat it themselves.
Meal Plans Are Just Guidelines
I make meal plans because it saves me time, money, and reduces our food waste. It is important to remember that menu plans are more like guidelines than actual rules. Don’t feel bad if something comes up and you don’t/can’t follow your plan. If my husband decides to surprise us with Chinese food, I will say thank you and put whatever I was planning back in the fridge for the next evening. If we have unexpected guests, I will rearrange our menu to accommodate them. And if, like last week, my kids and I are sick, I am grateful for anything my husband makes!
Reducing Food Waste
With as expensive as food is right now, I don’t want to let any of it go to waste!
Make a plan for any leftovers. This can be as simple as dividing them between Pyrex containers to use as lunches. So if I have leftover lasagna I will cut it up and package it into individual servings, so I can drop that container in a lunch bag.
Keep a close eye on expiration dates and use by dates. Then plan accordingly. If meat needs to be cooked by a certain date make sure it is cooked or frozen by that date. Consider moving salads and vegetables that will soon expire to a shelf at eye level, so you don’t forget about them.
Can it be frozen? If you can’t use something up, can you freeze it now and use it in the future? If the rice you made isn’t being eaten as fast as you thought it would freeze it and add it to a soup or casserole later. The most important thing about freezing foods is labeling the containers with what is in them and when you put it in the freezer.
More Meal Planning Tips
Meal Planning Tips for Busy People
Do you create a meal plan?
Candace Cantrell says
Thanks so much for the tips! There is only myself, my husband and teenage son to feed now but I haven’t been able to get our food bill down. I would love to get some examples of economical dinner meals. Thanks again!
Pauline Wiles says
I remember your YOYO meals – love that acronym!
Yes, I’m generally a weekly planner, and always try to do at least one meal which generates leftovers. On running nights, when we need a quick meal, the plan might simply be to put something in the microwave… but at least it prevents me spending money on raw ingredients that don’t stand a chance of being cooked!
Annie says
I am a meal planner. Like you, I’ve tried a variety of different methods, all of which worked to a degree, but were not perfect. Right now, we have lots of venison and pork in the freezer and quite a bit of fruit and veggies in the freezer or pantry (home-canned), so plan around what we have first, then fill in with purchases from the store. I always plan at least a week at a time, but I’m just as likely to plan for two weeks or a month at a time.
I agree, a menu plan is guideline, not a mandate. Life happens and sometimes that means ordering pizza. 😉
Beth @Aunt B's kitchen says
We don’t make a menu plan because we found that, with just two of us, it often resulted in too much food waste. Now plan our meals a day or so ahead of time, based upon what we have on hand. We find this allows us to make better use of our leftovers.