Meal Planning

Step One - Gather a variety of recipes that have few ingredients, less than an hour preparation time, and wide approval of your family.

Step Two - Make up some 3 x 5 index cards that say

Week # 1 (or 2 or 3...)

-Monday

-Tuesday

-Wednesday

-Thursday

-Friday

(I leave off weekends because there are always plenty of leftovers to cover them.)

Step Three - Choose and place which recipe to make on each of three or four or twelve weeks, however many recipes you have. I try to alternate beef, chicken, ham, pork and fish throughout the week. And, of course each Friday is a meatless dish.

Step Four - Place in a ziploc sandwich storage bag for each week, an index card and all the recipes you will need for that week.

Step Five - Divide a piece of notebook paper into four quarters. On each quarter, label week # and any grocery items you might need to make the recipes for that week that you wouldn't necessarily always have on hand, i.e. green pepper, sour cream...

Do this for as many weeks as you have. Be sure to include anything you MIGHT not have. You can always cross items off that you don't need when that week comes. You don't want to find yourself missing some ingredient.

Step Six - Photocopy grocery lists. I make 3 or 4 copies of each page. Cut the copies into quarters and place the appropriate lists in each ziploc bag with the recipes it will supply.

Keep the master copies of the grocery lists in a gallon size ziploc bag in a kitchen drawer.

Every week, simply take one copy of the grocery list from that week's baggie. Post the 3 x 5 index card on the refrigerator so everyone can see what's for dinner all week. It also helps that you see it often to keep in mind what you'll be doing each night. (Sometimes I have to switch Monday's dinner for Thursday's because of time constraints, company, illness or whatever).

Happy meal planning!

Shared by Marty W.