Let me be honest...I HATE HATE HATE planning. My husband calls me "Queen of Wing" for a reason. I am one of those people who sometimes produces my BEST WORK when I wing it 'off the fly'. I absolutely LOVE to be spontaneous and completely embrace change. I drive people like my husband, the ultimate-must-know-ahead-of-time-guy, CRAZY! And I often tell him his need to know the hour by hour play by play of tomorrow's events STRESSES ME OUT! Thank goodness we view our differences with lots of humor.
BUT...when it comes to our meals...I. MUST. PLAN. And so should you. When I don't, there is too much temptation to eat out, eat from boxes/canned goods, etc. For the most part, I only plan out ONE WEEK at a time. Some people plan out an entire month and even have a calendar just for that purpose. But I'm not as organized and since I cook w/ lots of fresh foods, 1 week works for me. I have been known to have a wild hair on occasion and plan out TWO weeks worth, but on a regular basis I'm more of a "1-week-ata-time" kind of gal. Do what works for YOU.
STEP #1: FILL UP YOUR FREEZER W/ SOME GOOD, HEALTHY FROZEN STAPLES.
There are a few staples I try to always have in my freezer for those nights when I get home late and the kids are starving and remind of me little baby birds saying, "Feed Me! Feed Me!" I think it is very important for everyone to have some freezer staples that are healthy but fast. Here are some of my favorites:
Frozen Tortilla Crusted Tilapia Filets (from Costco) Bake time: 7 min
Frozen Marinated Smoked Salmon (from Costco) Bake time: 10 min
Frozen Make-Ahead Paleo Meatballs (in my Jan 2013 blog) Microwave: 2-5 minutes
Frozen Organic Chicken Apple & Gouda Sausages (Costco) Microwave 2 min
Frozen Sesame Chicken (Trader Joes) Bake time: 20 min or less
Frozen Vegetables: (Costco has several different choices) Makes great, healthy and quick side dishes.
Homemade Pizza: (Dough/sauce/pepperoni's-Trader Joes) Cost per pizza about $5-$6 Bake 20 min *FYI: the fresh dough freezes/thaws beautifully
Frozen Make-Ahead Meals that I've put in disposable pans.
**DEEP FREEZER: Obviously you'll need freezer space in order to do this. If you don't have one, start saving. We bought a used one off Craigslist. We are currently looking for a larger one so I've been looking at Estate Sales, Auctions, etc.
STEP #2: PICK OUT 3-6 MEALS THAT LOOK APPEALING TO YOU.
I save lots of money by planning my meals w/ what is "in season" or on sale according to ad's. For example...at Aldi's this week, avocado's are only $.19 each. That is an incredible price. (And since I know avocado's are not on the "dirty dozen list" when it comes to the fruit absorbing pesticides, I know I can get away with NOT buying organic varieties.) So this week I'm going to make Mexican Beans and Rice with an avocado-lime-greek yogurt sauce. By looking at ad's whether in the mail or getting online, you can save lots of money by cooking w/ fresh foods that are IN SEASON. Sometimes there are fresh foods "in season" that I have no clue how to cook with. For instance...Butternut Squash. I used to have no clue how to cook with that. But a quick google search such as "Butternut Squash Recipes" and I'm on my way. As I tell my kids all the time, "Let's go on an adventure with our taste buds!"
After choosing your 3-6 meals, move on to step #3.
STEP #3: WRITE OUT A DAILY MEAL PLAN.
EXAMPLE
Here is my for list for next week:
Monday: (Meatless Monday) Mexican Rice w/ Avocado Sauce
Tuesday: Crock Pot Roasted Chicken (use left over chicken for future recipes)
Wednesday: Spicy Orange Chicken
Thursday: Chili
Friday: Leftover Night
Saturday: Brazilian Chicken with Coconut Milk Reduction
Sunday: Gluten-Free General Tsao's Chicken
STEP #4: WRITE OUT YOUR GROCERY LIST
Your list will be according to the meals you have chosen. And don't forget...IF THE RECIPE IS FREEZER FRIENDLY DON'T BE AFRAID TO DOUBLE/TRIPLE IT SO YOU CAN FREEZE SOME!!!! This is a HUGE time-saver for me. Every time I cook, I almost ALWAYS cook more than I need so I can freeze some meals. I cannot even begin to tell you how much you will appreciate doing this. 1. It allows me to have a dinner ready for crazy nights. 2. It gives me AMPLE opportunities to love on people who could use a meal, whether they have a baby or medical emergencies, etc. The other night the UPS truck pulled up right as I was serving dinner and since I had made extra, I was able to send off a huge bowl of beef stew with the man in the "big brown truck". It's really fun to be able to minister to people in such an easy, practical way.
**FREEZER FRIENDLY TIP: I buy my disposable pans at DOLLAR TREE. You can buy 3 for $1 and they come w/ a cardboard lid so you don't have to use aluminum foil. I use a sharpie to write on the lid what is inside and baking directions. Typically I thaw out my meal the night before and bake according to directions.
STEP #5: HIT THE STORES
Since I shop at MULTIPLE places, this may take a whole week before hand to get all the supplies needed. Today I am going to hit Natural Grocers at 91st/Metcalf to stock up on my specialty flours and a few other items. I will then hit Trader Joes and should be good to go.
STEP #6: BE FLEXIBLE
Sometimes I get home too late to start cooking. This is where my freezer staples come in handy and I simply adjust my meal plan accordingly. Sometimes we end up with lots of left-overs so I can have multiple left over nights per week, allowing me to plan a 1-week-meal-plan but actually end up with 2 weeks! (Yay!)
I hope this helps some of you who are not quite sure how/where to start.
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