Meal Time Made Easy: Menu Planning Can Save Money and Time

Planning a dinner menu for our family has proven to be a great way to save money and time. You may even find your family eating healthier, too. Knowing what's for dinner avoids last minute trips to the grocery store or impulsive dining out. A simple look at our family spending habits was an obvious sign that far too much of our income was going to restaurants. When the manager of the local grocery called me by name and I answered with his, I realized I was spending too much time in the aisles.

Even with multiple store visits, each afternoon as four o'clock hit, I started rummaging through the cabinets and the freezer trying to decide what I could serve my family. I knew planning was the key to healthy eating. Meals at home are often better balanced. I had to take control of this task, but needed a method that didn't consume too much time or energy nor did I want meals to become routine and boring. Dinners needed to fit my family's tastes and I wasn't yet desperate enough to revert to following the day to day suggestion calendar in a magazine. I did take command of family dinners and have been planning weekly menus for about a year using a technique that has finally made the process simple while meeting my family's needs.

To begin I used a package of index cards and about an hour of quiet time. This hour of time has been redeemed many times over. I prefer the index cards to using a computer document as I can spread them out and physically sort them, but many methods could work. I began brainstorming! I wrote one meal my family enjoys at the top of each card. I thought in categories such as chicken, beef, fish, pasta, etc. I did not to dwell on the ideas, just quickly wrote them down, but only meals my family really eats. The cards are only for my eyes and I'm not trying to impress anyone.

Some of my meals produce leftovers that become a future dinner, so I was sure to write those down, too. I stapled the leftover meal card to the original. I made a point of including some easy to make meals - these are important. When I finished I had a significant stack. It was surprising that I could easily think of 40 meals when not under the pressure to actually prepare them. I put a rubber band around the cards and took a break. These cards have made my menu planning successful for nearly one year.

For my family a weekly menu works best. When it is time to develop a menu, I gather the schedule of the family's afternoon and evening activities and my deck of menu cards. I also use the weekly sale ad when planning as it helps our budget. First, I write each day of the menu. Any day that involves an activity that requires a quick meal or gives me less meal prep time, I make a note. My hour of brainstorming has paid off. I simply sort through the cards and select the meals that fit our agenda. I provide a good mix so we don't have the same type of meal several times in a row.

If I make a dish that will provide leftovers, I am sure to plan that leftover meal for a day with timing that allows the leftovers to be fresh for consumption. A rushed evening gets a quick meal. A busy day with little time to cook is an excellent opportunity for my favorite Crockpot dish. I tailor our meals to fit what is on sale that week, which does add a few minutes to the process. I separate the cards that will be used for meals from the deck and compile a store list including every needed ingredient; thus, eliminating those extra visits to the grocery. For more difficult recipes, I have written the ingredients directly on the card. I have learned to always expect the unexpected. I keep on hand something for one or two meals as there are unpredictable times when the menu just won't work. I can only control so much.

In about half an hour, I put the rubber band back around the complete set of cards and store them for next week. I don't give meal planning another thought until then. I post the menu in the kitchen and my kids enjoy knowing what dinners to expect. I am prepared and don't waste time desperately trying to think of anything that will suffice for a meal. My family has a healthier diet and our grocery bill has decreased significantly.

There is not anything particularly novel about this approach to meal planning except for this simple step that keeps variety in our dinners: I write the date on each meal card when it is selected. Now that I have an inventory of many meals my family enjoys, I am not tempted to repeat the same dinner each week. This usually caused boredom and often led to the escape of grabbing something out. I don't go through the whole stack before repeating, but I can quickly recall when it is too soon to repeat an entrée. For example, if we had meatloaf last Monday, it will be appreciated more if it is served again in three weeks.

Menu planning doesn't have to be a cumbersome task. Access to meal ideas your family truly enjoys without repetition makes it easy.