Meal Planning and Shopping Lists
- Thread starter Montee1
- Start date
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I cant seam to figure out this schedueling meals thing. Can anyone give me an example of a week of meals they have planned? And what keeps you on track when you go shopping, to keep you out of the cookie area?
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
For examples of what we eat during a week, check out the daily "What's for Dinner" threads.
I plan the week on Saturday morning. I look for sale items and decide what's going to be dinner for the coming week and list the ingredients I need to make those dishes. I add the items we have listed during the week and weekly staples.
Then I roll up and down all the aisles in case I've forgotten something.
I plan the week on Saturday morning. I look for sale items and decide what's going to be dinner for the coming week and list the ingredients I need to make those dishes. I add the items we have listed during the week and weekly staples.
Then I roll up and down all the aisles in case I've forgotten something.
I don't usually "plan" meals, but try to keep some of everything on hand. I usually have beef, pork and chicken, and my staples go on the list as I get low or run out.
If I have a recipe I want to try, then the items I don't have go on the list.
It's after I go shopping that I do some planning, I review what I now have on hand and go through my TNT recipes, and ones I want to try (I have a whole notebook of DC recipes) and make a list of the meals I want to make.
I don't necessarily decide to have a dish on a particular day, but do tend to rotate meats for variety.
What makes this easy is having a wide range of staples on hand and maintaining them. Pastas, rice and noodles; tomatoes, stewed and sauce, spices.
I'll be interested to see how others do it.
If I have a recipe I want to try, then the items I don't have go on the list.
It's after I go shopping that I do some planning, I review what I now have on hand and go through my TNT recipes, and ones I want to try (I have a whole notebook of DC recipes) and make a list of the meals I want to make.
I don't necessarily decide to have a dish on a particular day, but do tend to rotate meats for variety.
What makes this easy is having a wide range of staples on hand and maintaining them. Pastas, rice and noodles; tomatoes, stewed and sauce, spices.
I'll be interested to see how others do it.
Well I have crushed tomatoes, green beans, and green chillis on stock right now but nothing to do with them. I am trying to have a certain part of my pantry full of those canned things you shoudl always have on hand, but at the end of the day after work I am always wondering whats for dinner. I like to cook but Im not very organized, and it doesnt help that my husband has almost no taste buds and my son's not old enough for table food. I have very few recipies that arnt the normal hamburger stroganoff, or grilled chicken with green beans. Not sure how to change things up and keep up with it.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
With the tomatoes and green chilies you have on hand along with some rice, chicken broth and spices you could make Spanish rice.
You could cut up the chicken breasts and cook them with a packet of fajita seasonings, onion and pepper for a nice easy change. The Spanish rice would go well with it.
You could cut up the chicken breasts and cook them with a packet of fajita seasonings, onion and pepper for a nice easy change. The Spanish rice would go well with it.
Kayelle
Chef Extraordinaire
Welcome to DC, Montee.
Andy is right about checking out the daily posts here...Today's Menu & Food Talk - Discuss Cooking - Cooking Forums
You will see useful patterns for many of the daily cooks, who often whip up great meals from a well stocked kitchen.
Andy is right about checking out the daily posts here...Today's Menu & Food Talk - Discuss Cooking - Cooking Forums
You will see useful patterns for many of the daily cooks, who often whip up great meals from a well stocked kitchen.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I live in a condo with a small kitchen. I have food stored in some of the kitchen cabinets and on shelves in the basement. It's good exercise to run up and down.
If you don't have a lot of storage, you just have to plan differently. Buy smaller quantities more often so you won't have a storage problem. You can't stock up on sale items as easily but that's not the end of the world.
Do you have a closet near the kitchen where you can make a pantry? It doesn't have to be in the kitchen.
If you don't have a lot of storage, you just have to plan differently. Buy smaller quantities more often so you won't have a storage problem. You can't stock up on sale items as easily but that's not the end of the world.
Do you have a closet near the kitchen where you can make a pantry? It doesn't have to be in the kitchen.
I usually go shopping on Thursday because our weekend here is Thursday and Friday. I go on buying extra canned and frozen stuff that are on sale. I don't have too much space in my kitchen and my freezer is not too big, but I try to arrange the stuff to take the least space as much as possible.
I always have a sticky note on the fridge where I write down , allover the week anything that I need from the grocery store. I plan the dinner for everyday in the next week depending on what my family prefers or on what meal didn't I do for a long time. I write down the missing ingredients in my note. I usually plan the dinner that takes a long time in the kitchen during the days where I have few things to do. Sometimes my plan gets mixed up if I find fresh vegetables in the market that needs to be cooked during the same day or I find chicken or meat that are on sale, and I have to cook them during the same day because I don't have extra space in the freezer. So failure in my plan is always a possibility but the failure is less if you write down what you need before going to the store. I have been using this sticky note for 10 years now and it made me never forget any item.
I always have a sticky note on the fridge where I write down , allover the week anything that I need from the grocery store. I plan the dinner for everyday in the next week depending on what my family prefers or on what meal didn't I do for a long time. I write down the missing ingredients in my note. I usually plan the dinner that takes a long time in the kitchen during the days where I have few things to do. Sometimes my plan gets mixed up if I find fresh vegetables in the market that needs to be cooked during the same day or I find chicken or meat that are on sale, and I have to cook them during the same day because I don't have extra space in the freezer. So failure in my plan is always a possibility but the failure is less if you write down what you need before going to the store. I have been using this sticky note for 10 years now and it made me never forget any item.
Saphellae
Head Chef
Hi Montee, welcome to DC 
A week of meals for me depends on what is on sale. Just like Andy, on Saturdays I typically have the following week planned out. I usually have two or three cheaper nights with some nicer meals planned in between to keep the budget in line. For example...
Monday - Spaghetti with meat sauce (maybe ground turkey, or whatever is cheapest at the store that week) and a slice of garlic toast
Tuesday - chicken ceasar salad
Wednesday - slow cooked stew (budgeting, I would make it a stew with root veggies and beans for protein instead of meat)
Thursday - If there is no slow cooked stew left (there usually is), maybe a shrimp risotto (one pot meal - with cheap, healthy brown rice)
Friday - Slow cooked pulled pork and beans - this ends up being chili consistancy but sweeter, or however you make it
Saturday - leftovers and shopping, or takeout
So.. grocery list would be pretty simple with these meals. Good stuff to have on hand if you make any of these regularly...
-Spaghetti
-Homemade meat sauce, in packages made for one meal
-Frozen chicken breast, either cooked and diced already or raw (I prefer cooked - easier - and do it yourself!)
-Brown Rice
-Frozen vegetables for stew - In my freezer I have prepped chopped
carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, herbs, etc). If you like to make stews
from stuff you have in the freezer, I would recommend getting a food
processor that will slice everything for you, for those times you stock up
again.
-Frozen Shrimp - got on sale - best is shelled tiger shrimp, uncooked.
Pre-cooked tend to get tiny and aren't near as tasty.
-Pork tenderloin (we can get a couple of them for about $5 when they are on sale) or other cuts of pork
- Dried Beans - for slow cooked meals, go more for kidney sized beans,
otherwise if you go with Lentils you will never see them again - they will
boil down to nothing lol
I hope this helps a little bit - It would be tedious to write absolutely everything! I hope you are able to figure out what works for you and your family. My last tip - research recipes! My favorite website is allrecipes.com because they are all rated and easy to search.
PS. ANother tip - always use a list at the store - otherwise you'll forget, and also you'll grab needless items!
A week of meals for me depends on what is on sale. Just like Andy, on Saturdays I typically have the following week planned out. I usually have two or three cheaper nights with some nicer meals planned in between to keep the budget in line. For example...
Monday - Spaghetti with meat sauce (maybe ground turkey, or whatever is cheapest at the store that week) and a slice of garlic toast
Tuesday - chicken ceasar salad
Wednesday - slow cooked stew (budgeting, I would make it a stew with root veggies and beans for protein instead of meat)
Thursday - If there is no slow cooked stew left (there usually is), maybe a shrimp risotto (one pot meal - with cheap, healthy brown rice)
Friday - Slow cooked pulled pork and beans - this ends up being chili consistancy but sweeter, or however you make it
Saturday - leftovers and shopping, or takeout
So.. grocery list would be pretty simple with these meals. Good stuff to have on hand if you make any of these regularly...
-Spaghetti
-Homemade meat sauce, in packages made for one meal
-Frozen chicken breast, either cooked and diced already or raw (I prefer cooked - easier - and do it yourself!)
-Brown Rice
-Frozen vegetables for stew - In my freezer I have prepped chopped
carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, herbs, etc). If you like to make stews
from stuff you have in the freezer, I would recommend getting a food
processor that will slice everything for you, for those times you stock up
again.
-Frozen Shrimp - got on sale - best is shelled tiger shrimp, uncooked.
Pre-cooked tend to get tiny and aren't near as tasty.
-Pork tenderloin (we can get a couple of them for about $5 when they are on sale) or other cuts of pork
- Dried Beans - for slow cooked meals, go more for kidney sized beans,
otherwise if you go with Lentils you will never see them again - they will
boil down to nothing lol
I hope this helps a little bit - It would be tedious to write absolutely everything! I hope you are able to figure out what works for you and your family. My last tip - research recipes! My favorite website is allrecipes.com because they are all rated and easy to search.
PS. ANother tip - always use a list at the store - otherwise you'll forget, and also you'll grab needless items!
I keep a shopping list text file on my computer desk-top, and it is set up with each category in the same order of the departments that I come to when I begin shopping in the supermarket, (i.e. dairy, processed meats, chips and drinks, produce, etc.)
I simply use self-discipline in maintaining the list and then printing it out before shopping. It has really helped keep my budget and impulse buying under control.
Being on my computer desk-top has made it easy to maintain. Adding is easy, and when I return from shopping I simply erase those entries I purchased, and leave those I didn't.
I simply use self-discipline in maintaining the list and then printing it out before shopping. It has really helped keep my budget and impulse buying under control.
Being on my computer desk-top has made it easy to maintain. Adding is easy, and when I return from shopping I simply erase those entries I purchased, and leave those I didn't.
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One thing that may help you out is to be thinking about tomorrow's dinner while you are making tonight's. Check your freezer and fridge and think what you could make. When you've decided, make sure you have all the ingredients, take meat out of the freezer and put in the refrigerator to thaw if necessary.
If you've got a couple of missing ingredients, make a note and pick the item(s) up on your way home from work tomorrow.
It may take a while to get into this habit, but you'll ease your daily stress by knowing what's for dinner tonight because you planned it last night. If necessary, make a note "What's for dinner tomorrow?" and post it on your fridge to remind you.
Ask questions here on DC. We love to help out.
If you've got a couple of missing ingredients, make a note and pick the item(s) up on your way home from work tomorrow.
It may take a while to get into this habit, but you'll ease your daily stress by knowing what's for dinner tonight because you planned it last night. If necessary, make a note "What's for dinner tomorrow?" and post it on your fridge to remind you.
Ask questions here on DC. We love to help out.
DMerry
Senior Cook
I have a file on my computer for my grocery list too. I also keep about six weeks of history for what I cooked for dinner because my husband likes variety. Then there's the list of everything that I can cook in case I get stuck about what to have.
I plan dinners a week at a time, and add to my list anything that I don't have on hand. I include breakfast and cena -- a late snack for us -- items that I need. I also keep beef, hamburger, chicken, pork and some fish in my freezer to use for dinner and add any of those to my list. I'm at the point that I take my list to the grocery store but add things that I see as I walk the aisles.
I plan dinners a week at a time, and add to my list anything that I don't have on hand. I include breakfast and cena -- a late snack for us -- items that I need. I also keep beef, hamburger, chicken, pork and some fish in my freezer to use for dinner and add any of those to my list. I'm at the point that I take my list to the grocery store but add things that I see as I walk the aisles.
CraigC
Master Chef
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2011
- Messages
- 6,486
We have a well stocked pantry and deep freezer. We plan our menu and shop on Friday usually. Our local grocery ad comes out on Thursday so we can see what pantry items and vegis might be on sale. We also go to Costco every two weeks for water and pick up items that are about a once per month purchase. There is a store called Penn Dutch Meats that we pick up freezer stock and some seafood from. I went there yesterday spicifically to buy some conch and picked up a few other items. Their fresh, jumbo chicken wings were $.69 a pound. Italian sausage $2.00 a pound in family paks, of which they sell combos of hot and mild.
We usually plan 6 meals and leave one open for something that might catch our fancy while shopping. We are waiting with great anticipation for the Whole Foods that is being built a couple miles away. BTW, we suppliment from our garden.
Craig
We usually plan 6 meals and leave one open for something that might catch our fancy while shopping. We are waiting with great anticipation for the Whole Foods that is being built a couple miles away. BTW, we suppliment from our garden.
Craig
I love your idea of keeping a history of what got cooked for dinner.
I think I will set up a google docs spreadsheet to share with DH. We can keep comments and who cooked as well as what the meals were. I can even put links to online recipes. Yes, I am liking this idea.
Thanks DMerry
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