I love to meal plan. I hate to meal plan. Inevitably it seems I never end up sticking to the meal plan though. So here’s what I am doing. I am going to try making a meal plan for 5 days of each week for each month. I am going to make a meal plan that includes 5 QUICK & EASY MEALS, 10 FAMILY FAVORITES (could fit a few categories), and 5 THEMED MEALS. To make it work, you know, so I end up actually making the meals, I am going utilize ingredients we always buy, local in season produce AND produce we always have, and then throw in a few “try it out” ideas. Some will be: online recipes, from cookbooks, my own creations. This month is almost over so I pulled in some recipes we already made and some we still plan on having this month.
5 QUICK & EASY MEALS
- Pasta w/ meat sauce, broccoli
- Tuna Casserole, peas and corn
- Cauliflower Soup and Salad
- Grilled Chicken Salad
- Pita w/ hummus, cucumbers, spicy couscous w/ chick peas
10 FAMILY FAVORITE MEALS
- Red Miso Salmon, Wild Rice, Honey Glazed Carrots
- Lemon Garlic Chicken, Amish Mashed Potatoes, Summer veggies
- Vegetable Stirfry
- Meatballs, Pasta, Broccoli
- Fish tacos w/ mango salsa and Jalapeno Lime Sauce
- Cheese steaks, homemade french fries, fresh veggies
- Chili & Cornbread
- Meatloaf, baked potatoes, veggie
- BLTs, fresh veggies, rosemary potato wedges
- Grilled cheese and tomato soup
5 THEME MEALS
- Grilled chicken breast, grilled potatoes & grilled pineapple (grilling)
- Hotdogs, baked beans, and Potato Salad (picnic)
- Potato Cakes, corn on the cob, grilled zucchini (vegetable)
- Chicken wings, mini pigs in a blanket, nachos, veggies and dip (party food)
- Crepes, fruit salad (breakfast for dinner)
No time to menu plan? Check out eMeals, this great meal planning program I am affiliated with. I had a chance to try their menu planning for a year and it is well worth the money. All your dinner plans are made simple and they even give you a printable shopping list to make it easier.