Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Wordy Wednesday: Menu Planning

Today I'm going to talk about menu planning.  This saves me.  Really and truly.  My method won't be for everyone, and that's ok.  As is always my intention, read it, take what works for you, and leave the rest.

So, I started my menu planning by making a list of ALL the things I cook on a regular basis (Baked potato soup, 4 types of chili, burgers, fish, shepard's pie...)

Then I printed 3 of these:  Weekly Dinner Planner

I added in our meals and tried to include one of each "type" of food in each week-a different type of chili, a beef dish, a chicken dish, a vegetarian dish, fish, breakfast for dinner.  You get the gist.

Then to make my life simpler I numbered each one, and made a grocery list that included EVERYTHING I would need to make ALL THE THINGS.  Now, I don't typically need EVERYTHING, so I still check to see if I actually need minced garlic that trip, but it saves me the time of writing the list over and over and over.  It's a win all around.

Don't forget that you need stuff for lunches, snacks, breakfast (you can print a few more of the planners and go to town!)  This will help you keep healthier options on hand for all of those which saves you a few pounds in the long run.  Saves you money (because you aren't hitting up a restaurant or a convenience store for something last minute) too!


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