I'm bad at meal planning

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Forum -> Household Management

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amother

Mustard

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 12:36 pm

I need a plan I can stick to, in terms of cooking and preparing. Shopping I do every Monday and Thursday and mostly go by what's on sale. I have trouble figuring out meals before meal time. I need a schedule, a template that I can look at and say this is the food prep I need to do today. Or, I don't know. I'm so bad at this that I don't know what I don't know.

ssspectacular

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 12:38 pm

Is this for a whole year or Pesach related?

mha3484

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 12:45 pm

What helps me is to have loose categories.

Sundays is my night off so either leftovers from shabbos or something from the grocery store.

Mondays is milchig usually pasta

Tuesdays is tacos or something similar

Wednesdays is fleishig and usually easy like ground meat, chicken sausages, boneless chicken thighs. Even better when I can use the Instant Pot.

Thursdays is when I reach for a convenience item like frozen pizza, frozen breaded flounder, shelf stable potato gnocchi. Anything that is fast and does not make too many dishes to wash.

ra_mom

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 12:48 pm

We're happy to help!
What does your family usually like? We can take it from there.

Chicken cutlets
Bone in chicken
Dark meat chicken cutlets
Pasta cheese dishes
Fish
Vegetarian burgers, falafel
Parve egg dishes
Pizza
Ground meat
Minute steak

Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Rice
Farfel
Pasta

Roasted veggies
Stir fry
Canned veg
Salad
Soup
Cut veggie stix

Other?

amother

Mustard

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 1:17 pm

Thanks. We eat fleishig almost every night. 2 of the kids won't eat chicken which is really annoying, though I still try to have once a week or so in the hope that they'll change their minds. We have fish allergies in the family so can't have any fish in the house. Me and 1 child are on a ketogenic diet so anything pasta based is quite rare. We all eat eggs for breakfast, so while I don't mind some sort of eggy dinner once or twice a week, it really can't be more often than that. We mostly eat roasted veggies or salads for veggies. We do eat Shabbos leftovers on Sunday, so weekends are taken care of. It's weeknights I struggle with.

ra_mom

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 2:31 pm

amother wrote:

So on average, you serve bone in chicken most nights? Does the family prefer it sweet or savory?

amother

Amber

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 2:38 pm

but her kids they dont like chicken

ra_mom

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 2:40 pm

amother wrote:

but her kids they dont like chicken

Sorry I misread. I thought only chicken. Please let me know what you serve most weeks so I can help.

amother

Amber

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 2:42 pm

ok lets try:

lentil-bolognese with roasted bellpeppers

brown rice with beans and tunapatties (ketogenics skip the rice)

crockpot goulash with potatoes (ketogenics simply omitr the potatoes)

tomatoesoup woth creamcheese dumplings

tuna wraps with romain salad

quinoa - veggy - stew

ground carrots and corn sticks

steak pikes with oven roasted veggys in teriyaky sauce?

amother

Mustard

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 3:57 pm

Can't have any fish in the house due to allergies. Don't like soup. Some things I serve are meatballs with rice and homemade sauce (minus rice for those who can't). Tacos with meat filling (minus shell/wrap for those that can't have). Chicken or meat stir fry. Shakshuka. Veggies are usually something roasted with s and p. Or a plain salad (I don't particularly like salad but DH and the kids do. I am best about eating veggies when they're roasted). Kids don't like potatoes. I don't always get to the veggies because I start thinking about dinner too late embarrassed

Or I end up doing sandwiches and cereal which is really bad for those of us who shouldn't be eating those things. I need to plan my weeknights ahead, I think.

mha3484

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 4:03 pm

When it comes to veggies I find that its much easier to cook and serve them when I avail myself of some convenience items. I get bags of precut sqauash and cauliflower rice at trader joes. I always keep their frozen green beans in my freezer. At my kosher store I get pre zoodled zoodles. Its much easier to open a bag of butternut and roast it then cut the whole thing after work.

amother

Navy

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 4:27 pm

So you already have half a meal plan! Just need to organize it:

1) Sunday: Chicken stir fry, roasted zucchini/onions/carrots

2) Monday: Meatballs, rice, roasted cauliflower & broccoli

3) Tuesday: Tacos, fresh salad

4) Wednesday: Meat stir fry, rice, roasted parsnip/carrots/sweet potatoes

5) Thursday: Shakshuka, broiled tomatoes, fresh salad

If you want to try new things, here's some ideas:

- Burgers (without buns for those who can't), salad, roasted mushrooms
- Nut-crusted shnitzel (baked)
- Crustless quiche with lots of veggies
- Pot roast with lots of vegetable chunks

amother

White

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 4:45 pm

mha3484 wrote:

I always see that in traders Joe’s, but how does it work with checking for bugs? I would love to buy it!

ra_mom

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 5:47 pm

amother wrote:

Or I end up doing sandwiches and cereal which is really bad for those of us who shouldn't be eating those things. I need to plan my weeknights ahead, I think.

Ok, let's figure this out for a weekly basis.

Sunday leftovers (does this work for your family?)
Once a week meatballs
Once a week stir fry (can that have veggies in the dish itself?)
Once a week tacos (can you add onion and peppers)
Once a week eggs to order or shakshuka (figure out how to incorporate veggies into the dish so it's not hard. Handful of frozen peas and carrots added to the sauce?)

Decide which dishes are easier for you, and based on your schedule, set a schedule for those dishes to be made on the hardest days. Say for example Thursday is the hardest because you're cooking for shabbos, and shakshuka is your easiest dish, schedule eggs for Thursdays. This way you don't have to think too deeply. What's for dinner? Oh it's Thursday, eggs! If Monday you have less time because you did a big shopping, choose a weekly dinner option accordingly. If it's easiest to make a ground beef recipe the day your shopping because you like to buy it fresh and not have to defrost, go with that. Basically make a schedule that suits your lifestyle.

If you add vegetables to the dishes themselves, you have the flexibility to either make another dish or just skip if no time.

Also, find ways to make your go to dishes easier. Is it easier for you to put up the meatballs in the crockpot and let it simmer for 6 hours on low? Easier to bake the shakshuka in the oven than to sit over it on the stove? Etc.

mha3484

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 5:50 pm

I was recently informed by the head of the CRC Rabbi Fishbane that you can buy the cauliflower rice as it is and use it. I did a happy dance!

PAMOM

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 9:41 pm

What are steak pikes and can you post a recipe? Thanks.

bargainlover

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 9:42 pm

mha3484 wrote:

I was recently informed by the head of the CRC Rabbi Fishbane that you can buy the cauliflower rice as it is and use it. I did a happy dance!

What do you make with it? Looking for recipes !

nicole81

Thu, Mar 15 2018, 9:48 pm

Just regarding planning, dh and I sit down with the circulars every motzei shabbat and fully meal plan dinners for the entire week through the following motzei shabbat. From that we generate a shopping list, and we notate on the weekly menu who needs to do various tasks to prepare for the meals on which days.

We keep this posted on the fridge and reference it every day to stay on top of things.

Ruchel

Fri, Mar 16 2018, 7:55 am

We made a plan by week, but it was too repetitive. We switched by month, and kinda follow. It's very practical for the errands.

smileyfaces

Fri, Mar 16 2018, 8:28 am

bargainlover wrote:

What do you make with it? Looking for recipes !

Riced cauliflower has become my staple!

Dice and sauté and onion and any veggies if you would like.
Add the bag of frozen cauliflower and pan fry until it’s brown and yummy!
Just add a drop of salt and garlic.

You can add soy sauce if you would like. I use this instead of rice so any meal that would normally serve rice. Meatballs and cauliflower rice, stir fry and cauliflower rice, etc.

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