System for Menu and Meal Prep

amother

DarkMagenta

Mon, Feb 13 2023, 11:10 am

mha3484 wrote:

I buy a system from dini klein called prep and rally but we are not picky eaters and I do plenty of editing for taste, expense etc, its all kosher but sometimes a veggie is buggy and I am lazy I use my seichel. She gives a month free you can see if you like it.

I saw a sample and it looked like it used so many fancy ingredients and veggies etc, are majority of the recipes simple? Or all very fancy?

LovesHashem

Mon, Feb 13 2023, 11:14 am

amother Maize wrote:

I have a system based on the protein for each day.

Sunday eggs
Monday ground beef
Tuesday beans
Wednesday chicken
Thursday cheese

It's usually pretty easy to build a simple meal around that without getting too repetitive.

I had an easier time when I made certain days labeled. One day is Chinese or Mexican, another day bowl day (ramen bowl, poki bowl)

I try so hard as well. Healthy, easy and cheap. I've found sheet pan dinners and "bowl" dinners to be easiest.

mha3484

Mon, Feb 13 2023, 11:25 am

amother DarkMagenta wrote:

I saw a sample and it looked like it used so many fancy ingredients and veggies etc, are majority of the recipes simple? Or all very fancy?

I find its a mix. I also pay for the yearly plan so if I dont think my kids will like the current week I go through the archives and pick a different week. My kids nixed last weeks so they picked one from a few weeks ago that had chicken and broccoli, tofu and mushroom eggrolls (they would not have eaten it on its own but stuffed in the wrapper was a hit), beef chili.

I have subbed veggies that are too expensive or time consuming for a vegetable I think my kids will like better. I think the system has taught me a lot of good things about how to better plan and organize meals but I dont mind making changes to a recipe or two. She came out with a cookbook that you can probably get from your local library.

https://www.amazon.com/Prep-Ra.....r=8-1

amother

Oldlace

Mon, Feb 13 2023, 12:07 pm

I rotate based on main dinner. Example:
Chicken stir fry with broccoli
Hamburgers
Pizza or baked ziti with salad
Pepper steak stir fry with string beans

I try to vary my recipes so we don't get sick of the same things. Choose your main protein and make a list of possibilities. For example for ground beef: hamburgers, tacos, meatballs, etc.
Chicken: on bone, schnitzel, stir fry, etc

Once you have 3-4 options for fish or chicken, make a weekly or monthly menu.

I hate being stuck on what I planned since kids may want something else than planned. Usually night before I ask them do you want me to defrost chicken or ground beef for tomorrow. I plan a day before so I can defrost and then decide how to serve it depending what we're in the mood for

scintilla

Mon, Feb 13 2023, 12:23 pm

I have some dairy intolerances in the family so we have mainly fleishig, Thursday night is milchig so they can eat whatever is leftover from the week (bh they aren't picky like that!). I try do one night chicken (on the bone or baked cutlets), one night ground beef, one night something else based on what's on special that week and what I have in the freezer.

I map it out on the calendar at the beginning of the month but very loosely, with just the mains, and then fill in the sides as it gets closer. I rotate between pasta, rice, couscous and quinoa as a starch side and add either roast vegetables or a salad. Works for me! I also like the flexibility of having ideas right there on the calendar but being able to decide that tonight we're more in the mood of sloppy joes than taco meat so I'll switch it to next week. Salmon also occasionally but it's twice as expensive as ground beef over here!

I also try cook twice, eat once thanks to my deep freezer so I always have a main dish to pull out in a pinch, and instant couscous and frozen vegetables take minutes to prepare!

Once in a while I'll do ww pancakes or waffles for a treat, with cut up vegetables and fruit.

Some favorites for ideas:
Meatloaf + rice (meatloaf freezes great raw and shaped, I put vegetables inside)
Taco meat + kidney beans, brown rice, taco toppings (tomato, avocado, corn etc)
Chicken bottoms cooked forever on the stove with a little water, spices and peas added at the end, over couscous
Miriam pascal's chicken pea stew (I make triple and freeze)
Chicken cutlets, either with crumbs or with herbs, cut in big pieces and baked with frozen veggies
For milchig, when tired of pasta and cheese, we sometimes make quinoa patties or just mix quinoa with defrosted frozen spinach, sauce and cheese and bake! Can add eggs and vegetables, even beans for more protein. Serve with a salad or soup.