Feeding ourselves and our little ones 5+ times a day is A LOT. Let’s break down meal planning dinners for a month to take one thing off your list! Since we commonly eat the same things over time, why not have a list of our favorites and go-tos? A month is long enough to provide enough variety in meals. And repetition reduces our mental load.
STEP 1: List out the base of each meal
I do one monthly Costco haul and get the majority of our meat and frozen veggies at one time so I know what I’m working with throughout the month. Whatever your buying practices look like, write down each base you have on hand separately. Here is an example of what my list looks like:
1. Chicken
2. Chicken
3. Chicken
4. Beef
5. Beef
6. Beef
7. Beef
8. Fish
9. Fish
10. Fish
11. Bacon
12. Bacon
13. Vegetarian
14. Summer Sausage
15. Sausage
16. Sausage
Step 2: Connect a favorite meal with each base
Here is what my meal list looks like. If you are not familiar with Pinch of Yum, it is time to get acquainted. I am clearly a big fan!
1. Chicken: Crockpot Honey Butter Chicken
2. Chicken: Grilled Chicken + Zucchini
3. Chicken: Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken Tacos
4. Beef: Meatballs with Green Sauce
5. Beef: Sloppy Joe’s
6. Beef: Taco Bowls
7. Beef: Grilled Burgers + Asparagus
8. Fish: Salmon + Broccoli + Rice
9. Fish: Shrimp Sheet Pan
10. Fish: Cod
11. Bacon: BLTs
12. Bacon: Breakfast for Dinner
13. Vegetarian: Cauliflower-Walnut Tacos
14. Summer Sausage: Italian Pasta Salad
15. Sausage: Egg Bake
16. Sausage: Millionaire Gnocchi
step 3: pick four meals for each week
Why four? This seems to be a sweet spot that works for my family. Feel free to pick a number that better works for you. Four for us allows for one easy mac & cheese night, one leftovers/catch-up night, and one takeout/dine out night. You do not need to have all 4 weeks completely planned out, but it can be helpful to think about in terms of variety, prep time, cooking method, and quantity of leftovers.
Week 1:
1. Chicken: Crockpot Honey Butter Chicken
2. Beef: Meatballs with Green Sauce
3. Sausage: Egg Bake
4. Fish: Salmon + Broccoli + Rice
Week 2:
1. Bacon: BLTs
2. Beef: Taco Bowls
3. Sausage: Millionaire Gnocci
4. Fish: Cod
Week 3:
1. Chicken: Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken Tacos
2. Beef: Grilled Burgers + Asparagus
3. Fish: Shrimp Sheet Pan
4. Summer Sausage: Italian Pasta Salad
Week 4:
1. Chicken: Grilled Chicken
2. Beef: Sloppy Joe’s
3. Bacon: Breakfast for Dinner
4. Vegetarian: Cauliflower-Walnut Tacos
Step 4: plan your groceries
I recommend making a recipe binder with your favorite recipes. This way you can flip through the recipes all in one place. Break up your shopping list by where each item is located in the grocery store:
- produce
- bread/lunch meat/dips
- back of the store
- center aisles
Bonus points: schedule a grocery pickup for everything or all but the fresh produce. Store coupons can be kept in the Sunday Basket for easy grab and go when it’s time to head to the store.
Random additional tips
- My pantry/freezer staples that I can make a meal out of STAT:
- canned chicken
- chicken sausage
- pre-made frozen burger patties
- mac & cheese
- cauli-walnut tacos
- Adding a big spoonful of plain greek yogurt to box mac & cheese adds great protein!
- Chop veggies all at once and throw them in the freezer if it’s going to be a bit. I like to delegate this job! Or…buy already cut up if you’re in that season of life.
- Leftovers are your friend! I love having leftovers as my lunch the next day. This helps guarantee I am having a well-rounded meal vs. quick cheese and crackers. My kids don’t do great with leftovers right now so that is why I like making something different most nights out of the week.
- Make a goal to clean out your pantry and freezer each month before buying more. This saves a lot of money, prevents waste, and helps you be organized!
- Adjust your meals with the seasons as-needed. This example is more geared toward summer.
