Have you ever had the greatest idea of what to make for dinner… only to have that brilliant thought leave you moments later? How about this – have you ever looked in your pantry or fridge, saw some unusual ingredients, and wondered what you were planning to do with those? Well, I have found myself in both situations.
When I was teaching, I would often use the drive home to contemplate what I would be making for dinner. (I know that is super last-minute planning!) If I didn’t have everything I needed for the meal at home, I would either take a detour to the nearest grocery store (at least a 30 minute detour to be exact) or I would just think of another idea. I have always kept a decently stocked fridge, freezer, and pantry, so I actually had most of the ingredients I might need. The detour to the store did not happen often. I also would get ideas for the week at the weekly grocery store outing, or from random things I’d see on television or the internet.
When I was first pregnant with my daughter, I had morning sickness pretty bad (nothing compared to what I have felt this pregnancy, though!). My husband picked up dinner most nights during the first trimester because of that. Then, during the second and third trimester, I rarely cooked again because I was so tired from teaching all day and then working on my long-term substitute plans for the 8 weeks of maternity leave I was planning to take. My husband came to the rescue again. I am embarrassed to say that we had some definite food waste during that time in our household.
Fast-forward to the days when I finally felt recovered enough to cook again after the birth of my daughter. I was completely tired – very interesting new sleep patterns were very real during that time – and I am pretty sure my pregnancy brain was lingering for months after delivery. Anyway, I struggled with getting meals on the table for a few reasons: one, I was not driving home from work and planning meals each day; two, I was forgetting all the reasons I bought the groceries I had in the house (not to mention, I was not really able to prep as much as I had before because Baby D wasn’t old enough to play in her pack n’ play, etc. yet). Well, I found myself in yet another food-waste situation.
I could not stand the fact that we were losing so much money and so much food was going to waste because I couldn’t get my act together. (It wasn’t crazy, it was just enough to bother me, though.) I had to do something about it. Enter the weekly menu.
I grew up in a home where were did not have a menu posted, and meals were usually planned in a similar way to how I had planned them when I was teaching. I did not want to do a weekly menu that didn’t change, I just wanted to post something that would remind me about what I would be making and to help me be more thoughtful in my grocery shopping. What I came up with was:
I made it for two weeks because I really wanted to go grocery shopping only every two weeks. I laminated the page (yes, I own my own little laminating machine and love it!) and clipped it to the fridge with a magnet. I use a dry-erase marker to write down my meals for the weeks, and I simply label the weeks as “This” and “Next.” When “This” week is over, I erase the “Next” on the other set of meals and replace it with “This.” Then, I erase everything from the old “This” week, replace all the meals with new meals, and replace the “This” with “Next.” I go grocery shopping every other week, with the exception of getting milk. If we are getting take-out, or if I need to change meals around, I write that in. If I have other ideas throughout the week, I add them to the “Other Ideas” section so I have them the next time I plan meals.
I have been using this meal plan for months now, and I have dramatically reduced my stress in figuring out what to cook for dinner. I have also almost eliminated food waste and money lost to unused groceries in our home. It really has made a difference in my family, and maybe it will help yours too!
I have included the editable version of my weekly menu below. Feel free to use it! I hope it works well for you too, and be sure to share any ideas or ways this has helped you in the comments below.