A menu plan is your roadmap to getting your family fed during the week ahead. You need one, even if you think you don’t.
I’ve been fighting this for quite some time.
My thought process
I don’t need a menu plan for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My husband and I work outside the home. Our son eats breakfast at home, packs lunch for school, and eats an afternoon snack at home. Our daughter eats all meals at Grandma’s house (although I purchase and send food to Grandma’s for the week, on Mondays).
So, I just plan dinners. Then, when it’s time for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, we run out of things before it’s time to go the grocery store again.
Why I DO need a menu plan
If I don’t make a menu plan for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I run out of food. If my menu plan only includes dinners, and that’s all I buy supplies for…what are we going to eat for breakfast and lunch? I still have to take lunch to work. My husband usually takes leftovers.
How to make a weekly menu plan
I typically have most of the makings for dinners on-hand, at all times.
Write down what you would like to serve / need to cover each meal.
Check the refrigerator, freezer, and cupboards for what you already have.
Make a list of what’s left to buy.
TIP: If you buy the same things, repeatedly, for breakfast and lunch, stock up when they’re on sale.
If you are a busy mom looking for an easy way to create a meal plan, check out my review of this book:
Other Meal Planning Posts:
:: Improve Your Meal Planning in Just 10 Minutes
::How to Meal Plan: A Step by Step Guide for Busy Moms {Review}
::Make meals easier during the school year
So true, if I didn’t plan out my meals for the week, I’d be spending more than I can imagine. Though I need to start planning out our weekly lunches and breakfasts…at least get it on paper. Stopping by from #WakeUpWednesday
We always have a collection of items for breakfast and for lunch it’s usually sandwich with chips. For dinner, we have a menu. It’s not specific for each day, but it’s for the week so we can picka dn choose as we like. It’s a time saver and doesn’t have me thinking of dinners at the last minute.
Thanks for sharing at Inspire Me Mondays!
I need to plan meals for the week. Especially dinner, and sometimes some family meals at the weekend. It’s a routine I do every Saturday. Buy food only once a week. Only fresh bread I buy everyday for breakfast.
Sounds like a great Saturday routine Ana!