Lately I’ve been rethinking my meal planning and I’ve decided I really need a simple and easy meal plan to follow. It pays to plan out meals. It saves time and money when you know what’s for dinner each night! I’ve always planned my meals down to the details and to be honest with you, it can be time-consuming and confining. I’m not a detailed person and it can be overwhelming to pre-plan every meal down to the smallest ingredient! For the past month or so, I’ve been planning meals by the week. I can still have all of the planning and ingredients available, but I can change-up the daily recipes. Here’s my updated…
Simple & Easy Meal Plan
~ SUNDAY ~
Slow Cooker Roast
~ MONDAY ~
Meatloaf
~ TUESDAY ~
Tacos
~ WEDNESDAY ~
Breakfast
~ THURSDAY ~
Pasta
~ FRIDAY ~
Fish or Chicken
~ SATURDAY ~
Grill When Warmer
Soup When Cooler
Now, let me explain how I use this plan. Every day of the week is assigned a general dinner meal idea. For example, Monday is meatloaf day. However, this doesn’t meal we eat meatloaf every Monday, but rather a variation of it. Some Mondays we do have meatloaf (it’s one of my hubby’s favorites) or we may have Salisbury steak or meatball subs. Regardless of the recipe I choose, the ingredients for that night are relatively the same. This way, I’ll remember to take the ground beef out to the freezer in the morning and it will be ready for whichever entrée I choose to prepare.
Tuesday is taco night, but variations can be nachos, burritos or even enchiladas. Once again, the protein is the same – ground beef or turkey.
Wednesday is breakfast for dinner. Eggs, omelets, french toast, pancakes – the protein can be the same for all of these – bacon, sausage or ham. Believe it or not, this is my kids favorite dinner night!
Thursday is a pasta meal. This is usually the night I use whatever protein I have on hand. Ground beef, Italian sausage, chicken breast, etc., all can make great pasta dishes.
Friday we have fish or chicken for our evening meal. One of our family members has a chicken allergy so I have to prepare fish even if the others are having chicken. Vegetables & sides are interchangeable with either protein.
Saturday has a little variation. In the warmer months we will grill out steak, burgers, chicken, etc. In the cooler months I like to make beef stew, chili or another favorite soup. This can also be a great way to use up leftovers.
Sunday is a special day at our house. Since my husband is a pastor, he likes to come home to a ready meal since we are usually delayed after the service. The slow cooker is the greatest invention for Sunday dinner! This is the day I like to make a roast. It can be beef or pork roast or even a ham. I usually choose whatever is on sale that week at the grocery store. Add in your vegetables, cook on high while you are at church and voila – it’s waiting for you when you return home.
Breakfast and lunches at my house are automated.
Breakfast is oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, boiled eggs and fruit.
Lunch is soup, salad, veggies with dip, fruit and sandwiches or leftovers.
Everyone gets to choose what they would like and I always have these items on my shopping list and replenish them as needed.
Items needed to round out each meal are also added to the shopping list. I try not to buy a lot of mixes or pre-made items, but rather I like to keep them simple and make side dishes from scratch. So, I try to have on hand the staples needed to make great meals. Fresh salad items, potatoes, rice, frozen vegetables, bread, tortillas, pasta and various soups. Before I do the grocery shopping for the week, I “shop” my own freezer & pantry to see what I have available and then make adjustments to the meal plan as needed. This saves shopping time and money!
The goal of this meal plan is to help you have a general idea each day of what dinner you will make for your family. A frozen entrée at 5:30 p.m. is not helpful when you’re trying to make a meal for hungry people. This schedule helps me pre-plan and have the main course thawed and ready for my recipe. Trust me, this is much more helpful than waiting until it’s time to cook and asking, “What should I make tonight?” When I do that we usually grab fast food since there’s nothing ready to make. Then we eat more unhealthful and we spend money from the food budget that isn’t really worth it. Try this plan for a week and see if it helps you schedule your family meals more efficiently.
Print out the Weekly Meal Plan here – Weekly Meal Plan