Simplistic Meal Planning

I've tried meal planning off an on over the years. Mostly, I always found it tedious and I burnt out super quickly.

And I'm terrible with coming up with variety. It pretty much gives me anxiety.

But, in an effort to tighten up our budget, I've finally come up with a rather simplistic weekly meal plan that works for us. And we do it weekly, with little to no change. So I don't have to get too crazy with variety.

We eat eggs for breakfast. Every day. Yep, eggs. The kids typically eat them over easy with a side of fruit. I eat them scrambled with enough veggies that I can hardly taste the eggs (I don't really like eggs...). I try to throw in some bacon or sausage once or twice a week, but the kids don't seem to care either way. On the weekends J makes them gluten-free pancakes. He's cooler than me. And once Farmer's Market starts back up, our breakfast will be acquired at our favorite restaurant on Saturday mornings. Oh, I'm all ready drooling for a crepe or some quiche!

J takes sandwich stuff to work and makes his own sandwiches for lunch most days. Occasionally I send him with leftovers if it isn't something that went over well with the kids.

The kids and I eat leftovers, fruits, and nuts and soup mostly for lunch. I try to feed us fish twice a week, since J isn't a fish lover unless it's fried. I'll make the kids a tuna dip (1/2 block of cream cheese with a can of tuna and some spinach) and they'll eat it with carrot sticks (real carrots, not baby carrots. This is one reason baby carrots don't come into my house). And then typically a tilapia or cod or wild caught salmon broiled another day. But none of us are big lunch eaters, we mostly graze. Which works. I just make sure all of our options are healthy.

And I've made our dinner rotation so simple even I can't mess it up. And that's saying a lot!

Monday is ground beef and potatoes with a veggie and salad on the side.

Tuesday is whole chicken in the crock pot. I toss a bag of frozen veggies in before I take H to piano lessons, so it's all cooked and ready to go when we get back.

Wednesday is a bit of a wild card. I make something with chicken from the day before. Typically GF enchiladas or taco salad. Or if I'm super in a rush I just heat up the chicken and serve it with some veggies.

Thursday is soup day. I make chicken stock out of that whole chicken carcass. I throw in whatever veggies I have on hand and any chicken left over. Served with a side salad.

Friday is GF spaghetti night, which works out perfect with lent, since we go meat free for dinner that day anyway. I make a veggie and salad, and wham. Everyone is happy (because I don't care for spaghetti much).

J does dinner on the weekends. Organ meat and pork. Or sometimes leftover spaghetti for the kids one night and steak for us after they're in bed. It's like a date at home! Whatever works. I mostly leave it up to him, although I buy the various meats and toss them in the freezer.

Simply having a rough idea of what and how we are eating every week has been a Godsend. I'm not overwhelmed trying to come up with ideas. I'm not grocery shopping blindly, just purchasing whatever sounds good (yes, that's typically how I shop). We waste so much less this way, eat much healthier (less last minute take out or throwing a meal together from Bfoods deli because I don't know what is going on despite being the one in charge).

It's only taken me 4.5 years of marriage, but I totally recommend everyone have a plan. Seriously. It's cheaper. Ridiculously cheaper. I am still buying organic, local foods mostly (sorry, I will never buy organic avocados or pineapple or bananas, it's not worth it), and I'm saving a ton! Simply by knowing what I'm doing for a change.

It makes life SO much easier. It's worth it.